Okay, for the sake of discussion, I'll accept that the world has warmed a fraction of a degree. Although I truly believe that this is 95% due to natural cycles of the sun and the relation of the earth's orbit to the sun, 4% due to volcanic activity dumping massive tons of soot, ash and greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere that exceed all the coal burned by man over the past 100 years... I'll accept (for the purpose of discussion) that perhaps man has contributed 1% of the stuff that has caused our thermostat to nudge up a fraction of a degree.

Unfortunately your accepting (for discussion) sadly underestimated numbers.

...mankind's influence, however small, might be just enough to push things past where they've ever been; and that at the current rate of burning fossil fuels and bulldozing rain forests, a point of "critical mass" could be reached?

 

Sorry to sound like a third-grader.

You don't sound like a 3rd grader at all! You could very well be right on target.

I believe that man has an influence on the macro-environment. i read an article that said that agriculture in China and India actually stopped another ice age some 10,000 years ago. Achilles made a comment about farting, but in fact, domestication of animals and the increase in the human population has added significant amounts of methane to the atmosphere. Clear cutting of forests has done additional damage to the environment's ability to process CO2. Farmland actually adds to the problem instead of helping it.

 

But we also need to keep in mind that there are natural cycles going on. Every 125,000 years or so, the Earth heats up significantly, upwards of 8 degrees centigrade. It happens relatively quickly, and from looking at previous cycles, it looks like we're due. In the past, there has been a large amount of ice melt during these upswings. There are other cycles involved too that effect our environment.

 

I agree with Rmom, that we should do what we can to protect our environment. But we should also keep in mind that what we do may have little effect compared to those conditions beyond our control.

What does a group of 600 naked, shivering activists exposing themselves on a glacier, (and quite likely expediting the melting of the glacier) for a photo-op have to do with fixing the problem?

 

How does Al Gore setting up a company to sell carbon offset credits do one fiddly bit to truly mitigate the fact that his mansion in Nashville uses more fossil fueled electricity in one month than most homes use in a year, or that his big private jet burns more in an hour than most SUVs burn in a year?

 

Al can offer all the guilt trips he wants, I don't need a travel agent.

 

It is nothing more than symbolism over substance.

I'm not an Al Gore fan, or a fan of oddball stunts. At the same time, I've never understood why anyone who tries to do something to promote a good cause is immediately picked apart and labeled a hypocrite, just because they don't live like a caveman. At least Al is interested in substance, and promoting substance. He's not burying his head in the sand and pretending there's no need for any substance. I think a lot of his detractors out there are doing just that.

I can't believe we've got 600 naked people posing for photos on a glacier and all you guys can talk about is global warming. :lol:

Birdsfan my friend, I genuinely have no desire to ruffle your feathers. I love and respect you. I simply believe in God. I believe God created all we see and feel and think and know. I do not believe that God created a faulty earth or universe. I believe He said it was, "Good." I do not believe that God has been caught by surprize that there are now over 6 billion people on the earth that I believe He created to support us.

 

I agree 100% that we do not need to foul our nest. I have never advocated wanton industrial pollution. I never will. I deeply enjoy nature, wilderness, wildlife and a clean environment.

 

Because I believe with all my heart, mind and spirit that God is in control, I genuinely believe that He set in motion processes that are so infinite and yet so infinitely precise that we are able to measure a fluctuation of a fraction of a degree over several decades and discuss it as if it is a significant development. The real miracle is the relative stability our world and climate has experienced for centuries.

 

In some ways we have become too sophisticated (in our own minds) to thank God adequately for the stability He provides us daily.

 

Other than certain types of nuclear power, every ounce of energy in the form of fossil fuels, food, etc. has come in one way or another from the sun. Without the sun, life on earth would be impossible. If the sun is so large and powerful that a tiny fraction of 1% of its total energy output that actually reaches the earth can fuel mankind for millennia, it only makes sense that a brief cycle of marginally increased solar activity would have significant impact on our planet. I have read many scientific papers describing this process as the number one source of temperature fluctuations.

 

I'm not denying the evidence for global warming or cooling. It happens. I deny the validity of certain interpretations of the evidence... especially those designed to generate panic and fear for the purposes of gaining political influence and power. I sincerely deny the implications that the activities of man have more than a tiny role in these fluctuations.

 

I lived in Tennessee 15 years. I got to know Al Gore pretty good in that time. He has changed many of his core values. He is very different today from the man he was 25 years ago. I suppose we all are in some ways. The point is, he is a bitter political animal today. I do not trust his motives. Therefore, his message is not trustworthy to me.

Birdsfan my friend, I genuinely have no desire to ruffle your feathers. I love and respect you. I simply believe in God. I believe God created all we see and feel and think and know. I do not believe that God created a faulty earth or universe. I believe He said it was, "Good." I do not believe that God has been caught by surprize that there are now over 6 billion people on the earth that I believe He created to support us.

