Am I still allowed to question climate change?

[Phanerothyme]

Let's assume for a minute that none of us are climatologists.

 

Worst case scenario if we act?

 

Worst case scenario if we fail to act?

[sharrowman]

Let's assume for a minute that none of us are climatologists.

 

Worst case scenario if we act?

 

Worst case scenario if we fail to act?

 

 

Water war either way!

[convert]

Seems Global Warming is going off the boil over in the US, according to this Gallup poll.

 

http://www.gallup.com/poll/146810/Water-Issues-Worry-Americans-Global-Warming-Least.aspx

 

Water Issues Worry Americans Most, Global Warming Least

 

At least three in four Americans surveyed in Gallup's 2011 Environment poll say they worry a great deal or a fair amount about contamination of soil and water by toxic waste, pollution of rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, pollution of drinking water, and the maintenance of the nation's supply of fresh water for household needs.

 

Air pollution is nearly as high a concern for Americans, with 72% worried a great deal or a fair amount about it.

 

A little more than 6 in 10 worry about the related problems of extinction of plant and animal species and the loss of tropical rain forests. Slightly fewer worry about urban sprawl and loss of open spaces, while barely half, 51%, worry about global warming.

 

 

I have to say the media is very quiet about climate change at the moment, did anyone see any mainstream coverage of 'earth hour' last Saturday?

[rickiethecat]

Let's assume for a minute that none of us are climatologists.

 

Worst case scenario if we act?

 

Worst case scenario if we fail to act?

 

In each case the worst case scenario is that the planet will continue to function exactly as it would if there were no humans living on it.

[convert]

Oh dear, looks like the global temperature trend is down by nearly 0.1 of a degree for last month (UAH)

 

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/04/05/global-temperature-still-headed-down-uah-negative-territory/#more-37362

 

So is this GLOBAL cooling being caused by global warming?

[Joe9T]

The hottest maximum shade temperature on the face of the Earth was

recorded in Libya at El Azizia (or Al Aziziyah (32.32 N 13.35 E). It is located

55 km south-east of Tripoli and is a major trade centre of Sahel Jeffara.

The place where the maximum temperature was recorded, is located in the heart

of El Azizia, on land owned by an Italian farmer.

The highest and hottest temperature degree was 58°C (136° F) recorded on 13

September 1922 in Azizia, according to the annual temperature observation

book written in the Italian language and issued by R. Ufficio centrale di

meteorologia e geodinamica in Rome.

 

Surely, if the Globe is warming, then the highest temperature ever recorded would have been beaten, by now!!!

[Wildcat]

The hottest maximum shade temperature on the face of the Earth was

recorded in Libya at El Azizia (or Al Aziziyah (32.32 N 13.35 E). It is located

55 km south-east of Tripoli and is a major trade centre of Sahel Jeffara.

The place where the maximum temperature was recorded, is located in the heart

of El Azizia, on land owned by an Italian farmer.

The highest and hottest temperature degree was 58°C (136° F) recorded on 13

September 1922 in Azizia, according to the annual temperature observation

book written in the Italian language and issued by R. Ufficio centrale di

meteorologia e geodinamica in Rome.

 

Surely, if the Globe is warming, then the highest temperature ever recorded would have been beaten, by now!!!

 

Not necessarily, it is perfectly conceivable that global temperatures are rising but that the highest recorded temperature is sometime in the past.

 

The temperature has been disputed anyway... it seems likely based on research in the 1950s that the station was recording the temperature 2 degrees higher than it should have been.

http://wmo.asu.edu/world-highest-temperature

 

If you want to know if global temperatures are rising rather than looking at individual peaks of temperature it is much more direct and sensible to be looking at datasets.

 

If you examine the evidence you will find the evidence is conclusive.... one reason why global warming is not just a matter of consensus, it is not disputed by any scientist of any note in the relevant field.

 

http://www.skepticalscience.com/10-key-climate-indicators-point-to-same-finding-global-warming-is-unmistakable.html

 

There some disputes around causes and what the consequences will be, but aside from a handful of scientists the overwhelming consensus is that it is man made CO2 emissions that are causing global warming.

[Joe9T]

Not necessarily, it is perfectly conceivable that global temperatures are rising but that the highest recorded temperature is sometime in the past.

 

The temperature has been disputed anyway... it seems likely based on research in the 1950s that the station was recording the temperature 2 degrees higher than it should have been.

http://wmo.asu.edu/world-highest-temperature.

 

Well, even if its disputed, the 2nd place highest recorded reading is 56.7 °C (134 °F) at Death Valley, California, USA , recorded in 1913

 

Even Antarctica has not had a higher recorded temp since 1974 and 1978 respectively at: Vanda Station, Scott Coast, 14.6 °C (59 °F) 1974 and

Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, −13.6 °C (7.5 °F) 1978

Edited April 7, 2011 by Joe9T

[Wildcat]

Man made emissions - think it is recognised that other gasses are more dangerous than co2 though.

 

You mean like water vapour? Water vapour is a part of the cycle, its impact is to make the effect of C02 emissions about twice as bad:

 

http://www.skepticalscience.com/water-vapor-greenhouse-gas.htm

 

Whether we put more dangerous stuff in the atmosphere or not, all the evidence is that our CO2 emissions are causing deaths each year and rising at a frightening rate*. Sea levels will rise costing us in flood defences and relocation costs for environmental refugees.

 

These are changes we have control over and investment in reducing and controlling emissions will save us a fortune in the long-term.

 

*150,000 deaths a year according to WHO:

http://www.who.int/heli/risks/climate/climatechange/en/index.html

 

As the Stern review showed, we simply cannot afford to be complacent and not act.

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/stern_review_economics_climate_change/stern_review_report.cfm

Edited April 7, 2011 by Wildcat

[Wildcat]

Well, even if its disputed, the 2nd place highest recorded reading is 56.7 °C (134 °F) at Death Valley, California, USA , recorded in 1913

 

Even Antarctica has not had a higher recorded temp since 1974 and 1978 respectively at: Vanda Station, Scott Coast, 14.6 °C (59 °F) 1974 and

Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, −13.6 °C (7.5 °F) 1978

 

All of which is interesting but does not contradict the evidence that global temperatures are increasing at an alarming rate.

 

Surely you are not so foolish as to have pinned your point on cherry picking highest recorded temperatures for that purpose when the complete datasets show the opposite of what you are wanting us to doubt.

 

All the datasets available show global temperatures increasing, for it not to be warming you would have to have some form of argument about flawed recording of temperature data from landstations, from satellites, from sea temperature measurements, from proxies collected by scientists working for scientific institutions across the globe. Doubt would require Conspiracy on an almost unimaginable scale, similarly incompetence or flawed science would require an incredibly strong argument to believe all the experts have got it wrong. Which of the two is it? or is there some other reason to doubt the evidence?

Edited April 7, 2011 by Wildcat