Everything you wanted to know about Global Warming

This is for all the skeptics and the curious people who would love to understand what is Global Warming. In this thread I'm going to use pictures and videos; as well sources from other articles. In one of my older threads a skeptic was producing false information.
Global Warming information

What is global warming? Global warming is when the earth heats up (the temperature rises). It happens when greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, water vapor, nitrous oxide, and methane) trap heat and light from the sun in the earth’s atmosphere, which increases the temperature. This hurts many people, animals, and plants. Many cannot take the change, so they die.

Green House Effect

The "greenhouse effect" is the warming that happens when certain gases in Earth's atmosphere trap heat. These gases let in light but keep heat from escaping, like the glass walls of a greenhouse. First, sunlight shines onto the Earth's surface, where it is absorbed and then radiates back into the atmosphere as heat. In the atmosphere, “greenhouse” gases trap some of this heat, and the rest escapes into space. The more greenhouse gases are in the atmosphere, the more heat gets trapped.

Melting Ice Caps!


Climate Change

Climate Change: Climate is the long-term average of a region's weather events lumped together. For example, it's possible that a winter day in Buffalo, New York, could be sunny and mild, but the average weather – the climate – tells us that Buffalo's winters will mainly be cold and include snow and rain. Climate change represents a change in these long-term weather patterns. They can become warmer or colder. Annual amounts of rainfall or snowfall can increase or decrease.

Can We Change the Climate?

Once, all climate changes occurred naturally. However, during the Industrial Revolution, we began altering our climate and environment through agricultural and industrial practices. The Industrial Revolution was a time when people began using machines to make life easier. It started more than 200 years ago and changed the way humans live. Before the Industrial Revolution, human activity released very few gases into the atmosphere, but now through population growth, fossil fuel burning, and deforestation, we are affecting the mixture of gases in the atmosphere.

Global Warming in ten minutes by Al Gore.

The Effects on Animals and Plant life

"Birds are laying eggs earlier than usual, plants are flowering earlier and mammals are breaking hibernation sooner," said Terry L. Root, a senior fellow with Stanford's Institute for International Studies (IIS) and lead author of the Jan. 2 Nature study. "Clearly, if such ecological changes are now being detected when the globe has warmed by an estimated average of only 1 degree F (0.6 C) over the past 100 years, then many more far-reaching effects on species and ecosystems will probably occur by 2100, when temperatures could increase as much as 11 F (6 C)," Root concluded.

More information!
Even More information!

50 tips to stop or slow down Global Warming

Global Warming is a dramatically urgent and serious problem. We don't need to wait for governments to find a solution for this problem: each individual can bring an important help adopting a more responsible lifestyle: starting from little, everyday things. It's the only reasonable way to save our planet, before it is too late.

As you can see Global Warming destroying our Eco systems and soon we'll be noticeably effected by this epidemic. Fellow people! I would like us to stop this epidemic before the things becoming worsen do to us not caring about planet.

Do you want the Earth to end up like her Sister planet Venus?
Atmosphere of Venus

In 1761, Russian polymath Mikhail Lomonosov discovered that Venus has an atmosphere. Its atmosphere is much denser and hotter than that of Earth. The temperature and pressure at the surface are 740 K (467°C, 872°F) and 93 bar, respectively. The Venusian atmosphere supports opaque clouds made of sulfuric acid, making optical observation of the surface impossible. Information about the topography of Venus has been obtained exclusively by radar imaging. The main atmospheric gases on Venus are carbon dioxide and nitrogen. Other chemical compounds are present only in trace amounts.

Fight Global Warming And Be Cool Like Scott Pilgrim! He Can Easily Get The Ladies!

Where do you mention the fact that very soon, not only will it cost a fortune to buy oil/gas/petrol, but also the waste from that will be taxed and turned into a commodity, bundled into financial instruments and used as a way to make MORE MONEY at our expense.

It's a genius plan, not only to you control the oil, but you control and profit from the CO2.

