Climate Change & Global Warming

[Atomic]

Right guys, a bit of a more Science slant tae dis wan, and very topical.

What do you all think about this GLOBAL WARMING?

It is very topical just now, all over the news and commentary programmes, the politicians are falling over themselves all of a sudden to make it big on their agendas, "carbon footprints" being tallied up and added to our airline bills by optional donations, energy companies hiking their prices up, the "oil wars", recycling..........

this debate could go anywhere.

Do you think there is a real threat to the planet from global warming?
What do you see as the main areas to tackle it on?
Is it just political points-winning and lip-service?
Is this a personal/consumer issue, is it national/legislative, or is it a global crisis?

How do you feel this issue compares to other giant global conundrums?

Let off steam here.........................................

(but please, no CFCs )


(PS If I've done the poll wrongly, or this is already in another thread, anyone please feel free to tell me! (My first one, awww!)).

[Atomic]

Having tried to respond to my own poll, I think the options I gave were rubbish! Most feelings seem to fall between them. If anyone has any suggestions, fire away!

[Fjool]

It's important and I try to do my bit. But in one sense, I don't think it's important at all whether global warming is real or not.

 

I realise that there are some arguments as to why global warming could be a myth.

 

I figure though, myth or nay, 'doing our bit' is only really being responsible. Regardless of impending cataclysm or whether it's a natural cycle we should avoid creating waste and stink. I've yet to meet anyone who enjoys the smell of Rova Head, for example.

 

Even if you dismiss global warming entirely, it's a simple as this: The more really revolting stuff we buy, waste and discard; the more revolting stuff we have to live around.

 

At the rate the world's population is growing, even if sea-level remains constant, it seems we will probably still run out of land for feeding everyone.

 

Never mind the rest of the world, let's not sausage our part up by making everything manky. It's is much nicer here when it's tidy; let's just hope that other nations allow us to keep our fresh air and... well... coastline :/

[Distortio]

yeah, i'm between a few of these options. i plumped for the overhyped option in the end, but i'm all in favour of green things. just cos the planet may not be doomed isn't a good enough reason to cover it in sharn.

 

i might dig out some old newsleters i got refuting the science supporting the ozone hole theory. it's all very involved and i didn't understand most of it (i spent most of my time in science class inventing new elements to scrawl onto the end of the periodic table...), but it might be interesting reading for any of you science buffs.

[ArabiaTerra]

I think it's very simple

 

The sea freezes in the arctic. This increases the salinity of the water below the ice which makes it denser causing it to sink. It then flows south to the Caribean where it warms up and rises. This displaces the warm water above which flows North and gives us our nice balmy temperate climate. This circulation is called the North Atlantic Conveyor, the warm north flowing component of which is known as the Gulf Stream. It's what makes Northern Europe habitable.

 

Now introduce Global Warming which is affecting the arctic approximatly twice as much as the average for the rest of the world (3 degrees C as opposed to 1.5 average worldwide). This is melting the Siberian permafrost and the Greenland icecap and introducing billions of tons of fresh water into the northern ocean. This fresh water does not sink as it is less dense as the salty sea so it sits in a layer on the surface. No sinking means no southward flow of cold water which means no northern flow of warm water which means no Gulf Stream.

 

Analysis of the Greenland ice cores which provide a record of past climate stretching back for hundreds of thousands of years have shown that this is exactly what happened at the start of the last ice age and it was the recovery of the Atlantic Conveyor which triggered the end of that ice age and the beginning of the warm period which we are still living in today. The scary thing is that the switch from one climate state to the other happens (in geological terms) in the blink of an eye. It's one of those 'tipping points' you hear about.

 

Unfortunatly, it is impossible to predict when the tipping point will be reached until it happens, but recent measurements of the Conveyor have revealed a 30% reduction in flow since measurements began in the 50's, most of which has happened in the last 10 years.

 

Now, given Shetlands position, you can see that we are right in the front line of this disaster. One year, sometime soon, the days will get longer but the weather will get colder until the sea freezes, the snow will build up until it's weight turns the layers at the bottom to ice and 'Hey Presto' new ice age.

 

And I haven't even mentioned the effect of the rise in sea level. 8O

 

It is the greatest threat that has ever faced us and, I fear, it may already be too late!

 

I, already, actively try to live my life in a way that minimizes the amount of carbon I produce. Anyone who does not do this (All you Kingcab pickup and SUV drivers out there) is a selfish squeeky clean poop tube of the highest order and you attract my utter contempt

 

Remember, we do not inherit the world from our parents, we borrow it, briefly, from our children. It is they who will have to live in the village we are creating.

[Pooks]

And I haven't even mentioned the effect of the rise in sea level. 8O

 

Run to the hills,

run for your liveeees!

[Njugle]

I sleep in a boat, actually.

 

 

Good to see you referring to people, Arabia Terra, and not the planet.

 

Is it "save the planet" or "save the human?"

 

The planet is pretty tough.

[Carlos]

I think the "big numbers" are likely to be in the low-mid range of predictions, not too near any extremes, but that the impact of those smaller than expected effects might be bigger than expected.

 

I think our entire society is quite "optimised" in it's use of resources, with not a lot of slack, and when things change, even if the change might not be strictly "bad" it will likely upset the balance too much to be dealt with smoothly.

 

The negative is that we could likely take action to ease the way through the changes but we will not because the political will is not there.

[trout]

Do you know the way that human life has unfolded across the millenia? Well to be absolutely blunt if anything does go moomin's up with "the planet" humans and their ridiculously perceived "top of the food chain" hierarchy and "society" is going to go right tits oot the window!

 

It is a sad sad time, and watching the insesent bablings between ourselves is cruel.

 

It'll all end up turning tribal and hark back to the "Dark Ages" with peoples incomprehension and parochial attitude if the "catacalysmic" predictions come true.

 

"Such is life, eh?"

[Seahorse]

Hi,

I would just lik to add to the talk aboot Global Warming- Yes, there is all the science stuff happening and the human race is at fault but as for the world about to end, no I don't believe that.

The earth will still be here (!) The human race might not though. Governments are now starting to assess what the financial cost of GW will be which is a good thing.

However, I think that when we start to see millions of people dislpaced and becoming environmental refugees the true costs will be massive.

It worries me that wars to secure oil that are ongoing now are going to get worse.

 

Is anyone else old enough to remember Mel Gibson in Mad Max

[ArabiaTerra]

I remember at the start of the 3rd film he was pulling his V8 interceptor behind a horse.

[JAStewart]

The earth will still be here (!) The human race might not though.

 

Evolution in practice.

[Guest Anonymous]

i try and do my bit ,of course it's not much in the grand scheme of things but i try

I think the planet could run without oil in about 20 years if the will was really there but sadly i don't think it is.

then again the planet heated up and cooled down long before the internal combustion engine came on da scene so it is a job ta ken.

[Guest Anonymous]

try not to worry to much about global warming as some day the sun will go oot and maybe even afore dat the earths core will cool and solidify and we will lose our magnetic field which shields us from the sun's radiation.

either way we will all eventually be up turd creek not only without a paddle but also with a hole in the bottom of the canoe

merry christmas !! if it comes..............

[PoolHaddock]

try not to worry to much about global warming as some day the sun will go oot and maybe even afore dat the earths core will cool and solidify and we will lose our magnetic field which shields us from the sun's radiation.

But not before the sun grows to thousands of times its current size and engulfs the entire solar system.

 

Merry Christmas tae d too droikler!

 

(although that is still no excuse not to worry about global warming!)