Climate change

[SarahGirl]

It is now More than 90% certain that climate change is being caused by human activity.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said temperatures were probably going to increase by 1.8-4C (3.2-7.2F) by the end of the century.

It also projected that sea levels were most likely to rise by 28-43cm, and global warming was likely to influence the intensity of tropical storms.

The argument is all but over, now its time for action.

[thebigone]

These are only computer projections and don't take into account any natural phenomena that will occur. Also the information they have used only goes back 15o years so all in all pretty useless really. Climate change is natural and unavoidable, without global warming we would not be here now but still stuck under 5 miles of ice. Governments are just using the 'climate change' bandwagon to frighten people into paying more taxation.

[megalodon]

These are only computer projections and don't take into account any natural phenomena that will occur. Also the information they have used only goes back 15o years so all in all pretty useless really. Climate change is natural and unavoidable, without global warming we would not be here now but still stuck under 5 miles of ice. Governments are just using the 'climate change' bandwagon to frighten people into paying more taxation.

You're perfectly right...and wrong, the way I see it. Basically it's a natural phenomenon and a necessity as well. Without it we would be living in (or not living in) the afore mentioned winter-inferno. But the increase in global warming these last 60 years is a fact and not something we can afford to ignore.

I agree with the original poster - time for action!!!

[sinistra]

We knew the impact of our lifestyle already 20 years ago and that the climat would be efected by it, only the goverment did not do anything.
And the reason is simple, tax. They make to much cash on petrol, without that tax the whole system will fall apart.

The world is ruled by the petrol industry so they wont let any one or anything coming in between making their cash, they just think of filling wallets.

Now its already to late to do anything about it so enjoy the ride as long it can we will get mayor disasters coming next to coming wars about the land availeble were you still could live. This is not doom thinking its just the way it will go.

( sorry for spelling errors, I am not writing in my first language, but I do my best )

[kinghelfer]

...you cant just blame us ,oomans! what about all those Cows Belching and Farting Methane into the atmosohere 24/7...?¿?

[jojo22]

We knew the impact of our lifestyle already 20 years ago and that the climat would be efected by it, only the goverment did not do anything.
And the reason is simple, tax. They make to much cash on petrol, without that tax the whole system will fall apart.

The world is ruled by the petrol industry so they wont let any one or anything coming in between making their cash, they just think of filling wallets.

Now its already to late to do anything about it so enjoy the ride as long it can we will get mayor disasters coming next to coming wars about the land availeble were you still could live. This is not doom thinking its just the way it will go.

( sorry for spelling errors, I am not writing in my first language, but I do my best )

+1

[Annie Jakes]

These are only computer projections and don't take into account any natural phenomena that will occur. Also the information they have used only goes back 15o years so all in all pretty useless really. Climate change is natural and unavoidable, without global warming we would not be here now but still stuck under 5 miles of ice. Governments are just using the 'climate change' bandwagon to frighten people into paying more taxation.

I very much agree with this....

Everyone is being Conned!

Don't be fooled!!

On Earth, the majority of carbon lies not in the atmosphere, but in the oceans and rocks. Just 0.00035% of Earth's atmosphere is made of carbon dioxide. However, this carbon dioxide, along with water vapour and other small amounts of greenhouse gasses, is enough to raise the average surface temperature of Earth by around 30°C. Without it, Earth would be frozen.

Recent research shows that the effect of cosmic radiation, and solar activity explains fluctuations in global temperatures more precisely than the carbon dioxide theory!!

An alternative explanation for rising global temperatures is based on research by the Danish Space Centre. They found that as solar activity increases, cloud formation on Earth is significantly diminished and temperature rises.

Solar activity over the last several hundred years, correlates very nicely, on a decadal basis, with temperature.

For more information, please search by typing in 'The Great Global Warming Swindle',

[Gladys]

If climate change is being caused by human activity it is because there are too many people.

I don't think anyone really knows if climate change is down to human activity.

[Annie Jakes]

If climate change is being caused by human activity it is because there are too many people.

I don't think anyone really knows if climate change is down to human activity.

I don’t think there are humans on Mars at the moment, or humans on other planets in our solar system. However, all these planets are going through the same climatic warming as our own!!
I don’t think most people really want to hear this, preferring to go along with all the disinformation governments want everyone to believe.

Global warming has been going on now for hundreds of years without human help, but many important people tend to ignore historical facts and figures.

Interesting to note, that in the 1970s a TV programme called “The Weather Machine” relayed information from scientists about Global Cooling and warned the public about a new Ice Age!!
How we forget these things!!

[monosodium]

I don't think climate change is a direct result of human activity, especially in respect of things like CO2 emissions. The "evidence" is a bit backwards. The amount of CO2 which humans release into the atmosphere is insignificant when compared to the amount released merely by the sea for example. Same with deforestation, a lot of the worlds oxygen also comes from the sea and not from trees as people often think.

I saw an interesting article a while back which basically indicated that a large number of the contributors to the work of the IPCC did not agree with it and had asked to have their names removed from the publications and the IPCC refused until they were threatened with legal action, many could not afford legal action and remain listed as contributors rather than cited sources. Many authors who did not agree with the outcome the IPCC wanted when they set out resigned, but are still considered members on some IPCC documents.

