Deny this: mountains of evidence, islands of indicators
Summary: Greenland, Maldives, Arctic and Nepal--places where global warming is having its effect.
If there are future generations with any kind of historical records, they will look at the current GW arguments and marvel. How much palpable evidence does it take to make people realize what's happening? Hey, as Mt. St. Helens obviously prepared to erupt, some folks there deliberately stayed in the path of the ashes. For some of us it's human nature to deny what we don't want to deal with.
ISLANDS APART BUT ALIKE
Here's a video report on the Maldives and Greenland. They share little except islandness and dramatic changes in their climate. The Maldives, in fact, are endangered simply by warmer ocean temps without any sea level change at all. Hotter water kills off the coral reefs which make up the Maldives and then the islands will erode away. Coral reef death has been widely publicized for a decade. But it might cost some money to try to stop it. Better to deny, and move on to something more sporting. ELEVATION IS NO SALVATION
Nepal is a mountainous land with no sea coast, so they have nothing to worry about, right? Well, they do have melting glaciers and huge, new lakes that are not well-behaved. Think rolling walls of freezing mud would spoil your day?
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
Those who are monitoring GW are now actually paying attention to what locals have to say, like asking Arctic Inuit about changes they are seeing in their everyday environment. Maybe everything cannot be reduced down to arguments over data points and computer models?
WHO GETS DUMPED FROM THE ARK?
In our struggle to maintain our lifestyle to which we are comfortably accustomed, we may have to jettison a few other earthship passengers, right? Well, one international governmental group has issued a list of species we should go see alive now, if we care. They may be going the way of the Dodo, an earlier man-exterminated species. The deathwatch list includes Australia's cuddly-looking, drunken koala, beluga whale, staghorn coral, emperor penguin. Bad news for some diners: salmon is on the list as well. But we can learn to make synthetic salmon from oil probably. BTW, humans are not on this list of endangered species. [poll id="205"]
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Talkback
Whatever happens you shouldn't over dramatize this.
By looking at current human behavior I'd risk saying that is the most likely outcome but...
The Earth will do just fine without us, we're not that much of a loss to life on Earth so stop the drama, OK?
Enough is enough!
We will survive
Set the bar low
Nobody serious is suggesting that we, as a species, are facing imminent extinction.
On the other hand, I want more for my grandchildren than "survival," and serious climate disruption will mean widespread famine, disease, etc. Even "only" millions of unnecessary deaths are a pretty steep price.
Things change
Necessity is a mother
Good point. I was always impressed with the way that the Black Death inspired the development of antibiotics.
However, I'm selfish enough to want my grandchildren to have the benefit of planning in their lifetimes rather than hoping that a few centuries later the survivors will be able to rebuild civilization from the ruins.
Black death was a mother
Automated bell-ringing that lead to automated silk weaving that lead to punch cards contoled machines, and so to COMPUTERS.
I just knew I could get back to home territory.
And a great comfort it was
I'm sure that those who lived in those days no doubt felt privileged to sacrifice for such an objective, too.
Aspirations
Which means I don't want some left wing eco-socialist to be planning their life for them. I want them to plan their own life and be able to benefit from hard work and the prosperity that comes from living in a free nation.
RE: Deny this: mountains of evidence, islands of indicators
However, it does make sense to play it safe with mankind's sole habitat. Until we know more, responsible controls are in our best interest.
See - I can get behing this form of logic.
It's much easier to swallow than - We're positive its caused by humans. We must give control of our economies to the UN.
Fuller's full of it
driven because of perverse monetary incentive for them
to. You alarmists remind me of Scientologists frankly.
And Gore is L. Ron Hubbard.
He sure is over dramatizing things when there's no need to.
So where's the drama? I can't see any.
Not to worry
--Harry Fuller
Global Warming is happening
Even if GW is man-made, there is sufficient doubt in some scientific communities about whether we can still do anything about it. Coppenhagen is seen as a last chance, but many doubt that even if an agreement were to come out of it, whether it will be enough, or even if there is such a thing as enough.
So wether we've created it or not, we're going to need to prepare for the future. And while the future might look warm and toasty, it doesn't look bright.
Prepare for the future?
Not So
Greenland was warm enough for farming before the Little Ice Age, and it only make sense that it would return to that climate eventually. During the Roman Warming Period it was possible to grow wine grapes in England.
Corps are not failing. No place is sinking due to AGW, though islands may be sinking for other reasons. Tropical storms in the last few years have been less violent, not more. It is bad science to say "well X was hit by a really bad storm last year, so GW is real" instead of "there were fewer bad storms last year, and of the few bad storms one hit X".
We can only hope that nothing comes out of Coppenhagen that will cause our children and grandchildren to be forced to live in the lifestyle endured by citizens of the Soviet block countries for the balance of the 20th century.
Something will happen here
GW happens... so does GC
My favorite denial....
"at least stick to the subject"? Hocky stick?
http://www.thegwpf.org/opinion-pros-a-cons/218-petr-chylek-open-letter-to-the-climate-research-community.html