UK only, are you worried about global warming?

Question

If so would you like to do something about it and if so please go here

http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/climate/press_for_change/email_mp/index.html

I'm not a "Tree hugger" nor am I a wierdy beardy wooly jumper wearing hippie oh sorry I am but that aside, yes I saw that prog and yes the Petrol and other industries have enough cash to pay some scientists to say what they want to here but if we are helping global warming speed up? do we just ignore it or try to do something?

Longjohn we are not coming out we are in between ice ages and are overdue !

Answer 1

Yes I am worried. What worries me most is that we (and by we I mean the human race as a whole) are not doing anywhere near enough about it.

Then you get dangerous anti-environmentalist propoganda like Martin Durkin's "documentary" on channel 4 trying to turn public opinion against the majority of scientific opinion. In case you don't know, Durkin has a track record of making over the top anti-environmental claims, which channel 4 have had to apologise for in the past, and at least one scientist featured in the programme has complained to channel 4 about being misrepresented in the current case - follow the links listed under "Source" for more on this.

Worse still, it seems that lots of people are ill-informed enough to believe him.

So yes I am worried. I'm Worried about drastic and destructive changes in the weather, flooding, mass-migration to cooler climates as parts of the world become uninhabitable, all as a result of climate change which will be brought about by our activities. And I'm worried about the fact that a lot of people seem to think we should just let it happen, either because they say "there's nothing we can do about it" or because they deny its happening in order to prop up their own political or economic agenda.

Answer 2

There is a good correlation between solar flux and global temperature , which was mentioned in the Sterns review , but it was almost dismissed in one sentence ,when it stated that this correlation began to break down after 1950 . As the sun is by far the greatest contributor to global temperature and as the solar flux at present is at its maximum ever recorded [ records go back 150 years] , it is no surprise that we are experiencing the hottest temperatures ever recorded .
If global warming is being caused by greenhouse gases , then the effect of solar flux needs to be taken into account , which I believe has nto been done .
I worry perhaps that maybe radio waves emitted by the earth are affecting the fusion characteristics in the sun - is it a coincidence that the solar flux levels have been rising roughly in line with our 'radio pollution?' How about that as the next scaremongering aspect !

Answer 3

Nope, I can’t say I’m that worried about it, because I’m far from certain that it’s going to be a problem.

You see, despite the global warming alarmists falling over themselves to try and convince everyone that “the debate is over” and that “all scientists agree”, the truth is that it’s not, and they don’t.

The problem is that the climate of our planet is an incredibly complex and chaotic system. So complex and chaotic that no one can accurately predict how it works. Just one example: water vapour.

As the climate warms, the oceans also warm, and this increases evaporation, which puts more water vapour into the air (and also reduces sea levels, BTW). So, what effect will this increase in water vapour have on global temperatures?

Theory 1: Water vapour is a greenhouse gas. In fact, it’s by far the most important greenhouse gas (over 95% of all greenhouse gas is water vapour). So, if the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere increases, that will cause temperatures to rise.

Theory 2: Water vapour is, of course, what clouds are made of. If the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere increases, the amount of cloud cover will increase. Clouds reflect sunlight back into space, cooling the Earth, so temperatures will fall.

Which of these theories is correct? Nobody knows.

And there are many problems like this in predicting how the climate behaves. So when someone uses a computer climate model to predict what will happen to global temperatures, they have to make guesses about things like water vapour. So far, every single prediction of future climate using a computer model has failed to match observed changes - proof positive that, as yet, nobody really knows how the climate works.



So, add to this, little details such as:

- The Earth has been much warmer than today in the relatively recent past and it did not cause any problems at all.

- Generally speaking, as far as life is concerned, warmer is usually better. Think, where is there more life? The Amazon or Antarctica?

- Most of mankind will be better off if temperatures (and CO2) rise, because this would be better for plants, so we’d be able to grow more food (plants need warmth to grow, and CO2 is plant food).