It's like McDonalds selling me a burger, then I have to pay McDonalds to be allowed to crap it out, then I have to pay McDonalds to flush the toilet.

Sorry for the analogy but it's true.

If your BS meter doesn't twitch at that, you need to get it serviced mate!

All th e best, kiwi

reply to post by kiwifoot


Then why should we allow the Government do that to us then? Our planet is a fragile system; in which need various stuff to survive and as well animals and plant life. I see where you're coming from and yes the governments are crooked. But we need to take a stand a limit what we can use that causes global warming to save our planet and life as we know it.

Originally posted by Romantic_Rebel
reply to post by kiwifoot

 

Then why should we allow the Government do that to us then? Our planet is a fragile system; in which need various stuff to survive and as well animals and plant life. I see where you're coming from and yes the governments are crooked. But we need to take a stand a limit what we can use that causes global warming to save our planet and life as we know it.

I agree, but this is my issue.

Help the planet by all means. develop alternative fuels and power sources, cool! Reduce our reliance on oil, go ahead.....but just developing a system to make more money out of the situation...well that just tells me TPTB are out to make a quick buck.

I also think that our planet is bloody resilient, at one stage it was a toxic shell with barely any vegetation, but it came through. So to say a few more parts per million of CO2 (just an expression, I'm not sure of the figure lol!) is the end of the our planet is just plain wrong.

Do we need to manage our planet and use our resources better? Yes.

But when I see a full court media press for several decades, followed by a money making scheme that will get the elite bloody rich:

How Blair Hides His £6 Million Income, & Has Registered the Domain 'Low Carbon Capital Fund'

.....then I know the situation isn't as bad as they make out.

I'm more concerned about pollution in general and disappearing rainforests than I am about CO2, because the MSM hardly reports it. When they don't. you know we're in trouble.

Latest find about global warming is about global cooling as a topic of ...[snip] "The 58th Bilderberg Meeting will be held in Sitges, Spain 3 – 6 June 2010. The Conference will deal mainly with Financial Reform, Security, Cyber Technology, Energy, Pakistan, Afghanistan, World Food Problem, Global Cooling, Social Networking, Medical Science, EU-US relations." source blogs.telegraph.co.uk...

peace

It's like McDonalds selling me a burger, then I have to pay McDonalds to be allowed to crap it out, then I have to pay McDonalds to flush the toilet.

No, but through your taxes or bills you pay for the sanitation infrastructure. Waste disposal doesn't happen on its own.

Originally posted by kiwifoot
Where do you mention the fact that very soon, not only will it cost a fortune to buy oil/gas/petrol,

Hi Kiwi. Most western countries artificially lower the real costs of oil and other fossil fuels related products like electricity generated from coal. In my country we subsidize costs in the billions for transport and business cost associated with power used in production and manufacturing. If the real costs of oil and coal were transfered into the market, it would cost us a packet anyway. So we can't win because we are hooked on artificially cheap fuel and power.
The idea in some countries is to have a system where we maintain the subsidies in order to maintain the normal flow of business whilst adding in a new tax in order to generate funds in order to make a transition to new ways of doing things.

but also the waste from that will be taxed and turned into a commodity, bundled into financial instruments and used as a way to make MORE MONEY at our expense.

Well, you could invest in making less waste. I think that is the whole point. Because we have been hooked on cheap oil and power, no one has bothered to invest in innovation or technology. But now they are because it is rewarding due to way you reduce any tax incurred and you can sell or trade on your "green" credit to businesses unable to reduce their waste.

It's a genius plan, not only to you control the oil, but you control and profit from the CO2.

Oil has always been controlled. You only profit from CO2 if you have lots of emissions, considering these taxes are forcing societies, business and companies to rethink their energy consumption, the system is aimed at reducing something that is taxed, so it actually reduces the aspect that you say they will be profiting from.

It's like McDonalds selling me a burger, then I have to pay McDonalds to be allowed to crap it out, then I have to pay McDonalds to flush the toilet.

Are you forced to eat McDonalds? Do we only have McDonalds as a food source?

