More Dire Global Warming Proclomations From Chicken Little

[Bruzilla]

From The Independent Online http://news.independent.co.uk/world/environment/story.jsp?story=603975

Countdown to global catastrophe - Climate change: report warns point of no return may be reached in 10 years, leading to droughts, agricultural failure and water shortages

First, the "The Sky Is Falling!!!" alert: "The global warming danger threshold for the world is clearly marked for the first time in an international report to be published tomorrow - and the bad news is, the world has nearly reached it already.

"The countdown to climate-change catastrophe is spelt out by a task force of senior politicians, business leaders and academics from around the world - and it is remarkably brief. In as little as 10 years, or even less, their report indicates, the point of no return with global warming may have been reached."

Then comes the dire need for action!!!: "The report urges all the G8 countries to agree to generate a quarter of their electricity from renewable sources by 2025, and to double their research spending on low-carbon energy technologies by 2010. It also calls on the G8 to form a climate group with leading developing nations such as India and China, which have big and growing CO2 emissions."

Then comes the math: What will doing something in 25 years do to forestall the proclaimed disaster happening in 10 years or less? If the end of all we know is suppossed to happen in 10 years or less, shouldn't the recommendation be for actions now? And if global warming is such a persisstant problem, even if we stopped all emissions today would it have an impact? Oh yeah, and then there's the call for the G8 countries to do something, not all of the heavy polluters in the Third World.

 

[tlatchaw]

I remember a movie that I saw as a kid in the 1970's titled "The Late Great Planet Earth." It outlined the argument that the next great ice-age was going to kill us all. Also that pollution would make the planet unlivable by the turn of the millenium. There's money and prestige to be made by predicting gloom and doom.

Oh well, we'll all face our own personal end one day anyhow. Try to make the best of today.

 

[vraiblonde]

Oh well, we'll all face our own personal end one day anyhow. Try to make the best of today.

Wise words.

 

[Railroad]

There are a few things going on with the earth that have happened before and will probably happen again. The climate shift (note that I called it that instead of 'global warming') has happened before; that is partly why there are fossilized remnants of tropical vegetation and animals in places that have been very cold climates for all of recorded history. The hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica (the big indicator of doom) has, by the way, begun to shrink.

Geological changes are also underway; the earth's magnetic field is said to be rotating away from the current North and South Pole locations. Scientists believe that when the poles migrate, they will almost trade places, but not close enough for us not to notice.

The rotation of the earth, and the movement of the tectonic plates around the thicker-consistency molten rock close to the earth's core, are adjudged to begin a cataclysmic weakening of the earth's magnetic field. When that happens, the earth's magnetic field will no longer effectively repel solar radiation as it does now.

But it is important to remember the timelines as they relate to each other. A hundred years or a thousand years, is like 1 minute from now compared to the age of the earth. In my humble opinion, there's much ado about nothing here - we can wring our hands if we must, but the overwhelming likelihood is that we'll all be dead before any of this stuff happens.

 

[AC/DC]

Railroad.......you better run before it starts........

 

[Railroad]

Railroad.......you better run before it starts........

Won't be the first time.....(RR runs for the same old hidin' place)....

 

[truby20]

The hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica (the big indicator of doom) has, by the way, begun to shrink.

Mentioning this does not help your argument, the banning of CFCs is why the ozone hole is now smaller over Antarctica during the winter. Humans are the reason that the hole formed in the early 80's and has returned every winter in the Southern Hemisphere, even reaching a record size in 2001. Now when it returns it is smaller in size because we have reduced our CFC output, thats the only reason.

Reduction of CFCs

 

[Railroad]

Mentioning this does not help your argument, the banning of CFCs is why the ozone hole is now smaller over Antarctica during the winter. Humans are the reason that the hole formed in the early 80's and has returned every winter in the Southern Hemisphere, even reaching a record size in 2001. Now when it returns it is smaller in size because we have reduced our CFC output, thats the only reason.Reduction of CFCs

I agree! But I wasn't arguing with anything. Okay - I guess you could say I was arguing that we don't have a global warming problem; IMHO we have a climatic shift underway that is cyclical and has happened before. No biggy from where I sit.

