Global Warming - Really a Scam?

[*jdm*]

I must say Off Topic has for once given me hope and joy. It is good to see a majority recognizing global warming as scientific fact, whether man-affected and/or natural. Scientific literacy is much higher here than at highschool.

that isn't an isolated even skir

[cstrauz]

I for one am surprised that pretty much everyone is in agreement that it is a natural occurrence (the heating and cooling of earth) but we are speeding up the process and how much we are also unsure due to nothing to compare too.

I for one have been skeptical of global warming to start with.

[Skirata]

I for one have been skeptical of global warming to start with.

Are you in disagreement?

[Alusair]

I'd be interested if anyone can bring forth compelling evidence that global warming is not a regular and natural occurrence in Earth's life cycle.

As for man-made global warming, I think I was once told a figure of something like modern day human activity being capable of raising Earth's global temperature 1 degree (I forget whether it was C or F, but probably C as I think it came from a British study) every 100 years, which doesn't sound entirely unreasonable to me.

If the above figure was true, then that would stand to suggest we are having an impact on Earth, just not a very extreme one.

I do think we are being irresponsible with Earth, even if ever so slightly. Besides aforementioned examples from previous members, huge garbage patches full of undegradable plastics floating through our oceans are an indication of us trashing up the planet, even if it's not an issue that much concerns us (though some people that eat fish that eat plastic from the garbage patches suffer from some some effects of poisoning or health issues or another that I can't remember, which sucks for them).

But, I would say even if we were screwing up Earth, the changes would make the delicate creatures of Earth (including mankind) suffer far before Earth itself suffered anything but entirely negligible effects it could heal from in a relatively (as far as Earth is concerned) short time.

All in all I doubt we could do anything to Earth to seriously harm it, except possibly mass nuclear detonations over the world, but I doubt even that would ruin Earth (but might take a few centuries or millenia to regenerate).

I think the bigger issues behind the entire global warming spectacle is:

1. Our heavy dependence on finite resources (coal, oil, yada yada).
2. Even the most minute changes to the Earth from our over-excessive indulgence having large effects on the Goldilocks life on it that needs everything *just* right to survive.

Or something along those lines.

[SickbyDefinition]

I agree with Raster/SbD^ and I have nothing more to add other than to say that article was posted on Oct 10,2010...

Me and Rasterbee made two completely opposite points.

[eric0095]

Me and Rasterbee made two completely opposite points.

I agreed with the better parts of each of your respective statements

[Reasoner]

I'll probably get back to this again when I'm not falling asleep on my keyboard. Global warming IS a natural cycle, how ever it has been documented and recorded (cant find the graphs again) that since the usual peak of the warming part, instead of decreasing like it's usual it continues, no drop like usual. In my opinion it is worst then previous encounters with the warming, but it isn't so severe that the media did/does make, I'm pretty sure they said we would be underwater right now. DONT disconcern the green crap though just because of this.... The sham is collecting money for it, but there is truth behind some of the info, I suggest some of it be heeded...

I agreed with the better parts of each of your respective statements

It is weird how you choose to agree with side two pretty opposite arguments

[Alusair]

I'm pretty sure they said we would be underwater right now

I think the only people who claim that are either grossly mis(or un)informed/gullible/melodramatic people (see end of the world conspirators), or anti-global warming theory trolls trying to undermine the global warming theory's credibility from the inside.

[eric0095]

It is weird how you choose to agree with side two pretty opposite arguments

A paradox

hmmm, this has given me a great idea for a sig...

[SickbyDefinition]

But SbD, we do not know for certain that humans are speeding up anything. Really, we just don't know.

I get where you're coming from. It's impossible to know exactly how fast the Earth would be heating up right now if we had never been here or changed the climate (or not...).
But, the fact that more carbon dioxide is being released into the air, because of us, is undeniable. The fact that this gas effects our atmosphere is undeniable. The fact that less oxygen is released due to humans felling countless trees yearly without planting enough to replace them is undeniable. The fact that chemical waste, from us, effects ecosystems everywhere, often killing particular creatures that also emit oxygen or carbon dioxide, is undeniable.

So, however minute or large our contribution to the global temperature increase is, it's still there.
At least, that's what I believe. My logic tells me there's absolutely no way we have no effect on the temperature rise (making it rise faster).