Global warming?

Question

How do we stop global warming?

Answer 1

We can't stop it, but how much are we contributing, and are we truly a factor?

Global warming is a very complex and complicated issue. There are many factors that limit our ability to model what "may" happen over a period of time. The biggest issue is that of "greenhouse gases”. Water vapor is a naturally occurring greenhouse gas and accounts for the largest percentage of the greenhouse effect. Water vapor concentrations fluctuate regionally, but human activity does not directly affect water vapor concentrations except at very local scales. Most scientific models cannot account for the complexity of water vapor, so it is ignored. This is problematic due to the fact that water vapor makes up a majority of the greenhouse gas (some estimations say 98%). The biggest thing to remember is to look at all sides of the issue. Examine the motives of those supporting each side. A true scientist does not go with the flow just because it is easier and more popular. I am a Scientist specializing in Geology. Geologists study the entire earth and all of its processes, from the time the earth formed up to the present day. You will find that a large majority of Geologists question the extent of human influence on the current global warming trend. There have been several occurrences of extreme climate change throughout the geologic record. Some of these events were just as extreme as the one we are currently experiencing. In regards to the current situation we are experiencing, there are to many unknowns to say conclusively if human activity is contributing to it, much less causing it. That is not to say that changing our living habits to reduce greenhouse emissions is not a good thing, it is a very good thing. Those scientists, who are reluctant to say that if we eliminate the production of green house gases then global warming will slow or even stop, hesitate because there are still to many unanswered questions. The scientific process is based on creating and challenging hypotheses. Many of the scientific statements that are being spread by the media and non-scientific community have not made it past the hypothesis stage yet, much less made it to the level of theory. The debate on global warming needs to continue, and research needs to be funded, on both sides of the controversy.

As far as the three questions asked above:
1. Show that modern human technological activity does not add more greenhouse gas to the atmosphere.

(A) It is not so much the question: Are we adding more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere? It is ‘how is the atmosphere reacting to the greenhouse gases we are adding?’ Just like adding sugar to your tea, you reach a point of saturation, and then the excess falls out. What is the point of saturation for the atmosphere? CO2 is a very heavy molecule, how high into the atmosphere does the CO2 we are adding actually go? What about water vapor and the fact that it makes up over 90% of the greenhouse gases, but is left out of many of the computer models? What about the CO2 that is being absorbed by the oceans and the plants? These are just a few of the questions that are not talked about by the media and many of the supporters of “human cause” global warming.

2. Show that increased greenhouse gasses do not affect the climate.

(A) We do not have to discuss this one very long, because increased greenhouse gases do affect the climate. However, there are also other agents that affect it just as much if not more so than greenhouse gases. The rate of wobble in the earths rotation, the position of the earth in its orbit around the sun, the amount of solar radiation the earth is receiving, and the global occurrence of geologic activities, are just some of the factors that affect global climate.

3. Show that the climate change does not affect crop production.

(A) Global climate change does affect crop production. This was demonstrated during the little ice age (1400’s (?) – 1800’s). Many people say that global warming will cause many croplands to quit producing. They fail to consider the flip side of the coin. What about the regions that are too cold at the moment to produce crops? Many of these will begin to warm up enough to start producing crops regularly. What about the plants use of the extra CO2, since there is more of it, will they grow faster? Will we be able to get multiple harvests in because of the expedited plant growth? And what about the melting ice caps? Most of that ice is over land, and will not make it to the oceans after it melts. Will this added water help alleviate some of the problems we are having with our usable fresh water?

4. Show that crop production does not affect civilization.

(A) This ties right back into the previous question. Crop production does affect civilizations; this is not disputed by anyone. Once again the question becomes, ‘what about the new regions that are added to farmable land?’ Will these added regions balance out the regions that were lost? There is going to be a vast expanse of Canada and Eastern Europe that will be opened up for cultivation, will these regions, and the people living in them, benefit from this climate change?

I had one of my professors tell us in class, "The reason why people so desperately want global warming to be caused by human activity is because then it is a problem that can be solved. Man does not want to believe that there is anything outside his realm of control. By stating that a problem can be solved, then they are better able to get funding for the “proposed” solution(s), and they are also better able to control the human response to the problem. If people were to honestly belief that the situation was hopeless, then anarchy would set in."

Remember, despite Al Gore's statement, the majority of scientists have not reached the conclusion that global warming is a result of human activity. There is still a very large contingency of scientists who believe more information and better modeling is needed, before any definite conclusions can be reached.

For a good reference to the study of global warming, read "Meltdown" by Patrick J. Michaels, research professor of environmental sciences at the University of Virginia and senior fellow in enviromental studies at the Cato Institute.

Answer 2

Australian scientists have found that the gas cows release when they digest grass contributes to global warming. Honestly, i don't think there's a way to stop it. Global warming isn't necessarily bad, the earth goes through these changes anyway, but we are just speeding up the process. Some plants and animals wouldnt have been able to survive on earth had it not been for global warming. I guess you are really concerned you should always recycle and buy recycled goods. Maybe write to your governor/senator and ask them to change certain things in your city, like the way some companies extract company waste into the rivers or getting rid of old city buses that use too much fuel and pollute the city.

