I disagree. Java was basically my first programming language and it certainly didn't "confuse" me and "turn me off programming forever". I thought it was a decent language to start with (and I've played in C, C++, Scheme, Haskell, Prolog, Ruby, Javascript, and maybe a couple others, so I have had some variety). I think the key is not necessarily the language but who's learning it (and to a certain extend who's teaching it). Any language can be a problem if the student simply isn't interested. Most languages are probably sufficient to learn the basics, and once that is done those basics can be applied and compared with new languages to truly learn how to write code.
So how can we not be concerned about global warming? You may be able to argue that the effects won't be that bad or that humans simply aren't creating enough CO2 to cause problems (not sure if I'd agree with you on either point) but it just doesn't seem logical to assert we're having no affect on the environment.
"[T]here are such things as roving wiretaps. Now, by the way, any time you hear the United States government talking about wiretap, it requires -- a wiretap requires a court order. Nothing has changed, by the way. When we're talking about chasing down terrorists, we're talking about getting a court order before we do so. It's important for our fellow citizens to understand, when you think Patriot Act, constitutional guarantees are in place when it comes to doing what is necessary to protect our homeland, because we value the Constitution."
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I disagree. Java was basically my first programming language and it certainly didn't "confuse" me and "turn me off programming forever". I thought it was a decent language to start with (and I've played in C, C++, Scheme, Haskell, Prolog, Ruby, Javascript, and maybe a couple others, so I have had some variety). I think the key is not necessarily the language but who's learning it (and to a certain extend who's teaching it). Any language can be a problem if the student simply isn't interested. Most languages are probably sufficient to learn the basics, and once that is done those basics can be applied and compared with new languages to truly learn how to write code.
The facts seem pretty clear to me:
1. We know CO2 levels are rising (and we know human activities add CO2 to the atmosphere)
2. We know CO2 is a greenhouse gas. (However, water vapor is actually the number one greenhouse gas, followed by CO2.)
3. We know the greenhouse effect warms our planet. (Without it the average temperature would be -18C http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_Effect)
So how can we not be concerned about global warming? You may be able to argue that the effects won't be that bad or that humans simply aren't creating enough CO2 to cause problems (not sure if I'd agree with you on either point) but it just doesn't seem logical to assert we're having no affect on the environment.
Here's an actual quote:
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"[T]here are such things as roving wiretaps. Now, by the way, any time you hear the United States government talking about wiretap, it requires -- a wiretap requires a court order. Nothing has changed, by the way. When we're talking about chasing down terrorists, we're talking about getting a court order before we do so. It's important for our fellow citizens to understand, when you think Patriot Act, constitutional guarantees are in place when it comes to doing what is necessary to protect our homeland, because we value the Constitution."
President George W. Bush, 2004, http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/04/2