Global Warming

buckeyefreak · February 19, 2007

But there are so many other possible reasons that are out of our hands. I really do not want to give up my way of life and pay more taxes, put power into evil hands based on a hunch. I do feel that decreasing pollution is GREAT! Clean up the Earth is excellent, but sacrificing my way of life for it is not something I feel should happen to anyone. Again, I say, look at Mars. Its icecaps are melting and we don't live there. CO2 can't keep heat in on that planet so something else is happening. However, CO2 can keep heat in here on Earth? The tilt of the earth is wobbling like a top. We just might be at a point where a little more sunlight is hitting the earth in certain places. Solar activity....all the huge storms the sun has sends heat through all those different waves and junk. I am not saying I am right and you are all wrong, I am saying that look at ALL facts not just the ones that support your opinion.

hoyetytoity · February 19, 2007

Ok, I am going to admit, I am no expert on Global Warming or Climate Change. However, I have been following it for quite a few years now, and have my own experience to back up that I think regardless of what you want to call it... there is something wrong with our planet, and it IS because of humankind. We are in serious need of changing our habits. We are destroying the planet and there is absolutely no way any of us can deny that fact. Most of us on this forum are probably also the most wasteful people on the planet. It's not nessessarily our fault, its our lifestyle, its what we've been conditioned to our entire lives. We were the lucky few to be born or live in a country such as America or Canada or the UK or Japan or wherever. And its a shame the way we live and how destructful it is, when there is so much excess here and not enough of anything elsewhere. but hell, I get it, why would we want to give up the luxuries we are acustomed to? It's hard to change, but we got to do it. We really really have to. People are so short sighted, we don't ever look at the long term. Yeah, we're going to be taxed, yah, its going to cost the government X amount of billions of dollars. Yah, there will be a bunch of people from certain industries that are going to lose their jobs. But you know what, those are all sacrifices that are nessessary if we are even going to have a planet for the future. And I don't just mean for our kids, I mean... US TOO. I bet most people who visit this site are are pretty young... Don't think in 60-70 years from now you aren't going to see a bunch of sh*t going wrong because we were too lazy to recycle or walk 5 minuets up the road instead of drive... If a bunch of people are going to lose their job, cool, maybe instead of complaining go and find another. Does everyone honestly think that a green movement wouldn't open up an incredible amount of new technologies and industries, which translates into more jobs?

Anyway, I'm on such rants today, and i think its cause of these wonderful meds I'm on... But for those of you who are arguing about theres no proof, and some people might experience some oceans rising and 1 degree in temperature doesn't make a difference. I would to share my own experience with an environment going to hell.... I am from British Columbia, Canada. For those of you who don't know, thats the west coast of Canada. The province is known for its natural beauty and dense forests. I have grown up here, and I love it... But something strange has occured in the past few years due to a little critter called the Mountain Pine Beetle. This beetle burrows into the bark of a tree where it does whatever beetles do, and sends our pheramones which attracts a whole swarm of other beetles, who make themselves at home, and litterally within a week will kill an entire tree and turn it red. Generally, they only attack trees 70 years +, and nature has always kept these guys in check by killing them off during cold winters. The thing is, the past 5-7 years or so winters have been so warm that they are not dieing off, and so their population has exploded. They now also attack trees of any age instead of the older trees. The result is devastating, within months the forests are completely dead. And instead of a nice pretty forest there are huge expanses of red, dead trees. Not exactly a sign of a healthy environment. I have litterally witnessed the forests die before my eyes. Which is such a shame, because they were once truely magnificent eco systems. Now we can all argue that humans have nothing to do with it, or that because of humans the climate is warmer, and therefore they beetles are going nuts. Either way, something is terribly wrong with our planet and as the only species with the ability to save it... something needs to be done.

I don't know how to post pictures, but if you would like to see what I am talking about, google the Mountain Pine Beetle, or follow these links for pictures of what these guys can do, in very short time:

http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/bc/yoho/images/dpp-mpb-yoho.jpg

http://www.pfc.forestry.ca/entomology/mpb/management/silviculture/images/valley_lrg.jpg

coolotter88 · February 19, 2007

ew gross, you guys should nuke those beetles with bug spray or something.

ilikehotdogsalot · February 19, 2007

i have a speech about global warming due next month, so this is an excellent thread, thank you guys for the good information!

Micah · February 19, 2007

Wow, check out this new article on MSN-Money!

Click

And I thought America produced horrible amounts of pollution! Obviously, it doesn't even nearly compare to China's pollution. This is just one part of the article:

Death by pollution

There are two factors that determine the speed of that process. First, how long will it take until China's environment is at a breaking point that will force an end to polluting for free? Second, how quickly will the global economy force the Chinese economy to change its ways?

