As I am reading this, I can see very respectful and intelligent people coming to different conclusions.
I have always respected Auld Soul, as well as seeker 4. Both of you seem to be able to deal very well with highly scientific and technical discussions.
Not to be funny or trite, though, I have a question:
If global warming is a "given", and it really is taking place, just EXACTLY how much has the average temperature of the earth increased?
In Crichton's book, if memory serves me correctly, the charts and graphs that I saw indicate a rise in temperature of about .08 degrees Celsius.
Also, is it fair to pinpoint a 10 or 20 year period of earths geologic history and really draw solid conclusions? I am 60, and I do remember in high school in the 1960's being taught that global cooling was imminent and that another ice age was on the way. This comment is anecdotal and not to be considered evidence, but I do remember it.
One thing that I would respectfully share with Seeker 4 is that in one of his posts, he quoted the New York Times. My political views tend to come from the conservative end of the spectrum, and I would have little, if any, respect for the NY Times as an accurate reporter of Scientific fact. Please, Seeker 4, don't mischaracterize this comment as an attack on you. I like the way you are respectfully discussing the issue.
There is another thread about global warming that is currently going on in this discussion group, and while it too has a wide range of opinions, there are a lot of scientific references being given that is food for thought.
Auld Soul, I do appreciate your scholarly approach to such a wide array of discussions. Thank you always for your fine mind and extremely clear way of expressing yourself.
Brant