> -----Original Message----- > From: Angel Stewart [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Friday, January 28, 2005 3:34 PM > To: CF-Community > Subject: RE: Report: Global warming approaching critical point > > So why is the temperature on the planet increasing then? Why the changes > in weather pattern. > > Let's say for one moment that it isn't becase of Global Warming effected > by mankind's activities...the trend is STILL a problem. > > What is to be done about it?
The overwhelming evidence is that the emissions of man could, indeed, cause global climate change. Most researchers are confident that it IS, but this is, of course, subject to new evidence. It's also incredibly likely that the changes seen are not the result of one or the other but a complex mixture of both. But in the end it doesn't matter. In both cases (whether the change is man-made or not) the cost of the change will fall upon us most heavily. Even a relatively minor change in sea level or ocean currents will cause billions (if not trillions) of dollars of production changes. Formerly fertile farmland will be eliminated and formerly rich fishing grounds will disappear. The cost of major climate change (another ice age, for example) are completely incalculable. I fully suspect that we would not survive, as a dominant species, such an event. In short the brunt of any such change will fall mostly on us as a species. Massive events will, of course, cause mass extinctions, but will not greatly affect the general biosphere of the planet. However they will cripple our society. (At the same time considering current capabilities the stresses of any such event could easily lead to a full-scale thermo-nuclear war). The issue, as you imply, is that there may be very little that we can do (and some days I think that may be for the best). However let's assume that the generally accepted conclusions are correct and human activities are a contributing cause. If that were the case we may very well be approaching a point where we will be unable to "fix" things even if we wanted to. It surprises me that people are willing to take that chance when the collateral (and mostly selfish) benefits of addressing the issue are so clear. We are so willing to accept inconvenience and cost for short term (and likely ineffectual) security issues with no concrete evidence, but are so unwilling to invest in something with credible (tho argumented) evidence. In short it seems to me that when betting with civilization we should generally take the safe bet. Jim Davis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Discover CFTicket - The leading ColdFusion Help Desk and Trouble Ticket application http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=48 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:145305 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
