Originally Posted By mrichmondj <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070117/ap_on_sc/hawking" target="_blank">http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200 70117/ap_on_sc/hawking</a> The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, a journal for nuclear physicists, has adjusted their renowned "Doomsday Clock" to read 5 minutes until midnight -- where midnight is the end of the earth. The clock used to represent the threat of global nuclear destruction. However, according to remarks by Stephen Hawking, the earth is now more threatened by climate change caused by global warming moreso than nuclear missiles. Of course, I just watched an interesting piece on Fox News that is claiming the recent cold spell across the U.S. is proof that global warming doesn't really exist. Nevermind that November and December set records for warm weather across the U.S. this year. I guess they'll wait until Easter Seaboard is underwater before they decide that climate change is upon us. I think I'll have to side with the nuclear physicists on this issue. Unfortunately, I might see the day in my lifetime when we can discuss the finer points of touring Hong Kong Disneyland by rowboat, since it will likely be underwater by the middle of this century. Maybe that's why the Imagineers aren't doing the flooded show scenes for It's a Small World there -- they understand that all the show scenes will be flooded in due time.
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder "Of course, I just watched an interesting piece on Fox News that is claiming the recent cold spell across the U.S. is proof that global warming doesn't really exist." That's about as ignorant as it gets.
Originally Posted By mrichmondj Really? I'm sure Fox would claim it was "fair and balanced" -- meaning you balance the facts with fiction that challenges those facts.
Originally Posted By threeundertwo Ah heck, it's like that whole "Polar Express" thing - it's been about 7 minutes to midnight for 60 years.
Originally Posted By DAR <<That's about as ignorant as it gets.>> Having a different point of view is ignornant?
Originally Posted By melekalikimaka No, assuming that it's PROOF that global warming isn't real is ignorant, especially when you consider the freakishly warm weather other states have been experiencing. Global warming isn't just the belief that everything is getting hotter...it's that the weather is changing and places that were colder are warmer and vice versa. AND you can believe that the climate is changing w/o believing it is manmade.
Originally Posted By mrichmondj Today, the Wall Street Journal continues its ultra-conservative editorial slant with an op-ed piece challenging the science behind global warming. I think the anti-science crowd is correct in one respect --- it is difficult to predict what the effects of rising greenhouse gases will do to the overall environment. The reason why it would be so difficult to make a prediction is that we have absolutely no evidence in recorded geological history, going back over 650,000 years, where greenhouse gases are as high as they are today. Those concentrations of greenhouse gases are orders of magnitude greater than any time in earth's history. There is no climate cycle in the earth's history of warming and cooling that corresponds to the environmental changes we are seeing today -- so we are in completely uncharted territory. Based on the trends over the last century, though, it's not likely the chart is heading in a positive direction for our society. Of course, if you are the WSJ and cater to the class of people that hold 99% of the world's assets, it doesn't really benefit you to propose any changes that might potentially cost those same folks a little bit of money. I guess we'll wait until the whole world is suffering, particularly the 100s of millions of people who live in the world's poorest coastal nations that will bear the brunt of hardship from climate change. We'll just label all of the scientists that collect the data and make educacted predictions "ignorant" and hope the masses will remain confused about the options on the table that might mitigate the effects of greenhouse gases and climate change.
Originally Posted By friendofdd I'm perfectly willing to accept global warming as a fact. I also accepted global cooling 30 years ago. Recently, I have read that this is the fourth time in 100 years that the climate is indicating significant change. Ironically, it is now two warmings and two coolings. At least the scientists are not static in their findings.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 You can read a lot of seemingly contradictory things about climate change. The key is to read the scientists that are not backed by industry, and understand that those that are not have indeed reached a consensus - not unanimous, but a consensus.
Originally Posted By mrichmondj ^^ The consensus is unanimous in peer-reviewed scientific journals. The only place where there is dissent is in publications and popular press articles that aren't reviewed and where there is no scientific process to validate facts.
Originally Posted By melekalikimaka I am really not that big of an environmentalist. I do believe that we make too much trash and I also believe that many companies irresponsibly deal with their waste, some of which is chemical waste. I'm glad that there are people who raise hell over this matter because think many more people/companies/goverments are trying to reduce their waste and treat their chemical waste is safer ways. I think these are amazingly great things which wouldn't have come about at all if people hadn't broken rank with the norm and became vocal about the things that were happening. I don't understand why some people seek to divide this into an us v. them issue.
Originally Posted By DlandJB It doesn't really matter to me at this point what the cause of this climate change is -- but we have to address its consequences. If we know there are things we can do to make it better - we need to do them.
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>Ah heck, it's like that whole "Polar Express" thing - it's been about 7 minutes to midnight for 60 years.<< Talk about beating the odds!
Originally Posted By CrouchingTigger Hey everybody! I found out why that clock's been stuck at 7 minutes to midnight for so long - someone unplugged it. So I fixed that problem and it should hit midnight in another minute or so...
