"'The Inconvenient Truth' is indeed inconvenient to alarmists"

Discussion in 'Free Speech Alley' started by LsuCraig, Jun 14, 2006.

  1. red55

    red55 curmudgeon Staff Member

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    Just the latest consensus scientific study and Congressional report on global warming for your consideration.


    Study: Earth likely hottest in 2,000 years

    Thursday, June 22, 2006;
    WASHINGTON (AP) -- It has been 2,000 years and possibly much longer since Earth has run such a fever.

    The National Academy of Sciences, reaching that conclusion in a broad review of scientific work requested by Congress, reported Thursday that the "recent warmth is unprecedented for at least the last 400 years and potentially the last several millennia."

    A panel of top climate scientists told lawmakers that Earth is heating up and that "human activities are responsible for much of the recent warming." Their 155-page report said average global surface temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere rose about 1 degree during the 20th century.
    This is shown in boreholes, retreating glaciers and other evidence found in nature, said Gerald North, a geosciences professor at Texas A&M University who chaired the academy's panel.

    The report was requested in November by the chairman of the House Science Committee, Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, R-New York, to address naysayers who question whether global warming is a major threat. Last year, when the House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman, Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, launched an investigation of three climate scientists, Boehlert said Barton should try to learn from scientists, not intimidate them.

    Boehlert said Thursday the report shows the value of having scientists advise Congress. "There is nothing in this report that should raise any doubts about the broad scientific consensus on global climate change," he said.

    Other new research Thursday showed that global warming produced about half of the extra hurricane-fueled warmth in the North Atlantic in 2005, and natural cycles were a minor factor, according to Kevin Trenberth and Dennis Shea of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, a research lab sponsored by the National Science Foundation and universities. Their study is being published by the American Geophysical Union.

    Read the rest of the story
     
  2. Sourdoughman

    Sourdoughman TigerFan of LSU and the Tigerman

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    I've never doubted such a thing as climate change or possibly global warming.
    The key thing here is 2000 years or possibly longer.
    I just don't believe man is the cause of global warming or is the source of
    all evil.
    I've always made fun of global warming because I don't believe that man is the cause of it!

    The earth has obviously had global warming at different points in time otherwise the Ice Age never would've ended.

    Mars is also experiencing a warming trend according to articles I have read.
     
  3. Contained Chaos

    Contained Chaos Don't we all?

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    I don't think man is the only cause of global warming. I definitely think that many things we do contribute to it; I actually never thought that point was really debatable. I mean, honestly, all those synthetic chemicals that we burn off into the atmosphere...what do you think happens with that stuff? But I think that we should take whatever means necessary to minimize our contribution, because it is certainly in our interests to slow it down as much as possible. Sticking our heads in the sand and just blaming it all on natural climatalogical cycles is oblivious.
     
  4. martin

    martin Banned Forever

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    am i supposed to think 2000 years is a long tim in terms of the earth?

    and why was it so hot 2000 years ago? was that humans too? how could it get so hot without SUVs?

    i think the claim is that co2 is mostly the culprit right, i wouldnt call that synthetic, nor would i call oil/gas synthetic.
     
  5. red55

    red55 curmudgeon Staff Member

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    It's a long time in terms of human civilization. Human impact is what we are talking about here.

    Who said it was hot 2,000 years ago? They said that was how far back reliable data could be gathered. There are also natural factors in global warming, but the current trend results from massive deforestation in the last 2,000 years and especially the Industrial Revolution in the last 150. Human impacts.

    CO2 is only one of the greenhouse gases. It is naturally occuring as is oil, but that is entirely irrelevant. It is a major byproduct of burning fuels and is synthetically produced. Pumping oil out of the earth and distilling it into gasoline, fuel oil, and polymers is not a naturally occurring process. Producing and burning hydrocarbons constitute Human impacts.
     
  6. LsuCraig

    LsuCraig Founding Member

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    Deforestation is a myth:

    More than 730 million acres of forest cover the U.S. - that equals two-thirds of the forested area present when Columbus landed in America. There is now 28% more standing timber volume in the U.S. than in 1952.

    http://www.akforest.org/facts.htm

    I have more facts based on the so called effects of deforestation. Cutting down trees does not cause floods, less oxygen in the air etc etc. In fact, worldwide, the concentration of forests is higher than ever before and the humber of standing timber trees is higher than ever before.

    What's your next lie please?
     
  7. LsuCraig

    LsuCraig Founding Member

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    CO2 levels have never been proven to have anything to do with global warming so try again:

    Carleton University paleoclimatologist Professor Tim Patterson testified, "There is no meaningful correlation between CO2 levels and Earth's temperature over this [geologic] time frame. In fact, when CO2 levels were over ten times higher than they are now, about 450 million years ago, the planet was in the depths of the absolute coldest period in the last half billion years." Patterson asked the committee, "On the basis of this evidence, how could anyone still believe that the recent relatively small increase in CO2 levels would be the major cause of the past century's modest warming?"


    http://www.canadafreepress.com/2006/harris061206.htm

    Those are the facts amigos. :grin:
     
  8. martin

    martin Banned Forever

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    what warmed the earth out of ice ages? what made the earth warmer before humans?

    not me, i have no idea. the first line of your article:
    "It has been 2,000 years and possibly much longer since Earth has run such a fever."

    that implies to me that it was hot at one time. i wish i knew why it was hot then so i could know that the cause then wasnt the cause now.


    you are right that it is irrelevant, my dispute was only with describing the things we are burning as synthetic. oil is a natural product of our bountiful earth, provided by jesus to power our cars. we dont make oil in a lab.
     
  9. kcal

    kcal Founding Member

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    1 degree in 100 years????????????????????????????????????????:lol:
     
  10. red55

    red55 curmudgeon Staff Member

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    I'm talking global deforestation since the dawn of man, not US forestation since 1952. You are cherry-picking statistics and then drawing broad conclusions based on inadequate data.

    Then bring on these facts and prove it. Here are some facts for you to consider.

    http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/society/deforestation.htm
    "The process of greenhouse gas increase is quite simple. Carbon dioxide levels increase for a number of reasons; but one of the main factors contributing to the increase of carbon levels is decay of woody material. The only way to help moderate the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is through plant life. Alive plants and trees absorb the carbon dioxide from decaying plants and trees. With a decrease in trees and plant life (due to deforestation) it is much harder to moderate these levels. Ultimately, the amount of carbon will increase due to a lack of plant life present to keep the carbon dioxide levels in check. This whole process leads to an "albedo effect which reflects more heat and light back into the atmosphere than would be the case if the sun shone on green trees". The bottom line is that the increase in the carbon level and other greenhouse gas levels into the atmosphere leads to an increase in temperature, and eventually a change in climate and weather."

    http://library.thinkquest.org/17456/deforestationall.html
    "Perhaps the greatest potential cause of deforestation lies in the future: climate change. If the greenhouse effect raises the earth's temperature, forests may no longer be able to survive in their present locations. Some may have to migrate up mountain slopes, or to cooler or wetter environments. But unlike conditions following the last Ice Age, global warming will probably happen too quickly for forests to adapt."

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4436116.stm
    "The speed of global deforestation is showing signs of slowing down because of new planting and natural forest extension, according to new figures. But the world's forests are still being destroyed at an alarming rate, says the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, presenting details from a new report. The numbers measure net loss, taking into account forest growth from new planting and natural expansion. An average 7.3 million hectares was lost annually over the last five years. This was down from 8.9 million hectares (22 million acres) a year between 1990 and 2000."

    Don't be a jerk. Can't you just debate the issues without being inflammatory?.
     

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