Originally Posted By RoadTrip Not only is Global Warming real, it is also man-made. Maybe Al Gore is rignt, huh?? <<WASHINGTON - Weighing in on the highest profile debate about global warming, the nation's premier science policy body on Thursday threw its weight behind controversial data and voiced a "high level of confidence" that Earth is the hottest it has been in at least 400 years, possibly even longer. A panel convened by the National Research Council reached that conclusion in a broad review of scientific studies, reporting that the evidence indicates “recent warmth is unprecedented for at least the last 400 years.†The panel of top climate scientists told lawmakers that the Earth is running a fever and that “human activities are responsible for much of the recent warming.†Their 155-page report said average global surface temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere rose about 1 degree during the 20th century.>> Source: <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13474997/" target="_blank">http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13 474997/</a>
Originally Posted By ecdc This is also on CNN.com. This was a congressional commission asked to do this. Rep. Sherwood Boehler, a Republican from New York, suggested we should try and learn from scientists, not try and intimidate them after another Republican launched an investigation into some scientists. At least Boehler gets that this truly isn't a Conservative/Liberal issue, but a human issue.
Originally Posted By Dirk_D_from_Oregon --A panel convened by the National Research Council reached that conclusion in a broad review of scientific studies, reporting that the evidence indicates “recent warmth is unprecedented for at least the last 400 years.â€-- This is news? The biggest bunch of liberals who push global warming so they can keep the gravy train funding rolling in are saying the world is going to end? Imagine that. Question. Why do liberals fear global warming so much while conservatives are not scared since we all live on teh same planet? Also, do people really think most scientists sign onto global warming as a reality and that the debate is over as ALgore says?
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA <Question. Why do liberals fear global warming so much while conservatives are not scared since we all live on teh same planet?> Why do conservatives fear Gay Marriage while democrats do not since we all live on the same planet?
Originally Posted By Dirk_D_from_Oregon --Earth is the hottest it has been in at least 400 years, possibly even longer.-- I would love to see who they had taking the earths temp. 400 years ago. What a load. -- Why do conservatives fear Gay Marriage while democrats do not since we all live on the same planet? -- I don't know, but that is not what I asked. Why do liberals fear global warming while conservatives just laugh at it. In fact, why are liberals hysterical and alamist about everything except terrorism?
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan Why do liberals fear global warming while conservatives just laugh at it.<< I don't know that all conservatives laugh at it. In fact, many conservatives are quite concerned about the environment and don't instantly laugh off global warming simply because their talk radio tells them to. I am interested in why you think that it is impossible that man's actions could impact the planet, hastening natural occurances? I used the example before, but forest fires occur naturally. But a human can also start a forest fire with a single match. Is it completely impossible that burning the fuels we do would have some impact? Why is that hysterical liberal nonsense? I'm involved with Scouting, and there has been a big effort over the past several years in 'leave no trace' camping and hiking. Is this hysterical liberal nonsense, or sensible stewardship of natural resources?
Originally Posted By Dirk_D_from_Oregon Kar2oonman, think about it. Liberals are scared of global warming to the point they are willing to destroy our economy with Kyoto to stop it. Conservatives just laugh it off and don't seem to scared at all if the earths temp goes up 1 degree in the next 500 years. Why? Nice job on scouting by the way.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>Conservatives just laugh it off<< No, not ALL conservatives do. Only those that view this as a liberal vs. conservative issue. I would think that a truly 'conservative' opinion would be: Let's look at the evidence, take a bit of a wait and see approach, consider if this is a natural occurance or a man-made one, or possibly a combination of the two. Not reject it out of hand as hysterical liberal nonsense. And it's not just a 'America is evil' issue, either. Many countries have abysmal environmental standards, far, far worse than ours. We need to be able to discuss this from a rational, logical perspective, and making it a conservative vs. liberal thing won't get us anywhere.