Personally I’m left thinking that there will probably be more benefits from global warming than problems.

Finally, a note to ’Spacephantom’ (a scare-monger if ever there was one). He comments…

“I'm Worried about drastic and destructive changes in the weather, flooding, mass-migration to cooler climates as parts of the world become uninhabitable”

The problem with this chain of thought is that he’s suggesting that we should prevent climate change because some people will be worse off because of it. Well, this is undoubtedly true, but should we take action because of the plight of these few people? What if we did such a good job that we caused global *cooling*? Far more people would be far worse off if that happened - try living under a mile thick ice sheet!

So what should we do? Stop any and all climate change, up or down? Well, that would certainly maintain the status quo, but, considering that the climate of planet Earth has been constantly changing, for its entire history, suddenly stopping it now doesn’t sound very environmentally friendly to me. It might be good for us humans, but it’s not very “green” is it?

I’m sure his answer to this will be something like; I don’t think we should stop climate change, just slow it down a bit. Well, by how much, exactly? How many people dying from climate change do you consider acceptable?

The climate of our planet changes all the time. Some people benefit from the change, some don’t. Who are we to tell our 4.5 billion year old planet that we know better than it does?

Answer 4

Isn't it strange how so many people here give a "thumbs down" to someone just saying they care for the future ability of this planet to support life as we know it.

Why is taking responsibility for our actions wrong? How can we have indefinite growth on a finite planet? (global warming or not. And there is 20years peer reviewed independent reseach summarised by the IPCC & Stern reports that conclude humans cause climate change )

Why would anyone want to spend more money than they need on driving or heating or lighting ?
why would anyone want to drive an old noisy smelly infernal combustion vehicle when they could have a fast smooth relaxing car that pays £0 road tax, free parking in westminster; 0-60 in 4 seconds, 250 miles per charge Tesla, built by Lotus in Norfolk UK www,teslamotors.com, and why has the UK motoring media failed to mention it?

Seems to me that most people are acting like addicts in denial of reality (and the media/advertisers/politicians are very happy to keep taking their money/votes to perpetuate their addiction). Unfortunatly there is only this one planet so I have to resign myself to share it with these poor creatures too. love it or leave it.

Answer 5

Lowering the CO2 emmisions will do very little to stop the global warming and these alarmist sites do nothing but spread fear.

We are still coming out of an ice age so the planet is still warming up and is no where near previous high temperatures on earth.

Don't worry as the Earth has a marvelous way of combatting the warming process.

Answer 6

Actually, no, I'm not. I believe the world is getting warmer (you only have to look at our warmish wet winters to know that) but to be absolutely honest I don't really care. I don't drive, I don't waste water and I recycle, but that's about it. The main worry people have about global warming is the effect it will have on humans, and my belief is that other life will adapt and survive, and if we die out, so be it. My concern is for other creatures more than for people.
Also, when people say we have to care for this planet for future generations, will they be the kids who now push down newly planted trees, bark-ring established trees, trample flowers, pick daffodils and chuck them away, remove frog spawn from ponds etc etc? Because if it is, they don't bloody deserve it.

Answer 7

No, I'm not worried at all. The scientific evidence proves that the increase of CO2 is the result of the Earth warming. Solar Activity is the main cause Global warming and cooling, not the increase in CO2. Climate change has been happening for millions of years. Mankind has a minuscule impact on the climate compared to the Sun.

Answer 8

Our weather does seem to be warming up, whether we are responsible for it or not.
Seems to me solar powered air conditioning would be just the thing.

Answer 9

I suggest you try and watch the program put on by channel 4 in the UK last week, I think it was called the great global warming swindle or something like that, made interesting watching. Who's telling the truth, you tell me?

Answer 10

No actually,thousands of scientists think its a natural occurance that happens to earth from time to time and then rights itself.

I also think a lot of the problem is tree huggers with nothing better to do, scaremongering.