Global warming, more like global hoax.

[Overdriven]

I studied this at University for 3 years and even I haven't made a decision about it particularly. We must be doing something, but how serious an effect we are having is pretty much impossible to estimate. You look at all the estimates from respected scientists and they range from only a small global temperature difference to some of 5 degrees or more. Whats more no one knows what the hell would actually happen if the temperature increased that much.

The one thing I have decided that if all the hysteria and publicity surrounding global warming forces us to be more conscious of the effects we may or may not have on the planet, that can only be a good thing.

[Grumpy_Nic]

Leave xant alone, you coldhearted buggers!

No

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[BASNAK]

I also recommend everyone to read about the climate "feedback-effect". Climate change is not a simple process but one which works like a domino-effect. Example: If the icecaps grow alot and earth has large glaciers. The white ice will reflect back more sunlight leading to even colder temperatures which will lead to even more ice and so on and so on. Reverse the process: ice melting and little ice left on earth -> less reflection (albedo) -> higher temperature -> less ice -> higher temperature etc.

And if I recall correctly one of the biggest fears regarding global warming is that we reach the point where the methane gas trapped in Siberia is released with acceleration since Methane is much worse than carbon dioxide.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change_feedback
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_methane_release

[CrazyCracka420]

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[BASNAK]

I studied this at University for 3 years and even I haven't made a decision about it particularly. We must be doing something, but how serious an effect we are having is pretty much impossible to estimate. You look at all the estimates from respected scientists and they range from only a small global temperature difference to some of 5 degrees or more. Whats more no one knows what the hell would actually happen if the temperature increased that much.

The one thing I have decided that if all the hysteria and publicity surround global warming forces us to be more conscious of the effects we may or may not have on the planet, that can only be a good thing.

You studied Climate change for 3 years or what did you study ? Well from what I've heard, a temperature rise would mean a sea-level rise which is estimated to be around 0.5-2m in this century. It's not that much as long as you dont live by the shore. Netherlands and other western countries have the economies to protect themselves from sea-level rise, but third world countries like Bangladesh would suffer very, very badly. Bangladesh has about ~150 million inhabitants and it is estimated that around 17 million atleast would be directly affected in Bangladesh by 1.5m sea-level rise and a part of the country would belong to the sea.

That's 17 million climate-change refugees only in one country, and as we all know the West aren't really that fond of more immigrants. And this is only one of many disasters that could follow.

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[Xant]

I also recommend everyone to read about the climate "feedback-effect". Climate change is not a simple process but one which works like a domino-effect. Example: If the icecaps grow alot and earth has large glaciers. The white ice will reflect back more sunlight leading to even colder temperatures which will lead to even more ice and so on and so on. Reverse the process: ice melting and little ice left on earth -> less reflection (albedo) -> higher temperature -> less ice -> higher temperature etc.

And if I recall correctly one of the biggest fears regarding global warming is that we reach the point where the methane gas trapped in Siberia is released with acceleration since Methane is much worse than carbon dioxide.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change_feedback
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_methane_release

Yes, that's one possibility. But there are extremely many factors to all this. For example, right now the arctic sea ice is shrinking, while the Antarctic is growing.

And:

However, the same data offer a few puzzles. While land surface warming and vegetation cover have steadily increased in the vicinity of Greenland over the last thirty years, warming and vegetation have actually decreased in some parts of Eurasia over the last decade. This suggests that once sea ice declines or the climate warms beyond a limit, other processes begin to play a more central role in summer climate variability, such as moisture availability in the soil or cloudiness, which can lead to cooler conditions during the northern summer. Another mystery is the decline in vegetation cover over the southwest Alaskan tundra despite an increase in land surface temperature over the same period.

So: predictions are likely to go astray, and they have been completely wrong so far, on nearly every aspect.

Another thing to consider is that the IPCC claims there's a "pause" in global warming right now (which wasn't predicted apparently...). That sounds very much like an ad hoc explanation.

[Overdriven]

You studied Climate change for 3 years or what did you study ? Well from what I've heard, a temperature rise would mean a sea-level rise which is estimated to be around 0.5-2m in this century. It's not that much as long as you dont live by the shore. Netherlands and other western countries have the economies to protect themselves from sea-level rise, but third world countries like Bangladesh would suffer very, very badly. Bangladesh has about ~150 million inhabitants and it is estimated that around 17 million atleast would be directly affected in Bangladesh by 1.5m sea-level rise and a part of the country would belong to the sea.

That's 17 million climate-change refugees only in one country, and as we all know the West aren't really that fond of more immigrants. And this is only one of many disasters that could follow.

I studied Geography. Which naturally incorporates climate change into just about everything 

But that's precisely what I mean, it's all estimation, and the estimates vary. No one really knows how much the sea level would rise, if it did rise all that much. No one knows how the hell the weather systems would take to it, because they damn sure would change in some form. No one really knows how many people could be effected, how many ecosystems ect ect.

Sure there are rough estimates, but they are very very rough and still largely guesswork. This is mostly down to the fact the Earth is simply too complex system (with a fuck ton of small systems) all working together.

Which I guess is why I'm still undecided as to how big an effect we are having. Humans are a huge presence on the Earth, but we barely understand a fraction of what happens around us and how different things interact with each other in the Earth's systems.

The other thing that really puts me off following the hysteria is the fact 50 years ago everyone thought it was Global Cooling.

[Son Of Odin]

Xant you continue from here. The smugness has been wiped out of my face when I realized it's highly likely that it's my reading comprehension and not CrazyCracka's English what's shit here.

(click to show/hide)

he wrote climate, not climate change... I'm stupid...

[Scervo]

Too lazy to read the whole thread, but global warming does not literally fucking mean the world is only getting hotter. It's an increase in extreme weather. Meaning cold is colder, hot is hotter, more hurricanes, more tornadoes, etc etc. Oh, by the way, even though people argue about global warming, scientists don't. 97% of climate scientists agree that it is happening and that man makes it go faster. Earlier you were throwing out strawman fallacies saying that people were accusing your shitty articles of "faking NASA pictures", so heres a link from NASAs website backing up my claim. http://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus

[BASNAK]

Too lazy to read the whole thread, but global warming does not literally fucking mean the world is only getting hotter. It's an increase in extreme weather. Meaning cold is colder, hot is hotter, more hurricanes, more tornadoes, etc etc. Oh, by the way, even though people argue about global warming, scientists don't. 97% of climate scientists agree that it is happening and that man makes it go faster. Earlier you were throwing out strawman fallacies saying that people were accusing your shitty articles of "faking NASA pictures", so heres a link from NASAs website backing up my claim. http://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus

Are you trying to say that Scientists are more reliable than the Daily Mail? God forbid.

[CrazyCracka420]

It's called the Daily Fail for a reason (even in 'murica)

[Overdriven]

Or daily wail.

[Xant]

Earlier you were throwing out strawman fallacies saying that people were accusing your shitty articles of "faking NASA pictures", so heres a link from NASAs website backing up my claim. http://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus

I did no such thing. Where did I accuse anyone of claiming that the article faked NASA pictures?

[Zlisch_The_Butcher]

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If there is one thing that pisses me off it's the preserve the rainforest bullshit, Eurasians wiped out the vast majority of their forests and built shit there, then go off crying how the people in Brazil shouldn't be allowed to do the same, if you want forests, go get rid of some of your cities or farms and plant shit there.

[Overdriven]

Well in fairness the rainforests are far larger than anything seen in Europe. Furthermore, Europeans did it long before we had any idea about what effects it would have. Now we know, it's our job to make sure the same doesn't happen elsewhere.