 

[AC/DC]

and now it starts.........

 

[truby20]

I agree! But I wasn't arguing with anything. Okay - I guess you could say I was arguing that we don't have a global warming problem; IMHO we have a climatic shift underway that is cyclical and has happened before. No biggy from where I sit.

Ok, I was just confused on why you mentioned the ozone hole. You made it seem like it is cyclical, the same as you are saying for Global Warming....I just wanted to clarify that the ozone hole is not that way.

 

[AC/DC]

Ok, I was just confused on why you mentioned the ozone hole. You made it seem like it is cyclical, the same as you are saying for Global Warming....I just wanted to clarify that the ozone hole is not that way.

You’re right, holes usually need help dilating……..

 

[Railroad]

Do I get kicked out if my karma bar goes all red? If not, cool. I like negative numbers and warm colors like red.

 

[ylexot]

Mentioning this does not help your argument, the banning of CFCs is why the ozone hole is now smaller over Antarctica during the winter. Humans are the reason that the hole formed in the early 80's and has returned every winter in the Southern Hemisphere, even reaching a record size in 2001. Now when it returns it is smaller in size because we have reduced our CFC output, thats the only reason.

Reduction of CFCs

Really How did we measure the ozone layer in the 70's? Or did the hole "form" because we actually looked at it and said "hey, there's a hole there"?

 

[Poundcake Lady]

I sure do wish they still made hairspray with those CFCs. My 80's hair was so much nicer then what I have today.

 

[willie]

I'm for any excuse to get away from OPEC.

 

[Lenny]

Really How did we measure the ozone layer in the 70's? Or did the hole "form" because we actually looked at it and said "hey, there's a hole there"?

And how do we know the ozone layer hasn't developed thinning off and on over the millennia? If the ozone layer was measured in the 1800's how do we know there wasn't (weren't) a whole lot of holes or one massive hole. How do we know the ozone layer really is helpful?

It's too easy to scream frantically when some unknown phenomenon is found like there's some conspiracy or invasion from outer space. Let's do what the President suggests. Let's get some solid un-exaggerated facts free of political, emotional, academic spin.

 

[Railroad]

And how do we know the ozone layer hasn't developed thinning off and on over the millennia? If the ozone layer was measured in the 1800's how do we know there wasn't (weren't) a whole lot of holes or one massive hole. How do we know the ozone layer really is helpful?

It's too easy to scream frantically when some unknown phenomenon is found like there's some conspiracy or invasion from outer space. Let's do what the President suggests. Let's get some solid un-exaggerated facts free of political, emotional, academic spin.

Good points all, Lenny! And I couldn't agree more with your last sentence!

 

[truby20]

How do we know the ozone layer really is helpful?

This had to be said in sarcasm...if not, you don't know enough about the topic to be commenting on it.

I refuse to give a high school science lesson:

Educate Yourself

It's too easy to scream frantically when some unknown phenomenon is found like there's some conspiracy or invasion from outer space. Let's do what the President suggests. Let's get some solid un-exaggerated facts free of political, emotional, academic spin.

The ozone hole has been one of the most studied phenomenon of the late 20th century. If you believe that the Atmospheric Science community doesn't have a grasp of its cause then there is no hope of the american public understanding global warming, but I believe you are in the minority.

 

[Ken King]

This had to be said in sarcasm...if not, you don't know enough about the topic to be commenting on it.

I refuse to give a high school science lesson:

Probably because you couldn't, even if you wanted to.

CFC's have been around since the 1890s with industrial and commercial use prevalent since the 1920s. They have been banned in aerosols and refrigerants since 1987 (Montreal Protocol), but who else still uses them and, if they are that harmful, why is it still allowed no matter what form they are in?

 

[hamsterfang]

How do we know the ozone layer really is helpful?
.

I'm not taking sides on this global warming debate, but the ozone layer absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the sun in order to prevent it from reaching the earth in harmful amounts. Without any ozone layer, life on earth would- well, we'd be dead

Humans have been harming the earth for years- that's a fact. The only thing we need to figure out is how much we've harmed the earth and are currently harming the earth, and I agree that it is a shame it always has to go back to politics. If it didn't, we'd all be working together and accomplishing more...