Have we already gone too far and passed the "point of no return" for global warming?

Question

Just curious what you think. I've read some stories and seen the Inconvenient Truth documentary. I'm not sure how we can repair the polar ice caps, etc. now that they have melted to the degree they have.

Answer 1

Global warming is in theory reversable,but it will mean global co operation between all countries ,and taking into account human nature and the world politics ,it is unlikely that this will happen,

At least not untill we are all in the middle of planetary disastres and it becomes a battle for the survival of humanity every where.

SOLUTIONS
if you want to help the planet ,plant a tree every week ,if everyone on the planet did we we would be able to reverse the destructive processes

reduce carbon emisions,and they are already working on that by alternative forms of energy and regulations on carbon producing materials,aerosol cans,burning rubbish,industrial chimneys,powerplants etc.

the capture of carbon and the production of water and assist the aquiferous manta.

the world bank pays large subsidies for reforrestation to capture carbon and the best tree for this is the Pawlonia

Waterharvesting projects ,such as millions of small dams.to redirect over ground waterflows from the rains into the ground to supply subteranian water supplies.

the protection of existing forrests.

stop building more highways,urban planning to include vegetation stop building cities encourage people to return to the land to conduct their business from there which now has become possible thanks to the internet.

education to motivate people to auto sufficiency by building more home food gardens.

education on environmental awareness
education on family planning to curb over´populaion

Agricultural education and improvements to follow the principals or sustainability and soil management.

more environmental or land ,design to prevent bush fires,such as--fire breaks

,more dams.regulations and control for public behaviour

alternative effeciant public transport to discourage the use of the internal conbustion engine

recicling wastes,limit water use

i am a Permaculture Consultant for the department of Ecology for the regional government in Guerrero Mexico
http://spaces.msn.com/byderule

Source(s) Lester E Brown is the director and founder of the global institute of Environment in the United states .he has compiled a report based on all the satalite information available from NASA,and all the information that has
come from Universities and American embassies WORLD WIDE ,
his little book--a planet under stress , Plan B has been trans lated into 50 languages and won the best book award in 2003.

Answer 2

There is no such point. The earth's temperature has been fluctuating for the past four billion years, and will no doubt continue to do so, whether humankind does anything or not, or does or does not have any role in an apparently increasing current temperature. The United Nations proposed a 50 year program to attempt to deal with global warming; the price tag was $557,000,000,000,000 -- far more than the total value of every asset on the planet.

Answer 3

Interesting that most people here think the problem of global warming is a myth because it is snowing somewhere. The point is that the trend of the temperatures is moving upward, which is why the polar caps are melting at alarming rates. I live in central Texas and we have been having more and more 100 degree days when we used to only have a few every summer. And remember all those people in Europe who have died in recent summers because it so unusually hot? So if there is no "proof" of global warming (aside from the crazy weather fluctuations and melting polar caps), wouldn't it be prudent on the behalf of future generations to assume that all of our pollution "might" be having a compounding effect on the normal atmosphere? You know, just in case. It's not that hard to make changes to the way we live our lives to help reduce the pollution we cause everyday. For people who live in urban areas, don't you think that smog has an effect on the conditions of the environment, at least locally? Seriously, in California, its enough to obscure mountains! Mountains!

It is easy to adjust our lifestyles: drive more efficient cars, use biofuels, or take the bus/train/subway (if you don't have these in your town, start demanding them), walk/ride your bike, get solar panels on your house, buy efficient light bulbs, grow a garden in your yard, shop at farmer's markets, invest in green companies, boycott wasteful companies...etc. Think about what effect you are having on your personal environment. I don't think it's too late, but if we keep going at the rate we are going, there will come a time when there is nothing that can be done and we (or our great grandchildren, rather) will simply have to adapt to rising oceans and worsening weather conditions.

