Do you believe in global warming. What can be done, if so?

Question

Thank you for your global views.

Answer 1

The likelihood that global temperatures will continue to significantly increase has led to proposals to mitigate global warming. Mitigation covers all actions aimed at reducing the negative effects or the likelihood of global warming.

There are five categories of actions that can be taken to mitigate global warming:

Reduction of energy use (conservation)
Shifting from carbon-based fossil fuels to alternative energy sources
Carbon capture and storage
Carbon sequestration
Planetary engineering to cool the earth, including screening out sunlight or increasing albedo
Strategies for mitigation of global warming include development of new technologies; carbon offsets; renewable energy such as biodiesel, wind power, and solar power; nuclear power; electric or hybrid automobiles; fuel cells; energy conservation; carbon taxes; enhancing natural carbon dioxide sinks; population control; and carbon capture and storage. Many environmental groups encourage individual action against global warming, often aimed at the consumer, and there has been business action on climate change.

The world's primary international agreement on combating climate change is the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol is an amendment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Countries that ratify this protocol commit to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases, or engage in emissions trading if they maintain or increase emissions of these gases.

Although the governments of 163 countries ratified the Kyoto Protocol, (notably excluding the United States and Australia), there is a growing debate about how effective the Kyoto protocol has been. Some politicians, including President of the United States George W. Bush , Prime Minister of Australia John Howard had argued that the cost of mitigating global warming via the Kyoto protocol is too large to be practical. This view may be proving correct, as the signatories of the Kyoto protocol are currently struggling to meet their targets , including Europe and Japan. After only five years, Canada has given up entirely. Also, of the 163 countries that have signed and ratified Kyoto, only 31 are actually required to lower greenhouse emissions.

Some segments of the business community have accepted global warming and its attribution to anthropogenic causes as valid, as well as a need for actions such as carbon emissions trading and carbon taxes.

Adaptation strategies accept some warming as a foregone conclusion and focus on preventing or reducing undesirable consequences. Examples of such strategies include defense against rising sea levels or ensuring food security.

Answer 2

Global Warming is nearly a scientific concensus.

Those scientists who hold views critical of Global Warming are fully aware of it. They simply beilive that there is no evidence that we are a part of the problem.

This is the same type of science that told us for decades there was no indication that smoking was bad for you.

We can do lots of things. Drive more efficent cars. Change your standard lightbulbs to those longer lasting flourscent kind. Recycle. Lots of little things.

But the biggest little thing is contacting your elected representatives and letting them know what you think. My mother has done lobbiest work and beilive me, when people call their office, they take notice.

Answer 3

The worse part of climat change don't come from green effect but from the human activities which modify the water cycle by waterprof surfaces and over pumping of water reserves.
The dryness of more and more volumes of rocks together with erosion permit the temperature to increase . This phenomenius change the ways of water cycle and then the climats.
The solution to resolve it is globale water management .
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/biefs.dupilat/

Answer 4

I believe the earth is going through a climate change cycle that is aggravated by our pollution. I think the glaciers and poles are going to melt, the sea level will rise and many people are going to have to find new homes/jobs/etc. I think we are headed for some very difficult times.

Answer 5

No I do not