Global Warming

[simcitystar1167 0]

Global Warming. 

Since the beginning of time, man has been slowly destroying the Earth. No neccessary on purpose or for fun, but through our yearn for industrailization and developemental urges, humans are causing our Earth to deteriorate.

Here we can discuss the history behind it all, share opionons, attempt to seporate fact from fiction, and prohecize what our future may become.

We have known about global warming since 1897, and the theory that the greenhouse effect might occur was not popular for 90 years after. So why are government officials completely ignoring it. 

Fighting global warming has been post-poned for too long. This is one major issue that you know will cause people to say in the future, "If only we prepared sooner, none of this could have ever happened." If we as a planet don't take action, the results could be disasterious.

[Topic Summary Edited] Marc

[Sim shady 12]

I completely agree with you. we need to do stuff NOW! Many governments don't seem willing to tackle the issue, but it needs to happen. I feel as though in years to come, our descendants well deeply regret our short-sightedness, we are ruining this world for them

[Bach2Baroque 168]

Governments only worry about thier economy, they don't care whats happening to the earth's enviroment. They leave all that to scientists, enviromentalists, etc.

All we can do now is try to be 'green' =\

[simcitystar1167 0]

Exactly, I am so glad others view it the same way as me. I really think the people should mass together to get the point out, hold rallys, stuff like that. We need to get government attention. I'm not usual so radical, but we truly need to do something! It's like a count-down until the world crumbling, yet no one is making an attempt to stop it.

I should try to start something where they are yard sign that say FIGHT GLOBAL WARMING: TIME IS RUNNING OUT and people could buy them and stick them around, and the money would go to some fund that would help support research to figure out ways to begin to tackle global warming. But I doubt that would even help much, but at least you know you tried (What do you think of that idea?).

And after all, who knows what could happen because of one, two, or three people trying to make change?

This is one of those cartoons that at first is funny, then you find a deeper meaning to, and is terribly sad how truthful the idea is that it represents: http://www.fragilecologies.com/img/global-warming.jpg

[choco1 4]

In relation to this issue, one of the most important films of our time has come out.  And yes, it may be by a politician, but it is probably one of the most powerful films I have ever seen.  We need to act now, all of us.  I personally just bought Green Energy.  It is more than just a political issue, but a world wide life or death issue.

An Inconvenient Truth

It holds so many answers, and I found it so powerful.

Just for the record I think we should watch this thread and make sure it doesn't turn into a full blown political debate, because I know some people can feel very strongly about this issue.

Cheers, choco.

[simcitystar1167 0]

Wow, just the picture of the smokestacks spewing a hurricane is powerful, I'll have to watch it.

I agree with politics. We are not only looking at this issue from a political stand-point, but aslo from a humanitarian view.

[budweiserdude23 80]

Oh one could go on and on about this one. The simple fact is the Earth has been here for 4.5 billion years and survived apocalyptic events beyond the human understanding. People are so self-serving and worried about themselves and the only reason they worry about the Earth is because they inhabit it. Another special interest...

The way I look at it, heck I'd like the enviroment to be pristine but life's not perfect. You need to break some eggs to make it work. Pollution will always be a necessary evil of modern day life and one could argue it needs to be/can be eliminated so if it that was the case then why hasn't it been yet?

Naive arguements to how to change the lifestyle of others will never work. Ask the 1.1 billion Chinese to sacrifice their burgeoning enonomy which has a strong basis of more polluting industry per capita than any other country in the world.

I'm not trying to get up on a soapbox here, I'm just stating the reality of the situation. It's not to say we can't help as much as possible but I steadfastly refuse to give up what I enjoy in life (and many others agree whether or not they'll admit it) because another person/group (not directed at anyone here) is on a crusade of sorts.

[simcitystar1167 0]

I'm so sick of people pretending there is nothing wrong. The hard truth is, sooner or later, I bet sooner, the world is going to be overcome by pollution. Deades of neglecting to try to fix the problem are going to be paid for in the ultimate price.

Of course we are worried about what will happen to Earth because will live on it. ~Don't talk about each other, talk about your own opinion~

The Earth was given to us as a gift. A gift we must cherish and protect, because one day, we will find out that our home can not prepetually survive the strain and illness we put upon her, if we don't react.

