Is Global Warming the Biggest Hoax of the 20th-21st Century?

Question

It's a joke and a bad one at that.

Answer 1

Global warming is not a hoax, although some of the proposed remedies are hoaxes.

Global Warming has two components. the first is from natural sources over which we have no control.

The second component is from human activity, primarily the emission of co2 gas.

The first we can do nothing about.

The second, however can only be eliminated if we cut our co2 production back to zero and we must also cut back the co2 production of evey country including the People's Republic of China.

The People's Republic of China has already said they will not cut back their production of co2.

This is where the problem is. If we cannot figure out a way to persuade the People's Republic of China to cut back their co2 production we are just wasting our time.

That is the main reason that many people believe the movement ot stop Global Warming by reducing our co2 production is a hoax.

Essentially it is extremely unlikely that we will be able to reduce our output and the People's Republic of China output of co2 enough to accomplish our goal of stopping Global Warming.

Answer 2

If it's a hoax then who's behind it? The Americans are on board, so are the Iranians and North Koreans - can you imagine for one minute that three such diverse nations would ever co-operate with each other. Why would the Saudi's get on board, they have nothing at all to gain, they can't even use it to raise taxes as they don't pay taxes (other than a 2.5% religious tax).

There's millions of people involved with climate change - how conceiveable is it that every single person who has been approached to take part in the 'hoax' has agreed to do so and not one person has leaked anything to the media.

Aslo, you'd need to include the 19th century as the science behind global warming was established way back in 1896 by the Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius. The notion of GW being a hoax, political ploy or any other such scheme only came about when non-experts began to involve themselves in the science of GW.

Answer 3

I don't care if it is or is not a hoax. I am not convinced either way, but I am convinced that it is a waste of time and energy to argue about it.

Most of the things that are believed to contribute to global warming make common and economic sense to remedy whether man-made global warming is real or just theory.

For example, reducing gasolione and fossil fuel comsumption will reduce CO2. But that can simply come from getting better fuel economy because CO2 emissions are in direct relation to gasoline consumption -- cut consumption 25% and you reduce CO2 emitted by 25% (assuming the same mileage driven). Plus you save 25% on your fuel bill.

Use CFL bulbs and you will save more than the cost of the bulb several times over plus you reduce CO2 emissions.

Get an air conditioner wtih a higher SEER rating, and you can cut your colin gbill by 40%, again saving money and cutting CO2 emissions.

Finding a way to cut dependence on decadent regimes that control oil resources is not just sensible in global warming terms, but critical in terrms of national security. Terrorists would have a lot less money to spend on their activities is the oil barons didn't have so much cash to pass around.

To me this is rather like the philosopher-mathematician Pascal's view about whether or not there is a God. He thought believing in God and being wrong (no life after death) had less downside than not believing in God and being wrong (damnation).

Actually, believing in global warming and being wrong has an upside. Acting as though global warming is real, we can get cleaner air, reduce our extravagent waste of natural resources and save money. Even if we are wrong, we still win.

So I don't ultimately care who is right or wrong. Not only is there no downside to taking action that might cure the problem (if indeed it exists), but lots of upside.

Answer 4

Man made global warming, I believe so. Check out the Oregon Petition, in which 17,100 scientists have signed and believe it is not good science.

http://www.oism.org/pproject/s33p357.htm

More information on the poor science of man made GW from a PhD in Climatology:

http://www.sitewave.net/news/s49p1828.htm

I don't think the Earth is the fragile planet that others do. I have spent a lot of time outdoors in my 48 years of life and I have noticed more vigorous plant life as well as much more wildlife in the past 15 to 20 years. I fish and hunt every year, so I spend a lot of time in the woods and on the rivers and lakes. I see about twice as many deer, quail, squirrels, coyotes, bobcats, raccoons, wild turkeys, hawks, owls, blue herons, beavers, ducks, geese, (just to name a few), as I did 20 years ago. These animals that I have been seeing are fat and healthy. CO2 could be a contributing factor to the increase in plant life as well as the animal life that feeds on them.

"Human activities are believed to be responsible for the rise in CO2 level of the atmosphere. Mankind is moving the carbon in coal, oil, and natural gas from below ground to the atmosphere and surface, where it is available for conversion into living things. We are living in an increasingly lush environment of plants and animals as a result of the CO2 increase. Our children will enjoy an Earth with far more plant and animal life as that with which we now are blessed. This is a wonderful and unexpected gift from the Industrial Revolution. "

http://www.oism.org/pproject/s33p36.htm

I believe the Earth and the solar system were designed to take care of themselves. The Earth has been warming for at least 300 years, well before the Industrial Revolution.

Answer 5

The salient facts are these. First, the accepted global average temperature statistics used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change show that no ground-based warming has occurred since 1998. Oddly, this eight-year-long
temperature stasis has occurred despite an increase over the same period of 15 parts per million (or 4 per cent) in atmospheric CO2.

Second, lower atmosphere satellite-based temperature measurements, if corrected for non-greenhouse influences such as El Nino events and large volcanic eruptions, show little if any global warming since 1979, a period
over which atmospheric CO2 has increased by 55 ppm (17 per cent).

Third, there are strong indications from solar studies that Earth's current temperature stasis will be followed by climatic cooling over the next few decades.

All of these facts are readily available on Government and university web sites throughout the world. Why then do environmental groups continue to claim otherwise; Because they will loose their funding.

How then is it possible to assert so boldly that human-caused
global warming is happening? Because it is good politics.

Answer 6

Maybe not the biggest, that would be reserved for the theory that socialism would work as a form of government. Global warming is a very close second

Answer 7

No, regretfully the 2008 election will be the worst joke, 4 years of "fools gone wild" hey maybe we make make and sale videos like those "girls gone wild" that is if anyone has any money or jobs left after the get done.

Answer 8

A really good question and one that will get many different views and spark debate. For me I truly believe global warming is happening (and not a hoax), and that humans are the main cause for it. Yes in the past the earth has cooled and warmed naturally as part of the natural cycles, however never in history over a 200 year period (since the industrial revolution) have carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere spiked so high (and temperatures) in such a short period. There is a distinct correlation between increases in carbon dioxide levels (cause by human pollution) and temperate increases over this period so human induced global warming is a reality.

The ice at the poles is melting, and fast, and it is a great concern for future generations paticularly for the earths ecosystems which will not be able to adapt to the changing conditions in time (in comparision to natural climate change which has a transition temperature change over thousands of years), increases in weather extremes (droughts and floods) and inundation of low lying regions from rising sea levels, displacing millions around the world in established cities, towns and communities.

The scientific community has confirmed that around 90% of the warming is a direct consequence of human influence (burning of fossil fuels), and for me that is quite a high probabillity and one that cannot be dismissed. Global warming will be (if it isn't already) the biggest social, enviornmental and economic issue in future years to come because in the end the global changes will affect every single being that inhabits this planet and that quite simply is the truth! Cheers

Answer 9

No, it's the orchestrated campaign of denial that will be exposed as the biggest hoax.

Answer 10

Yes Global Warming is designed as a pretext for the government, especially the global governments including the United Nations to take away the people's freedoms in the name of "global warming."