Global warming - real or myth?

Jenny - posted on 03/25/2010

I'm on the fence and think we're focused on the wrong area.



While I think humans could affect temperature cycles I think it's impossible to differenciate (sp?) from natural ones. I think moving to a carbon credit system is an absolutley ridiculous idea that only Capitalism could contrive and it would be a huge mistake to bring in cap and trade.



Our main issues are consumption and waste. We throw out a ridiculous amount of shit. Shit we don't want, shit we didn't want in the first place. How many DVD players have you bought and tossed? How many computers? How many vehicles have you owned in your life? How many different pieces of furniture have you owned? Does your water come in bottles? These are HUGE issues.



Planned obsolence has got to stop. Stop building shit products so we have to give your company more money. Stop telling us if we don't buy your product we're not cool. Stop making our children freak out over toys they don't want. Here's a questions for you moms, does your child have too many toys? Mine do and I bet every single one of yours does too. If they don't, I'll eat my hat and I have a lot of hats. These toys took factories, materials and transportation to get to our homes and we do not even know what to do with them all.



Then there is the packaging. How many parents required power tools to get their toys out of the box last Christmas? I know mine did. Why is an Ipod in a case the size of suitcase. Where was this packaging made, oh right in more factories. Oh and how long do they last? Our family has been through two in two years.



It's time to face the facts and realize we are doing this to ourselves. We need to quench our desire for living conveniently in favour of living, well, alive.

Carly - posted on 03/25/2010

I think the state of the planet altogether is going to hell in a handbasket and if we don't start doing something about it, and I don't just mean recycling then the next generation is doomed. Climate change is real, very real. Yes, it does occur naturally but too many people use the 'it's a natural process' argument because they are just too lazy to bother changing their ways. Nobody can say that all the crap we put into the air through factories, cars, etc.. isn't making a difference in the way the planet is. Not to mention all the godawful household cleaners and unnatural junk we flush into our water system. I'm going to be frank here and say that the ways of modern society just plain disgust me, and it's up to us to get our act together, and even more importantly educate our children so we can all do our part to change things for the better.

Minna - posted on 03/25/2010

Jackie, Global Warming isn't just temperatures rising. It's an imbalance of the entire global climate due to temperature rising and causing ice caps to melt. It causes strange weather phenomenons world wide, including colder weather in areas that are affected by the change in temperature in the oceans. Google it, its a super interesting read.

Yes, I agree that the world does go through a natural process that changes the weather, but I also believe, like many on here, that we are having an effect on that process.

Jocelyn - posted on 03/25/2010

I believe that it is the natural process of the earth BUT we are speeding it up.

Alison - posted on 03/25/2010

I think we have an obligation to protect the environment regardless of how real it is. Global warming is an issue that always creates drama in the media and it distracts from the real issue of reducing waste and keeping the air clean for our little ones as well as future generations. I don't know if it's true or not anymore, but that is not the point. We should protect the environment whenever the earth is hot, cold or luke warm.

Brandy - posted on 03/25/2010

I don't believe in it because history shows that what is happening now has happened every so often for thousands of years. However, I do believe we are polluting the environment and wearing away at the ozone layer. Not to mention how hard it is to find water that is safe to drink. I think that if it is scaring people into living in a way that is more environmentally friendly, why not keep pretending that's what is happening? Even if it isn't true, it's better for the environment because it has companies trying to find ways to change their products and packaging to reduce pollutions and emissions. I think I'm more convinced on the 2012 theory than the Global Warming theory. Especially with all these crazy earthquakes that have been happening. I guess we will find out in 2 years whether or not it is true.

Wanda - posted on 03/25/2010

While I agree that we can al be doing things to make this planet a better place to live, I think global warming is natural occurance.

It's been proven that there have been previous topical periods and ice ages. What makes us think that there won't be another one? Just because there are human's on the planet now. That's rather egotistical. I've often wonder what the wooley mamoths did to cause the ice caps to melt the first time around.

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 03/25/2010

Myth. My husband is a geologist so I have seen and heard the scientific explanations of the natural cooling and warming of the earth. I do agree that we should be taking better care of our planet.

Jennifer - posted on 03/25/2010

I think that carbon emissions are directly linked with global warming. Whilst studying A Level Geography we watched Al Gore's film about it. I believe that we should be doing more individually as families but that the government need to help us in doing this. We have a normal wheelie bin, a one for garden waste and currently a black box for paper, card, glass and tins but we are being issued with a bin to replace this which will hold the same things plus plastics. I think whilst eveyrone can make an effort to recycle the government must play their part - when do you ever see the Prime Minister use a car to get to one part of the counrty? Never he takes an aeroplane...my point exactly.

Shannon - posted on 03/25/2010

I found some info online.......

That mankind is causing global warming is far from being a proven fact. It is true that records show that average temperatures have increased over this century; however, temperatures actually dropped slightly between the 1930s and the 1970s. This was not associated with a reduction in fossil fuel emissions - in fact, they were increasing over this period. If the 'greenhouse gases' are responsible for global warming, how can this be?Accurate records simply do not cover a long enough period to be useful. The earth's average temperature varies naturally through time, and we so far have few or no good explanations to explain events such as the ice ages. Indeed, there was a 'mini-ice age' around four hundred years ago, during which the Thames in London repeatedly froze over during winter; this was followed by an intensive but natural period of 'global warming'. We do not have enough information to say that current trends are not simply natural variation.

On the other hand....

Over the past 100 years, mankind has been burning increasing quantities of fossil fuels (such as coal and oil) to provide energy. This has released large volumes of a number of gases into the atmosphere, particularly CO2. At the same time, the world's remaining large forests - which help absorb CO2 - are being rapidly destroyed by commercial logging and to make way for farm land. Overall, the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have increased by 30% over the last century.When in the atmosphere, CO2 and other gases are thought to lead to a 'greenhouse effect': they allow sunlight to pass through, but absorb heat emitted by the earth, trapping it and leading to global warming. Weather records seem to support this theory. Average temperatures have increased by up to 0.6°C since the 19th century; the four hottest years since accurate records began have all been in the last decade. Unusual weather patterns such as floods and droughts have also been on the increase, with the uncharacteristically strong El Niño events of recent years causing widespread disruption. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an international body set up to study possible global warming, has concluded that "... the balance of evidence suggests that there is a discernible human influence on global climate."

Jackie - posted on 03/25/2010

Who was the politician that is so up-in-arms about global warming and he was trying to hold a huge Global Warming Rally and it was cancelled due to a blizzard?? hahaha

I agree with the other ladies though. I think we should be more cautious about what we can do to slow down the process but it IS a natural process and no matter what we do, it isn't going to stop it.

Krista - posted on 03/25/2010

But on the other hand I don't really think it matters too much one way or another because no matter what carbon emissions and pollution are not good for the planet, whether they cause global warming or not I think we should all be doing our best to cut down and recycle because we have to think about the limited resourses of the planet.

LaCi - posted on 03/25/2010

I believe there is a natural process, the earth will heat and cool over time. However, we're speeding it up significantly and it isn't something that can be ignored or viewed as a just a natural process. I think its obvious that it's happening too rapidly. I try to keep my carbon footprint down. I love the websites that calculate your carbon footprint. Super fun. Gives you a goal on what to cut down on or start doing, helps you figure out where to begin. Everybody go calculate your foot print ;D