Global Warming-How worried or concerned are you?

Question

I know I am but it seems that its getting worse, and society is not paying attention.

What are your thoughts?

Answer 1

I am very concerned. I have been watching it happen longer than you have been alive and it is happening faster than projected.

Each one degree rise in ocean temperature is the equivalent energy to 1.3 BILLION one MegaTon atomic bombs. The temperature is expected to rise 5 deg in the next 50 years. That is one atom bomb for every man, woman and child on the planet. That energy with be expressed as severe weather events around the world.

Right now they are far enough apart that communities can recover and rebuild ... at what frequency will the storms be too frequent to rebuild? At what frequency does any semblance of "lifestyle" collapse.

As much as some governments have reasons to deny it is happening (economic & mass despair), there will need to be serious changes to laws and lifestyles in the near future due to Global Warming:

1. Building Code must recognise that the 100 year storm is becoming the 10 year storm, and soon even more frequent. Even the 3 Little Pigs knew better than to rebuild a house of sticks after it blew down.

2. Materials technology must adapt to be benign to the natural world (browse "biomimicry", see 1st link). One example is a recent change to the California laws re chemistry of cement so that the process used to make it creates less CO2 gas. We need to start building with stone and steel, not wood. We don't have to "live like cavemen" as some opponents would have you believe, we just have to live a lifestyle that includes respect for the environment.

3. Taxes will be structured to include the cost of damaging the environment, if possible. If there isn't enough money in the world to fix it it doesn't make much sense to raise taxes, people must protect the environment out of a sense of belonging and responsibility, not a sense of entitlement. Instilling that will take generations. We have decades to act; not generations. "Taxes instill by force" (you can quote me on that, you heard it here first ... to the best of my knowledge). Even now there are government sponsored "breaks" for gas economy here; cars meeting a minimum consumption requirement get to use the commuter lane any time.

4. Old religions will die, new God(s) will be created ... more for continuity than any specific purpose. My favorite "new" old religion is Gaianism, or as I call it Deep Ecosocial Egalitarian Epistemology. I you live on the West Coast you have already seen 40 days and 40 nights of rain ;-))

5. Sex education and, MORE IMPORTANTLY, sexual responsibility must be taught in schools at a young age. Global Warming is a symptom, overpopulation is the cause (see 2nd link). Even the cavemen had sex, but they didn't need condoms; there weren't 6 billion of them and they didn't have an expected lifespan of 80 years. "Unplanned children" should not encompass the majority of our population. Pay particular attention to his comment regarding aid to countries with lower growth rates and compare one minute in bacteria time to 100 years human time. Watch the entire series, it is an excellent (but boring to some people) lecture.

6. Cutting down trees to grow more trees is counter productive. Their growth and thus their ability to absorb CO2 is logarithmic with age, new trees can't replace old growth forest in less than 1000 years. Plus, every time a Bush puts down roots a hurricane ain't far bahind ;-)) Texans are a tradin' in their monster trucks for bass boats today.

Answer 2

Whoever claims that Global Warming is a lie or not for sure, should present real scientific studies. One thing is a fact though, that the global warming is a periodical phenomenon and has happened many times in the past (interglacial periods), so why not now? You can find a lot of crap on Youtube (like the one with the black holes created in CERN) which you shouldn't just swallow.

Answer 3

I'm not worried about it. I live in a small home and I drive a small car. I use cfe bulbs. I try to conserve energy. That's about all I can do. I can't afford a new hybrid. I can't afford solar. If any of you wealthy environmentalists want to buy me a hybrid or solar, I will take it. I will vote for Nuclear Power if given the chance because I believe it is the only viable option we have today that can make enough power to make a difference.

Why do I not worry? Because I am doing what I can. Can't do much more, so why worry. It is what it is and maybe we are the next species to go extinct just like thousands and thousands of species went before us.

Answer 4

Yes, it is getting worse and it is true that the society is not paying any attention to this serious problem that will shake the entire human race. We must definitely do something about it and I am doing something for Mother Nature. I do not use the air-conditioning from I was a baby till now. It has been years now. Other than this, I always encourage my family members to save Mother Nature. However this will not help Mother Nature unless the authority is doing something.

Answer 5

If neither the media nor the politicians ever mentioned the word global warming, I doubt you would or could come up with even the most remote problem of how global warming has effected your life. But get ready for the policy makers to ram it down your naive confused little throat.

Answer 6

I am very concerned. People's opinions vary greatly on this subject, but really...whether this is a huge hype or the real thing, it just makes good common sense to take care of our mother earth. When I see people throw their cigarette butts out of the car window, I want to get out of my car and give them back to them! But I've always felt that way, even before the whole global warming thing. We are a VERY wasteful society, and we should really follow countries like New Zealand where it is just part of their everyday living not to be wasteful, and take care of their planet.

Answer 7

concerned enough to act

however, I'm more concerned and sick to be honest of the constant stream of ignorant responses to questions like yours get by saying things like...."the Earth has gone through warming and cooling cycles through most of its history" (so obviously anthropogenic global warming is a hoax)

like yeah, scientists ARE AWARE of that, when will people realise that? Do they think that one day some scientist thought to him/herself, "oh I know, today I will just blame humans for the changes in climate without any evidence backing my claim whatsoever"


end of short rant lol


I must also add though that I wont worry myself sick over it, though it does concern me...I do what I can, but we must do it collectively to make a real difference

Answer 8

John Edwards asked me to pass this message on to you "I am so concerned about global warming I am setting fire to any farting cattle I find. Especially those of my evil working class dirty neighbor. In addition, my private jet I fly to lectures on global warming is being equipped with wind-up wine dispensers rather than the electric ones it had before. I am cutting down entire forests of trees to make paper to print carbon credits on, and my two million square foot mansion I made room for by tearing down an historic house and carting the wreckage off to the landfill will be equipped with energy efficient hot tubs and steam rooms. Most of the 37 bedrooms will be super insulated. IN addition, the 42-car heated garage will have low-e windows in it. As you can see, I, the wonderful ME, are (is? am?) VERY concerned!"

Answer 9

I totally agree. Society is only concerned with social problems that affect economy. Capitalism. Plain and simple. People have grown to become so concerned with their personal economic ups and downs, that we've forgotten about what happens when we overconsume. The result is what we see, and unfortunately what our chidren will have to deal with.

It is a problem and the temperate changes are VERY apparent. We are living life as kings and queens in todays society, and we still try for more...

A shame indeed...

Answer 10

I am very concerned about it. But I have a plan people who are very concerned like me should all gather around and help and do many things to stop global warming.