I'm usualy not that steamed of a person, but this is one issue I am fired up about.

[choco1 4]

Originally posted by: budweiserdude23 Oh one could go on and on about this one. The simple fact is the Earth has been here for 4.5 billion years and survived apocalyptic events beyond the human understanding. People are so self-serving and worried about themselves and the only reason they worry about the Earth is because they inhabit it. Another special interest...

The way I look at it, heck I'd like the enviroment to be pristine but life's not perfect. You need to break some eggs to make it work. Pollution will always be a necessary evil of modern day life and one could argue it needs to be/can be eliminated so if it that was the case then why hasn't it been yet?

Naive arguements to how to change the lifestyle of others will never work. Ask the 1.1 billion Chinese to sacrifice their burgeoning enonomy which has a strong basis of more polluting industry per capita than any other country in the world.quote>

Well, that is definately one way to look at it.  And that is how we have looked at it for so long, but that isn't okay anymore.  Because as we will start to see over the next century is that this problem will no longer be in 'preserving a nice environment' which doesn't seem to bother you too much, but it will start affecting OUR lives.

The world is getting hotter, and if we don't stop it I believe it will continue.  What happens when there are more natural disasters like the record number we have seen this year, or when the water starts rising.  It is all well to say that you think the environment is a nessisary casualty of an industrialised world.  But it isn't about that anymore, its about the future of our race, because if we keep destroying the atmosphere then it will be your grandchildren whos lives will be affected.  You explain to them why you didn't act when we all knew.

[+Guest]

I get a kick out of this save the planet stuff but it's all talk.Somebody needs to get the ball rolling instead of talking us to death and it ain't going to be the United States.

       The United States solution to Global Warming is to go drill for more oil.Mother earth will soon take care of the problem so relax and go take a spin in your SUV.

[simcitystar1167 0]

The question is how to get the ball rolling? It's not easy to save the world. And talking at least addresses the issue and could give people inspiration and hope for ways to get the ball rolling.

Maybe one way to get the ball rolling is to take action, not just sit around, waiting for problems to work themselves out. The world doesn't work that way.

Isn't it a bit ironic that we are addressing issues of the environment on a fansite of a game that's primary goal is to build cities and metropolises?

[+Guest]

All the human race has done is talk and talk.The writting has been on the wall for a long time and the solution has been bigger cars and another oil rig.

      We elect people to look out for us but all there interest is on Iraq,Iran and the rest of world.The government thinks nothing of spending our tax dollar in some third world country but when it comes to our backyard it becomes a problem.

       Take a look a the Gulf Coast after Katrina and you will see what I'm talking about.

[budweiserdude23 80]

 I guess my point was you must see why pollution is there, please do away with it if you have the solution, but going radically in reverse in not the solution.

I'm pretty set in my ways and opinions so I'll abstain from further remarks that may offend anyone. This is one of those "ideals" that can get highly charged. ~Edited~

[Micah 16]

My views on global warming:

I believe in global warming. Especially after Katrina. However, I believe there are two causes of global warming.

The first cause: Humans. Humans have added so much CHCs and have added so much pollution in the last century. The Soviets have totally destoryed lands, caused lakes such as the Aral Sea (which is now several small lakes) to completely dry up, and have even created an area in Poland called the "Black Triangle" (Probably not the right name) which caused the land to become black because of all the polution the Soviet Union was dumping into Poland. Today, the USA, Japan, and European countries (Australia too) are the world leaders when it comes to the cutting of pollution. But that progress doesn't matter. It's the developing countries that don't care about how much pollution effects the environment and they are a major cause of the pollution because they use coal (a heavy pollutant) and nuclear power immaturely. Countries like China aren't making any regulations or any safety laws that protect the environment. Developing countries (which I have to admit, China really isn't a developing country anymore.) are creating pollution like crazy inorder to become industralized.

