Global Warming Alert!

[garnett_21]

I firmly believe we are heading into another ice age, and this is the beginning stages of it - and it is due to global warming. They've talked about how it would happen - melting icecaps cools down the ocean temperature, thus cooling off the air - and while I think it's gone a little faster than it "should", I still think this is basically what's happening. We even saw it in the summer this year - I live in MN, and while it's not known for getting hot often, we still usually have 21 days per year above 90º, with about 12 of those coming in July - we had zero days at or above 90º during July, 2009. We also saw less tropical storms - and what do tropical storms need to feed off of? Warm ocean water...it's not that hard to figure out what is happening.

Oh, and just for those wondering - it's been at or below -18º every morning for the last week or so now...and it's only gotten above 0º 2 or 3 days in the last week. Yes, it's Minnesota, but this is still unusual.

[Star_Cards]

do you honestly think that global warming is disproven simply because it was cold in the United States for a few weeks? I'm undecided, but whether or not you believe in global warming being caused by man or a natural cycle, everyone should be willing to be cleaner and more conservative when it comes to our planet. It's disappointing that it's been so politically charged because I believe cleaning the environment and reducing waste to be important no matter if GW is real or made up.

I was listening to a radio show last week and some guy called up complaining about the school system telling his daughter about global warming. He said that she came home and told him that they should turn off some lights to conserve energy. He then said that he told her he was going to turn on all of the lights in the house since he did not believe in global warming. The radio host then said something to the effect that he should have made the girl leave her lights on in her room when she went to bed like a punishment or something. I wish I could remember the show, but I believe it was national. It sickened me to think that we have politicized the conservation of our planet so much that people would purposefully be wasteful out of spite. It's crazy because not only should we reduce our pollutants, but it can also save people money to watch what they waste. Why would this man want to waste energy and pay a higher utility bill just because he's been told GW is a democratic farse. My parents are republicans and they always got on my brothers and I when we left lights on and messed with the thermostat.

I'm sure it's true that there are some thing the government spends money on dealing with the environment, but does that mean we shouldn't try to clean it up?

[OnePimpTiger]

do you honestly think that global warming is disproven simply because it was cold in the United States for a few weeks? I'm undecided, but whether or not you believe in global warming being caused by man or a natural cycle, everyone should be willing to be cleaner and more conservative when it comes to our planet. It's disappointing that it's been so politically charged because I believe cleaning the environment and reducing waste to be important no matter if GW is real or made up.

First, it's not just a few weeks and it's not just the US. The arctic blast we're experiencing is worldwide. And last summer was one of the mildest in years...we posted a story referring to at least 3,000 record low temps set. So that actually makes at least 6 months now of below average temps. And no, that still doesn't prove "global warming" isn't real, but it doesn't do anything to help the case for it. If you say all snowflakes are white, but you start seeing some red snowflakes, doesn't that make you think maybe you need to look at the whole color of snowflakes thing a little closer?

But to answer your question, no it hasn't been disproved...but you forget to mention it hasn't been proved yet either. That's the whole point! We're spending trillions of dollars on incomplete science. People act like "global warming" is a given now and it has to be disproved...what happened to the burden of proof being on those making the claim? Just because Al Gore and the media have decided it's real doesn't mean the issue is settled. When there's just as much proof against as proof for and trillions of tax payers dollars are on the line, I say let's make sure we know what we're talking about before going ahead.

And as Mike, myself, and others have stated repeatedly, this has nothing to do with recycling, conserving energy, and all the little things people can do to be more environmentally friendly....obviously those things are good. We're talking about the trillions that will be spent on cap-and-trade and other such nonsense. That's the error a lot of people make, thinking people who don't automatically buy into "global warming" dump their trash in rivers, pour their dirty oil on baby seals, and leave every light in their house on just to "show them!" To think that's what this is about is naive and 100% completely missing the whole point.

[shortking98]

OPT - What would your plan to control emmissions be then?

[OnePimpTiger]

My plan would be to actually determine what the effect is first. I was always taught to actually conclusively figure out what the problem is before you try to fix it...but I know that's just crazy talk. Common sense has no place in the "global warming" discussion.

[shortking98]

Point being, even if global warming is 100% fabricated, there are plenty of harmful effects of emmissions. Acid rain, smog etc. are all proven, just because global warming is not proven, does not mean that emmissions are not a problem

[OnePimpTiger]

Ok, but the government has never proposed spending over $1 trillion of taxpayers money while we're broke and in a recession to fight acid rain or smog.

Just saw this too, thought I'd add it to the list:

Friday it will probably be colder in Houston than McMurdo Station in Antarctica

Friday's forecast low at McMurdo Station in Antarctica, near where Robert Scott launched his fatal expedition to the South Pole in 1911, is 21 degrees.

It will probably be colder in Houston.

Forecasters say Houston should see its coldest weather in more than a decade later this week, with area low temperatures likely to dip into the upper teens in inland areas, and upper 20s along the coast.

The last time the city's temperature fell below 20 degrees was Jan. 8, 1996, when the low was 19 degrees.

[shortking98]

Is your problem with what they are saying or what they are doing then?

[OnePimpTiger]

???? My problem is spending $1 trillion+ when we already have a $1 trillion+ deficit and are in a recession and passing ridiculous regulations and laws based on incomplete information. And I honestly never thought that would be such a hard concept for the average person to grasp.

[shortking98]

OK, I'm going to ignore the personal attacks and just focus on the facts. It's very easy to attack something by just saying, "Look how much it costs" but if it is a real problem (which you still have been skirting around admitting that emmissions are a problem) then you really need to have a better idea (or even any idea) of how to deal with it other than ignoring the problem