Al Gore's Peace Prize, etc....
Al Gore was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize(sharing it with the United Nations Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change) for his work on raising the awareness of the world to global climate change. The former Vice President has also won an Academy Award for Best Documentary, for his movie "An Inconvenient Truth". To his credit, more and more people are talking about "Global Warming" and many individuals are taking steps to do what they can to be more energy efficient and reduce their "carbon footprint". I'm one of those who has compact fluorescent lights in my house and I now drive a fuel efficient Honda Civic.
But, and you knew a BUT was coming, I have some doubts about the accuracy of the claims of the global warming alarmists. Without getting to detailed about this claim or that claim, I just am skeptical because the amount of time that we have detailed data is minimal compared to the life of the planet. Also, computer models are only as good as the data that goes into them.
Yes, we seem to be warming and yes, we have higher levels of greenhouse gases than we used to. But we don't know for sure if there are some underlying planetary cycles that may also be going on here that could have a much greater impact than we could ever imagine.
I was just reading an article at WorldClimateReport.com that discusses the increase in the amount of snow and ice pack on the Antarctic Continent. It makes sense that if we are warming, then the atmosphere can hold more moisture and more rain(or snow) can fall.
At the South Pole, which is a landmass unlike the North Pole, it will still be cold enough for snow, but the warming there could actually build the ice pack, due to increase in atmospheric moisture which would increase the snowfall and that in turn could reduce ocean levels. Maybe all those forecasts about rising sea levels might not come true.
I think that reducing pollution and our dependence on foreign oil and developing cleaner energies are all good goals and we should pursue them vigorously. But, I also think it's too early to know what effects human activity will ultimately have on our planet. Whatever happens or doesn't happen, I believe we'll adapt like we always have.
posted by Howard Bernstein, 9 Weather Now at
7:43 AM
2 Comments:
Howard,
This is a subject that has become difficult to discuss in many conversations due to so many having hardened opinions on the matter. I for one would like to see more research on the subject and more facts then you will hear from the blurbs given out by the media. Any links to various research and opinions on the subject would be greatly appreciated.
Data does support the fact that the Earth is getting warmer. Other facts also do support that Man is responsible for increasing CO2 and other pollutants which contributes to the greenhouse effect. My problem comes when people put these two facts together and state that therefore man is causing global warming. The reality that the Earth has always gone through long term climate shifts does not appear to enter the calculations of many.
I think there can be a debate as to what extent man is changing these long term patterns. It does appear that at the present time we are at a midpoint between ice ages when we might expect the Earth to be at it warmest. We also must consider that if the atmosphere was in a pristine condition at some point the Earth would begin to return to an ice age. If this was to happen it would be in Man's best interest to warm the planet.
It is important to conclude that reducing pollution is a win win situation. Everyone being "greener" certainly will pay dividends in many ways. It is only a matter of considering that we are doing this because it is a reasonable and rational thing to do versus doing it because we are feel we are under extreme threat from global warming.
One thing that I have learned in the news business is that there is always more than 1 side to everything.
I was tlaking with my colleague, Tony Pann, and he points out that the science of global warming and the politics often co-mingle. If we could keep them separate, then the conversation could happen.
IceCap is one website that is on the contrarian side of the argument.
GlobalWarming.org is another science based web site that I find to be fair minded.
The Natural Resources Defense Council seems to be on the side of humans definitely causing global warming, and the calamities that will follow.
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