Man-made global warming a myth.....?
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Original Post
I stumbled upon an interesting website which questions the popular theory of man-made global warming. The scientists who created this website believe strongly that global warming is the result of a natural phenomenom and that human contribution is relatively insignificant in comparison.
I have not seen Al Gore's movie yet. I wanted to take a closer look at the global warming movement from a different perspective before watching the movie.
The website is called Friends of Science. You will find references to scientific journals dating from 2001 and on, published books, etc.
If you're interested, please set aside some time to take a look at the videos on this website. They are not long at all. Feel free to contribute your thoughts. Please let this be a civil discussion, and not a flame war.
BTW, I am an advocate for a cleaner environment, however I am open to questioning and critically analysing popular belief that can lead to increased panic amongst the masses. This does NOT mean I am absolved from polluting the earth irresponsibly. Understand that I just want to be clear about this issue from all perspectives. I think it would be enlightening to share our opinions.
Peace!
:)
www.friendsofscience.org/index.php?ide=3
Posted at 6:47am Mar 17, 2007 EDT
Responses
i have not looked at the site, nor have i seen "an inconvenient truth". i believe that they both play a big part though. maybe humans don't actually contribute to global warming so much, but we definitely polute and often spoil the riches around us.
Posted at 6:54am Mar 17, 2007 EDT
This video was excellent (it's "con" on the "movement"):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XttV2C6B8pU
Give some pretty interesting insights.
Posted at 7:20am Mar 17, 2007 EDT
purekatherine, I agree.
tcbeads, cool. Thanks for posting that link. I started watching the video but it's stalling on me right now. I'll return to it in a moment. BTW, I love the beginning of it...it mastered the pseudo-hype cleverly! :)
Posted at 7:33am Mar 17, 2007 EDT
Moomees - I am also an advocate for a cleaner environment. And like you I also find myself questioning man made global warming . It's just difficult for me to grasp or completely believe that humans could be the cause of what logically (to me anyway) seems like a natural cycle of global heating and cooling. I almost feel like we are a little bit arrogant to think that we can make that much of a dent on the earth.
I have not see An Inconvienient Truth and have not read in length about man made global warming theories. But now I think I need to.
I am always one to question "popular belief that can lead to increased panic amongst the masses" as you put it. And on this issue it's hard for me to just accept the man made theory. I'm really curious what other people have to say on this issue.
Posted at 7:39am Mar 17, 2007 EDT
I have another concern...
I am assuming that the man-made global warming campaign is fairly expensive $$. So, if this theory is in fact a propaganda, then I would be sad to see that the money could have gone to more immediate social concerns such as low-cost housing for the homeless, overhauling the budget for healthcare, providing loans for small business entrepreneurs, other humanitarian causes and social programs, etc, etc.
Posted at 7:40am Mar 17, 2007 EDT
I imagine that's not how you're meaning to come across, but you all sound like you think global warming is something that was just come up with last month to alarm you. It isn't. Scientists have been talking about it seriously for a very long time now, and for a long time it got pretty much no attention. I'm all for questioning popular belief, but just because concern about it has become more mainstream dosen't automaticelly discredit it.
Yes, there is a natural cycle of warming and cooling, but what's happening now is so much faster than it ever has been before. It's happening at a rate that threatens thousands of species in polar and tropical regions, and millions of people living in coastal areas. Not only from violent and unpredictable weather, but a rising ocean level that will leave many heavily populated coastal areas completely underwater.
It may seem like a huge impact for humans to have had on the planet, but consider the sheer scale of the pollution that's been produced by us in the past century. It boggles the mind. You may debate the degree to which humans are responsible, but if we have any hand in it whatsoever we have a responsibility to deal with it. Even if we don't it's a major concern. This planet is the most prescious thins we have, there are no others for us. We NEED to keep it habitable. As much of it as possible.
Posted at 7:59am Mar 17, 2007 EDT
I wish there were an independent review of global warming. Everything you read and hear about it is from one *side* or the other.
Personally, I do believe that man had created an enviromentally-hateful society...often in ignorance. But I don't think the polar ice caps are going to melt next week. It takes generations (several of them) to change things like that even on the most dramatic scale. Of course, if we don't start doing something and expect future generations to do it, it's just going to get worse.
There have been cycles in global climate changes for eons...that's how they work.
Posted at 8:01am Mar 17, 2007 EDT