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Global Warming?

Nowicki418

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Haven't heard too much about global warming in the news recently but it's obviously getting worse and having more substantial effects.

From a conservation standpoint its an overwhelming thought. A quick climate change, pollution, restricted gene flow; that's not a good combination. And the solution requires more than a group of activists, but an entirely new way of looking at life as the human race. Wallets would get lighter.

Anyone hear any recent news?
 

millerj76

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Hi, watched a few programmes with Brian Cox(physicist, presenter) with regards to 'global weirding', and the world is definetly in a state of atmospheric unstability, chopping and changing with randomness, have to say i enjoy the more severe winters/rainfalls, nature can be awesome. With regards to global warming, is there a solution, if there is would people sit up and take notice and all do what needs to be done, the whole planet would have to be united in the solution and that could be tough to acheive. Regards life on earth, with changing climates, is it a case of the tough surviving, those that are able to adapt to changing conditions. I'm sure over the last two decades that we have slowly recognised the affects we have caused, and we have became 'greener' , but probably only slightly. My hats off to those who are trying hard to do something about it and to those who manage to get the subject some recognition, we are aware but still have a lot of work to do to make a difference.
 

evut

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I'm not sure what exactly you're asking but I read about global warming every Sunday in the paper. The melting Arctic appears to be quite a popular topic recently.
If you mean generally in the news everywhere, so you can't avoid it, just wait until the deniers find a new amazing fact that shows it's all a conspiracy. That will naturally get lots of publicity.
I am under the impression that it is too late anyway, and with no-one really doing anything, it's going to be a good thing when people finally wipe themselves out. I just hope they (we) don't take everything else with them (us).
 

SludgeMunkey

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Global warming is a misnomer. And it was outlawed in South Carolina.(True story, look it up it is a hysterical read!)

To learn more, use the proper term, Climactic Shift.

As for "It is getting worse" this is just the sort of unquantified statement to start a flame war.Be careful with such topics on the web, it tends to bring out the trolls.
 

Molch

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I don't think global warming is a misnomer. The Earth (the globe) on the whole is indeed getting warmer, as in average global temperature.

However, the term "climate change" is preferred to accommodate the naysayers and slow kids in the class, who don't get that average global warming doesn't necessarily mean warming everywhere, and that it can even mean a local cooling in some areas.
 

Nowicki418

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Haha, thanks SludgeMunkey, I do need to be a little more careful with my wording.

It is strange though, how there is so much information out there yet it seems to escape the eyes of the common public ( who are not actually looking into it ). It's cool that its mentioned in the newspaper, I rarely see it in mine.

What "evut" mentioned about it being "too late anyway, and with no-one really doing anything" is kind of what I'm getting at. The average global temperature is increasing. Biodiversity is declining. Gene flow is being obstructed. Something MAJOR needs to take place. But its such a hopeless concept to think about it on a large scale. This is far too much work for conservation groups and underfunded government agencies. People as a whole need to change.

But what can be done? The average individual doesn't hear about declining populations and climate change very often, and when they do it appears irrelevant to them.
 

SludgeMunkey

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Much like in dealing with new axolotl owners, people will only believe what they want to believe. If they want to believe, it is a profitable market. If they do not want to believe it is ignored.

Here in the states it varies greatly on a local level. This brings up the S.C. law banning discussion of rising sea levels as a result of climate change. Another spot you never hear anything about it is right here in Nebraska, land of the blissful ignorant.

In my experience living all over the country I find that the lower the population density and the lower the average education level (sorry buisness majors, ya'll don't count...too many of you in too general a field;)) the higher the likely hood people claim climate change is a hoax.


Now, as this is one of those subjects I get really worked up about, I'm going to bow out of this thread before I go on some sort of rant. :p

I will leave you with this interesting chart from the 2009 Old Farmer's Almanac, currently the only group to do a climate study that utilizes nearly 300 years worth of recorded data....unlike a lot of studies that make assumptions based of less than 100 years data. (I say again readuiing the abstract is NOT the way to understand a peer reviewed paper...)

