Climate Change New research on global warming

[Thorned Rose 0]

In the interests of not influencing peoples' opinions in the poll, please vote before you read any of the below posts.


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Some new research has found that global temperatures are the hottest they've been in about 1,200 years. Some argue that research like this is flawed and doesn't indicate anything while others argue that this is just one more piece of evidence that shows that humans are having a negative impact on the earth. The article is from the BBC:

Climate 'warmest for millennium'
By Paul Rincon
BBC News science reporter

In the late 20th Century, the northern hemisphere experienced its most widespread warmth for 1,200 years, according to the journal Science.
The findings support evidence pointing to unprecedented recent warming of the climate linked to greenhouse emissions.

You can read the complete article here.
Edited February 10, 2006 by Thorned Rose (see edit history)

[Mich 0]

Yes, this global warming is for real and we had better start listening. I have been following reports on this problem for some time now and the effect on the glaciers up at the pole is really alarming. They are disappearing. This is having a tremendous effect on the balance of nature. We are having all these world wide natural disasters as a result, in my oppinion. Consider the number of hurricanes we have had this year, just in the USA. Katrina was a warning of things to come. Edited February 10, 2006 by Mich (see edit history)

[Plenoptic 0]

I also have read a lot about this. They are working on trying to fix this though. It is mostly caused by the burning of fossil fuels and gas in cars. What happens is fossil fuels and gas emissions give off carbon dioxide which takes the sunlight in the atmosphere and holds it as heat. So when we burn more fossil fuels and run all of our cars there is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causing global warming to occur. Ice caps are melting and water levels are rising meaning soon some areas on the coach will start to flood. Right now they are looking for alternate fuels that won't give off as much carbon dioxide. They think they have found a way to use ethanol without the exceess of carbon dioxide gases. This would be really great because not only will it save our resources of gas, it will help slow global warming. It also can be used instead of the burning of fossil fuels they believe and that also helps because fossil fuels are a nonrenewable resource while ethanol is because it is just grass and plants.

[LocalSeer 0]

I have to vote neighter of the options, there are many scientific articles claiming both global warming in the near future as well as an ice age in the near future. Sometimes a local warming leading to a lasting cold. We clearly don't know enough to be a basis for changing our habits. We definatly still have more time, as I don't recall any elements of Earth that have been drastically changed by us to be beyond naturally occuring cycles.

[Sprnknwn 0]

It?s for real and I can see that each summer gets hotter and hotter... and the weather is going crazy... the differences between seasons are getting softer, and natural disasters attack us suddenly. I think it?s a real problem but it?s not so new... we?ve been knowing this for a lot of years and people and governments say "oh, yes, this is terrible, blahblahblah..." but not much is being done about it, apart from the Kyoto Protocol... which is not supported by the United States, so it?s not going to make too much difference. So my opinion would be between the two first options... something must be done, but I?m afraid it?s getting late for the planet.

[Thorned Rose 0]

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[wild20 0]

I am somewhat of an environmentalist, and I have researched and written almost 20 articles on this subject. From my research and findings, Global Warming is as real as it gets. Studies show that Carbon Dioxide, the element produced by cars and burning of fuels, rose by 400% AT LEAST during the past 200 years. This is according to the Greenland Ice Cores.Then there are CFCs that destroy Ozone, the substance protecting us from the sun and radiation, at a rate of 1 CFC to 100,000 Ozone. That is way to much. That is why there are companies that safely get rid of referigerators safely. Since that is the thing that creates the most. So recycle them, don't toss them to the dump. Hey keep the Earth clean guys.

[adriantc 0]

I wanted to reply to this thread a long time ago, but I just couldn't get time or every time I logged in I was attracted by something else.I think global warming is for real, but there is not much we can do in just a few years. It is simply not enough. The world depends on fosil fuel. If every country in the world would agree to stop using oil world's economy will go into bankruptcy. So in my opinion we have passed the point of "no return". Not only because nature cannot regenerate, but because there is no way mankind can stop or reverse what it did. This is the price of progress... It is sad , but in just 200 years menkind has evolved from steam engines to rocket engines. Thinking in the time of the univers or in the time of nature this 200 years are just a few seconds. The changes were much to big and much to fast.You don't have to be a scientist to see that the climate is different (changing). My country used to have 4 seasons and not it only has two, winter and summer. And it seems that in just a few years we will only have one long summer. Not to mention the flods, earthquakes snd other natural disasters which tend to repet every single year. My country NEVER had a tornodo in it's history, but last summer we had one tornado (sure it was not like the american ones where a lot of people die or are left homeless, but it is a very unusual thing).I even saw a news on Discovery Channel website a few days ago speaking about how animals and plants have begun a fast evolution trying to keep up with the ever changing climate.

