What are your thoughts on global warming?

[mgmine]

When 100% of the scientists agree that man is causing the problem then I'll buy in. Until then I look at both sides and still can't make up my mind. Galileo was locked up for his view on science. Today those that oppose the popular view are also being persecuted and in cases sued to shut them up. What if, just if man isn't doing any thing at all. Yes 97% of the scientists say man is causing the problem (if it even is a problem). You read about it all the time but there is not any debate time given to the opposition. What is the average person to believe when they are fed the same information from the first day they enter school. What if that information is based on false data. You know garbage in garbage out. I think it would be a great TV show to put two experts up against each other and make every person in the country or world watch it. I'm not talking experts like Al Gore since everything he wrote about turned out to be false but the press doesn't report on that. Real experts with real information and real facts not scare tactics would be put up against each other. I really do have an open mind and can be swayed either way. I cannot say that about others that I know. The topic can not even be raised with them. The science is settled, we have to change what we are doing the polar bears are dying bla bla bla. The computer models can't be wrong after all look at how they were dead on with the last election. There are so many variables in the world and in space that can cause changes it is impossible to even image them all.

 

[sissy]

To me it is there way of getting money to do research so people have jobs doing that .I was shocked to see what they spend on those meetings they have .To me they are getting a paid vacation .maybe it is just me

 

[sissy]

ALIENS did it .They come from outer space.They don't count in what they are doing to the world here with there space rockets .

 

[JBtheExplorer]

The best way I can answer is with various points.

1. Global warming is not arguable, it's happening. The argument is whether it's man-made, not if it exists. Many politicians on all sides agree that it exists to some extent, including our next President. Though many refuse to believe it's man-made.
2. There will never be 100% of scientists agreeing. Even without scientists being paid by the people who want to prove it false, you will likely never see 100% of scientists agree on anything, ever. 100% is an unreasonable expectation.
3. Scare tactics are few and far between. If you perceive the information you're seeing as a scare tactic, it's likely because your brain recognizes it's something to be scared of. That's not something that should be brushed off as no big deal.
4. Global warming is not political. It's being confused for politics because one side says it's man-made and the other refuses to agree with the opposing side. It's an unfortunate part of politics. If one side mentions something that they support, supporters of the other side will instantly push against it. It's one of the reasons I'm not on any side of politics.
5. Even if you refuse to believe it's man-made, surely you can see the things accused of causing it are equally harmful to the planet and our health regardless of global warming. Cities are not supposed to be filled with smog. Water is not supposed to be polluted. Forests are not supposed to be destroyed. Burning fossil fuels does release an unsafe amount of carbon dioxide.
6. The move to new, clean energy sources also means many new jobs. Obviously, the health of our planet is more important than jobs, but many new jobs will exist with the switch to clean energy. Jobs will be needed for those exiting the fossil fuel industry. Many countries are already moving forward with clean energy. If the US falls too far behind the technology that other countries are already putting into use, it's entirely possible that it could cause a significant impact to our economy.
7. I know that no matter what I say, those who disagree will likely continue to disagree. Debates don't change opinions, they just cause people to feel more strongly about the opinions they already had. It's even harder to change opinions of people who "bla bla bla" the starvations and drownings of polar bears, or any animal, for that matter.

8. This is a question, rather than a point. Why are people against the realization of man-made global warming? What is scary about agreeing that it exists? What is scary about cleaner air? I'm genuinely confused about the push against it and the push against living healthier.

 

[MitchM]

I think too much attention is being paid to CO2 levels.
I would like to see a more comprehensive approach to climate change education which would include CO2 levels past and present, water vapor and it's effect on the earth's climate and the sun's solar activity and it's effect on the earth's temperature.
Water vapor: https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/...cenarratives/its-water-vapor-not-the-co2.html
Solar activity: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140818095204.htm

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[Meyer Jordan]

Follow the science.......the evidence not the rhetoric. Climate change is occurring. It always has and it always will. As to man's contribution, just a little applied common sense will tell you that, Yes, Man's actions are contributing to (not necessarily causing) the present warming cycle. The increase of primarily Carbon Dioxide (a greenhouse gas) by 40% in the atmosphere since the 18th century has been attributed to human activity. This includes the combustion of carbon-based fuels, principally coal, oil, and natural gas, along with deforestation, soil erosion and animal agriculture. Add to this the explosion of the world population during thia same period , from about 700 million in 1750 to the present 7.4 billion which also means more Carbon Dioxide (and Methane) produced through respiration and digestive processes. These are established facts.
Anecdotally, one can refer to the loss of ice mass (melting) in the polar regions, the migration of species to higher latitudes, and rising sea levels, etc. to support that global warming is occurring.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

8. This is a question, rather than a point. Why are people against the realization of man-made global warming? What is scary about agreeing that it exists? What is scary about cleaner air? I'm genuinely confused about the push against it and the push against living healthier.

The simple answer to that question is....corporate bottom line.
It is estimated that fossil fuels usage accounts for about 80% of the global energy demand. This equate to a lot of money....and a lot of power and influence.

 

[MitchM]

We can also add into this conversation the elephant in the room .
Human overpopulation.

