Global Warming | Fact or Fiction?

[Father Heathen]

The only reason the right staunchly denies global warming is because they're in the pockets of the industries who are the biggest polluters, and being forced to reduce their polluting would mean extra expenses, so they manage to convince their clueless, backwoods bumpkin voter base (who already anti-science to begin with; see creationism) that's its a myth or some convoluted, nonsensical conspiracy.

 

[Reverend Rick]

Are you saying that there is no Global Warming at all? I think rising sea levels is grossly exaggerated but sea levels do change. I doubt the arctic melting would raise them much but Antarctica, that could cause some flooding. Of course it would also give us some real estate.

The planet is not getting warmer. Why do you think so many alarmists are walking this back and calling this "climate change" now?

Global-Warming Myth | Patrick J. Michaels | Cato Institute: Commentary

 

[Alceste]

Based on how you answered the poll, what do you think we should do about Global Warming?

I think policy makers should keep trying to do something about carbon emissions, but the rest of us should realize that their efforts are far too little and far too late to avoid catastrophic climate change, and the most significant impact on the world's peasants (us) will be food and water shortage. Here's what we've done:

• Learned as much as we can about the problem and the most likely consequences
• Moved from the UK to a fairly unpopulated part of the West Coast of Canada
• Started growing vegetables, fishing, learning about wild food
• Taken up canning, drying and other food preservation techniques
• Diversified our respective skill sets and begun to think about 'work' differently
• Started putting together a survival kit (tools, water purification, tent, etc) in case of natural disasters (earthquakes are likely).
• Got bikes.
• Learned how to build a house out of clay, sand, straw and horse poop.

My grand plan is to get 10 or 20 acres with a 2-4 other couples / families - each house would have a totally private, autonomous acre or so, then the rest would be collectively owned and maintained orchards, chickens, rabbits, etc. The whole works would be off-grid with a low carbon footprint, ideally. I've picked a community where many people have already been living that way for decades. All this is a few years away though, probably.

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

The planet is not getting warmer. Why do you think so many alarmists are walking this back and calling this "climate change" now?

Global-Warming Myth | Patrick J. Michaels | Cato Institute: Commentary

I have always prefered the term climate change even though it is meaningless. The climate is in a constant state of change. Global Warming is descriptive of the current phase of climate change and it's pretty hard to discount the fact that the climate is getting warmer. Now I don't believe we have as much impact as many people do, I think its minimul in fact. But as a part of the environment we certian impact it.

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

My grand plan is to get 10 or 20 acres with a 2-4 other couples / families - each house would have a totally private, autonomous acre or so, then the rest would be collectively owned and maintained orchards, chickens, rabbits, etc. The whole works would be off-grid with a low carbon footprint, ideally. I've picked a community where many people have already been living that way for decades. All this is a few years away though, probably.

Check out Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage

 

[Father Heathen]

The planet is not getting warmer. Why do you think so many alarmists are walking this back and calling this "climate change" now?

Global-Warming Myth | Patrick J. Michaels | Cato Institute: Commentary

NASA - What's in a Name? Global Warming vs. Climate Change

The reason conservatives, particularly religious conservatives, are so resistant to research and education is because, deep down, they know it would be the undoing of everything they believe in.

 

[Reverend Rick]

NASA - What's in a Name? Global Warming vs. Climate Change

The reason conservatives, particularly religious conservatives, are so resistant to research and education is because, deep down, they know it would be the undoing of everything they believe in.

We could just stick to the facts.

Is the earth getting warmer, or cooler? ? The Register

 

[Alceste]

Check out Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage

Cool. This one is closer...
OUR Ecovillage is a permaculture based, sustainable community offering organic gardening, local food, natural and green building internships, courses and events.

I'm not as committed to collectivism as these types of organisations are - I still want my own space where I don't have to negotiate anything with anyone, but there are obvious advantages to sharing responsibility for an orchard, woodland and livestock. Being able to take holidays, for one. Having lots of people handy for picking and canning for another. I should pay a visit though, maybe learn a few things.

 

[Alceste]

We could just stick to the facts.

Is the earth getting warmer, or cooler? ? The Register

This is BS. "Steven Goddard" is not even a real person, let alone a scientist. Where do you get this stuff?

 

[Father Heathen]

This is BS. "Steven Goddard" is not even a real person, let alone a scientist. Where do you get this stuff?

I mean really, why/how would the international community of scientists all collaborate and make **** up for no reason? It's convoluted conspiracy theory nonsense.

 

[Alceste]

I mean really, why/how would the international community of scientists all collaborate and make **** up for no reason? It's convoluted conspiracy theory nonsense.

It is pretty silly.

 

[Reverend Rick]

It is pretty silly.

What is silly is believing you have the power to do anything about the earth's temperature.

What is even sillier is the fact that even if you had control of the earth's thermostat, man is not smart enough to know where to set it at.

 

[Alceste]

What is silly is believing you have the power to do anything about the earth's temperature.

What is even sillier is the fact that even if you had control of the earth's thermostat, man is not smart enough to know where to set it at.

Yes Rick, science is silly. Keep telling yourself that.

 

[CaptainXeroid]

We can't really state conclusively whether the climate is changing or not until more time passes and we look back at the history. We do know that the earth has been warmer and cooler than it is today and that these swings occurred long before mankind's actions could have contributed significantly as charted below.

We also can't state conclusively that mankind has nothing to do with global warming. The people who study global temperature tell than it is indeed rising. The oceans are warming and rising as water traps heat quite effectively and then expands as it warms. What I think would be interesting would be to find some of the early predictions of what the world temp would be back when scientists first sounded the climate change alarm and see how close their projections were.

Anyone watch the news lately and watch the weather forecast? Almost every one I've seen lists the temperature in town and several degrees lower in the suburbs or country. Particularly on sunny days, the paved surfaces and building absorb and radiate warmth in what meteorologists call 'heat islands'.

No matter what percentage of global warming is due to man vs. nature, think it would behoove us to reduce pollution of all kinds. If not, maybe we can look forward to an ice free earth as depicted below.

 

[Father Heathen]

What is silly is believing you have the power to do anything about the earth's temperature.

No, what is really silly is believing that reality is limited to your understanding of it.

 

[Alceste]

There is one other thing I have done that I forgot to mention. I don't debate the scientific basis for climate change with Americans any more. I prefer to discuss what course of action ordinary people can take to minimize the impact on themselves and their families. Arguing with science deniers is a huge waste of resources.

 

[Reverend Rick]

No, what is really silly is believing that reality is limited to your understanding of it.

What is reality? Even if man made global warming was real, who is going to stop China and India from polluting?

You can lower your thermostat and go vegan while driving your Prius if you like, but that does not change anything.

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

The Rev comes up with a good point. How do we influence developing nations to conserve? Is the issue important enough to consider force? Will we be forced into Eco-Wars to save the planet?

 

[Alceste]

What is reality? Even if man made global warming was real, who is going to stop China and India from polluting?

You can lower your thermostat and go vegan while driving your Prius if you like, but that does not change anything.

"The problem is too big to fix, so it's better to pretend there is no problem."

The trouble with this attitude is that it will leave families hanging when the supermarket shelves are empty. Best to acknowledge there is a huge problem and start working out how we can survive in a hotter world, and what type of trade can withstand a sustained economic contraction.

 

[Alceste]

The Rev comes up with a good point. How do we influence developing nations to conserve? Is the issue important enough to consider force? Will we be forced into Eco-Wars to save the planet?

Lead by example. Refusing to change unless China changes first is childish.