Edited March 1, 2006 by adriantc (see edit history)

[rogeruk 0]

Global Warming is for real, our planet is getting worse every day. Now are 3 people going to change this? no didnt think so. Unless the whole world sticks together to sort out our mess then we aint gonna get anywhere. We are wasting billions of money on making nukes which we cant use LOL. As soon as USA launches theirs, China will launch thiers, then russia, then iraq etc... Ever seen the End of the world flash movie? well "Fire de missiles!". Why dont we just concerntrate at the problem we have, rather than sending spaceships to the moon / space for no reason. We dont even know our own world yet and we are trying to get out to space?. If you seen the film Day after tomorrow? i think thats pretty real. The concept behind the film of the ice caps melting and salt water and water doesnt mix will mess up our world. Ovbiously not to drastic like the film. But i think its gonna happen. The clock is ticking the world is going to end.

Edited March 2, 2006 by rogeruk (see edit history)

[Thorned Rose 0]

There's a really good program on National Geographic Channel called Strange Days on Planet Earth that certainly poses some very disturbing questions.
I would also recommend everyone to read a book called "Earth" by David Brin. Although it's a work of fiction, it's another one of those books that is eerily prescient (e.g. it was written in 1990 but Brin writes about a World Data Web) and perhaps a very realistic take on the future of the planet if something isn't done now. At any rate, it was a huge wake up call for me and most people who read it, I think.

[Thorned Rose 0]

And some more damning evidence which has just popped up on the BBC website:

Consensus grows on climate change

 

The global scientific body on climate change will report soon that only greenhouse gas emissions can explain freak weather patterns.

For the full article go here.

[jlhaslip 4]

Well there is no doubt in my mind that this Global Warming thing is for real. A couple hours drive from where I live there is a pretty big and important Glacier in the middle of nowhere that has been a Tourist Attraction for about 100 years. They have stakes in the ground to mark the termination point of the Main reach of the Glacier over those years and the newest ones ( since 1970) are noticeably closer together than the ones from the early part of the Century. I haven't been there in about 6 years to confirm that they are any closer since then, but the effects of Global Warming on this Glacier are indeed a visual warning, if nothing else.Sure, there are cycles of temperature fluctuations in the Atmisphere, but evidence points to pollutants and a lack of certain elements in the Atmosphere which is at fault. But it is not all Doomsday stuff. Science has gotten us this far and I am confident that it will drag us out of this one, too. Ethanol-based fuel which is organic in source and biodegradable by nature is one possible method. Using Hydrogen as a fuel is another. Wind and Solar Power are alternatives as well. Another contributing factor is the Lifestyle you choose. Instead for driving everywhere, take a walk or ride a bike. Recycle resources which require Petroleum products. Lots of good ways to reduce, re-use, recycle.

[Albus Dumbledore 0]

noowhere on there do i see a place for "i dont care" but thats my opinion...i do think it is a huge problem mainly because i hate the heat..but i also think that it is to freaking late to attempt to re-influence billions of minds to thinking that global warming is somthing that is going to be hurting us in the future..and so therefore since i think that no one will ever do anything about it because they have yet been able to pursuade allot of people yet that my answer to that poll is "I Dont Care" because i wont until people accualy take a concern into the whole Global Warming thing...because either one of two things will happen..A I will die before it gets way out of hand, and B all the ice in the world will melt flooding most of the world..and either way im doomed..id rather die of old age than live to see the world flood because people in the 19th, and 20th, century were to stupid to do anything about it which they could have.. in california summer extended an extra month i think it was..because it had officaly become fall and we hadn't recieved any rain of any kind which was unusual, and the temperatures were summer time temperatures, i dont quite know if that would have anything to do with Global warming, but if soo boy are we screwed when it comes to fall time this next year >_<

[Borghunter 0]

I am part of an organization at my school called Destination Conservation tha tdeals with this kind of thing and some other environmental issues

Visit the Website (which I created and is under construction) at: http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

[Thorned Rose 0]

Albus Dumbledore, that's the self-defeatest attitude!

How many times have I heard "I'm just one person, what can I do?". That is exactly the problem as to why nothing is being done. Everyone says to themselves that they are just one person and won't make a difference so nobody does anything. Everyone just sits around waiting for someone else to start making a difference. What a bunch of sheep people are!

And please people, global warming doesn't just mean things set hotter. Some areas will get colder, rainy areas will have droughts, dry areas will have torrential rain....mudslides, hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, earthquakes, blizzards, coastal errosions.... all caused by Global warming.

People, pull your fingers out of your ars*s and do something - stop sitting on the fence, victimising yourselves by saying "I'm just one person, woes me, what can I do?". If you change your attitude and spread that to just one person and then that person spreads it to another and so forth, eventually something will happen! Stop sitting around on your butts and do something now instead of waiting for the government to force you to do it.