(CO2 emissions being the cause of Global Warming)
I mean, is it possible?
Why is there such resistance to the idea?
Chris:
In relation to your question, well of course it is possible that CO2 levels from humans have an effect on something. However wouldn't it be prudent to find what IS actually causing the temperature rise as opposed to what we think or based on public opinion?
I like the faulty argument ("does not follow" I think?) example of "Every time I wear my lucky Buffalo Sabres Hat, the Sabres win, therefore the Sabres can only win if I wear my lucky Sabres Hat!"
Would you "resist that idea" if someone told you that with a straight face? It is possible the guy is right isn't he?
After my simply commenting initially about the hysteria sounding similar to the Global Cooling scare in the 70's I was not intending to wade into the debate with both guns blasting away at the ignorance that exists. Abaddon asked for scientific quotes and not just rhetoric. So I posted quite a bit, probably too much. Did you read any of it before saying "Why is there such resistance to the idea?"?
Go back and take a look at what I posted, including the links. Educate yourself.
Trillions of dollars will be spent on reducing CO2 emissions that will according to Kyoto and the IPCC UN report only reduce temperature by .06 degrees Celsius!. A negligible effect. The whole plan cannot succeed unless all industrialized nations cooperate and pull their weight. What is the likelihood that will happen?
Likewise the USA will need to take the biggest lead as we North Americans must reduce CO2 (according to Kyoto) by 25% by 2012. That means the US would need to find a replacement to fossil fuels energy for a 1/4 of a nations consumption while the nation is growing in population simultaneously. You Americans will need to build hydro, solar, wind, tidal and/or nuclear capacity to take 30-5% of the domestic power utility while taking coal, oil and other CO2 positive utilities off line....and you have 5 years to do it!
Do you know how many years it took to build the Hoover Dam? American side of the Niagara Falls power project? etc? Are you aware that the US hasn't built a nuclear power plant in over 20 years because no one wants one near their town? No one wants windmills in their backyards either (although I don't mind myself) Are you aware of the current federal deficit of the USA?
Lets replace the cars then to Carbon neutral technology as well. 204,000,000 cars on the road in the USA alone (2003). Getting those gas guzzling vehicles off the road would go along way to helping the US reach its 25% target by 2012. Who is going to pay for all of those Prias'? What will we do with the old vehicles?
......
How about we find what the real cause is and if possible do what we can to change it. And if we can't, as in the most likely cause which is the Suns fluctuating output, then we prepare for the inevitable whether it is a cooling trend or a further warming trend.
What would you prefer our governments do? Spend trillions of dollars on CO2 emissions that the science says is not likely the cause, bankrupting our economy by 2050 or earlier in the process?
Or spend Trillions of dollars preparing us as best we can for the inevitable warning and cooling periods that lay ahead. You decide - I already know where i will put my money. Sun block and fur coats....not real fur coats, that would be cruel! LOL
I agree totally with an earlier post that we simply consume too much as a society and it will eventually be difficult for our natural resources to provide for humanity that is quickly outpacing it. The book by Jarrod Diamond "Collapse- Rise and Fall of Civilizations" noted that virtually every great civilization collapsed because population growth out consumed the environments ability to sustain it. Often that collapse was a combination of weather/climate change or other natural disaster that compounded an existing problem such as over population or over consumption, coupled with bad or non existent planning.
Over forestation and faulty land management, over fishing and reliance on too few food varieties (subject to disease which could wipe out whole domestic animal populations or entire crops) should be solved first. Failure to do so in the past caused societies to collapse and disappear. That is provable scientifically. Let's fix what we can hope will net us the greatest benefits!
Frank75
