I don't. I honestly don't. It's a theory, one that hasn't been entirely proven. I do agree with the idea of "climate change" which is different from "global warming" in that not all areas will get hotter, but that the climates in different ecosystems will change and many species will be adversely affected, and some even completely eliminated. Global warming? Not so much.
But that's not even the real issue here. Even if you disagree with climate change, perhaps you might feel differently about, say, clean air? Many of the same environmental pollutants that cause climate change are also the same particulates and gases that foul our air, cause cancer, ephysema, asthma and infant deaths.
So, even if you don't give a rats ass about global warming or climate change, how do you feel about getting cancer? How big of a tradeoff is sustainable living for your family's health and happiness? We're all dying to know.
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yikes what happened to you? i totally agree with climate change, and as far as global warming goes, i agree that it is a theory, but they have even shown that antartica is starting to warm up for the first time ever. soo that is pretty big news i guess. i just figure we should try to leave the planet at least as nice as we found it for our kids and their kids.
That's just it, though. Areas with more temperate climates are growing colder and species are becoming endangered, while Antarctica melts. If one area is growing less temperate and another is growing more, why lable it as Global Warming when it's not accurate and easily debunked. It's CLIMATE CHANGE.
I read a lot of essays and drivel from people who build these unnecessarily elaborate straw-man arguments on "global warming" so that they can feel less guilty about their hour-long commutes in their SUVs, or about the way developers are gobbling up opens space in a manifest-destiny type of urban sprawl, consequences be damned. And yet, they never think about anything other than what they call a "global warming hoax." There is such a thing as air pollution and ozone poisoning that is giving children cancer and increasing the incidence of autism at alarming rates, but that point is lost on much of America. Why? For McMansions, consumerism and SUVs.
Sorry folks! Haven't been this ranty in a while! :)
Well, my stance is that if climate change isn't a theory - then global warming is pretty much jargon for the same thing.
I believe the earth is still emerging from the last ice age. The earth has been warming and cooling for millenia, without us here. We are but a blip, and we happen to be here during one of the warming phases.
But I am still all for preserving the earth, cleaning the air, using green energy, etc. simply because it's better than what we've been doing so far. We are here to be good stewards of our planet, so let us not shirk that duty.
I'm of the iopinion that scientists have studied, experimented and pretty much reached consensus on the fact that climate change is happening and is a result of human activity, I go with those people rather than the opinions of politicians, journalists and other such unqualified indicioduals.
I also discount some scuientists, in particular those that have privately funded studies that haven't fully published their research - in particular their methodology. If you're unwilling to publish your methodology, dont publish anything.
/rant.
But I agree with you Jo, the only way to get people (inlcuding me!) to act is to appeal to the general population's propensity towards selfishness and self-interest.
Actually Matt, the scientific community is fairly well divided on the issue.
The public is nearly force-fed the info to make them believe it's all our fault.
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