Global Warming...flavour of the month?

Question

OK we have all known for 20 years now if we didnt mend our ways we were screwed, from the very moment NASA issued those images of the O Zone hole and all the Ozzies began covering up in the sun. At that time everyone switched to unleaded fuel and started switching lights off and doing what they could.
The Gov. of the world closed their eyes.

So WHY are we now being told by the powers that be that we must raise OUR awareness? I think if we all did that we would realise how much our Leaders have screwed our world up completely, and all deserve to be strung up for it.

Answer 1

As you rightly say, global warming has been talked about for 20 years or more.

The only difference is that now people are listening!

Answer 2

NASA just saw it, it had been there for ages probably. The governments of the world ignore anything which damages their creditability or (more importantly) their length of power. Case in Point: Tony Blair has had many years to say and or do something, now in his last throws (as it where) he needs a bandwagon to leap on. Since he cannot damage his term in office anymore he chose to support Eco issues and so now he sees Global Warming as an issue. I agree with you it is a flavour of the month but it now up to the world to ensure the flavour is captured to the benefit of us all, regardless of who gets the credit!
However I do not necessarily agree they screwed up (they have not helped though) more WE screwed up. By creating a world where people have everything takes energy. We use resources the planet needs to survive, we destroy forests, we create huge wastelands.
Global Warming is here to stay, we can reduce its impact by keeping people aware of what it is and how it happens, what they can do and showing the actual impacts as they happen (floods etc etc). One country which suffers greatly (probably) from such as deforestation and non Eco friendly quarry works is Indonesia. They have 'natural' disasters almost every week. If Governments are listening now then great but lets face it, the hardships will be down to you and me not them but if they legislate to protect the planet then its good.

Answer 3

Some do not see it as a threat, it's just that simple. Global Warming/Climate Change is not as big a problem as some would have you to believe. A recent article in the New York Times has even asked Al Gore to stop all the hype:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/13/science/13gore.html?_r=1&oref=slogin That same article talks about Al Gore's claim that the oceans could rise 20 feet is exaggerated by 18.08 FEET! The latest UN study on the subject says the seas could rise a MAXIMUM of 23 inches. Al was only 18.08 FEET off. That, my freind IS hype...

If you look up any global temperature chart on the net, you'll find the earth's temperature has only increased by about 6/10 of one degree (C) - that's 1.1 degree (F), in the last 125 years. So yes, the globe is warming up, but it's not overheating like some would have you to believe. http://data.giss.nasa.gov:80/gistemp/2005/2005cal_fig1.gif

The latest research shows that the methane from cows and pigs is a major factor in the increase of "heat trapping gas". It's actually 23 times more potent as a heat trapping gas than is carbon dioxide. http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/climate-change/science/other_gases According to the newest UN report on Global Warming, "Livestock are responsible for 18 per cent of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming, more than cars, planes and all other forms of transport put together." http://news.independent.co.uk:80/environment/article2062484.ece

So if Al Gore and all the alarmists really want to do something about climate change, they MUST become vegetarians and shut down cow and pig farms. I mean seriously, if they truly believe that global warming is as disastrous as they are preaching then they need to stop eating meat, period! I doubt that will happen. If not, then they are the hypocrites that some of us already suspect they are.

Also Al Gore preaches to you to conserve, but he does not practice it himself. He uses 20 times more energy in his Nashville mansion than the national average. http://www.tennesseepolicy.org/main/article.php?article_id=367
One thing he has not learned is that you MUST practice what you preach... at some point you will get caught as he has.

Answer 4

i know it doesnt make sense out leaders have brainwashed half the world into being spiritual zombies
and now they say wake up and be smart,

it must be far to late for that
the sh*t is suposed to hit the fan in 2012

and if Jesus does not come back to take us to another planet with less political ,social and environmental problems ,the mind boggles at how he is gonna do that ,he even could not get away by himself,when he needed to the most

then what is left except party untill it all happens
when in doubt party at least you are having a good time and it is better than worying,maybe barbeque the leaders while we are at it

Answer 5

There was a global cooling scare in the 1970's. So, how did we go from "Oh no, here comes another ice age!" to global warming in less than 40 years?

Well, first of all, Al Gore is an idiot who knows nothing about science. Global warming is a natural cycle. Without it, we would still be experiencing an ice age. Green house gases cause this warming. What is the most abundant green house gas? It is...water vapor, and it makes up more than 99% of all the green house gases. Even the large amount we produce is negligible when compared to the amount of water vapor in the air. Even if we stopped producing green house gases, we cannot stop nature's cycle. We should look for alternative fuel sources so that we can have cleaner air and not be dependent on oil from around the world. We should not do it to stop global warming.

Answer 6

Hey,

Government destroyed mostly of rainforests, produced more social disasters than enything in the wolrd, they allowed finshing reserves went to critical levels....
but they always keep business flowing. Money must flow and it keeps government healthy... so they can spare few dracmas to the population.

I've already started to look beautiful places 1km from the shore, to get close to beach houses within next 100 years. ... and also planned my own sky station in North Norway, once Alpes will be bald soon.

Sooner we can apologize for mistakes from past 50 years... shame that harikiri ? sepuku is not an option to western world.

Answer 7

I completely agree with you, except that we've known for more like 40 years than 20. Sir Peter Scott (famous British naturalist and son of Robert Falcon Scott the antarctic explorer) was warning that we need to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the early 1970s. Unfortunately, politicians have only caught on over the past 10 years or so, as the real effects of global warming have become increasingly apparent.

I tend to think that in recent years, politicians have been placing too much onus on the individual to combat global warming. Certainly each person can play a part, reducing our carbon footprint by cutting the amount of energy we use, how we travel, e.t.c, and the more people who do, the greater the difference we can collectively make. But even if everyone in the world cut their personal carbon emissions by half, it would still only account for a fraction (albeit a significant one) of the total cut in CO2 emissions we need.

The major contribution that needs to be made, is from industry and government. Industry (and in that I include the travel industry as well as power production, manufacturing, e.t.c) needs to collectively get its act together as far as reducing carbon emissions and increasing environmental friendliness is concerned. In particular, however, the way we produce our power needs to be seriously looked at.

In the short term I think we will need a mixture of solutions, including nuclear fission, wind turbines, solar power, wave power, geothermal, ocean thermal energy. In the longer term, I think governments should be heavily financing research into finding a stable form of nuclear fusion, which would provide almost inexhaustible amounts of cheap energy with no waist products except helium and water.

So rather than concentrating on "increasing our awareness" Government should be giving industry incentives to take the required measures, while at the same time increasing funding for research into alternatives to fossil fuels and encouraging other countries to follow suit.

They should continue encouraging individuals to do their bit as well, but what incentive do people have when organisations with the power to make a much bigger difference, do not take appropriate measures to set their own house in order?

Governments in particular need to take much more responsibility for the action necessary to combat global warming.

Answer 8

Governmemts always act long after individuals can clearly see the problem. However the public themselves will only respond if hit in the pocket. It is the same as speed cameras, no one obeys the law until they are certain of being caught them you get a droning whine about freedom.

Answer 9

I do not think that anything has changed, the ozone layer hole has always been there and the fact that NASA only just found it is due to advances in science.

With only 30 years or so of scientific research I do not find the case proved and is now just a reason for increasing tax and paying certain scientists mega amounts of money to tell us where we are going wrong.

I suspect that we are only on one of the climatic swings that occur through time and the Government are using the fear to line their own pockets.

Answer 10

I agree with you for the most part. Unfortunately, blaming them won't take care of the problem, so we DO need to raise the general awareness of the problem, and find a solution; that's what matters, after all.