How can you even compare terrorism to global warming?

Question

Sure terrorism has much more visible effects. Some terrorists fly some planes into buildings and 2,750 people are killed - that's a very tangible result. Global warming makes a heat wave worse and leads to 1,000 extra deaths - that's not so tangible because it's hard to quantify how much worse the heat wave was due to global warming.

However, the World Health Organization has estimated that global warming is responsible for 150,000 deaths each year

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/news/2003-12-11-climate-deaths_x.htm

While terrorism, although it has increased since the Iraq War, is only responsible for 15,000 worldwide deaths each year:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/28/AR2006042802181_pf.html

That's a factor of 10 difference! It doesn't even take into account that global warming is accelerating while terrorism doesn't vary that much from year to year.

How can anyone possibly argue that terrorism is a bigger threat than global warming?

Jeff - What the heck units are those 2 degrees you're talking about? The Earth has only warmed 0.7°C in the past century. 2005 was the hottest year on record (essentially tied with 1998). Looking at a 2 year span is meaningless. Look at this instead:

http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/info/warming/

James - I would be happy to debate global warming with you any day. I guarantee I know more about it than you. For example, that atmospheric water vapor concentrations are dependent on atmospheric temperature, which means that water vapor is an indicator and amplifier of global warming, not a cause.

Answer 1

Research published in 2005 suggests that 310,000 Europeans die from air pollution annually. Direct causes of air pollution related deaths include aggravated asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, lung and heart diseases, and respiratory allergies. The US EPA estimates that a proposed set of changes in diesel engine technology (Tier 2) could result in 12,000 fewer premature mortalities, 15,000 fewer heart attacks, 6,000 fewer emergency room visits by children with asthma, and 8,900 fewer respiratory-related hospital admissions each year in the United States.



And people fight against doing something, just because they want to deny global warming.

Answer 2

Big oil interests & present "regime" will argue that terrorism is more damaging than the global warming issue.
Short sighted in that they are using terrorism to as a smokescreen for inaction on enviornmental issues while there is still money to be made.
Terrorism becomes insignificant when East & West are both under water or ice.

Answer 3

While i agree that both are very important, to answer your question: one can argue that terrorism is more important because it has political underpinnings, while global warming does not. If terrorism isn't stopped there are winners and loose rs. if global warming is not stopped, there are only losers. One can argue that letting another group get an upper hand is more dangerous to our way of life that if everyone bites it equally.
but I'm not very convinced by that argument.

Answer 4

Global warming is responsible for: lack of gravity on Earth, war in Iraq, world war II, deaths on the Simpson's,National debt, cold war, recession, bad breath, me being 10lbs over weight, my jeep top on backward, my mud grips wearing out, my pen running out of ink, weak remote control battery............

Answer 5

Because terrorism is a human issue, caused by humans and curable by humans. I wont waste my time talking reality with you on "global warming" the power of the sun, temp increases on other planets or how 3% of greenhouse gases are CO2 of which less than 1/10 are human caused- while the remaining 97% of all greenhouse gases are water vapor. Too much for you to register in one day.

Answer 6

Global warming is a real and serious threat. Terrorism is a threat also, but not on the level of global warming. And if we didn't go to this bullsh*t war in Iraq, terrorism would be a smaller problem.

Answer 7

Terrorism is a clear and present danger. Global warming
doesn't exist.

Answer 8

Ummmm....How come the average temperature of the earth has dropped two degrees since 2005?

Answer 9

Let's see:

Both are blamed on the United States of America.

Both are connected to the oil industry.

Both are regarded with far more fear than is waranted.

Niether can be stopped.


Sound pretty comprable to me.

Answer 10

I'm more concerned about 4,000 degrees than 4.