Then you should want to protect his creation, as I know you do. I don't want to veer off into a religious discussion; but God also gave us free will. It's up to us to use it for the purpose of good and to do what's right for all of his creation. He didn't create a world that was beyond our ability to screw up.

Then you should want to protect his creation, as I know you do. I don't want to veer off into a religious discussion; but God also gave us free will. It's up to us to use it for the purpose of good and to do what's right for all of his creation. He didn't create a world that was beyond our ability to screw up.

We're getting closer...

 

To reiterate, I'm all for protecting our planet and environment "within reason" and based upon actual facts.

 

I genuinely do not buy into the fear-mongering and panic that is the hallmark of Gore's recent career.

 

God instructs us not to take His name in vain. Similarly, it makes no sense to do anything in vain. There is absolutely nothing we can do to control the activity of the sun and volcanoes on earth. I'm all for living as cleanly as we can. That includes drawing near our Creator in preparation for the time this earth will no longer be our home.

Then you should want to protect his creation, as I know you do. I don't want to veer off into a religious discussion; but God also gave us free will. It's up to us to use it for the purpose of good and to do what's right for all of his creation. He didn't create a world that was beyond our ability to screw up.

We are an insignificant spec, there is nothing we can do to stop the sun from doing what it does. I find it really humorous that so many people actually think we can control how the sun cycles. Talk about having your head in the sand. Sorry BF, no offense, but Al Gore and those like him preach this crap for political gain and for money.....EOS.

Whether you "believe" in global warming or not, I think a reasonable compromise could be reached in that we can all agree we are entirely too frivolous in our fossil fuel consumption, pollution, littering, mountain top removal, or any other environmental action. I'm not a scientist and I can't argue one way or another about it, but I do know that we are burning fuels that aren't exactly being replaced and we cause a noticable about of smog and local pollution. I think we can respect the environment for the sake or making things around us a little nicer, at the least, without subscribing to one side or another on "global warming."

Whether you "believe" in global warming or not, I think a reasonable compromise could be reached in that we can all agree we are entirely too frivolous in our fossil fuel consumption, pollution, littering, mountain top removal, or any other environmental action. I'm not a scientist and I can't argue one way or another about it, but I do know that we are burning fuels that aren't exactly being replaced and we cause a noticable about of smog and local pollution. I think we can respect the environment for the sake or making things around us a little nicer, at the least, without subscribing to one side or another on "global warming."

I can agree with that.

We're getting closer...

 

To reiterate, I'm all for protecting our planet and environment "within reason" and based upon actual facts.

 

As am I. I just don't buy into the idea that we have all the facts.

 

 

God instructs us not to take His name in vain. Similarly, it makes no sense to do anything in vain. There is absolutely nothing we can do to control the activity of the sun and volcanoes on earth.

There is A LOT we can do about us though! And to just throw our hands up and not take any responsibility is, in my opinion, a disgrace to God.

We are an insignificant spec, there is nothing we can do to stop the sun from doing what it does. I find it really humorous that so many people actually think we can control how the sun cycles. Talk about having your head in the sand. Sorry BF, no offense, but Al Gore and those like him preach this crap for political gain and for money.....EOS.

You all don't seem to be able to seperate the man from the message. I don't care for Al Gore either. I think he is exploiting the cause. So I have to say I'm a little offended when you all keep throwing Al Gore at me.

 

I don't happen to consider this a political issue. It's far more important than that! This isn't about Al Gore, and he shouldn't even be part of this discussion. It's about our long term survival as a species, and if nothing else, the quality of life we have on this planet. That's not fear mongering...that's common sense.

You all don't seem to be able to seperate the man from the message. I don't care for Al Gore either. I think he is exploiting the cause. So I have to say I'm a little offended when you all keep throwing Al Gore at me.

 

I don't happen to consider this a political issue. It's far more important than that! This isn't about Al Gore, and he shouldn't even be part of this discussion. It's about our long term survival as a species, and if nothing else, the quality of life we have on this planet. That's not fear mongering...that's common sense.

Don't be offended, that's the last thing I want to do is to offend you. It's more of a political issue than you realize, that's why is such a hot topic (pun intended) these days and why it's so strongly debated.

Many of us believe there is nothing we can do about it because it's a natural occurrence in our opinion. I truly and whole heartedly believe it's caused by solar activity and there is nothing we as humans can do about it. I'm all for a clean environment, but I don't think wasting money on what I believe to be a wild goose chase is going to solve anything and quite frankly I'm growing really tired of being preached to by actors and musicians that think they know better than anyone else simply because of their status.

So don't take to heart anything I say on this issue, I certainly respect your opinion on the matter regardless of the fact that I'm on the other side of the aisle on it.

The whole "global warming" subject is one of my biggest pet peeves, I can't even go to church anymore without having to sit and listen to "sky is falling" propaganda. :creepy:

...and quite frankly I'm growing really tired of being preached to by actors and musicians that think they know better than anyone else simply because of their status.

Well, as you know, I am niether one.