You're absolutely right, and a recent U.N. report endorsed by more than 130 nations agrees with you. A think tank funded in large part by ExxonMobil, however, is actually offering scientists $10,000 to write counterclaims to the U.N. report:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070202/sc_nm/globalwarming_aei_dc
The argument that certain businessmen and government officials and wealthy people are trying to make about global warming is that of course, certainly, our earth undergoes natural cycles of warming and cooling and we could very well be amid one of those warming cycles. The problem is that this past century has historically been the first time the earth has had to deal with such human contraptions as automobiles and factories and the large-scale and systematic burning of coal and oil, as well as the burning of various other extremely toxic man-made items such as plastic that get thrown out in the trash. We don't even _need_ eyewitness accounts of the earth from 3 billion years ago to know that such large-scale industrialization and pollution is a new crisis (unless Republicans and others would like to argue that ancient human beings once mined, refined, and burned oil and coal until they were killed by a meteor like the dinosaurs). Such a new crisis (a crisis about which we know as little as or less than the climate 3 billion years ago) cannot possibly continue without consequences, whether or not the earth is in a "warming phase."
Volcanoes are natural and have always existed, but man's burning of fuel has not. There's simply no logical way to believe that this unprecedented moment in earth's history will have no effect on global warming. Global-warming skeptics want us to believe that this ecologically brand-new and momentous period of mass pollution has just conveniently coincided with one of earth's "natural" warming periods. This is plainly absurd.
In any case, the U.N. report also concluded that no matter what actions we take to reduce pollution now, global warming is going to continue for at least several hundred years in spite of anything. So there's really no sense in debating what to _do_; we've already screwed ourselves and might as well keep polluting away. We won't have to pay the price for our stupidity. Our grandchildren will.
2007-02-06 14:51:43
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answer #1
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answered by Anonymous
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Yes, we are poisoning the ground, water, and atmosphere.
Yes, it's probably not a good thing. Poisoning ourselves is a bit on the retarded side.
Yes, the world has warmed by 0.8 degrees Celcius in the last century.
No, we don't have enough of an understanding to predict the consequences or work out the cause of global warming, or whether anything should be done about it. How can anybody think we understand either the weather or the climate when we can't predict either?
2007-02-06 20:29:49
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answer #2
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answered by rabid_scientist 5
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Yes. Global warming is our fault. We destroy the planet & it reacts with natural disasters (floods, typhoons, etc) then we react in shock at the tragedies that we helped to create.
We can all do our part to reduce the effects of global warming by conserving energy in our homes, driving only when necessary & driving fuel-efficient vehicles rather than gas-guzzlers. Organizations can do their part to reduce pollution.
Some people deny that global warming exists or claim that we have nothing to do with it. But just as you say, the earth is an organism and the things that we do to it, the pollutions we expose it to are naturally going to affect it. And since we live in this world and depend on the planet to sustain us, then it inevitably affects us too. We bite the hand that feeds us. Mother Earth deserves our respect. If she doesn't get it, she'll get her revenge...
2007-02-06 21:16:17
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answer #3
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answered by amp 6
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What we do not have at our disposal is eye witness accounts of ancient earth. No it is not 3 trillion years old. What records we do have date back to Native lore and scientific data that show many catastrophic events far worse then what we experience today. So every time the earth hiccups we all act like chicken little. The earth is constantly changing regardless of what we do or don't do. The best thing to do is hold ourselves accountable not everyone else. Keep our earth and ourselves in perspective in past present and future context.
2007-02-06 20:23:09
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answer #4
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answered by Robert Angle 1
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I have heard lots about theory which comes man made - human beings. I don't know about that yet, but I have noticed the climates getting warmer than usual every year. The theory may be true for this reason.
2007-02-06 20:18:22
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answer #5
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answered by Julie G 4
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Global warming is caused by a decline in the number of pirates. As everyone knows, pirates are COOL - so it only follows that if you don't have enough then the background temp of the Earth will rise....
2007-02-06 20:17:25
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answer #6
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answered by Tirant 5
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I'm not sure what you're asking, but you make a good point. Great way to put things into perspective- comparing Earth to our bodies brings forth more sympathy/empathy.
2007-02-06 20:17:03
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answer #7
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answered by Anonymous
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Yes. Its going to take a very powerful person to put an end to the non-sense or else we will all die for sure.
Nice knowing you.
2007-02-06 20:45:30
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answer #8
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answered by Anonymous
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I like your theory.
I don't understand how some people don't believe in global warming, I think they're just scared.
2007-02-06 20:16:24
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answer #9
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answered by Radio Flyer 3
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Mention this to me. Mention something, mention anything. Mention this to me, and watch the weather change...
2007-02-06 20:28:45
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answer #10
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answered by _Third_Eye_ 1
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