This can't go on forever.

.

 

[MitchM]

oops, posted before I read this.

... Add to this the explosion of the world population during thia same period , from about 700 million in 1750 to the present 7.4 billion which also means more Carbon Dioxide (and Methane) produced through respiration and digestive processes. These are established facts.
Anecdotally, one can refer to the loss of ice mass (melting) in the polar regions, the migration of species to higher latitudes, and rising sea levels, etc. to support that global warming is occurring.

 

[sissy]

over building no land left farms not there any more .Trees gone .High rises .We are a throw away society .Every new gadget that comes out they want and the old one gets tossed .We are wasteful littering people .

 

[JBtheExplorer]

The simple answer to that question is....corporate bottom line.
It is estimated that fossil fuels usage accounts for about 80% of the global energy demand. This equate to a lot of money....and a lot of power and influence.

No, I certainly understand that. I'd like to hear the answer from ordinary people who are pushing against it and adamantly denying it. You never really hear them say why they're pushing against a healthier planet, only that they believe it's a hoax, but I can't remember a time where someone gave a reason for why the "hoax" was created, or why it's bad to have clean energy, though I'm sure someone, somewhere has that conspiracy theory all written out.

Climate change denial is most commonly associated with the loss of jobs for those in the fossil fuel industries. Unfortunately, moving forward has always resulted in job loss, but it's followed by new types of jobs becoming available. Moving forward isn't possible without changes. We wouldn't have anything we have today without jobs disappearing to new jobs.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

We can also add into this conversation the elephant in the room .
Human overpopulation.

This can't go on forever.

.

Human overpopulation is a tragedy that will probably never be addressed. It's scary. We're reproducing at an alarming rate, to say the least.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

No, I certainly understand that. I'd like to hear the answer from ordinary people who are pushing against it and adamantly denying it. You never really hear them say why they're pushing against a healthier planet, only that they believe it's a hoax, but I can't remember a time where someone gave a reason for why the "hoax" was created, or why it's bad to have clean energy, though I'm sure someone, somewhere has that conspiracy theory all written out.

Climate change denial is most commonly associated with the loss of jobs for those in the fossil fuel industries. Unfortunately, moving forward has always resulted in job loss, but it's followed by new types of jobs becoming available. Moving forward isn't possible without changes. We wouldn't have anything we have today without jobs disappearing to new jobs.

Many people do not like change. With Global warming they are also afraid that they will be required to give up something or alter their lifestyle. This angst has been seeded and nurtured by corporate admins and their paid political lackeys.much the same way as they would sell one of their products. And they have become quite successful in putting a believable spin on anything. A prime example of this is the bottled water market.
One of our fellow Forum members recently posted in a comment that they watched the 'news that they liked'. This world is not going to always be what 'we like' Ignoring the truth does not negate it. Isolationism at any level has never proven to be successful.

 

[MitchM]

One thing I take don't like is the disconnect on the part of some environmentalists that we could switch from selling oil to selling solar products.

Maybe being based in Alberta I'm a little more sensitive to it, but our economy doesn't work that way. We sell our resources - oil. We can't sell sunshine.
If we did try selling solar or wind powered products, the price we would have to sell those products for would be uncompetitive and no one would buy them.
No problem, you say? Just get the government to provide subsidies, you say? Subsidies from the government come from business and personal taxes, which would be non existent if the businesses weren't making a profit.
If some environmentalists want to disregard the plight that comes with putting so many people out of work, go ahead, but don't in turn be surprised when an extreme government is elected. Oh wait, that just happened.

Then there are the oh so climate educated celebrities like Leonardo DeCaprio that come up here to Alberta and become "terrified" when he is here during some of our warm Chinook winds which he believes are a result of global warming - wrong. Warm Chinook winds have been around as long as the Rocky Mountains themselves. However, he believes that his celebrity status gives him enough star power to convince regular less educated people that our oil sands are the center of all CO2 evil. Canada's whopping 1.6% contribution to greenhouse gasses. Yes, 1.6%, that's it.
What does DeCaprio do when he is standing by the beach when the tide comes in and out - run away in terror, convinced that the polar ice caps are freezing and thawing every 12 hours?

Then we have poor old Darryl Hanna that flies up here on her boyfriend's private jet to protest while staying in our nice hotels, allowed to stage her protest safely with protection from our RCMP.

Give me a break.

Show me some celebrities that protest in China, where they contribute 30% to greenhouse gasses. maybe I'll have a little more respect for them then, after they've served their prison terms.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for saving the environment. I've voted Green in the last 2 elections because they need a voice - but the voice need more education.

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[JBtheExplorer]

If some environmentalists want to disregard the plight that comes with putting so many people out of work, go ahead
.

Oil supply can't meet our demand forever. Either it'll dry up or we'll move away from oil before that happens. What will Alberta do when either happens? Sure, no worries if it doesn't happen in our lifetimes, but there will be a point where it'll back Alberta into a corner if they don't come up with another source to feed their economy. Finding the solution now while oil is still plentiful would mean less impacts to your economy and less impacts to jobs, compared to waiting until it's too late.