Originally Posted By Dirk_D_from_Oregon --: Let's look at the evidence, take a bit of a wait and see approach, consider if this is a natural occurance or a man-made one, or possibly a combination of the two. Not reject it out of hand as hysterical liberal nonsense.-- Thats a good point. Most people I know have looked at the evidence and have come to the conclusion that man made global warming is hype to get funding ( for liberals )and to scare the people. A state of fear. Do you think most scientists think man made global warming is real? Al Gore says the debate is over and the science community agrees with him. Talk about a flat out lie.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<Question. Why do liberals fear global warming so much while conservatives are not scared since we all live on teh same planet? >> Because conservatives, as many businesses do, value short term profits over long term stability. Why take a chance of hurting the economy today when the downside is probably 50 years away. Let our kids worry about it.... they'll figure it out. It's probably nothing a little duct tape and plastic sheeting can't cure.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>Most people I know have looked at the evidence and have come to the conclusion that man made global warming is hype to get funding<< Well, I guess that settles it then. Global warming can't possibly be real because the scientists who advance the theory are earning a living. You really belive that this large group of scientists sits around and, in order to get funded, dreams up this theory just to scare people? You truly believe that?
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan Do you think most scientists think man made global warming is real?<< I don't pretend to know what 'most scientists' think. And I don't know if global warming, or climate change, is man-made, natural, or a combination. But the evidence I've seen thus far is that climate change IS happening, and I'm curious as to why that might be. I have no stake in what the actual answer is, my ego isn't on the line. I'm just not ready to jump on board with those who blow off the possibility that man plays some part in it. In any case, I don't understand why we wouldn't want to be as environmentally responsible as possible, other than it might take a bite out of corporate profits in the short term. Look at photos of polluted air in various places in the early 1970s vs. today. In many places, it has gotten better. If we can do better with the way we dispose of waste, handle chemicals, deal with emissions, why wouldn't we want to?
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan For example, recycling was once considered some hysterical, liberal idea. Now, entrepreneurs have discovered that through the magic of capitalism, they can profit while also consuming less natural resources. I used to grumble about separating trash from recyclables. Now, I find that most everything is recyclable or can be thrown in with organic waste. Is that a bad thing? Heck, people in WWII knew all about the value of recycling. It helped win the war.
Originally Posted By Dirk_D_from_Oregon --But the evidence I've seen thus far is that climate change IS happening, and I'm curious as to why that might be. I have no stake in what the actual answer is,-- That makes sense, you seem pretty neutral, yet curious. I can respect that. For the record: "Most scientists do not believe human activities threaten to disrupt the Earth’s climate. More than 17,000 scientists have signed a petition circulated by the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine saying, in part, “there is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane, or other greenhouse gases is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth’s atmosphere and disruption of the Earth’s climate.†(Go to www.oism.org for the complete petition and names of signers.) Surveys of climatologists show similar skepticism."
Originally Posted By Shooba >>That makes sense, you seem pretty neutral, yet curious. I can respect that.<< It's sad that so many conservatives, having decided that the existance of global warming is a "liberal viewpoint", are instantly dead-set in their opinion that is doesn't exist. How can people be so stubbornly partisan that they can't possibly entertain an alternative viewpoint? Anyone who is sure that their opinion on this subject is 100% factually correct, is clearly closed-minded and incapable of independant thought. I swear, if I started a thread showing that Liberal scientists believe that the Earth is round, some conservatives would instantly disagree, just because.
Originally Posted By Dirk_D_from_Oregon Shooba, if we had an ice age thousands of years ago that ended because the planet warmed up, what caused the planet to warm up then? Stone age SUV's? Coal factories run by cavemen? Most scientists that don't want to secure funding ( yes they are always libs ) for more " research " will tell you that the earth goes through natural warming and cooling cycles and that we have nothing to do with the temp. of the earth. <a href="http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=11548" target="_blank">http://www.heartland.org/Artic le.cfm?artId=11548</a> Time for Common Sense The global warming scare has enabled environmental advocacy groups to raise billions of dollars in contributions and government grants. It has given politicians (from Al Gore down) opportunities to pose as prophets of doom and slayers of evil corporations. And it has given bureaucrats at all levels of government, from the United Nations to city councils, powers that threaten our jobs and individual liberty. It is time for common sense to return to the debate over protecting the environment. An excellent first step would be to end the “global warming†scam.
Originally Posted By Shooba Coming to an absolute conclusion that global warming does not exist, is NOT common sense. It's anything but.
Originally Posted By woody 400 years ago, the population was miniscule in comparison. No cars, No energy industry. What does this tell us? NOTHING!!!
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>Shooba, if we had an ice age thousands of years ago that ended because the planet warmed up, what caused the planet to warm up then? Stone age SUV's? Coal factories run by cavemen?<< Clearly, you've never watched The Flintstones. It's all in there.
