A Texan is standing in flood water. A protest sign next to him reads "Hey, Obama... forget about climate change and focus on ISIS." Texan: I'm fine... but my sign is ruined!
I expect the global warming deniers to show up any minute now, so let me anticipate:1. The Earth is warming faster than it normally would according to natural cycles – solar cycles indicate we should be cooling (so you can’t say it’s a normal cycle)2. Human beings are the reason the Earth is warming because of the disproportionate amounts of CO2 we have pumped into the atmosphere with the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation which reduces the amount of CO2 that is sequestered by nature. (And yes, we can trace patterns of CO2 back 800,000 years, thanks to Antarctic ice cores.) (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2013/05/130510-earth-co2-milestone-400-ppm/)3. Scientists have been warning about this being an active concern for approximately fifty years. There was NO POINT where most climate scientists were claiming we were going into an Ice Age (in the 1970s, most researchers were already convinced that Anthropogenic Global Warming was happening). 4. The idea is neither new nor politically motivated. It was first suggested by Swedish scientists Svante Arrhenius in 1896 – over a hundred years ago – and he even provided a decent estimate of CO2-to-warming amounts. (http://www.lenntech.com/greenhouse-effect/global-warming-history.htm)5. Increased CO2 is not “better for plants,” any more than too much oxygen or too much water is good for us. Increased CO2 has negative effects as well. (http://www.skepticalscience.com/Increasing-Carbon-Dioxide-is-not-good-for-plants.html)6. We will not be able to “just adapt” quickly. Evolution takes a long time, and in practice will kill off many species or creatures until we get better-adapted genetics — and this is what is happening.7. The idea that climate is “always changing” does not mean we are not responsible for a direction of change, nor that the current change is normal, expected, or appropriate. 8. Just because CO2 is a small percentage of the atmosphere does not mean it is not dangerous. We are at a tipping point, where a little more CO2 means a lot more trapped heat. A better way to think about it is that we have nearly doubled the CO2 in the atmosphere. (http://www.skepticalscience.com/CO2-trace-gas.htm)9. There is no “global warming pause.” The heat has been going into the oceans. Average global temperatures have been increasing just the way one would expect if we were warming it. And we are. (http://www.salon.com/2015/02/26/scientists_just_blew_apart_the_myth_of_the_global_warming_pause/)10. For those who think we can’t affect large climates – it’s happened before. It is thought that the reforestation of North America after 90-95% of the native peoples died of European diseases dropped global temperatures notably.11. For those who think that God won’t let this happen – God helps those who help themselves. And if you believe Genesis, we were made stewards of the Earth.
Texans seceded from Mexico, then the U.S., but coming back they got defense contracts and oil, now want to secede again? Naw, they’ll wait til the flow of federal money stops.
Climate Change:Lets see: On one side, you have 1000s of Scientists saying Its Real! On the Other side, you have the Corporations who might just lose some Profits if it IS Real saying “Oh, No, Mercy Me, that Can’t Be True”..Who is more likely to be Lying their heads off?.Hint: A Corporation will commit Multiple Murders and write if off as “The Cost of Doing Business”.Looking at YOU Ford Executives who thought Exploding Gas Tanks were just a Minor Problem..
Still dodging, I see. Why not step back a minute and look at how overwhelming the data are instead of getting defensive? Just look, that’s all I ask.It’s not group think. Nothing excites a scientist more than being able to bust a myth or disprove conventional wisdom. When this many scientists have concluded the same thing based on this much data, it behooves us to consider it seriously.
Theodore E. Lind Premium Member almost 9 years ago
Are we sure Texas is not in some kind of a dark energy and dark matter space warp? It seems to be a very strange place.