The environmental figures out of China, even the official ones, are appalling. More than 400,000 of China's 1.3 billion people die from air-pollution-related illness each year, according to the Chinese Academy on Environmental Planning. About 300 million Chinese don't have access to clean drinking water, and 400 of the country's 668 largest cities are short of water. Acid rain falls over 30% of the country. Of the 20 most polluted cities on earth, according to the World Bank, 16 are in China.

The situation is getting worse fast. By 2020, 550,000 Chinese a year are likely to die from air-pollution-related illness. Human health costs from air pollution, according to the Chinese Academy for Environmental Planning, now at 2% to 3% of China's GDP, will reach 13% of GDP by 2020, if current trends continue.quote>

JanYpe · February 20, 2007

I do feel that decreasing pollution is GREAT! Clean up the Earth is excellent, but sacrificing my way of life for it is not something I feel should happen to anyone. quote>

SOMEONE SHOULD DO SOMETHING. Not me though. _{Got a bad back you see.}

Again, I say, look at Mars. Its icecaps are melting and we don't live there. CO2 can't keep heat in on that planet so something else is happening. However, CO2 can keep heat in here on Earth?quote>

Okeydokey. Looking at Mars. Hmm, 95% CO₂ you say? Surface pressure of only 0.8 kPa, versus 101.3 kPa on Earth? That's the perfect comparison!

The tilt of the earth is wobbling like a top. We just might be at a point where a little more sunlight is hitting the earth in certain places. Solar activity....all the huge storms the sun has sends heat through all those different waves and junk. I am not saying I am right and you are all wrong,quote>

Those are all very nice theories. However, Occam's razor says: We build factories, produce CO₂. Things start warming up. >>> We are warming things up.

I am saying that look at ALL facts not just the ones that support your opinion.quote>

Which means you could do with some reading up as well. Some good posts in here to start with.

daniel01 · February 21, 2007

Here is a story i found about Light Globes. that use less energy:

Canberra sees the light on energy-saving globes:

AUSTRALIA will become the first country in the world to phase out conventional light bulbs within three years and replace them with energy-saving globes that use only 20 per cent of the electricity to produce the same amount of light.

The Government predicts the measure could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 800,000 tonnes a year in 2008-12.

The world-first initiative comes as similar schemes are being considered worldwide.

In California, which leads the world in greenhouse emission reduction initiatives, a lawmaker last month announced he would introduce the "How Many Legislators Does it Take to Change a Light Bulb Act", which would ban the sale of incandescents in California by 2012.

Activists in Britain have also been lobbying Parliament to tax or ban incandescent bulbs, a proposal that has been controversial because it is seen by many as draconian and further evidence of a nanny state.

Mr Turnbull will say he will work with the states and major global light bulb manufacturers to replace traditional bulbs with energy efficient but more expensive alternatives such as compact fluorescent lamps.

Lighting represents about 12 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions from households in Australia and about 25 per cent of commercial sector emissions and emissions from public and street lighting.

Introduced in the 1980s, compact fluorescent lamps come as circular or linear tubes, or have a spiral shape. Most of the flickering and slow starting traditionally associated with fluorescents has been removed.

While they are more expensive to buy — one Phillips brand energy-saver globe costs $7.98 at Safeway, while a two-pack Phillips brand 60-watt clear globe costs $1.75 — they have a longer life and use less electricity.

Mr Turnbull will today say compact fluorescent lights will pay for themselves within a year, last up to 10 times longer than conventional bulbs and save more than 66 per cent in lighting costs. He will say the phase-out will make a big dent in household emissions and could also have major international benefits.

While fluorescent lights are seen as a crucial part of the fight against greenhouse gas emissions because they use about a quarter of the energy, they contain trace elements of mercury.

The announcement comes as the Government is under pressure from Labor for failing to act quickly enough on climate change, while ministers scrap over the extent humans are to blame for global warming.

Soucre: The Age

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/canberra-sees-light-on-globes/2007/02/19/1171733684691.html?s_cid=rss_age

daniel01

JDRCRASH · February 22, 2007

Listen everybody,

With China and India exploding, the U.N. are KIDDING themselves if they think that ONLY 3 feet of water will rise by the end of this century......try 20 FEET!!!(that is, when all of Greenland melts)

JanYpe · February 22, 2007

JDRCRASH:(that is, when all of Greenland melts)quote>

When all the ice on top of Greenland melts you mean. When Greenland itself melts, we might have more to worry about than a little rising water.

coolotter88 · February 22, 2007

Really, who says greenland will melt?

Easy Bakes · February 22, 2007

Originally posted by: daniel01 Here is a story i found about Light Globes. that use less energy: