Why should we care about Glonal Warming when it will only affect 3rd world countries?

Question

Well, OK, 100 years from now it might affect a couple dozen rich people who were dumb enough to buy houses right on the beach. But otherwise, the biggest impact will be felt by third world countries that are largely the cause of GW anyway.

Most of us and the generations that follow us will NOT be impacted by a couple degrees rise in temperature. So why should we pay for a "problem" that simply does not exist?

If you are wondering why I posted this question in Current Events rather than the sciece section, see my related question at: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070628081315AA7UzFK

Answer 1

Oh there is a climate change, always has been and i believe the warming will continue if we don’t reduce GHG emissions.... personally i like geothermal and atomic power rather than using oil.... man oh man the middle east would have to find some other resource besides oil..... maybe mother nature will readjust in decades or centuries ... considering temperatures have risen 1 F in the past 100 years, possibly in another 100 years there might be a huge problem if we industrialized nations don't start doing a bit more .... burning down entire forests to make room to graze cattle or put up more housing is equally a issue....... certainly the trees over on my island are on the decline, much of the rain forest have been bulldozed under to make room for housing more humans.
Humans are a problem and so are their ways of managing animals for their own needs.
Never doubted that humans are irresponsible, I just don't believe we are in emanate danger .
We all need to be part of the solution

Answer 2

Your question seems absurd, as do some of your assertions supporting it.

(1) The developed, post-industrial West is the main source of the emissions contributing to global pollution problems in general and climate change, such as it is, in particular. China and India are catching up, fast, but North America, Europe, Japan, and Russia are the big polluters, both past and present. The Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa just can't compete when it comes to pollution.

(2) Their under-developed infrastucture and social support networks means that poorer countries are likelier to be hardest hit by any effects of climate change, in addition to their equatorial and sub-tropical positions, but the wealthy world has and will suffer rather serious side effects. Think of the heat wave smashing southern Europe (and the massive storms in the north) at this time. In my own home town (Ottawa), temperatures in the early part of this week were higher than I ever remember (33-35 with Humidex readings breaching 40 degrees).

(3) The most drastic consequence of global warming, if indeed it is taking place, would be the disappearance of the polar ice caps. While the scenario depicted in the film Waterworld is (almost certainly) a total fantasy, the economic effects of such an event would be disastrous - think of the US Eastern and Western seaboards rendered uninhabitable due to rising water levels, to say nothing of Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands, Israel, London, and so on and so forth (since humans like to live on the coasts).

What do you think would have more adverse economic consequences? Spending some money now to head off a potential problem, the way we pay insurance premiums (or, say, pay for fire departments), or have New York City in ruins because water levels rise a few meters (that's all it would take)? One is a damn expensive inconvenience. The other is ruinous. Which is which? I leave it to you to decide.

Answer 3

Better check your figures again Pal, I just watched a special on Discovery about global warming and what will happen in the next twenty years if the Greenland ice sheet keeps melting the way it is. It will raise the oceans 21 feet, that will take care of New York and, all the Northeastern States to the Ohio Valley. So, where's your third world countries now?

So "most of us and our following generations that follow will not be affected" maybe you have some insight? or you got better figures then Discovery, maybe a conspiracy?

Hurricane Rita was contributed to the rise of the oceans now through global warming, that was the reason it came up so far into New Orleans. Maybe they're wrong too?

Answer 4

The inconvenient truth is that people who downplay and totally dismiss the threat of global warming is the biggest obstacle we face. The scientific community agrees there's a problem, and I myself, not being a scientist am compelled to take their word for it. If they're mistaken that's OK. But if some day it proves to be catastrophic and all those naysayers who are supported and financed by the culprits of global warming are wrong, what will we do then? Your children's children are going to pay dearly. Too many people live in the presence without considering what a future would look like under the conditions of global warming. Are we stupid enough as not to error on the safe side? What's a 3rd WORLD country if you can't sustain this... ONE??!!

Answer 5

Here is a general, but hopefully helpful, answer to your question:

The United States is a huge contributor to global warming because of the industries our lifestyles support. One example to consider would be our food. In general food sold at chain grocery stores is transported long distances before it gets to our plates. More transportation means more oil consumption, which means a bigger impact on global warming. In short, I would argue that more developed countries that have more material lifestyles to support are greater contributors to global warming than are developing countries.

Subtle temperature changes may mean little to us, but they can have huge impacts on biodiversity, such as species extinctions. When ecosystems are thrown off balance by disease or extinction, we may lose food or other resources that we currently count on.

Global weather is also affected. Weather patterns could change dramatically with just a few degrees change in temperature, which would certainly affect all of us worldwide. Changes in weather patterns could affect agricultural yields, droughts, and increase extreme weather events.

Also, to respond to your other question, scientists have known about global climate change for some time. It is fact that the earth's temperatures have been rising more and more in recent years. The controversy, of course, is that most attribute this accelerated rise to human activity. I think that some people who are strong advocates against global warming, whether or not they've known about it for very long, at least are backed by scientific truth.

So...in conclusion, I understand your point that it may not seem like we are being affected, but global warming will surely have great impacts on all of our llives--time will tell.

Answer 6

Do we really know that human activity alone is the cause of this global warming? No, I didn't think so.

Just asking. Don't shoot me.

I am not denying our earth is in for a rough road ahead, but the it's been here a lot longer than us and has survived many cataclysmic changes and adapted. Besides, I live in the Midwest and the way I figure, I am sitting on some nice, oceanfront property. (kidding peeps).

Answer 7

I don't which is more absurd, that man is the cause of global warming or that man can fix it. Last year was one of the mildest hurricane seasons on record. Only a tiny fraction of green house gasses come from man. People need to stop getting their facts from the liberal media and start doing research on this topic. You will find that there are many scientists (Al Gore is no scientist) that have strong doubts about man's contribution to global warming.

Answer 8

If the planet does warm it impacts all of us in every country. Sea rising in the US would definitely impact us in multiple major states and cities think of what happened to New Orleans with a temporary sea level increase just 2 years ago what if that hit NYC, Boston, Miami, etc and did not go down in levels. We just need to get more data so it gets out of the hands of people who seem to want to make political hay with it.

Answer 9

Right now I would say USA, Russia and China. I would say India, Brazil (people seem to forget about South America), France, Germany and UK are all right on the cusp. I include Brazil because of its booming economy and sphere of influence over its neighbors. I left out Japan, Saudi Arabia, Canada, South Africa, Egypt and Iran becaue of their lack of a military able to operate over the world without assistance from the nations listed on top.

Answer 10

We should be worried because some humans have compassion. And, it is going to affect all of us. Global warming leads to a new ice age. Ice will be covering up half of north America. All the major cities like New York and Chicago will be buried under ice and snow.

It will get really bad. Our whole way of life will be changed.