Answer 3

We need to create a global demand for clean energy sources by subsidizing wind, solar, and possibly nuclear energy research. Market incentives such as emissions taxes or tradeable carbon permits might help spur the use of alternative energy sources. With a solid enough commitment to developing and deploying these options, clean power should soon become economically competitive with fossil fuel use.

But that also means ordinary people like us need to demonstrate our own commitment to limiting greenhouse gas emissions, or else our governments and industries will never feel the push to change course. We can do that by reducing our gasoline consumption, practicing sound conservation at home, and writing to legislators, newspapers and magazines. These are just a few examples. Above all, keep talking about it.

Answer 4

The fact is that we cannot stop global warming.....but we can reduce it. The measures that we should take for the decline of global warming are to grow plants which will absorb gases like carbon dioxide which are causing global warming.Instead of using fuels like coal etc., we should use renewable fuels like solar energy for producing electricity, because it will not create pollution which is a main cause for global warming. We should use electricity, hydrogen for running vehicles instead of using petroleum products. We should look that factories Will not emit a lot of pollutants in to atmosphere. We should be alert of Chloro Fluoro Carbons (CFC's) which are making hole to ozone layer, which is one of the major reasons for global warming. Hope in future, we all strive for clean and green atmosphere without global warming....

Answer 5

There are many solutions, cleaner tech, better cars, hell even getting out more.

The problem is we're still using dirty technology, wasteful tech that digests huge amounts of electricity to produce little outcome, much like regular lightbulbs. We could also use better cars, which would also be good for the economy because they'd be able to compete on a world market by meeting other countries' emissions standards. We can also use more ethanol in our cars, which lowers gas prices for the regular guy, who doesn't want to save money?

I think the major change has to come from people realizing they're getting screwed by crappy technology. Washing machines that use too much water, cars that use too much gas, and lights that use too much power. All of these can be avoided.

We can plant more trees, and lobby to have other countries get better environmental standards.

This is something that's happening, and we're all contributing, but we can make a big difference with our everyday choices and by electing governments that look out for our best interests. The environment is in our best interests, I mean who doesn't love clean air?

We need to stop making excuses as to why we shouldn't get off our asses. We have the ability to achieve greatness, we have before, we've beat Hittler and Sadam, we've made it to the Moon, we've sent machines beyond mars. It's time to realize our greatness instead of striving for mediocrity.

Answer 6

Global warming is due to excessive burnig of fossil fuels releasing Green house gases into the atmosphere.In order to minimize warming 1)use aslternative fuels like solar or wind energy
2)grow more trees and vegetation which reduces Carbon-di-oxide emissions 30ExessiveUrbanisation

Answer 7

Are these folks who've answered your question ..ignorant/stupid or oblivious to what's happening to our beautiful planet.. or are they simply enormously selfish and just do not care..
These are the recent findings of Global warming by scientists around the world:
Heat waves and periods of unusually warm weather
Ocean warming, sea-level rise and coastal flooding
Glaciers melting
Arctic and Antarctic warming .
Spreading disease
Earlier spring arrival
Plant and animal range shifts and population changes
Coral reef bleaching
Downpours, heavy snowfalls, and flooding
Droughts and fires.
This weeks findings : Asia's growing air pollution — billowing plumes of soot, smog and wood smoke especially from China and India — is making the Pacific region cloudier and stormier, disrupting winter weather patterns along the West Coast and into the Arctic, researchers reported Monday.
Carried on prevailing winds, the industrial outpouring of dust, sulfur, carbon grit and trace metals from booming Asian economies is having an intercontinental cloud-seeding effect, the researchers reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The study is the first large-scale analysis to draw a link between Asian air pollution and the changing Pacific weather patterns.
Hey ignorant buffoons..Are these statsitics enough to shake your out of the state of apathy you are in ??
Makes me so very angry and literally see RED. You know why ?? coz I am fortunate enough to live in the most pristine part of our beautiful world..

Answer 8

YOU CANNOT STOP GLOBAL WARMING! Even if humans didn't exist the world has been heating up for the past 50000 years. That's a fact! What killed wolly mammoths and the Sabre tooth cats? Global warming that's what, Not my electricity usage or my car.

Answer 9

Lowering our carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions will slow it down and give civilization a better chance of continuing. Anyone who doesn't agree with that should be able to provide evidence that shows any one of the following things, or they have nothing worth saying on the subject.

1. Show that modern human technological activity does not add more greenhouse gas to the atmosphere.

2. Show that increased greenhouse gasses do not affect the climate.

3. Show that the climate change does not affect crop production.

4. Show that crop production does not affect civilization.

Answer 10

Stopping Glopbal Warming is impossible. But we can reduce the rate at which it warms...To know how, go through any of the science/geography/EVS books from classes IX to XII