and want evidence to back it up....yet when their very question is answered, they choose to pick answers that agree with their position, even if that person has not backed up their position with any real evidence? Why bother asking for proof if you're not really interested to begin with?
2007-02-16 05:32:57 · 18 answers · asked by town_cl0wn 4 in Environment
to Larry
My position should be made clear, I have studied this for a few years and I am more than convinced (given the evidence that I have been provided with through my studies) that humans are the major "relatively recent" cause in overall global climate change
however, as a science student, I am willing and open to any evidence that contradicts and supports natural causes...this is the scientific way...we don't stagnate...we constantly look for answers
2007-02-16 05:49:55 · update #1
to togashiyo..
it does nothing of the sort, climatologists are very much aware of past global climate shifts and is very much taken into account, why would you assume it is not?
2007-02-16 05:54:37 · update #2
You are really asking a question about social behavior. so (since that's my field): The whole "debate"--not the scientific debaate, but all the political nonsense--wasn't the product of questions about the scientific questions. It was generated--deliberately--by special interests in an effort to derail action on environmental issues. That's not an opinion--the Roayal Society identified Exxon/Mobil (among others) as having spent $39 million to put out disinformation on climate change in 2005. And the efforts of the Bush administration to alter reports and silence scientists have been well documented--and are currently being investigated by Congress.
Now, obviously these posters aren't part of this (deliberately)--but they've been taken in--not by scientific facts but by a set of ideological arguements that equate environmentalism with "liberal." Or they have succumbed to scare tactics about "losing jobs," etc (which is particularly silly--shifting our policies and technology will create economic growth,not slow it).
The key thing to realize is that these people don't hold their position as a scientific opinion, in the sense you aare speaking of. It's more accurate to think of it as an ideological--even a religious--belief. And you won't change that kind of belief by the use of reason or by offering disconfirming evidence.--any more than the available evidence of the Earth's past and evolution will have any effect on a creationist.
2007-02-16 08:48:18 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Global warming is at the fore front because politicians found how to use a new platform to get re-elected. The world leaders use it because they found ways to make money at it. This is a made up problem just like Global Cooling in the 1970's. Wake up people. I agree we need to be more efficient with our resources, and we should fine and jail companies who are dumping into our rivers maliciously. I want to stop the raiforest destruction, but to say that global warming is a serious man made issue and we need to destroy the American economy and bow down to the rest of the world certainly does not float my boat. Follow the money on this one and you will see that it is all for political gain and grant money for those scientists who profit off of the government if global warming stays at the front of the issues. Look deep into the Keoto (sp?) Treaty, first of all they took jets to a non-central resort location. Not very environmentally concious. THen in the parameters of the treaty they have a clause that makes it so you can buy or sell polution credits. This is all about shifting wealth and breaking down the United States. This is painfully obvious, just look at peoples agenda. The earth's mean temperature has risen .6 degrees C in the past 125 years. Greenland's icecaps have gotten colder in the past 10 years. The Scientists who do not gain anything on their posisition will tell you that the earth has a natural progression and this is what we are seeing. The UN report is made up of POLITICIANS not a good spread of scientists. THere are as many or more scientists who believe that man in NOT the reason and it is over hyped, but their voice is not heard in the LIberal Mainstream Media. This issue is 99% political, and an attempt to make the USA a socialist nation, and eventually communisim. WAKE UP AMERICA, IT IS TIME TO BE AMERICANS. FOR THE PEOPLE BY THE PEOPLE. STOP THE LIES
2007-02-16 22:20:07 · answer #2 · answered by 4sanity 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Probably because science can be a "200% of nothing" proposition. You can provide "proof" to whatever hypothosis you want to with regard to global warming. For example:
Humans did it - Sure, humans have released CO2, CO2 makes global temps rise. We think.
The Sun is Doing it - Sure, the suns solar cycle is out of whack and generating far more energy that most prior periods. Probably a few billion times the energy variance than humans can produce.
It is a natural cycle - Yep, it sure it, we have as much proof of that as anything else. Read any of the articles of "mysterious smells bubbling up from lake so-and-so" That's the earth releasing methane in quantities that humans can only dream of.
A giant planet is passing through our solar system causing it and we are all doomed - Many scientist point to proof of this as well.
The truth is that we will never know the truth. Sure, we will debate untill we get to an "accepted truth", but never forget that all of the "solutions" to global warming are economic and political and the beneficiaries are the ones promoting thier desired results.
Something to remember..."Science has an answer for everything" always has, always will. The earth was once flat, the sun revolved around it, DDT was harmless and floride in your water was good for you. Oops, they still believe that last one :-)
2007-02-16 13:51:05 · answer #3 · answered by drcadds 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
There has yet to be any proof that it is caused by man.
When proof is asked for, the answer usually consists of
words like "Possibly" or "Could be" or "Consensus".
Statements with theses words do not constitute proof.
Plus, The data cited is usually very short term or incomplete.
High School science class taught us to have as much data as possible and to also explore the possibility that the Hypothesis is in fact incorrect. I ask for proof because my search for proof has never found anything concrete to support global warming being caused by mankind. However the data that i have been able to find supports natural heating and cooling of the earth regardless of human intervention. Could i be wrong? yes. but I will search for more complete data to tell me either way. I don't trust just what others claim as possible to be fact.
2007-02-16 14:34:48 · answer #4 · answered by jack_scar_action_hero 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Too....many....questons.....
Seriously, though, global warming theory is based on assumptions with evidence to back up the assumptions. In fact, the conclusions arrived at to say that global warming is caused by humans ignores the fact that the Earth's temperature changes naturally in cycles. Dissenting with the people who agree with global warming theory is actually a part of the scientific method. Asking them to present their evidence, then presenting your evidence that contradicts their evidence.
2007-02-16 13:42:36 · answer #5 · answered by togashiyokuni2001 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
what if someone gave you proof that people did little to effect global climate change... would you accept it?
http://www.geocraft.com/WVFossils/ice_ages.html#anchor24446
http://www.mosnews.com/news/2006/02/06/globalcold.shtml
I would bet not...
people pick and choose what they want to believe... personally I dont follow the religion of global warming..
personally I like the part in the first paper that shows even if we stopped all co2 from people.. we change nothing at all... because we drop less than 1% of what earth does..
and no matter what we do.. earth will one day have a ice age... a heat wave..and one day will die and be reborn...the cycle will go on
2007-02-16 13:40:43 · answer #6 · answered by Larry M 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Most likely, people are going to pick the answer that fits with his or her position, regardless of what the question is about. It's called narrow-mindedness, and it's a highly common human condition.
2007-02-16 13:38:43 · answer #7 · answered by zoogrl2001 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We don't want to make sacrifices to improve things. That global warming is happening is irrefutable: cynics may try to bog you down in details. But in the end we, in the developed world, know that we did are responsible for doing this and those in the developing world, are learning that they are too.
Doing something about it is difficult. It affects us all personally. Where we live, How we live and the conveniences we think we can't or don't want to live without.
2007-02-16 22:57:03 · answer #8 · answered by tgrignon 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Because most of the questions here, when dealing with moral and/or political issues are not really questions at all. They are a people looking for a 'cyber' pat on the back.
2007-02-16 13:38:11 · answer #9 · answered by pacrady 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Have not yet seen any proof that is beyond some person stating it is so because I said so.
I can give you toes of proof that it is warmer other than man or show that the south pole has been colder not warmer.
2007-02-16 13:40:51 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