Sorry for the analogy but it's true.

I think it is false, but I see your point.

If your BS meter doesn't twitch at that, you need to get it serviced mate!

I have to admit, my B.S. meter always twitches when I hear a politician try and explain a new tax. But if you actually understand that our current costs for oil and power involved in transport, manufacturing in production are heavily subsidized you would have a different perspective on the real costs now just catching up with us as we struggle to find new, cheap and clean alternatives.
We only have ourselves to blame considering these cheap costs have made us lazy in innovation, efficiency and economical use of oil and fossil fuel power.

All th e best, kiwi

All the best to you too.

“Governments and energy consumers are paying to encourage investment in renewable energy, but the fossil-fuel alternative is not cheap either,” said Angus McCrone, a senior analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance in London.

Consumers pay about 71 percent of competitive market reference prices for fuels such as oil or natural gas, according the IEA.

Oil consumers received the biggest portion of subsidies in 2008, or $312 billion. Natural-gas consumers, such as gas-fired power plants, benefitted from $204 billion in aid, followed by coal, at about $40 billion. The total, $557 billion, exceeded the $342 billion tallied in the previous year, as energy use increased, Birol said.

www.businessweek.com...

This article is mainly related to subsidies as Aid to countries. But individual countries have their own domestic subsidies also.

Just some food relating to the costs of things and the perception that a new tax is just to screw us. We are just paying the real costs now.

Good job on the thread RR!
Not that I agree with Al G. that the "science is settled"
Science is never settled or it would be dogma and not science.
For me the jury is still out. Cap and trade scares the bejeezus out of me.
If it were less political and more scientific an issue I would give the MMGW theorists more credence.
Well done.

reply to post by atlasastro


Thanks for the time you put into your post, I see you argument and it makes sense.

What I see is in the future is all these subsidies being removed, the pubic paying the true cost for oil, and us also getting stuffed with carbon taxes and all that entails.

I don't disagree with you in the main, and I'm not against new taxes or saving the planet just because politicians plan them. I just don't see this as a viable plan intended to help the planet. All I see is a system where those that control the oil, squeeze as much profit as possible by making money from the waste.

I mean seriously, do you think that this will change peoples' habits that much?

If this was about helping the planet, about a real threat (I'm not convinced myself) I'd be all for it. But as soon as I see AG and Tony Blair getting on board, well my friend, you can bet sometime is up.

Originally posted by C0bzz

It's like McDonalds selling me a burger, then I have to pay McDonalds to be allowed to crap it out, then I have to pay McDonalds to flush the toilet.

No, but through your taxes or bills you pay for the sanitation infrastructure. Waste disposal doesn't happen on its own.

edit on 011010011010 by C0bzz because: (no reason given)

I think the point is (of course you're right) that the company profiting from the waste, isn't the same as the one selling the product, where there isn't much alternative to the product in the first place!

Originally posted by kiwifoot
It's like McDonalds selling me a burger, then I have to pay McDonalds to be allowed to crap it out, then I have to pay McDonalds to flush the toilet.

Sorry for the analogy but it's true.

But here's the other part missing from your analogy:

Everybody goes to McDonald's because it's cheap crap that fills them up quick n easy. But now that Big Macs are suddenly more expensive - people start going "maybe I'll give this salad thing down the street a shot". The salads used to be too pricey but now they're pretty competitive thanks to the Big Mac tax.

Next thing you know everybody's buying salads instead of Big Macs, feeling better, having more energy, and producing less waste/packaging as a result. Then the price of salads goes down even further because salad infrastructure is popping up everywhere. Then people even start realizing they have gardens at home: "I can grow my own salads!" (install solar panels, etc).

Now you have a world that, instead of suckling at Ronald McDonald's teet, is free to do the things their own way, has MORE money in the long run, and is much healthier as a result.

This is all available if people choose to stop getting drunk off the dollar menu - but unfortunately many people feel taxing their dollar menu is the only way to get them to do that.

Hi Kiwi, thanks for replying mate. You raise some great points for discussion.