Second cause: Nature. I believe that nature has cycles. Every 40 years (proven by AccuWeather.com), these bad hurricanes come through and cause massive devastation with a few rare severe storms in the middle of a quiet hurricane season (In between the 40 years). Nature has always been going through cycles since the day the Earth has been here. When it comes to temperature, hurricanes, and other weather related events, our history only goes back to the late 1800s when we started recording them (with a few exceptions of destorious storms hitting India in China in the 1700s). So, comparing our temperatures of today to back in the early 1900s, have you noticed that when we break a record, the weatherman says "Hello folks, we have just broken a record set in 1942" (As an example). So, if that is true, these temperatures have been set before. In 2005, we broke many records when it came to temperature and hurricanes. But, in 2006, the temperatures have actually been quite moderate (on land and in oceans) and we haven't had any terrible hurricanes like 2004 and 2005. So, since there hasn't been any drastic cut in pollution in one year, can we then say that it is nature's cycle and not humans? No, let's give nature one more decade to see if this bad weather is over and see what the verdict is. However, I can see many of you saying that we have had decades to look at this data and it proves global warming exist. Yes, I agree, however, if this decade proves to be a better decade for cooler temperatures and less intense hurricanes, I think we should start looking at global warming in cycles instead of a plot in a story where the basic situation is at the bottom and the climax is at the top.

When it comes to religion, I see no reason why any religions would not believe in global warming. Global Warming isn't even causing any conflicts against any religion. So why not believe in global warming?

[choco1 4]

Originally posted by: budweiserdude23  I guess my point was you must see why pollution is there, please do away with it if you have the solution, but going radically in reverse in not the solution.

I'm pretty set in my ways and opinions so I'll abstain from further remarks that may offend anyone. This is one of those "ideals" that can get highly charged. ~Edited~ quote>

You're right.  I respect your differing opinion.  I guess I just believe that we don't need to go backwards in order to sovle this, and I in fact see it as a step forward.

Anyway, thankyou for being very mature about it. 

~Although Choco said nothing about anyone else, as of this point let's not talk about each other. Talk about only the subject.~

[s.i.X 13]

Over the past 10,000 years the level of the great lakes has dropped by no less than 200 metres.

Why does it have to stop now? Because it will inconvenience us? What happened to human beings evolving? Earth gets hotter, humans evolve to tolerate it. Easy as that.

[wagusmaximus 0]

~Edited~

All right, fair enough.  However, enviromental scientists are going to say the same thing, the are all eco nazis, just like the worthless Al gore.  Try asking REAL scientists not in the eco nazi comunity.  I garuntee you will get a different answear. 

I don't understand al gore(lower case), If he's out to change the world agenda about polution, why didn't he and Billy bob do it in the 90's?  In fact the only thing he did in office was misspell words, just like me.

[budweiserdude23 80]

Steps forward, that being proactive, would be nice. There's nothing wrong with living in a cleaner enviroment.

And no one can argue about preventive maintenance. Being completely ignorant to the situation is a part of the problem, I think we all can agree on that.

On a personal note, although it doesn't sound like much, I recycle, but on a large scale. I've returned tons (literally) of scrap aluminum, steel, cast iron, and aluminum. I return it due to a three headed monster...

1. I work in HVAC and as such I tear out alot of equipment that has includes these materials.

2. I hate to see it in a dumpster when it's viable.

3. You get paid to scrap it.

That being said chocolatemax, we're on the same page more or less. I'm probably just not as proactive as one could be. But the way you responded was righteous...you have my respect and a thank you!

[budweiserdude23 80]

Editted by myself...no longer relevant.

[Jasoncw 11,839]

The damage done to the planet by pollution is faster than evolution.  Ontop of that, humans don't evolve the same way as other animals do.  If the earth's temperature drops quickly, we won't grow fur and get stocky, we'll put on jackets and turn on our furnaces, and there won't be much evolution.

And if something happened to the planet that would kill most of us off, the people who would live aren't the physically strong people, they'd be the wealthy people who have the smarts to get the resources to keep themselves around and reproducing.  So that wouldn't change us physically either.

But anyway, my point is that evolution isn't going to save us from the environment, and that sooner or later we're going to have to face it, and the sooner it is the easier it'll be.

But the pollution isn't really killing earth, it's just changing it.  After all the humans are dead, new types of life will pop up that can live in the environment, and things will go on as if nothing ever happened.

wagusmaximus, it's the REAL scientists who have been going on about globabl warming for a while now.  It's the ones with agendas  that have been fighting it.  What does someone have to gain by going on about global warming?

