mrtheedge2u2

I was a scientist for a number of years... before I left lab-top work and whilst there is a change in climate we can not lose track of one essential thing.... there always has been climate change and there always will be climate change.... the way of the world is that we adapt to climate change, not the climate adapting to our wishes.

Whilst I still have to wear whoolies and coats during winter,and can get away with shorts and t-shirts in summer, I am reasonably happy with the climate

Martin2005

I watched the show last night, it was good to watch both sides of the arguement given equal airtime.

The conclusions were pretty clear though, GW is happening, and it's (at least in part) due to mankind. The real debate now is how bad is it going to get.

Yes there are still scientists claiming the opposite, but they are an ever decreasing band of mariginalised odd-*****. - not my view, but the programmes (before you all start on me).

TelBoy

I'll bet you the recent telly programmes have changed a few minds. It's an evolving topic.

PeteBrant

In the general populace, maybe. In here, not a single person has switched camps either way.

TelBoy

Whoolies, love it

This "always has been, always will be" mantra though. So many people latch onto this. Again, i'll ask you, what would it take for you to believe that things are getting out of control? Twenty feet of snow outside your back door this winter? What?

lozgti

So.When all of us have a flipping Prius or a Toyota Aygo and all other cars are destroyed,will it really stop raining and snow again at Christmas?

No.

warrenm2

Why do people care if this is not so?

And I answered your question, so perhaps you could do the same? What would it take to change your mind that this is all a load of claptrap?

The Chief

People believe what they want to believe.

Me personally, i think that Mankind only contributes a very small percentage to global warming, i personally believe its a naturally occuring cycle of the Earths evoloution.

Am i wrong? well who can say who is right or who is wrong, i dont think there is anyone out there can say for definate that we have caused global warming.

GC8

M point is, that if we accept that we must act, then all that we can achieve as a nation, is a drop in the ocean... What the point in 'cleaning up our act' where developing nations will swallow up the savings that we make in a few days worth of growth?

Paul3446

There was no mention in last night's programme about how the hottest year on record was 1998, that for me is a major doubt about global warming.

All the graphs ended at 2000, ignoring 8 years worth of data.

mrtheedge2u2

I have not once stated that things are not 'getting out of control'.

I am simply stating that the climate has changed in a number of ways over the thousands of years.....

On a note, Telboy' you look at gorges and valleys between mountains etc and most of these were caused by ice.. sometimes thousands of feet thick..now whilst I am not that old I do know that the ice was not caused by my Golf's emissions. All I do know is that there has been a number of extreme weather cycles in the past, that can not be attributed to humans, and I suspect there will be again.

TelBoy

No hold on, Warren, an underlying assumption about conditions being optimum was what i'm challenging. That's not the same as wanting to control the rate of change. I'm not sure anyone is actually trying to defy nature entirely, merely prevent the rate of change entering uncharted territory.

If we went a whole year without a new wettest, driest, warmest, coldest etc etc since records began anywhere on Earth, i'd go out and burn a celebratory tyre just for you.

TelBoy

According to NASA that was 2005, if single year data is worth studying.

Martin2005

I do find the 'the climate has always changed' arguement somewhat amusing, do you think that the scientist missed that revaltion when doing their various studies?
I think the point is that climate has historically changed slowly, what we appear to have at the moment is rapid climate change!

mrtheedge2u2

Tel, if records began 10,000 years ago.. do you think we would be still having the wettests, driest etc spells since records began.... i certainly do not think so

TelBoy

I totally agree. But we're not trying to hold back the next ice age here, we're trying to prevent the possibility of the weather on Earth becoming all but unpredictable within the timeframe of a few generations!

TelBoy

No but - again - it's the rate at which they seem to be coming these days which alarms me. Maybe my perception is skewed, i don't know, but i reckon what we're seeing is cause for alarm, and action. Just my take on it.

TomR555

iTrader: (1)

When are people gona learn,theres nothing any of us can do about climate change its always happend it will always happen,if we shut down the entire planet it would still happen so will all those know it alls give it up and get on with your life and let us get on with ours!!! Now all go out n rip up some tarmac

lozgti

What we actually have now is more scientists than you can shake a stick at and an abundance of computers.

And none of them can agree on anything

mrtheedge2u2

Ok, I grant you that, Telboy, but unless everyone goes back to living in the middle ages then there is limited possibility of stopping the rate of change....
'cos lets be honest, who amongst us wants to go back to riding horses, growing our own food, and chopping our own firewood to keep us warm?

PeteBrant

And of course that automatically means that climate change is complete bollocks.


I'm not overly convinced by either camp. But I don't think there is any harm in becomming a less wasteful society.

TelBoy

Why belittle it by suggesting that's what we'd need to revert to? How does that help?

PeteBrant

I do!

Mainly because woman knew their place and were almost exclusively buxom wenches.

mrtheedge2u2

It is not belittling it at all......... what is it that we do now, that we did not do back then, that has increased the problem??

Martin2005

Is that true? The overwelming majority appear to be in agreement on the basic theory, it just the extent to which this is going to impact upon us, is where the real scientific debate is now.

TelBoy

Become, becoming

I think a lot of people are less wateful now, but it's a shame that it's taken prohibitive prices to change energy usage patters for example.

TelBoy

Well it depends who you believe doesn't it. Is CO2 the ultimate global conspiracy or not? That's where the main point of contention seems to lie. And i'm certainly not qualified to say whether it's the main factor or not. But to take the rainforests for example that have been mentioned, how will chopping down the area the size of the UK each and every year benefit the Earth? I just don't think we can keep getting away with it.

PeteBrant

Seriously, what are you Tel, the ****ing grammer police?

mrtheedge2u2

This is the issue.... if I had unlimited power to do what I wanted to prevent the possible global warming or effects of it... I would simply half the population.

TelBoy

Something like that, yes, Pete. Won't change my stance on that either! If you read a lot of stuff, how can you spell becoming like that? Just don't get it.