Diane Lee Premium Member almost 9 years ago
Having been raised there, I know the answer to your question. Yes
Motivemagus almost 9 years ago
I expect the global warming deniers to show up any minute now, so let me anticipate:1. The Earth is warming faster than it normally would according to natural cycles – solar cycles indicate we should be cooling (so you can’t say it’s a normal cycle)2. Human beings are the reason the Earth is warming because of the disproportionate amounts of CO2 we have pumped into the atmosphere with the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation which reduces the amount of CO2 that is sequestered by nature. (And yes, we can trace patterns of CO2 back 800,000 years, thanks to Antarctic ice cores.) (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2013/05/130510-earth-co2-milestone-400-ppm/)3. Scientists have been warning about this being an active concern for approximately fifty years. There was NO POINT where most climate scientists were claiming we were going into an Ice Age (in the 1970s, most researchers were already convinced that Anthropogenic Global Warming was happening). 4. The idea is neither new nor politically motivated. It was first suggested by Swedish scientists Svante Arrhenius in 1896 – over a hundred years ago – and he even provided a decent estimate of CO2-to-warming amounts. (http://www.lenntech.com/greenhouse-effect/global-warming-history.htm)5. Increased CO2 is not “better for plants,” any more than too much oxygen or too much water is good for us. Increased CO2 has negative effects as well. (http://www.skepticalscience.com/Increasing-Carbon-Dioxide-is-not-good-for-plants.html)6. We will not be able to “just adapt” quickly. Evolution takes a long time, and in practice will kill off many species or creatures until we get better-adapted genetics — and this is what is happening.7. The idea that climate is “always changing” does not mean we are not responsible for a direction of change, nor that the current change is normal, expected, or appropriate. 8. Just because CO2 is a small percentage of the atmosphere does not mean it is not dangerous. We are at a tipping point, where a little more CO2 means a lot more trapped heat. A better way to think about it is that we have nearly doubled the CO2 in the atmosphere. (http://www.skepticalscience.com/CO2-trace-gas.htm)9. There is no “global warming pause.” The heat has been going into the oceans. Average global temperatures have been increasing just the way one would expect if we were warming it. And we are. (http://www.salon.com/2015/02/26/scientists_just_blew_apart_the_myth_of_the_global_warming_pause/)10. For those who think we can’t affect large climates – it’s happened before. It is thought that the reforestation of North America after 90-95% of the native peoples died of European diseases dropped global temperatures notably.11. For those who think that God won’t let this happen – God helps those who help themselves. And if you believe Genesis, we were made stewards of the Earth.
PainterArt Premium Member almost 9 years ago
Let stop wasting money in the US helping citizens and pour more money into the middle east.
Dtroutma almost 9 years ago
Texans seceded from Mexico, then the U.S., but coming back they got defense contracts and oil, now want to secede again? Naw, they’ll wait til the flow of federal money stops.
Tarredandfeathered almost 9 years ago
Climate Change:Lets see: On one side, you have 1000s of Scientists saying Its Real! On the Other side, you have the Corporations who might just lose some Profits if it IS Real saying “Oh, No, Mercy Me, that Can’t Be True”..Who is more likely to be Lying their heads off?.Hint: A Corporation will commit Multiple Murders and write if off as “The Cost of Doing Business”.Looking at YOU Ford Executives who thought Exploding Gas Tanks were just a Minor Problem..
Motivemagus almost 9 years ago
See Martens’ point, but even so – what about the OTHER ten points I posted? So far, that suggests 91% agreement that this is a problem, eh?
lonecat almost 9 years ago
^ Why?
lonecat almost 9 years ago
Well, they both seem irrelevant to me. Climate science doesn’t fit the criteria of “pathological science”, and, seriously, who cares about Al Gore?
Motivemagus almost 9 years ago
Still dodging, I see. Why not step back a minute and look at how overwhelming the data are instead of getting defensive? Just look, that’s all I ask.It’s not group think. Nothing excites a scientist more than being able to bust a myth or disprove conventional wisdom. When this many scientists have concluded the same thing based on this much data, it behooves us to consider it seriously.