Interestingly the same article indicated an multi-century lag between the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere and the temperature in the wrong direction. CO2 for example not causing climate change, but was an indicator of it a number of centuries after the fact.

Before I get lynched, I'm not to saying I don't think we should act on energy efficiency and conservation. We absolutely should harness the energy which is around us and freely available first and we should put resources into that while we can afford it and we absolutely should consider our use of fossil fuels because they are a finite resource and economically restricting to just a handful of countries. I am saying that one of the main things that the climate change lobby and IPCC rely on as evidence may be less well proven than many of us have been led to believe.

[SarahGirl]

I had hoped for a more enlightened response than the ones above.

The computer models that are used for predictions have now been in operation for many years and have been tested against weather and co2 records for many years previous to that - the models are not perfect but they are pretty accurate.

Can you give any evidence that 'a large number' of the contributors to the IPCC - and are you sure that they didn't want a much stronger report, if they did disagree. There was a big report in the Guardian saying that the report had been watered down at government request, between the scientific stage and the final publication.

According to a report I heard on radio 4, there is no good evidence that Mars or other planets are experiencing any significant warming.

The evidence on cosmic radiation explains less than 10% of the warming at most.

The cloud formation issues are included in the climate models.

Whatever people try to pretend, by far the majority of scientists working on climate change agree that global warming is happening and the major causes are man made (including domestic cows and the methane they emit - that's in the models as well).

Its inconvenient - but its true and its very worrying that people don't take it seriously at all.

[monosodium]

Can you give any evidence that 'a large number' of the contributors to the IPCC - and are you sure that they didn't want a much stronger report, if they did disagree. There was a big report in the Guardian saying that the report had been watered down at government request, between the scientific stage and the final publication.

I read it, on a news site a few weeks ago so I don't tend to have the numbers. The same information was quoted in a documentary on the BBC, which I think is where Annie Jakes got it from.

One of the things mentioned on the BBC documentary is that during one period where carbon dioxide production (I think it was 1940 to 1970) was increasing exponentially was when the temperature was dropping.

Its inconvenient - but its true and its very worrying that people don't take it seriously at all.

It's not that it's inconvenient and to say that it is makes light of it. I try not to pollute -
I often make an effort to eat locally sourced food
I use energy saving lightbulbs (where I don't have dimmer switches) even though daylight balance ones that don't give me headaches are about 3 times the cost of the ordinary energy saving ones (so around 30-40 times the cost of conventional lightbulbs) for example (although the "normal" energy saving bulbs are about the same over their lifespan because of lower running costs).
I don't run our washing machine at 60 degrees (unless I have to).
I drive a car that makes the highly prized hybrid Prius look thirsty in fuel economy terms.
I use the only bank which uses "green" electricty and concentrates on ethical investments.

So for you to suggest that I'm disappointing is really just tough. I for one am certainly not using it as an excuse to waste resources. I was making a point that things which are being bandied about as causes of climate change may actually be evidence of climate change which has happened already and in fact humans may still be the cause and continuing to contribute to climate change but not in the way that the IPCC advocates.

This fact is not changing my behaviour - I think that we should look after the finite resources we have and use those which are feely available instead. We have the technology to be more efficient and we should use it.

[MP-3]

According to a report I heard on radio 4, there is no good evidence that Mars or other planets are experiencing any significant warming.

Radio 4 eh? Well it must be right then!!

However....

NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter has been surveying the planet, and it has spotted seasonal changes like the advance and retreat of polar ice.
It's also gathering data of longer trends.
Mars is in the midst of a period of profound climate change, according to a new study that shows dramatic year-to-year losses of snow at the south pole.

The research into snow density, lead by David E. Smith of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre, confirm that much of the Martian snow is in fact composed of carbon dioxide.

"Martian snow turns out to be rock hard, but worse, it is melting away at an alarming rate".
( David E. Smith of NASA ).

[thebigone]

Alarming for who, the Martians. A bit of snow melting on another planet isn't going to affect us. Stupid government ideas say we must reduce our consumptions to reduce our carbon emission by 60% per household. Does anyone realise exactly what that means, no electricity consumption whatsoever, no car, no heating fuel and no cooking. What the govt. wants is everyone to freeze and starve in their cold, dark homes and then tax us to death for the privilege. Well until they come up with some hard evidence they can whistle for it. Britain will become like North Korea, a big dark blob you can see from space. Stuff it.

[MP-3]

Alarming for who, the Martians. A bit of snow melting on another planet isn't going to affect us.

Think your missing the point here! “Snow melting on other planets” indicates that solar radiation from the sun may well be causing Global Warming, not human activity.

I agree with you, Britain seems to be forced to return to the Dark Ages through all this eco-hysteria. Some Government backbenchers have said that the 60% Co2 reduction target is too low, and that an 80% figure is more realistic!! Well ok then, that’s fine if we are all prepared to go back to the 1870’s.

The British public are not saying very much at the moment, I’ll give it a year when the absurdity of it all sinks in! Then this outbreak of enviro-fascism can be seen for what it really is, just a Global Warming Tax Swindle!