Some scientists worry it’s too late to reverse climate change

SpeedoGuy

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Shelby said:
Seriously though, I know some redneck, monster truck, Nascar type chicks that think CXT's are hot shit.

Hmmm. Interesting. That would fly in the face of long established research suggesting an inverse relationship between truck size and truck owner's penis size.

Oh yah, LOL, and I drive a '86 Nissan 4 cyl 2x2 short bed. :naughty:
 

Johnnyb4356

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This topic managed to bring me out of my lurking to post a few facts to ponder.

1. In order to argue that global warming/climate change is not occuring would, it would have to be a faith based argument not a scientific one.
*IPCC, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, numbers show an increase in global temperature over the next century of about 3.6 degrees celsius, which is considered a high estimate.
*The GCM number, GCM stands for General Circulation Model, which is a much more conservative estimate, is an increase of 2.3 degrees celsius by 2100.

Both conclude that this increase is undoubtedly due to human activities. This may seem like a small amount, but the result of such an increase would be disasterous to ecosystems around the world.

2. It should be noted that human activities includes not just the burning of fossil fuels, of which automobiles in the US accounts for about 16% of our country's C02 emissions, but also the aformentioned methane emissions from livestock. The human demand for meat has caused the number of livestock animals, such as cattle and sheep, to dramatically increase. For example, in New Zealand there are 11 sheep for every human in the population.

3. Deforestation also needs to be taken into account, and not just deforestation from our lifetimes. In the early 19th century as Americans pushed westward across the nation, forests were cleared to make way for farmland. Between 1640 and 1850 settles cleared 460,000 square kilometers of forests. From 1850 to 1910, American settlers cleared 800,000 square kilometers of forests. This massive clearing of wooded areas is causally linked to a global temperature spike that has not fallen since.

Climate change is an absolutely massive topic that can in no way be discussed fully in this forum. However, arguing that climate change cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt is a fairly secular argument. Very little in science can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, which is why we are still having a national discussions over evolution, but even the foremost critics of global warming now admit that it is occuring. The real argument is whether humanity will be able to cope with the change and create innovative new ways to deal with the coming challenges. For example, the hole in the ozone layer was caused by specific chemicals that were quickly banned around the world once scientists and governments realized the threat.
 

SpeedoGuy

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Johnnyb4356 said:
...but even the foremost critics of global warming now admit that it is occuring. The real argument is whether humanity will be able to cope with the change and create innovative new ways to deal with the coming challenges. For example, the hole in the ozone layer was caused by specific chemicals that were quickly banned around the world once scientists and governments realized the threat.

Well said.

To listen to the dwindling crowd of global warming skeptics you'd have heard a progression of arguments over the years that go something like this:

1980s: Global warming is all bullshit. Its not happening at all. Poppycock.

1990s: Well, OK, some warming is happening. But its part of a natural cycle and humans couldn't possibly have anything to do with it.

2000s: Granted, warming is occurring and part of it may be human caused but there's nothing we can do about it anyway...

and so on...
 

Dr Rock

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LINittanyLion said:
Where have I stated my own political background in here?
you just did dude, the bits i highlighted

Where have I used it in my argument.
didn't say you had, i just found it ironic that you're accusing someone else of being politically-motivated in the discussion while dismissing that as "typical liberal trash"