Author Topic: Global warming 'past the point of no return' (Read 5265 times)

Rictor · **on:** September 17, 2005, 02:47:43 pm

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/article312997.ece

Wonderful. Just f*cking wonderful. I wonder, though, do we really know enough about global warming? After all, does a complete consensus among the world's scientists really give us enough to go on? Let's debate some more.

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A record loss of sea ice in the Arctic this summer has convinced scientists that the northern hemisphere may have crossed a critical threshold beyond which the climate may never recover. Scientists fear that the Arctic has now entered an irreversible phase of warming which will accelerate the loss of the polar sea ice that has helped to keep the climate stable for thousands of years.

The greatest fear is that the Arctic has reached a "tipping point" beyond which nothing can reverse the continual loss of sea ice and with it the massive land glaciers of Greenland, which will raise sea levels dramatically.

Ford Prefect · **Reply #1 on:** September 17, 2005, 02:59:45 pm

Liberal propaganda! The environment's condition is doubleplusgood!

Unknown Target · **Reply #2 on:** September 17, 2005, 03:05:30 pm

Yay...

Grey Wolf · **Reply #3 on:** September 17, 2005, 03:44:16 pm

So how long until the Gulf Stream Current collapses due to the addition of massive amounts of fresh water?

karajorma · **Reply #4 on:** September 17, 2005, 04:01:07 pm

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Originally posted by Rictor
Wonderful. Just f*cking wonderful. I wonder, though, do we really know enough about global warming? After all, does a complete consensus among the world's scientists really give us enough to go on? Let's debate some more.

People don't realise that the icecaps is only the half of it. It's the methane hydrate that scares the s**t out of me. The only thing keeping that stuff from bubbling out of the sea and drastically raising the temperature is the fact that the world is too cold at the moment. The temperature changes cause by the ice caps melting is nothing compared to what will happen when that stuff starts coming out.

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Originally posted by Grey Wolf
So how long until the Gulf Stream Current collapses due to the addition of massive amounts of fresh water?

Already showing signs of collapse from what I hear. Goodbye mild English winters. Say hello to temperatures like Canada gets.

achtung · **Reply #5 on:** September 17, 2005, 04:07:48 pm

Great I don't get to live my life out because of some stupid ass polititians. Whoop de mother ****ing doo!

Grey Wolf · **Reply #6 on:** September 17, 2005, 04:27:17 pm

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Originally posted by karajorma
Already showing signs of collapse from what I hear. Goodbye mild English winters. Say hello to temperatures like Canada gets.

The British Isles are about as far north as Newfoundland, right?

karajorma · **Reply #7 on:** September 17, 2005, 04:36:14 pm

Further north actually. London is about parallel with the north of it. Thanks to the gulf stream weather people don't realise how far to the north the UK actually is.

aldo_14 · **Reply #8 on:** September 17, 2005, 05:19:54 pm

IIRC London is (also) more or less on the same latitude as Moscow.

Oh, and Siberian peat bogs are thawing for the first time in 11,000 years (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4141348.stm); which has the potential to release billions of tonnes of trapped methane. Of course, that's not new - 4 years ago scientists were warning that artic permafrost was now melting and releasing CO2 (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1158269.stm); and also across the world (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4120755.stm)

And there's the increasing evidence that the Permian mass extinction was caused by global warming (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4184110.stm) exactly as kara alluded to. But that's only if worsening hurricanes triggered by increasing sea temperatures don't get us first (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4249138.stm).

But, hey, if people think the next generation should worry about us, then we can just leave it to them and technology to fix, right?
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Right?

SadisticSid · **Reply #9 on:** September 17, 2005, 06:08:56 pm

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Originally posted by Swantz
Great I don't get to live my life out because of some stupid ass polititians. Whoop de mother ****ing doo!

Yeah, suckle on the blessed propaganda of the environmentalist lobby like a good *****.

a) There's conflicting evidence about the root causes of global warming - human industry does not necessarily contribute a significant amount
b) Global warming isn't going to kill you. The world won't go *snap* and suddenly change by magic.

IceFire · **Reply #10 on:** September 17, 2005, 06:28:35 pm

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Originally posted by SadisticSid

Yeah, suckle on the blessed propaganda of the environmentalist lobby like a good *****.

a) There's conflicting evidence about the root causes of global warming - human industry does not necessarily contribute a significant amount
b) Global warming isn't going to kill you. The world won't go *snap* and suddenly change by magic.

