can global warming be stopped in time to save the plaint or is it to late?

Answer 1

It's a very good question and one that nobody is able to answer for certain.

There's a point in time referred to as the 'Tipping Point', once we reach this point the damage we have caused becomes irreversible. Nobody knows just where this point is. I've been studying it for years and the best I can tell you. based on my research and my opinion, is that it's about 25 years away. Others think it could be as much as 50 years, a few think we've already passed it.

There are several schemes that are being researched that could 'geoengineer' our planet, most are looking at either reducing the amount of sunlight that reaches us or removing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. One or more of these schemes could be up and running in a few years, it will probably be about 10 years before any such scheme could be scaled up enough to have a noticeable effect.

Without implementing such schemes I beleive it will be almost impossible to 'save the planet'. The CO2 and other greenhouse gases we have already produced will stay in the atmosphere for a long time (115 years for CO2, indefinitely for CFC's and similar, 12 years for methane). Even if we stopped producing greenhouse gases now, the planet will keep warming for several decades and that may take us beyond the brink.

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You can discount all the comments made above in an attempt to refute global warming...

The Mammoth: There wasn't a 7 degree difference between the temperatures of 5000 and 2500 years ago - there was a 0.35 degrees C difference, that's the same as we've experienced in the last 25 years. http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Holocene_Temperature_Variations_Rev_png and http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Short_Instrumental_Temperature_Record_png

The Matrix: The million Chinese farmers whose land has turned to desert, the 5 million people who become infected each year, the 150,000 who die each year, the 160 million whose homes are threatened by flooding, the 000's whose island communities have been submerged would disagree with you. As would every world government and the vast majority of scientists.

Dave S: In the 1970's the world was not 'freaking out' that another ice age was coming. Ask someone who was around in the 70's if they remember such a thing - chances are they don't. Global cooling was being studied by scientists, a small section of the media latched onto this and misrepresented the facts (sound familiar?). More info - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_cooling

Volcanoes produce about 500 million tons of CO2 emissions a year, humans produce 29 billion tons. Volcanoes form part of the natural carbon cycle which nature handles very well, human carbon emissions have overloaded the natural cycle and a 26 billion ton annual surplus is accumulating outside the natural cycle.

JD91: The alarmists don't say 300 billion tons of CO2 are added to the atmosphere each year. In 2006 humans added 29 billion tons of CO2, nature took care of 3 billion tons, there was a surplus of 26 billion tons. About one third again was added in the form of all other greenhouse gas emissions.

Levels of atmospheric gases are measured in parts per million (or billion or trillion) by volume, not molecules per 100,000 molecules. Currenty levels of CO2 are 384ppmv, higher than at any time since we have been on this planet.

99.94% of the atmosphere is nitrogen, oxygen and argon which does not interact with either solar or thermal radiation and has no effect on warming or cooling. Yes the amounts of greenhouse gases are tiny but they are significant, without them the planet would be so cold that life would never have evolved.

The planet has been in a warming trend since about 1570, not the early 1800's. In the 400 years from 1570 to1970 temperatures rose 0.7 degrees C, since 1970 temps have risen by the same amount.

The climate is always changing, it always has done and always will do, there is no significance to 2 million years ago. The significance is that the climate is changing faster now than has ever before been known.

Answer 2

It is a critical time in the planet. If people don't start accepting that global warming is an issue, then it will be too late. On the other hand, if people stop playing "stupid liberal environmentalists" then we have a chance. People are afraid of the truth and the outcome of what could happen. People aren't prepared for a disaster like global warming (or should I say a sudden Climate shift). There is more evidence pointing towards global warming than to disprove it. People just need to open up their minds and stop playing politics. Again, we need to do something but it'll be too late soon.

Answer 3

Oh, these are great arguments.
"We aren't sure if it's real... and if it is, it's too late anyway... I think i'll watch some TV now..." (assume whiny voice.)

Whether or not global warming is going to kill us all, we need to take immediate steps to stop it.

The majority of the scientific community believes that global warming is true. Why would they lie? Publicity? Stopping or slowing climate change will cost a lot of money, but we have to swallow hard and thin about the future of our entire friggin' PLANET here.

Even if pollution isn't causing global warming, it's causing acid rain, contaminated water, smog, etc. This is completely undisputed. So, who wants to support smog? That's a popular view.

Stopping pollution will either save the world, slow its demise, or clean our air. If anybody opposes that, I truly do give up.

Answer 4

If we did something then yes we could. But look at the answers to your question and the other questions on the same subject. Not even 30% believs in global warming. I'd have to say we're screwed.

Answer 5

It is a bunch of hooey.
The volcanoes going off from the earths beginning cause more global warming than humans and the earth has ways of dealing with it and has more thousands of years.

The Earth is designed to take care of itself. That is why there is wind and tides and wtorms and fires etc.
there is no problem we can cause that the earth will not fix. There is no documented proof of any global warming. It is just a big lie.
People , you need to worry more about over fishing and killing animals that do not regenerate so quickly.

Answer 6

Yes. Fortunately, most people, and Nations accept Global
Warming as real. Those Naysayers,in the minority, won't
have any effect on the problem because there aren't many, compared to those who accept Global Warming as real.

Answer 7

hi,
its not too late even now although we can already see the effects of global warming. but there isnt enough awareness yet and soon it could be too late. what we need is more awareness, once ever1 does his/her bit it will gradually lessen. but then we needto start now, we as in every denizen of this world, not just world leaders and confrences. we've had zillions of conferences on global warming but no1s been able 2 achieve much. we need to do sumthin now rather than wait 4 sum1 to do it coz den itl be too late

Answer 8

Let me be clear!!!!

Man-Made global warming is a hoax!!

I am limited here so I will give you some facts to think about.

The alarmists say 300 billion tons of co2 are added to the atmosphere each year.

The atmosphere contains 38 molecules of CO2 for every 100,000 molecules of air. Thirty-eight molecules of CO2 for every 100,000 molecules of air, and it would take humanity five years to increase that number from 38 to 39. So every five years we add one molecule of CO2 to each 100,000 molecules of air.

The planet has been warming since the early 1800's because we are still coming out of the little ice age, not because we are pumping more co2 into the air!

Two million years ago the climate was changing, way before there were enough people on earth to make a difference.

Global warming is not going to destroy the planet! Man is too insignificant to have such a impact on a ever-changing cycle of global warming or global cooling.

There are alarmist and hypocrites out there that will want you to believe that you are destroying the planet. They will want you to change your lifestyle as they go along with their rich man hypocrite lifestyles.

Peace!

Answer 9

you're lacking one vast key element right here, we've not got a thank you to get unfastened ability. we would have fed on an significant volume of the earth's oil reserves long before we can be completely self sustaining of fossil fuels. trees are a renewable source, plastic isn't - they seem to be a greater green determination for construction. we are able to replant greater trees - the final public of the timber you employ for issues right this moment replaced into planted especially for use. this is not comparable to we flow out searching for clean forests to break. we can at last use each and all the oil.

Answer 10

Oh lord, another one of you whiney liberals who thinks the world is gonna fall apart because of global warming.

News flash, it was an average of 7 degrees warmer from around 5000 years ago to 2,500 years ago than it is now. Get over it.

In the 70's the whole world was freaking out that an ice age was going to come back and destroy the world, now its global warming. It's all Bullsh*t... so stop giving into the liberal media and grow some balls, they're trying to scare you into being an environmentalist.