Global Warming

[Totorosama]

Has anyone noticed? The weather's all funky and all the seasons are all late, early, too warm, too cold, etc. Any theories as to why the global warming is happening? Human or natural. Personally, I think that humans are going to end up destroying the world at this rate.

[Spiff]

We're coming out of an ice age, and now the sun is heating up. Gosh, I don't know what else to say...well sweet and short. :)

[ShadowHeart]

I think it's natural. My friend read this book about these things a while ago, and according to him it said that the human-caused global warming was only a mere 1% or 2% (can be wrong on the exact number, I just remember it being really low) of the natural global warming of the world. And no, my friend does not have a habit of lying :p

[Totorosama]

However, the humans are also ruining many forests, which provide shade, soak up carbon dioxide, provide oxygen, and other benefits. Then there's the gas emissions, pollution of the water, earth, etc. Then there's poaching...dabadabadaba. I guess what I'm saying is that humans are just killing everything off.

[Arkacia]

We're coming out of an ice age, and now the sun is heating up. Gosh, I don't know what else to say...well sweet and short. :)

Thats weird. I read the opposite. That we've been out of the last ice age for many thousands of years and aren't that far away from the next one. Some scientists have speculated that we're overdue for it and its only thanks to humans suffing up the atmosphere that this planet is heating up and not cooling down.

I do believe global warming exists and that humans are at least partly to blame for it. No-one will ever convince me that the hole in the ozone layer is natural and not caused by CFC (and its chemical cousins) emissions. If we can cause something like that, then its quite probably that the huge modern human population and its polluting industries do have a very real effect on the environment, whether we want to admit that to ourselves or not :).

Shadowheart, I do believe your friend wouldn't lie, but the author of the book he read may be. You never know ;).

[Totorosama]

Thank you. Finally someone more on my side. I think that after a while, the billions (is it up to a trillion now?) of humans that have passed through the earth will have made a huge effect on the environment. Problem is, how do we prevent ourselves from being destroyed. And even if we do make it for a few more billion years, black holes will suck up everything and we'll all be annhilated anyways. But that's a long-term problem, not to mention irrelevant to this thread.

[Spiff]

Here's something I think may be an asset to this thread:

Gloabl Warming or Global Cooling (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1034077.cms)

My favorite qoute:

Greens say, rightly, that the best scientific assessment today is that global warming is occurring. Yet never in history have scientists accurately predicted what will happen 100 years later. A century ago no scientists predicted the internet, microwave ovens, TV, nuclear explosions or antibiotics. It is impossible, even stupid, to predict the distant future.

That scientific truth is rarely mentioned. Why? Because the global warming movement has now become a multi-billion dollar enterprise with thousands of jobs and millions in funding for NGOs and think-tanks, top jobs and prizes for scientists, and huge media coverage for predictions of disaster.

[Luis]

Interesting thread... It must come from all of us to stop it... But although we do our best, you should consider also that there are companies which do not respect the Kioto's Protocol, as it's more easy and economically feasible for them to pay the fine than reduce their production amount(and therefore the emissions of sulphur)
...really sad... :(

[Arkacia]

Spiff, that quote is interesting but wrong. All the things mentioned as not being "predicted" are or were inventions, not something that can be measured and predicted using past data and records and present trends. There is a huge difference between global warming and a microwave.

[Spiff]

Opps, I forgot about Jules Verne. :) He predicted (or imagined) all sorts of twentith century inventions. Back to the topic, I just don't see how people can say that they can predict the climate a hundred years in advance. Seems like they're jumping to conclusions.

[Arkacia]

Scientist can tell past weather patterns from looking at tree rings. The wider the individual rings, the more rainfall that year. Using this they can see weather patterns going back hundreds of years, depending on the age of the tree. They have even done this with petrified wood. Thats just one methold, there are many others.

Most nations have weather records going back hundreds of years, it isn't hard for scientists to study those records and chart the weather patterns down through the decades, or in some cases, centuries. They can also use those past records, take present day problems such as pollution ect into account, and predict what they feel the future weather patterns will be.

I believe global warming is happening and humans are at least partly responsible. I don't know about the rest of the world, but in Australia have found that most of the anti global warming stuff, and/or anti humans bear some responsibility for it, is coming from scientist who are being paid by large industry groups who would be most affected by any anti-pollution measures by needing to cover the costs of reducing their emmission levels ect.

[Totorosama]

Also, I thought of something. As the world starts spinning more slowly, the changes in season will take longer, making them more...off? Thus, the climate will change.

[Spiff]

Also, I thought of something. As the world starts spinning more slowly, the changes in season will take longer, making them more...off? Thus, the climate will change.

The effect, if any, will be a few milli-seconds over the next one to two hundred years. The theory is also a bit out in left field.

