Global Warming?
Submitted by Dan on Tue, 03/14/2006 - 6:02pm.
here's an interesting article reviewing a new theory on why the average temperature at the earth's crust is rising.
it argues it is not caused by humans' increased emission of CO2 and other greenhouse gases.
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global warminbg
That's an interesting theory. I can't really comment on it since it needs to be tested against other theories. My own thoughts on gw follows:
I believe that earth/man is going through a predestined carbon use/global warming phase. Predestined in that man uses those natural resources that are readily available to him. The early amerinds hunted the large mammals to extinction, the early hawaiaans hunted 6 species of flightless geese to extinction, the eruropeans have virtually no natural forests left, and the chinese are damming one of the most beautiful gorges even as we write. Europeans talk a good talk about controling gh gasses but have started to go beyond there inmposed limits. We of course haven't entered the hyprocracy. And anyone who expects the developing world, India, China, the middle east , south America to control their emissions over the next 50 years is whistling past a gy. So the use of these carbon sources is inevetible, but it is limited. As the easy carbon sources become exhausted the price rises. Eventually science has/will find other sources of energy some renewable and some not. Energy use also becomes more efficient.
As people especialy women become more educated the birth rate falls so I don't expect that we will cover the earth with humans.
But we will pay the price, as has society has before us on other issues. The earth will become warmer for a century or more, ocean levels will certainly rise, human catastrophies will certainly happen. Whether we will pay a small or large price I can't say. At least we haven't yet blown ourselves up withe nuclear weapons. Many progressivies say that we are only one of many species and that is certainly true. The given is that the earth will survive afterall it's been much warmer in the past. We on the other hand might have a bit of a struggle.
I just don't think that smoothing an edge here or there is going to help. Some politicians preach against carbon use but then fly to switzerland in private jets burning carbon that hundreds of SUV's wouldn't burn, or go to saudi arabia and speak to the shieks. Why don't they do it electronically? If these guys who make a living over crying chicken little about warming are making a mint off it why should we switch to smaller cars. It's going to happen, whether it happens 10 or 20 years earlier doesn't make a bit of difference.
inevitability
I agree that we are going through a predestined carbon use/global warming phase. Independent of the causes of global warming, it will continue to occur over the near future probably for a century or two. My posting of the article was not to imply that I thought this new theory was baloney, but rather actually the opposite, I fully will believe this theory and that water vapor is more important than CO2, provided the experts of the field evaluate the evidence/data and concur that the hypothesis is valid.
It is probable that human's increasing their emissions of carbon is not causing much of the warming. even if we could prove that one thing or another, human or "natural" (i believe that in the idea that you were articulating that humans' use of carbon is predestined/unstoppable might coincide with the belief that human action/evolution/progression is also natural) was causing global warming there, like you said, would be little we could do.
i agree it would be quite impossible to stop the already developed countries from stopping their consumption of carbon sources let alone keep developing countries like India from becoming large users of them.
yes, science must work towards discovering other energy sources.
essentially all i guess i wanted to say was that i agree and didn't mean to imply that I think we as a country, species are ignoring the problem. whether or not it is our fault, there isn't much we can do about it until certain factors allow/force us to look to other energy sources.
thanks for your thoughts Uncle Norb
back to working on finals! woo!
I only have a few minutes
I only have a few minutes left at this café but i figured i should respond because this is my major, even though i havent read the article.
Do you really believe that misuse of resources is predestined? Is it some form of the original sin then? Why because those before us have overused their resources must we. Back then, there were a lot less people, and each time we degraded the environment, humans were able to adapt, but its not like that was GOOD for them or something.
Yeah, there are hypocrites out there. Those who claim to care about energy and who are consuming a great deal, but going along with that...using that as an excuse for ones own overconsumption is pretty weak, I think. Its given into the Rat Race instead of actually trying to ameliorate the situation. And those who support consumption and combustion of fossil fuels generally dont support energy innovation. Ai gotta run, time,s out.
Think locally, act locally
we could all use a dose of reading up on the concept of stewardship. Simply because we can use things doesn't mean we should. However, as always, we must remove the logs from our own eyes before we start removing the splinters from our neighbor's eyes. I have been reading a book about leading a more conscious lifestyle and find that there is so much I need to improve upon--conserving is a very consciousness raising activity. So, I will start with myself and see if that little bit will help. Let's see--I think I will start by not driving to the gym tonight. That shoudl make the world a better place.
personally
since I started with a personal comment I'll end with one. I did say it
was inevitable and predestined not that it was right. What we do on a personal basis to use less is fine, and comendable. I believe in conservation. But I also say and believe that the use of these carbon fuels is inevitable until more efficient or less harmful types are found.
Also on a personal basis, we're off to Hawaii tomorrow at 6am, by jet, and we will rent a SUV to get to back woods hiking areas, but we will be walking instead of using all terrain vehicles. We all need to find our comfort site.
Blog you all when we get back
Have fun!
We'll miss you. Stay in the mountains and away from those "reverse tides"(?)!
all reasonable
everyone's comments so far have sounded reasonable.
obviously we will do what we can to curb our consumption of oil and fossil fuels on personal and political levels.
you all who know me, know im not about to go and buy a Hummer -- theyre ugly too! and im always trying to conserve. like in our dorm we're supposed to pledge that we're trying to cut down on using electricity, etc.
someday soon i hope scientists will come up with new practical and efficient ways to get energy. i actually like where Bush is trying to take us a renewed interest with nuclear energy.
and somewhere i saw an article that somewhere in California theyre using special species of bacteria to get methanol or ethanol from garbage waste.
bacteria are everywhere and the study of them has been incredibly crucial to the advances in biology over the past century and a half starting with Pasteur. genetic engineering of plants is based upon the use of bacteria that insert DNA into plants.
my final on the little creatures is tomorrow so excuse me for my tangent on bacteria.
maybe they will lead us somewhere new in a field other than biology such as this energy issue.
in the meantime good luck conserving
and by good luck i meant i
and by good luck i meant i encourage it. i wasnt being sarcastic. for some reason right after i posted that i thought that it might have sounded sarcastic.
haha, no worries.
please don't worry about offending the strident environmental major. i enjoy all opinions and just feel the need to specifically contribute when i feel im passionate with something particulalrly.
i hope school's going well for you!
we should make Jeff post some about his final project. they're creating a biodiesal engine which is really great and totally on line with what we're all discussing.
Come on Jeff--spill the beans
Just because you're on vacation doens't give you an excuse for not filling us in on your cutting edge project. Inquiring minds want to know.
Yeah Jeff, chip in here
We want to hear about your project.