1895_cvr1_0.png


Also note this chart does not necessarily agree with my own beliefs on the subject. I feel I am unqualified along with most of the population to even have a valid opinion on the subject.

This chart is interesting though in exposing the mass media of the last hundred years or so and how they attempt to profit on fear and bad science.
 

oceanblue

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Haven't heard too much about global warming in the news recently
Anyone hear any recent news?

It depends where you get your news from. If your news feed is a product of a climate sceptic organisation you may find little mention. There are plenty of informed sources. My newspaper has a 70% of a page 4 spread on the views of Prince Charles. On this issue I agree with him. The snag with listening to authorities is this one has crackpot views on homeopathy and medical science.

Here is this evening's article Global carbon dioxide in atmosphere passes milestone level | Environment | guardian.co.uk

I take a simplistic view of the basic problem. We have mined the carboniferous era and are converting the planetary atmosphere into the one present in that era. The evidence of accurately measured rising CO2 is undeniable. This change is bound to have effects and the probability is if we continue on the present course we will end up with a carboniferous world, not necessarily including humans.
 

Azhael

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Carboniferous world...if only!
I take issue with the word skeptic in this context. It´s not skepticism, it´s denialism.
I´m obviously unqualified to discuss the topic as it needs to be discussed, but like oceanblue i base my views on very basic stuff. All of this carbon (imagine a pile of carbon) was sequestred in chemical compounds inside the earth´s crust. Now that carbon is free in gaseous form and there is a lot less photosynthetic surface to sequestre it again. That necessarily implies a disruption of the previous state of affairs, period. To deny it or doubt it is to not be familiar with basic math (among other things).
As for the consequences, it varies between locations which is exactly what you would expect. I agree that Global Warming is largely a misnomer because although on average, global temp is clearly rising, at a local level the effects may be anything but warmer. Climactic Shift is a far better description of what´s actually happening.
Certain animal groups and certain species are going to suffer a great deal because while adaptation to shifting conditions is possible, it´s happening much faster than ever before and many populations can´t move to more suitable areas. The conjunction of climate change and the isolation of habitats into islands is going to have very severe and dramatic effects...and it´s our fault. Shame on all of us.
 

Lugubris

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Whether or not climate change is occurring and is due to humans, amphibians (and humans) face much larger human caused problems. Sulfur dioxide and Nitrogen dioxide, released by fossil fuel use and industrial processes, lower the pH of rain. Plastics, pesticides, and fire-retardants wreck havoc on reproduction and neurological function. And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

In terms of carbon dioxide, amphibians have existed in times when the CO2 levels were many times the current levels. Amphibians first appeared in the Carboniferous period, when CO2 levels were approximately 800 parts per million. Salamanders (and mammals) appeared in the Jurassic period when CO2 levels soared at over 1900 parts per million. Current levels are around 380 parts per million. Scientific evidence for whether or not humans have a significant effect on CO2 levels compared to natural events such as volcanoes and wildfires is dubious. People seem to think that increased CO2 output from humans in addition to deforestation means that the levels will skyrocket. But an enormous portion of the CO2 converted to oxygen actually takes place in the oceans due to algae. It is actually this which created enough oxygen to support animal life. Humans have increased the amount of algae in the world because of their use of detergents and fertilizers, which continues to climb.

History shows that life either evolves to current conditions or goes extinct. It is my belief that if humans cause their own extinction by causing a spike in CO2 levels, then so be it (other species would be better of if that was the case). It sounds morbid, but humans are subject to the same laws as all other forms of life. I do hope that we do wise up though, simple because of the fact that we can. The only thing that can be done is alerting others to the dangers of our industrialized lifestyle, and supporting those trying to find alternatives (not necessarily those which suggest we all go back to an agrarian lifestyle).
 

Steve McLaren

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The truth is the world could be changing because of global warming. What would it hurt for people to drop their pride and try to save the world for later generations?
 

Blackbun

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The USA has taken on a new angle on the role of world leader in climate change. Coal is king don't you know?
 
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