[Phoenix Flame]

The way I see it, except for acts of God, the planet WE know of will be the same long after we pass. The things we should (and I suppose we are) concern(ing) ourselves with is the rapid consuption of fossil fuels - which will be extinguished withing most of our times, and the extinction of species - including those in deforrestation. Gotta keep the planet going! - Reminds me of Barrett...

[Luis]

Considering most part of the factors, I think humans won't be alarmed and totally conscious of the harm done to the planet till they (well, WE, I'm still human :p) see continuously very adverse weather conditions; bacically, till the planet will be very very harmed, and the weather conditions will cause 'natural' disasters.

[Squall Lionheart]

I once heard by someone that the northren ice will eventually melt causing traumatising events such as the start of another war & many unforseen consequences....

[Tiny Bronco]

The ice caps ARE melting. They've already shrunk to the size of Mars's ice caps. Keep in mind Earth is 3x the size of Mars and has a LOT more water on it. And Yes, Mars does have ice caps. Its not a desert silly. We'll just have to adapt to the changes. Either that or stop killing pretty little Earth!

There isn't going to be a war cause of Global Warming!!! :rolleyes: I hope. :o

[Squall Lionheart]

I'm just being real....

[Spiff]

It was a nice warm Janurary and I hate being cold. I hope the earth keeps it up. :) Seriously, last year it was below freezing for two months.

[Phoenix Flame]

:cool: Dude...you must live in Chicago :D :p

[Tiny Bronco]

I'm going up to Chicago for the weekend as a school field trip!!! My parents told me that about 20 years ago in Cincinnati were I live it used to get down to 10-20 degrees normally. Now if it were to get that cold our school would close even if there wasn't any ice or snow. 30 degrees is as cold as it gets now and thats not to often.

[Spiff]

I heard an interesting theory on the radio a week ago.

Ten thousand years ago there was a surge of global warming (earth's temperature increased 20 degrees in 50 years) caused by the loss of the earth's magnetic field. This happens when the magnetic poles reverse, the field dissipates and then reforms but while this is happening all of the sun's rays beat the earth that are usually blocked by the magnetic field. It eventually becomes stronger until it peaks and then weakens in it's cycle.

He went on to say the affects it would have on all of our electrontic devices and such. It's a good theory IMO.

[Tiny Bronco]

I'm telling you Spiff that if Earth's magnetic feild goes away Electronics not working will be the least of Earths problems. Solar winds and UV light will fry the Earth. Unless any living plant or animal can adapt to these new amounts of radiation, that are normally blocked, in 50 years nothing will survive. Maybe deep sea creatures, some bacterias, and those of us lucky enoff to get into fall out shelters would survive. Thankfully, It takes several millions of years for the Earth's core (what creates the magnetic feild) to completely flip over switching North and South. So half off that is when the magnetic feild will dispurse. I think we're safe. :rolleyes: :D

[~Hidan~]

Global warming is natural. we are just speeding it up, dont worry if we piss off the earth we will sut go back into an ice age.

[ShadowHeart]

Lets not hurt the planet.. I can hear the planet's screams! It's as if it's saying "I'm suffering".. ;)

[Spiff]

I found this news article on Global Warming interesting:

Prominent French Scientist Reverses Belief in Global Warming (http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=2f4cc62e-5b0d-4b59-8705-fc28f14da388)

[Phoenix Flame]

Lets not hurt the planet.. I can hear the planet's screams! It's as if it's saying "I'm suffering".. ;)



...ironically - it's not that far from the truth. -_-;

Has anyone seen the documentary by BBC called 'The Planet'? Now, I'm not advertising for them or anything, but this program definitely opened my eyes to a LOT of what I believe 'Industrialised' economies are very slow to catch onto. EXACTLY HOW VALUABLE OUR PLANET IS.

For example...in the US there was several news storying a short while ago about a large population of bees simply dying-off...and no one knew why. What would the price tag look like if all the bees in the world simply perished. MOST of the pollenation of flowering plants is done by these insects - entire harvests would be lost unless mankind took the initiative and stepped in...and that's just ONE species.

Or kelp...the most abundant mass of life on the planet roams the oceans surface. One oil tanker capsizes and the solution for all that oil is to 'dilute' it...yet the kelp eat photoplankton that absorb the oil. Other fish/sea creatures feed on the kelp and you know what....by the time it gets to say......a swordfish - there's a million times the concentration of the amount of oil that was in the water that fish swam in in it's system....based off of what it ate while it matured.