A) The conflicting evidence usually points to how exactly humans are responsible...not IF they are. Only a very small group, usually funded by the very large corporations, tend to contradict that little one. We know we've had an impact on the global climate...the thousands of tonnes of garbage we pump into the air each year has an influence that although small by itself is building up with the last 200 years of industrialized activity.
B) Global warming doesn't really kill anyone. The stuff thats spawned because of global warming can, will, and probably already has. The hurricanes are going to get worse, the flooding is going to be worse, some areas are going to dry out and crop yeilds are going to drop in some areas (although potentially other areas will become more fertile - thats not as likely but possible).

We're going to have to adjust ourselves to a new climate that is now not the same one that has been relied on for the last 1000 years. Global patterns that have scarecely shifted in the long run (sure some winters are warmer and some summers are cooler but its usually fairly balanced) are going to shift dramatically for some.

Scientists are concerned about global warming, not because its not something that hasn't already happened, but because its becoming largely felt that we, as a species, have triggered it and moved it along faster than normally. The special report by the Pentagon done a few years ago that has passed through this forum and others suggests that Global Warming is felt to be a threat greater than terrorism to the national security of the United States and allies.

Time to get our heads out of the sand and hope that it all blows over. Time to adapt and time to change our ways.

achtung · **Reply #11 on:** September 17, 2005, 06:30:50 pm

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Originally posted by SadisticSid

Yeah, suckle on the blessed propaganda of the environmentalist lobby like a good *****.

a) There's conflicting evidence about the root causes of global warming - human industry does not necessarily contribute a significant amount
b) Global warming isn't going to kill you. The world won't go *snap* and suddenly change by magic.

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b) Global warming isn't going to kill you. The world won't go *snap* and suddenly change by magic.

I'm not an uber environmentalist it's just that most politicians and practicaly everyone wants to try and throw this issue on the backburner. No one seems to think ahead, I mean I understand things won't just go *snap* but just because it won't be an immdiate thing doesn't mean we shouldn't deal with it now and wait till it's a major problem later.

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a) There's conflicting evidence about the root causes of global warming - human industry does not necessarily contribute a significant amount

Ok, so thousands of power plants and millions of cars burning up fuels that produce Carbon Dioxide does nothing to the atmosphere.

Sure:doubt:

karajorma · **Reply #12 on:** September 17, 2005, 06:42:12 pm

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Originally posted by SadisticSid
a) There's conflicting evidence about the root causes of global warming - human industry does not necessarily contribute a significant amount

Absolute nonsense. If it's not human industry what is it? And if you say volcanoes you're going to feel like a right prick when I prove you wrong with the evidence I've already linked to twice before on these forums.

TrashMan · **Reply #13 on:** September 17, 2005, 06:49:09 pm

We're screwed.....

Grey Wolf · **Reply #14 on:** September 17, 2005, 07:08:36 pm

To be optimistic, the Northwest Passage will soon exist...

Rictor · **Reply #15 on:** September 17, 2005, 07:10:56 pm

Indeed. And then the spices will flow freely from Asia through the Colonies and back to Europe. A new golden age is upon us!

Grey Wolf · **Reply #16 on:** September 17, 2005, 07:17:48 pm

It's actually still useful, incidentally. Much of the world's shipping is still done at sea, as air is a bit more expensive.

Ford Prefect · **Reply #17 on:** September 17, 2005, 07:18:43 pm

Yeah, no more being raped by the airlines if I want to go to Arizona.

aldo_14 · **Reply #18 on:** September 17, 2005, 07:20:38 pm

It's worth noting that part of the issue over global warming is not whether human activity is the largest source of it, but whether it's the tipping point.

Of course, global dimming - the effect of fossil fuel pollution upon clouds, making them denser and more sun-heat reflective - has been directly linked to changes in the rain patterns over Africa, contributing to the deaths of millions from famine. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/horizon/dimming_trans.shtml)

WeatherOp · **Reply #19 on:** September 17, 2005, 07:46:45 pm

Sits back and waits until someone blames Kat on Global Warming.

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Author Topic: Global warming 'past the point of no return' (Read 5265 times)

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