The Nobel Peace Prize

[TMSTKSBK]

OK.

Can the entire planet's climate be changed by human action? Yes, if we tried REALLY FREAKING HARD, within certain parameters. Obviously some places will be cooler than others, and some warmer than others.

Has the planet's climate adjusted periodically throught out recorded history? Very yes.

The last recorded "warm spell" was the Medieval Warm Period. The last recorded cool spell was the Little Ice Age (You know the picture of Washington crossing the Delaware? There's your Little Ice Age). We just exited that phase, so the planet is warming up. This is normal, and to be expected.

The debate isn't over whether or not the earth is warming up. The debate is over whether or not humans have had any (significant) impact to cause this warm-up.

 

[Courageous]

The debate isn't over whether or not the earth is warming up. The debate is over whether or not humans have had any (significant) impact to cause this warm-up.

What's funny is that we're 2,000 years past due for an Ice Age. Perhaps we should count our blessings, if the globe is warming.

C//

 

[TMSTKSBK]

^Did he just agree with me?

 

[oiii88]

I say we all just blame global warming on cow farts since they release so much methane... Sad thing is at one time in the past 30 yrs it was some peoples belief
that large herd animals were causing the mass amounts of methane

 

[Rosetta]

Where I live, Theres two very common ways of making money:

A) Work offshore on oil rigs.
B) Be a Personal Injury Attorney who represents those who get injured offshore on oil rigs.

Now, I believe in Global Warming. I do NOT Believe there is any immediate danger to the planet or us at this point and time. Gore is an alarmist. He wants you to think that if we don't switch to alternative fuels this second, the planet will explode. He needs that to get people to follow him. He wants the hero factor.

In actuality, switching to alternative fuels this early will be disastrous. Most people think of the oil business and they think of rich tycoons. Businessmen. The fact is, so many common people rely on oil to make a living, it isn't even funny. Living where I do, that ratio would be devastating. Not a single family would be unaffected. everyone is related to someone or is friends with somebody who works on a rig. Seemingly unrelated businesses would also be affected. So many things are tied into oil. PHI would go out of business, the aforementioned lawyers, the geologists and such, the engineers who design the drills, etc.

The switch to alternative fuels should be very very very gradual. Unless you want everyone to be poor.

Al Gore does not realize the economical impact the switch would have if done too soon. We are simply not ready for alternative fuels at this time.

*waits for someone to make a joke about lawyers deserving the loss of money*

I honestly don't recall the suggestions in his movie for change being all that drastic, or quick.

What's funny is that we're 2,000 years past due for an Ice Age. Perhaps we should count our blessings, if the globe is warming.

That's new to me, where did you get that information?

 

[bzk90]

I too have heard that we are 2,000 years past due for another ice age. My earth science teacher from 9th grade said that the last time the an ice age was this late it wiped out almost all living things...

I think the info is derived from the fact that ice ages and periods of warming are cyclical.

 

[Maynza]

The idea of a new ice age wiping us all out is retarded.

 

[bzk90]

how can it be retarded...geological records show that our earth goes through a cycle of warming and cooling periods...cooling periods that result in the death of most life.

but surely geological records are just crackpot science...

 

[Johabius]

how can it be retarded...geological records show that our earth goes through a cycle of warming and cooling periods...cooling periods that result in the death of most life.

but surely geological records are just crackpot science...

Well, we can surely hope that our technological advances will keep us alive.

 

[bzk90]

one can only hope...but technology will only protect those who can afford to pay for it.

 

[Rosetta]

I too have heard that we are 2,000 years past due for another ice age. My earth science teacher from 9th grade said that the last time the an ice age was this late it wiped out almost all living things...

I think the info is derived from the fact that ice ages and periods of warming are cyclical.

NOVA The Big Chill

one can only hope...but technology will only protect those who can afford to pay for it

Or like reality, those that can steal it.

 

[TMSTKSBK]

The article contradicts itself.

 

[bzk90]

was there any specific part of that article that you wanted me to read?

 

[Maynza]

how can it be retarded...geological records show that our earth goes through a cycle of warming and cooling periods...cooling periods that result in the death of most life.

but surely geological records are just crackpot science...

Yeah I'm pretty sure last time I was at walmart blankets were $10. And all modern homes have heating.

 

[bzk90]

just read...how are we in a cooling period and a warming period at the same time...

 

[bzk90]

laugh

Yeah I'm pretty sure last time I was at walmart blankets were $10. And all modern homes have heating.

you make me laugh...do I even need to explain how dumb your statement is?

 

[Maynza]

laugh

you make me laugh...do I even need to explain how dumb your statement is?

Yeah, go ahead. I'm waiting.

 

[bzk90]

well first off, the average blanket can barely manage to keep somebody warm in 0c

next is the fact that when ice caps expand into farming land, even taking over entire continents, we would quickly run out of food and loose the ability to go to work...infrastructure falls and walmarts close

this is all ignoring the possibility of global war for resources when people start hording oil because it becomes too cold to continue searching for it...

but by all means...when the ice age comes...we can all just sit in our nice warm homes, under our blankets, and wait to die...

 

[Rosetta]

The article contradicts itself.

Do you read a lot of science?
It takes centuries sometimes to have actual facts instead of scientific theories. This article talks about observations and what theories might be involved in what is affecting what is being observed.

Sum up of article:
Billion, to repeat... billion years climate has been sometimes warm and sometimes cold.

The cold periods - or ice ages - are times when the entire Earth experiences notably colder climatic conditions. During an ice age, the polar regions are cold, there are large differences in temperature from the equator to the pole, and large, continental-size glaciers can cover enormous regions of the earth.

Ok so to Ice means burrr cold, there is ice on the poles.
Warm periods means damn I need sunscreen, no ice on the poles and bigger ocean.


Ice ages have occurred at widely spaced intervals of geologic time - approximately 200 million years...Our climate today is actually a warm interval between these many periods of glaciation. The most recent period of glaciation, which many people think of as the "Ice Age", was at its height approximately 20,000 years ago.

The Ice Age has been slowly melting away but we are still in the middle of it, hence ice on the poles.

We are still in the midst of the third major cooling period that began around 3 million years ago, and its effect can be seen around the world, perhaps even in the development of our own species.

We live in part of an ice age, we depend on current climate to be alive.

Possible Explanations for the Past 60 Million Years of Cooling: Geographic Distribution and Size of Continents , Geometry of Ocean Basins, Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide

Three choices of why the earth changes climate.
Carbon dioxide is the one that is often talked about that we actually can do something about so that we last longer before extinction (which does happen to everything, but prolonging life is a good thing in our self interest).

Carbon dioxide influences the mean global temperature through the greenhouse effect.

The point is pretty simple. We are currently accelerating climate change much faster than it normally would. Carbon Dioxide is the only theory we have to go on that we can change.

*Edit* Ok in all fairness I did some looking things up and I found why they say we are over due for an ice age. According to what we know the in between time of ice ages is anywhere between 5000 - 8000 years. The glaciated areas that are well known to come and go with the regular flux of the ice ages melted 7000 years ago. However geological history is often 1000-2000 years off.

 

[Maynza]

well first off, the average blanket can barely manage to keep somebody warm in 0c

next is the fact that when ice caps expand into farming land, even taking over entire continents, we would quickly run out of food and loose the ability to go to work...infrastructure falls and walmarts close

this is all ignoring the possibility of global war for resources when people start hording oil because it becomes too cold to continue searching for it...

but by all means...when the ice age comes...we can all just sit in our nice warm homes, under our blankets, and wait to die...

And of course there would be a lack of tinfoil. From people like you making hats.