[budweiserdude23 80]

Jason, I'm not so sure evolution may not be stepping backwards. How do you explain all those guys who look like a little less furry version of Chewbacca?

[Jasoncw 11,839]

Originally posted by: budweiserdude23 Jason, I'm not so sure evolution may not step backwards. How do you explain all those guys who look like a little less furry version of Chewbacca?quote>

heheh, I guess hairy people like to have lots and lots of sex with other hairy people, lol.

But really, if being hairy isn't enough to kill someone off, and if it doesn't prevent them from reproducing, it won't affect anything.

[budweiserdude23 80]

Originally posted by: Jasoncw

heheh, I guess hairy people like to have lots and lots of sex with other hairy people, lol.

But really, if being hairy isn't enough to kill someone off, and if it doesn't prevent them from reproducing, it won't affect anything.quote>

That's probably why so many places are offer waxing nowadays and a reason I keep seeing advertisements for razors with 17 blades during football games. Maybe Bigfoot is living amongst us as the shaven man-beast.

Man, are we off topic...but it's fun nonetheless.

[Easy Bakes 253]

naturally shifting ocean currents shifting,naturally shifting ocean tempuratures, naturally reversing magnetic fields, higher surface and Undersea volcanic activity, sunspots, naturaly shifting weather patterns, naturaly or unnaturaly shifting levels of CO2 methane and other gases. or any and all combination of these things can Possibly be whats causeing the general warming trend.

The fact that we have only about 100 years of "accurate" information on how weather and climate works is a drop in the bucket to how long it may take for weather patterns to change. Al Gores totaly one sided view will not help people to understand that the cliamte will change with or with out man's help.

The buring of oil and gas does probaly contribute( personaly i think that it only realy effects local polution in areas with large #s of cars)

but then again if we continue burning at this rate we will be out rather soon and then we will see if its a factor at all.

If it hadent been for the Chernobyl disaster we would probably be building new nucular plants again instead of more coal buring plants.

[confused04 14]

Originally posted by: Micah My views on global warming:

I believe in global warming. Especially after Katrina. However, I believe there are two causes of global warming.

The first cause: Humans. Humans have added so much CHCs and have added so much pollution in the last century. The Soviets have totally destoryed lands, caused lakes such as the Aral Sea (which is now several small lakes) to completely dry up, and have even created an area in Poland called the "Black Triangle" (Probably not the right name) which caused the land to become black because of all the polution the Soviet Union was dumping into Poland. Today, the USA, Japan, and European countries (Australia too) are the world leaders when it comes to the cutting of pollution. But that progress doesn't matter. It's the developing countries that don't care about how much pollution effects the environment and they are a major cause of the pollution because they use coal (a heavy pollutant) and nuclear power immaturely. Countries like China aren't making any regulations or any safety laws that protect the environment. Developing countries (which I have to admit, China really isn't a developing country anymore.) are creating pollution like crazy inorder to become industralized.

Second cause: Nature. I believe that nature has cycles. Every 40 years (proven by AccuWeather.com), these bad hurricanes come through and cause massive devastation with a few rare severe storms in the middle of a quiet hurricane season (In between the 40 years). Nature has always been going through cycles since the day the Earth has been here. When it comes to temperature, hurricanes, and other weather related events, our history only goes back to the late 1800s when we started recording them (with a few exceptions of destorious storms hitting India in China in the 1700s). So, comparing our temperatures of today to back in the early 1900s, have you noticed that when we break a record, the weatherman says "Hello folks, we have just broken a record set in 1942" (As an example). So, if that is true, these temperatures have been set before. In 2005, we broke many records when it came to temperature and hurricanes. But, in 2006, the temperatures have actually been quite moderate (on land and in oceans) and we haven't had any terrible hurricanes like 2004 and 2005. So, since there hasn't been any drastic cut in pollution in one year, can we then say that it is nature's cycle and not humans? No, let's give nature one more decade to see if this bad weather is over and see what the verdict is. However, I can see many of you saying that we have had decades to look at this data and it proves global warming exist. Yes, I agree, however, if this decade proves to be a better decade for cooler temperatures and less intense hurricanes, I think we should start looking at global warming in cycles instead of a plot in a story where the basic situation is at the bottom and the climax is at the top.

