How come some people are so ignorent to global warming?

Answer 1

I don't debate the fact that global warming is occurring, or even that it is "partially" caused by an increase in green-house gases from the burning of coal and oil. What I do disagree with are people who jump up and down screaming that we are all going to die because of the big, scary global warming monster.

If you would like to educate yourself on global warming, and how it is likely to affect the planet in the next 100 years or so, why don't you check out some of these sites:

The National Center for Atmospheric Research:
http://www.ucar.edu/research/climate/warming.shtml

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration:
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/globalwarming.html
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2006/ann/ann06.html

The National Academy of Sciences:
http://dels.nas.edu/basc/Climate-HIGH.pdf

Answer 2

I'm not going to tell you whether global warming is happening or not because, really, I have no idea. I can't measure it. There are still days that are cooler than average for the year, about as many as are hotter than average. But that happens all the time.

The global warming theorists make a plausible case, but plausibility is not proof. The versions of the theory that I've heard are mostly creditable, but credibility isn't proof, either. Plausibility and credibility only mean that you can't see anything wrong with the idea, and the global warming theory is plausible and credible because it kind of makes sense that the more greenhouse gas you put into the atmosphere, the more retentive of the sun's heat the atmosphere will become.

On the other hand, that doesn't mean we're near any sort of tipping point, or that the fossil fuels we've burned so far have significantly changed the global average temperature. Some people think that this has happened, and they might be right. But I don't know whether they are right or wrong, and, probably, neither do you.

It's true, by the way, that volcanos put out lots and lots of greenhouse gas. What's the ratio of the rate of CO2 outgassed from vocanism versus the rate of CO2 production from industrial and automotive hydrocarbon burning?

What? YOU DON'T KNOW?! Who are you to point a finger at anyone else, then, and say they are ignorant?

Answer 3

Because the oil industry teamed up with the right and fed millions of people disinformation for the past decade. It took a devastating hurricane to wake most people out of their ignorance. Sadly many people are still asleep.

Answer 4

I ask that question everyday, but this is my thought. Some people are aware of it but just don't care, and others are dying to know more but just aren't well versed, learned or educated to be able to learn more about the topic.
There is also a huge portion to why people ignore global warming. Even though it is a global issue and ecologists are fervent in trying to convince us to take action, denial and irony play a huge role. Those who deny it would probably want badly to help, but decided not to because they think their help won't affect how we live in the future. The people with ignorance happen just not to believe that one person can indeed make a difference in lobbying for the lives of future generations and our living space, surroundings, et cetera. Lots of these people bystand the disasters and look on to see what the world will and can do without their help. In this way these people are being horrible; when they know they can exert some amount of effort to harness global warming from doing the damage it could do.
It still feels good for others not described above to help nature along its path. Globabl warming is not a clandestine happening; it's manmade and whatever is manmade to behemoth proportions is extremely dangerous. Even if the belief that one being can't make a difference or solve a problem, it's still great service to recycle, substitute for ethanol, plant a tree, save your paper and switch off your light and do all sorts of other great things. Every little bit hirts and every little hurt counts...
But then again, every little save helps us out all the bit more. :)

Answer 5

Think about it...if you're worrying about what to buy tommorow or how much bill you're gonna have this month, would you really take a moment to think about global warming? It's becoming an issue now at least, and people are finally realizing how bad this is. But, it's basically impossible to get everyone to be involved in it...this is a simliar case to the AIDS epidemic. Hopefully, more people than there is now would lend a helping hand to global issues like these.

Answer 6

There are a number of reasons for this:

1. The idea it isn't a problem.
To clarify:
there IS scientific consensus the planet is warming.
There IS scientific consensus that carbon dioxide is increasing massively since industrialisation, and the causes are anthropogenic.
There IS scientific consensus that carbon dioxide reduces longwave radiation from earth, trapping heat inside the atmosphere.
However,
The planet has warmed and cooled on a massive scale for its entire existence, so the current warming may be part of its natural cycle and completely out of our control. While this variable exists, no direct link can be proven- ergo- it ain't our fault so it ain't our problem!

2 We don't yet know the extent of the dangers of global warming.
For all we know, it may not be that bad. For example, warming intensifies the hydrological cycle, which may increase cloud cover, the effect of which on the global energy budget may counteract the warming effect. Also, this intensification of the hydrological cycle has benefits - more water in circulation, more plants, less carbon dioxide. However a big problem here is water vapour itself is a major player in the greenhouse effect! There is just so much we don't know about, so how can we attempt to combat it? It may even be a good thing - the sahara desert is currently shrinking, so many African farmers livelihoods are improving thanks to the warming of the global temperatures, though research suggests them most at risk from extreme weather events brought on by global warming.

3 priorities!
With starving people, disease and war the threat of future disaster is necessarily prioritised below present disasters. bear in mind politicians need pretty quick returns on investments to stay in favour with the electorate

4 The global nature of the problem.
It's a global problem and we have nothing like the international infrastructure, or consensus, necessary to tackle it. Also it's sheer size and intangibility makes it a very difficult oponent for most people to tackle.

5 People are creatures of habit.
Lifestyles are difficult to change. Even out of those concerned about climate change, how many do you know who still use modern transport and electricity. Nearly everyone! In the old cost benefit analysis, no one is going to drastically alter their lives if they don't really know if it will change anything at all

6 Development.
So many are poor, it's a political impossibility (and grossly unfair) to deny them development through industrialisation. Like the pessimists moan, what can we do about all the coal fired power stations in China?

Phew!
It may be more important to ask
Why does no-one care about acid rain anymore?
Why, in a world of limited resources, do we waste so much on unnecessary packaging?
Why do we wash our waste away in drinking quality water?

People are so funny.

Answer 7

Why? Because they are sheep led to the slaughter, they live in isolation and in total denial of our being a global community. Some people just don't care, oh, they'll care when its their house on fire, but if their neighbors house is burning they don't care. Its a pathetic way to live and hopefully when they grow up they'll see that our actions do have consequences and for the buffoons calling you 'al' for simply asking the question shows that we will always have idiots in the political arena, how else could George W. have been elected twice, well, one and a half anyway. But, for all those that say this isn't real, I say make them move to South Beach in Florida and tell them to learn how to doggy paddle for ten to twenty thousand years. Wake up.

Answer 8

The only people I believe are ignorant of the global warming debate are the ones who buy into the doomsday hypothesus or claim that you can see the results of it now. These can be beliefs only, a faith of their views in a religous sense.

The data do not indicate either.

For a frank critique of the current UN reports and claims, see the following article.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/11/05/nosplit/nwarm05.xml

Additional Websites.

http://www.canadafreepress.com/2006/harris061206.htm

http://www.crichton-official.com/fear/

And lastly, here is a very competent list of scientists going on record to dispute the "consensus" and doomsday hypothesus.

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/financialpost/story.html?id=3711460e-bd5a-475d-a6be-4db87559d605&rfp=dta

Answer 9

People believe what they choose to, unfortunately. Meanwhile, the rest of us have to suffer because people have an " It won't happen to me" attitude. Kind of like Notradamus' predictions. Some believe, some don't. I live in an area that by now should have been buried under snow atleast eight times by now. The West Coast has been colder than usual. Rocket science? Not really. :(

Answer 10

they beileve that it will not effect them. they're putting it off for later generations to take into hand. the unfortunate thing is, when global warming really becomes a problem, it may be too late to fix it becaue all the past generations put it off to the next generation, which did the same thing.

why let your sons and daughters suffer global warming, people? take it into your own hands and we will be that much closer to saving the world from it!