Originally posted by kiwifoot
reply to post by atlasastro

 

Thanks for the time you put into your post, I see you argument and it makes sense.

No problem.

What I see is in the future is all these subsidies being removed, the pubic paying the true cost for oil, and us also getting stuffed with carbon taxes and all that entails.

If we removed the subsidies, our system would become to expensive for us now too!
I think you are misunderstanding the concept of the carbon tax, it is to make a transition away from using the fuels and energy that emits carbon as a by product. It is about stopping us actually emitting carbon. Naturally, if you get your energy from other methods or say, as a basic example, you buy goods or products locally rather than those with lots of transport and manufacturing costs etc, you avoid the taxes involved around carbon.

I think you are caught in the concept that we have to continue with our old methods with this added tax. The market will sort these out by making them real as a cost which will induce consumer trends to drive the market of services and goods to seek variety and innovation that was missing due to the artificially low costs of energy that have made us lazy.

I don't disagree with you in the main, and I'm not against new taxes or saving the planet just because politicians plan them.

I agree with you totally. The problem is that Politicians will compromise in order to keep the big end of town happy. What they often compromise is the integrity of a plan that has our interests at heart in order to satisfy a few.

I just don't see this as a viable plan intended to help the planet.

The problem you also have to remember is that we way we live now, is not viable either nor is it benefitting the planet.

All I see is a system where those that control the oil, squeeze as much profit as possible by making money from the waste.

Unfortunately, this is what has gotten us into trouble. Profit before anything else. It is the only way to make people change too. If we apply the real costs of oil and fossil fuels onto the public, demand drops, profits drop. This makes people eager to find newer more profitable methods. Unfortunately, people will manipulate the system. But we need to find a solution.
Also, governments need to find a system that generates revenue in order to fund research, innovation and provide business incentives and grants to start up companies providing alternatives to the Oil crowd.
Change does not come for free.
The problem is though, is that we think we are getting screwed, when in reality, we have had it real good for a long time and now we have to pay the bill.
This is where politicians and big business pack up and put it all on us. They don't want to pay their share. And this is where the problem begins with some of the trading schemes and exemptions etc get manipulated or will be abused in order to benefit just some people.
This is what you are seeing, and you are right to be pissed. I am.

I mean seriously, do you think that this will change peoples' habits that much?

Yes people will. People will stop driving frivolously. People will stop buying imported goods that incur real transport costs. Just two quick examples.

If this was about helping the planet, about a real threat (I'm not convinced myself) I'd be all for it. But as soon as I see AG and Tony Blair getting on board, well my friend, you can bet sometime is up.

No doubt, AG and Blair make the Gulf of Mexico look clean .
The thing is Kiwi, our whole society is based around making money. It puzzles me that when we mention Green technologies etc and Profit, people start screaming it must be a scam or a con. Governments tax things all the time, People make new trade systems and mechanisms of profit all the time. Why would a solution to our current miss use and dependance on oil, be any different?
I agree with you that any cap and trade system will be manipulated, it is or will be, but then again so is the current system. But we need a solution. It is just that the solution is going to cost us a little more, but only when compared to how cheap it is now, which is artificial and unsustainable anyway.

My friend, there is no simple equation, and as always we will just have to keep the bastards honest as best we can.

Take care mate.

Awesome thread OP! But you didnt mention how CO2 will affect Santa Clause up there at the North Pole! And the elves man, my god man, what about the elves? Surely the rising sea levels will drown them unless Rudoph can spirit them to saftey!

Maybe they can shack up in one of Al Gores many energy intensive estates? Just dont send them to his recently purchased waterfront mansion, unless he wisely invested in some sort of bubble dome so he and the elves can live under the sea when the slightly elevated CO2 levels turn the Earth into a bad Kevin Costner movie!

No offense intended, RR, but "global warming" is now passe

The new term the White House is using is 'Global Climate Disruption'.
Since the scientific data didn't really meet the standards of 'warming'......
www.abovetopsecret.com...