When it comes to religion, I see no reason why any religions would not believe in global warming. Global Warming isn't even causing any conflicts against any religion. So why not believe in global warming?quote>

Although we do not indeed have accurate records of temperatures before the 19th century (or 20th for most places), we do have ice cores that give us the world climatic record over the past several hundred thousand years.  As snow falls on our ice caps, air trapped in between each flake becames a capsule once the snow compresses to form ice.  Looking at the ratio of Oxygen isotopes, we can see what the average global temperature was as well as the C02 concentration.  The level of warming seen just in the past 150 years makes the Medieval warm period look like a hiccup and look at the RATE at which we've hit these record temperatures is alarming.  Our CO2 concentration is increasing at a rate that is not natural by any means and in fact, since the beginning of Earth, CO2 has been decreasing constantly (Life and Death of Planet Earth). Normally, CO2 slowling decreases in concentration as it is locked away in carbon silicates of the crust as well as oil/natural gas.  But now that we've harvested these materials, what should be a lower concentration has been reversed so as to increase concentration of CO2 and subsequently the temperature. 

[budweiserdude23 80]

You know what's ignorant, 99.9% of the life that has ever existed on the Earth is no longer present. How many Fords created that circumstance?

And scientists can only speculate, were they here thousands of years ago?

Best quote I ever heard from a professor when I was going to school..."Science is not an exact science."

[statusquo80 4]

Originally posted by: wagusmaximus ~Edited~

All right, fair enough.  However, enviromental scientists are going to say the same thing, the are all eco nazis, just like the worthless Al gore.  Try asking REAL scientists not in the eco nazi comunity.  I garuntee you will get a different answear. 

I don't understand al gore(lower case), If he's out to change the world agenda about polution, why didn't he and Billy bob do it in the 90's?  In fact the only thing he did in office was misspell words, just like me.quote>

Why do you have to insult Al Gore?  From what I can tell he is one of the few politicians who actually understand environmental issues.  Also I find the term Eco-Nazi offensive.  Environmentalists are trying to save the human race.  That’s a pretty noble cause if you ask me.  I believe Jasoncw has the best opinion here.  We can never fully destroy the earth, we can just change it enough so that we cannot live here anymore.

On another note, its pretty sad to see the mass editing being done on this particular thread.  I think the mods went a little overboard this time.  I hope I don’t get edited now, lol.

[Mikeaut1 261]

Regardless of what editing goes on here, it's important to stay on topic. If the topic switches from "Global Warming" to "Politcs and Bashing Each Other", then this thread can't be successful. This is not a warning for specific posts, but for the thread in general. If you want this thread to stay, I'd suggest the off topic button be switched to on-topic.

[confused04 14]

Why is it that scientists are ignorant? Of all people, I find them the least ignorant about the subject. If the world didn't revolve around oil (particularly certain countries), anthropogenic global warming would be taken more seriously. Why are people hostile to proof that doesn't support them. You ask where were scientists... where were the people who don't believe in human caused global warming? Why are they suddenly right? because they support the status quo of "everything's not our fault"?!! Absurd if you ask me. Theres plenty of indirect evidence and the number of variables that were discussed earlier have shown NOT to have changed significantly in the past few thousand years (including right now) and in fact, if nature were to have followed the general trend that existed before human history, the next ice age would soon be on its way (by global cooling, not the whole "Day After Tomorrow" thing).

[budweiserdude23 80]

So I'm sure you're going to tell me the next thing to worry about is hostile aliens in spaceships that have impenetrable shields unless Bill Pullman is the president and Jeff Goldblum is the leading scientist toiling away at a communications network? I'm just curious what enviromental scientist the people of Earth have spoken with that  has such knowledgeable access to the information of which he/she reaped of the next supposed coming Ice Age to that allows such a statement?

Hell, I'm surprised if the weatherman can predict 24 hours in advance and that's a stretch at times.

I never said scientists were ignorant, I said they can only speculate. Big difference. Perhaps that's why there was a space in between statements?

In ignorance, I will cite the human psyche.