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Globe Warmer In Time of Vikings
SEWilco writes "A record of recent global temperatures has been assembled by piecing together the hundreds of studies with past temperature estimates [Discovery, Harvard]. The record shows there was a "Medieval Warm Period" warmer than the 20th Century. This was followed by the "Little Ice Age", which ended around 1900. We're having average climate now. Numerous sources indicated this, but apparently were not gathered into one document" This adds some more background reading to the previously linked Telegraph story.
This isssue has be politicized to the point that even with the three or four recent findings that seem to support the case that our quickness to attribute shifts in climate to the actions of man may be completely off base, the side screaming bloody murder for the last 10 years will never admit that they may have been wrong.
Having said that, I am sympathetic to the evironmental movement, there's just nothing I hate more than bad science that persists due to politics.
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Too late. In Western societies, more people believe in Global Warming than believe in God. It is to good a story to stay anything but the global boogeyman it is.
That said, I agree that bandwagon environmentalism is a bad trend. It does not seem, however, that the current US administration is in danger of subverting our economy with overzealous environmental regulation.
There are no trolls. There are no trees out here.
Is why so many people seem to want to oversimplify the situation.
As with any set of data, it's not all signal and it's not all noise. Much of the research in global warming may be due to political motive. (Though personally, I'm not inclined to agree that environmentalism is a purely political issue. I have a lot of reasons to be concerned by the idea that Florida might start shrinking in the next century, and none of them have to do with politics.) However, the focus of all the stuff I've heard about lately is on trying to figure out just how much of the change in global climate over the past century is due to natural fluctuation and how much is due to pollution.
Besides, even if it turns out to be entirely due to nautural fluctuation, it seems that it would be in our best interests to still modify the actions of humanity as a whole to promote a global climate that is best suited to humans. People don't think irrigation is a stupid idea because Mother Nature didn't put a body of water in the middle of every cornfield. The issue at hand should be what action is ultimately the most beneficial to the world.
. . . it's certainly the biggest [thing] since writing was invented.
Fortunately, writing is a relatively new invention in the history of the Universe. IIRC, if that History were compacted in a day, then humanity is the last few seconds before midnight. So, writing was invented 'just a second ago.'
What those who want activist courts fear is rule by the people.
But, I thought the US Senate was supposed to ratify treaties--not the President. If so, then blaming President Bush ignores US law. I found this article that indirectly brings up this point.
For your reading pleasure, I also cite an article from the opposing viewpoint stating why the treaty is not in the short- or long-term interests of the United States. Additionally, the article futher points to the Senate's perogative in ratification of treaties, stating, "[t]hough the Senate hasn't ratified the treaty . . . ."
So, please place blame with the agency responsible. If the US Senate does not ratify a treaty, then it is not valid. Oddly enough, some Geneva Convention articles did not pass the US Senate in the 1950s.
What those who want activist courts fear is rule by the people.
In any case, the argument against greenhouse gas emissions has little to do with the past; it's a concern about plausible (but uncertain) events in the future. At the rate at which carbon dioxide emissions are growing, we will change the climate some time this or next century; that is simple physics. Furthermore, it takes a long time for the levels to come down again, so we will have to live with the consequences of our actions. The only discussion is when exactly that change will occur, how big it will be, and how much warning we will get. Since there are plausible models that say that change will happen pretty soon and will have serious consequences, it seems prudent to take precautions.
The real question is why some people are so eager to engage in an experiment with our climate on a global scale by continuing to emit huge quantities of greenhouse gases. Oddly enough, it is many self-proclaimed "conservatives" that advocate engaging in this kind of completely unprecedented behavior.
The thing that is "off base" is simply to drag historical records into this discussion at all--they are largely irrelevant to whether we should or should not reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
It's funny how many environmentalists want everyone to switch to electic cars. The problem is that the electricity comes from coal and oil burning power plants that are far worse than the heavily regulated gasoline cars.
I agree with you. I think people(western society) tend to only look at their actions impact in the short term if at all. Our actions long term impact is what we will be remembered in the future by, if humanity survives long enough. Do we really want to be remembered as a culture that raped the land, and left nothing for its children? Or maybe we could be remembered as a culture with enough foresight to take action in preserving our little home in the stars for future civilizations to enjoy.
Beer Die is the game of champions Learning To walk my own path.
Don't be so quick. The vikings abandoned their greenland settlements when the temperature dropped.
The idea to switching to electric cars(if an efficient battery design was ever created) is that a large gas turbine power plant is more efficent than your typical diesel or otto cycle engine. Furthemore its easier to clean up pollutants such as particulates, SO2, NOX, from a single source then it is from 1000,s of cars.
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