Global economics, overpopulation, under-/incorrect conservation, deforrestation, perhaps...but I would venture to say INCLUDING global warming are all linked and the common bond is man. I feel a strong responsiblility to protect and nurture the world that we are all apart of. My definition of 'success' used to be very Hollywood-driven. But now I realize that success doesn't mean owning a $50,000 car, living in one or two $1/2 Million dollar homes, having a lot of friends or even having a good job. My definition of success means being able to provide for myself (one day hopefully a family) and 'providing' means nourishing meals, shelter and clean water to drink.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that we all need to go to the desert, dig a well and live as monks the rest of our lives...I'm not going to do that anyway. But I'm suggesting we all rethink and mastermind to maintain and even BUILD-UP the world and stop letting society tell us what success means and where to find happiness. ;han

[dappa]

its all one vicous cycle. Everything is linked especially the food chain. Mess it up and you create chaos for everything else in the chain.

[Phoenix Flame]

....yeah, and 'survival of the fittest' only goes so far.

I'm hoping that I'll be able to afford my own home in Michigan...or live & work at the camp I've been visiting this past month. I'm still exploring my options, but I don't want to live in the city any longer. I really loathed coming back yesterday. I didn't want to leave the wilderness. = (

[Shinra Soldier 1]

Yeah, weather in Chillicothe, Ohio is extreme, extremely hot, hardly any rain, droughts everywhere, then BOOM flooding in the northern part, it's insane. the ice caps are melting, causing mass fresh water to leak in the salty oceans, reducing the conveyor which un-oxygenates the water, creating a canfield where hydrogen sulfide bacteria will occur, then it will release poison into the atmosphere, killing plants and boiling the earth pretty much.

[Phoenix Flame]

How do you guys think we should deal with fuel economy? Go hydro-electric? Just hydro? Create a new type of engine and fuel source to power it? = 3

[Doctor]

Maybe we should invent an entire new vehicle. Or we could all just ride bikes, or use motorcycles...SOMETHING that isn't as harmful to our planet as those big gas-guzzlers.

But the main problem with cars is the fuel...we need to find a new fuel source as quickly as possible--we can't live off of underground oil forever. We're going to run out eventually, even if it takes another hundred years or so for it to run out.

Maybe we could just go back to horses and carts. It may end up that way--you never know.

[Leon]

Maybe we should invent an entire new vehicle. Or we could all just ride bikes, or use motorcycles...SOMETHING that isn't as harmful to our planet as those big gas-guzzlers.

But the main problem with cars is the fuel...we need to find a new fuel source as quickly as possible--we can't live off of underground oil forever. We're going to run out eventually, even if it takes another hundred years or so for it to run out.

Maybe we could just go back to horses and carts. It may end up that way--you never know.

Not that I'm an expert about the subject, but I recall reading diverse news every few days about new ways to reduce fuel consumption and/or alternating it. Examples ranged from hybrid motors (part electirc/ part fuel dependant), organic fuel (refined from plantations), and I recall japan manufacturing a completely solar depending prototype vehicle which can go a maximum of 8 hours without sunlight.

Additionally, I believe that Africa's energy resources will suffice the world for much more than 100 years (more likely a millennium) seeing that so many countries -such as Somalia- are literally floating over undiscovered oil.

But yes, somehow I share the same belief that before the world will end mankind will -forcefully- go back in time.

[Phoenix Flame]

I am in partial agreement with the Somalia...other contries w/undiscovered oil...but still - with all the polution that comes out of gasoline-powered vehicles, it means a LOT more to the environment that we stop using these types soon. Not only will we deplete the suppy/ozone, but the destruction that may result from the wars to supply our economies will be HELL. 'We need oil - your country has it - WE'RE gonna take it.' O__O

I kinda like the Chevy Volt concept car - but (essentially) its still dependent on fossil fuels (last I checked it takes coal to power generators and make electricity, right?!) Oh well....Solar might be the way to go. Unless we can figure out a garbage/sh*t powered engine. =3

[froggboy604]

I think it caused by solar events like the sun heating up since the temperature of the sun is not constant and also caused by humans.

I also notice a lot of `green` products are being advertised these days, so global warming can be a way for more people to buy more green products.

[Spiff]

How do you guys think we should deal with fuel economy? Go hydro-electric? Just hydro? Create a new type of engine and fuel source to power it? = 3

Here's an interesting source of fuel that could be a some future use. (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article4133668.ece)

I also like the idea of hydrogen fuel technology, but I'd have to research where the energy came from to create the hydrogen.

[Phoenix Flame]

Hydrogen is a great fuel source...and there's enough of it in the universe to go around. = 3

[Hydra]

Lol.

We're too addicted to oil.

The only way we're going to stop using it the way we do is for it to be gone.

And by the time that happens, the Ozone layer will be ripped a new one. xD

I'd like to see solar-powered cars.

Which some people use, but aren't mass produced, I don't think.

Edit:

I have the answer.

Horses and buggys.

=D

[Phoenix Flame]

Lol.


Edit:

I have the answer.

Horses and buggys.

=D



XDDD;; that made me LOL too. =3

[SelahJadenCaldwell]

yes its natural .. and also a serious matter