Answer 4

Her is an answer I gave too another Q. The polar ice caps are melting because UV rays cut and crack the ice which causes its denigration. The high UV is a result of CFC's-and most are global warming gases. Oil companies have used the system the best removing light rails and trains for buses and cars. Gov went along w/ this robbery. So if someone wants to make a deal out of GW and politics-I laugh. WE ALL HAVE AN AGENDA. Here is a letter I sent Al GOre: Putting the technology together to start cleaning up and reintroducing new ozone to the atmosphere is possible. The cost and size of this project means taking a long term commitment. I am proposing the biggest cleanup in history. Al, I do not see any proposal that is realistic or proven at any cost, not even Washington can solve this problem. But if every person on earth does his or her share, we may be ok. Never-the-less, I see governments acting like a deer in a car’s headlights and people doing the same thing. The inevitable is almost upon us. Cleanup and change is the only option.
The first cleanup machine starts with a ten billion dollars investment. Ten year later with twenty-five machines operating, these machines will produce enough ozone to replace both holes at the poles. But more importantly, these machines will remove chemicals that deplete the ozone. Beyond making ozone, decreasing the poisons that deplete ozone, these machines reduce the major greenhouse gases and unbelievably we can have all this for fewer than one hundred billion dollars.
Beyond cleaning up our atmospheric mess as I am suggesting, we humans must do a better job reducing or cleaning up carbon monoxide, collecting and storing methane and ethane for fuel, burning less of everything, cleaning up our forests and using more solar insolation. Solar steam electric generators are the type of systems we need and are 90 percent efficient and near 100 percent if heat recovery is used. I believe nearly 30,000 MW are needed in the USA and Mexico over the next 30 years. This opens the door to new electric cars, new construction vital to our way of life, new bullet trains, and these industries produce new high paying jobs. From small scale solar generators on malls, to 2000 acre collector sights, these systems are viable and ready for production. The Federal Government must give up some land, money and have less regulation to help save the planet from disaster.
Al, spreading the message that we can help ourselves is a key to the development of these businesses. Washington can help: the businesses need grants, patents, land and regulations. Congress must create a pollution surcharge. From gas, coal, diesel, wood to cooling towers, from cattle, other ranches to cigarettes, from agriculture burning to airplane passengers, this surcharge can fund parts of these projects and many stationary pollution control devices in general.
Your personal support is very important to getting the atmosphere cleanup started and developing sights for solar generators.

Sincerely,

Answer 5

First Al Gore invented the internet - now he's invented global climate change, both scientific ventures from an individual whose only claim to fame is a degree in political science. Global warming and global cooling are natural climatic changes, ... only those of you with the biggest egos believe mankind is the cultrip. Personally, I'll wait till the weathermen can tell us if it will rain tomorrow and get it right more times than not before I trust them to predict the future thousand years.

Answer 6

I hope so. I'm sick of this cold weather! Seriously though I'm more worried about global cooling since the icecaps melt and the water that is frozen is fresh water it melts and changes the salinity of the oceans. This causes water to flow slower thus preventing the circulation of hot and cold air to get where they are intended to go. The result? The earth cools down and we could be driving ourselves into another ice age. Of course this will probably happen long after we're gone.

But to answer your question, no. I don't think so. If we stop or slow the emission of greenhouse gases the planet has a way of fixing itself. This will cause the overall temperature of the globe to decrease to where it should be and things would go back to the way they were.

Answer 7

its not just the polar ice caps that are being effected. the pete bogs of sibira have started to melt due to global warming which is releasing vast quanitys of stored CO2, ironically this situation is snowballing.

I honestly dont know if we can repair the damage but one thing is certin- the "vicous circle" effects caused by global warming so far is increasing at a high rate than currently be compensated by all the current goverments.

In england already- we are seeing drastic changes in our enviroment such as a large increase in storm systems and extreme weather and "sewage" flooding and it predicted by 2080 we will never have snow again.

Im a architect student and a BIG chunk of what we are being taught is that the change is beyond stoping and we are already being trained to design buldings for the new future enviroment. which is VERY scary idea!

Many professions have just accepted that this IS going to happen!

If we manage to find a way to reverse the damage chances are it will take many hundread years.

Answer 8

I absolutely have not heard this yet i'm no longer shocked. i imagine that the genuine subject is how swiftly can we commence to sense the genuine and severe outcomes? The thousands of thousands displaced, starvation on a international scale by using crop failure, affliction outbreaks etc. we ought to continually proceed to attempt to do some thing, even instructing human beings and making waiting them to steer an decision life-form will be a step interior the right route. at present we are making waiting the toddlers to proceed to steer a life-form resembling the only we are now residing. i'm truly confident that the international will be a very diverse position in 50 years time.

Answer 9

If this environment was going through global warming, then why are so many people dying and left without energy (electricity) because of freezing weather? I think global warming is a nominer... We are actually cycling to another ice age (not in our lifetime) though.

Answer 10

We can't stop or reverse the effects of global warming, but we can certainly slow it down a bit. Most people don't realize that global warming is a natural occurence that would happen regardless of our presence. However, our emissions and pollution are expediting the process.