One last thing on this: Global Warming is one of the few things that we can actually, to at least some extent, control. Not to be pessimistic, but even if we do control ourselves (and the likelihood of that is getting slimmer and slimmer) our current society's existence is beset.
The human effect of Global Warming could be dwarfed, for example, by a super volcano (Yellowstone National Park is one such site that's actually over due: an eruption there could wipe out the entire state and could blanket the rest of the hemisphere with enough ash to cause an ice age). A sizable asteroid impact could do the same. Both events could trigger massive seismic events that makes the recent tsunami seem positively miniature. Mass volcanism could also cause a marked decline in atmospheric oxygen making all but the lowest lying regions habitable (this is a current theory for the mass "super extinction" of 250 million years ago). A star going super-nova within a few million light-years would sterilize the planet with cosmic rays. For that matter our own sun might enter a flare state and do the same thing. Even with our modern medical knowledge a tricky disease could fairly easily wipe out large segments of the population. Our modern travel systems make it all the more likely that such an event would cross oceans and borders before it could be contained. In short if our culture survives it will be only by the skin of our teeth. It would be a shame to dodge the cosmic odds and survive all those things that we can't control only to screw ourselves over because we weren't willing to take preventative steps with those things we could control. Personally I think that the case for human-influenced climate change is strong, nearly indisputable. However the exact effects of this are still at question. But the simple fact that our species has an effect on the environment shouldn't be at question. It's up to us to consider that effect and, if at all possible, ensure that it's a positive one. Jim Davis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Flash for programmers - Flash MX Pro http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=56 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:145311 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
