No Need To Protect The Environment, Jesus Is Coming. (567 hits)
Category: PoliticsRating: 0.78 on 14 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by SimianSidestep <SimianSidestep.at.yourmommashouse.org> (View user info) at 2005-04-28 21:59:12 EDT
A tree-hugging hippie I am not. A scientist I am and if the Mormons or Catholics would take the time to collect reliable facts and statistics to support the argument that the apocalypse 'is nigh', I would believe them too. In the meanwhile, a team of scientists from across the world that has pooled data for over ten years has proven that their predictions for global warming based on the increase in carbon dioxide from fossil fuels are correct. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7665636/ Not only are they correct, their model was almost dead on. The data shows that the earth is taking on more energy that it's giving off and the result is global climate change. Couple this with their calculations that warming is now inevitable and you've got a more serious situation that what some might have imagined.
Science-minded people will say that correlation does not imply causation. Before this set of data was released I would have said the same thing about global warming. In fact, I almost agreed with the current administrations argument that drastic measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions were unfounded and would hurt world growth. However, there comes a time to grow up and whiff the aerosols. For years, those that would shirk the U.S. ratifying the Kyoto protocol, belabor responsible conservation policy in a congressional committee, or even beg the prince of Saud to increase oil production tenfold have been successful in making sure that the wool was pulled over Joe Public's eyes. While the scientific community was out chasing a supposed pipedream, policymakers were keeping it easy for big business to crank out more bobble-head dolls and Tupperware containers for the American public to consume at the expense of the environment.
It was brought to my attention that the timing of this article is not coincidental. The fact that it has been released on the heels of the President's recent five energy proposals says much for the influence that some in the scientific community would hope to have on the mind's of those that will make changes to the President's proposed bill. Couple this with the fact there is already in an uproar over the current administration's attitude toward funding and its politicization of the national science structure and you've got an experiment that's reached the tipping point. It's not uncommon for these PhD-types to talk down to the public, but the condescending tone has been dropped and there's a new call to urgency. They're telling us that we have a chance now and that we can't wait any longer because what they have feared would happen is already happening. Call it scientific one-upmanship if you like, the scientists have thrown down their gauntlet full of data in the face of Washington. Whatever your flavor, this team of NASA scientists are trying to tell the world that we've crossed over from the land of possibility and into the land of 'holy shit the entire eastern seaboard is underwater'.
It wouldn't even be fair to lay blame on one political party or the other for this one, as both have more than pandered to the interests of industry and the growth of their own pocketbooks. While hiding behind the lame excuse that correlation didn't imply causation, the voting majority has kept the scientific community motivated and searching for the direct link to global warming that this data provides. Whether or not congress will take this new information and use it pass some viable bipartisan legislation to curb emissions is anyone's guess.
Either way I'm sitting on some future beachfront property here in the great state of Minnesota.
User Reviews
Submitted by Rawrg (user info) at 2005-04-29 04:14:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Actually that was information from my old Astronomy textbook. I'd dig it up and cite it for you, but really what does my credibility matter? Especially to someone to vapid to derive the point that I made in my post.
I didn't say that pollution wasn't a problem, I was merely stating that Global warming has been sensationalized. There are arguments to the contrary that are perfectly valid, and I mentioned nothing insinuating that we need more lax emissions standards. I'm simply tired of scare tactics being accepted blindly as fact.
Submitted by Wiggles (user info) at 2005-04-29 04:07:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Good post. In response to Rawrg:
You're an environmental scientist, and didn't just get this info from some websites, right?
"Global Warmning" is certainly not the only negative thing that occurs from air pollution. If anything, it's one of the less worrying effects. Simply because our climate will probably not change drastically in a short period of time doesn't mean that we should relax our emissions regulation by any means.
Maybe you read "State of Fear" recently and you now think you're an expert on the environment, but unless you show me some credentials, you're just another asshole out there with an internet connection and the desire to spread some bullshit.
Submitted by Avals (user info) at 2005-04-29 03:45:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
What Rawrg said.
Submitted by Rawrg (user info) at 2005-04-29 01:32:55 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I wonder why this was on CNN's website... hmm... OH! Here's why!
"The researchers, some of them working for NASA and the Energy Department, went a step further, implicitly criticizing President Bush for not taking stronger action"
Submitted by Rawrg (user info) at 2005-04-29 01:28:02 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Oh yeah, and Durel... you're a moron.
Submitted by Rawrg (user info) at 2005-04-29 01:27:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
The Earth's climate is actually remarkably self-regulatory. The number one greenhouse gas of any abundance is water vapor. In fact, it's some 100 times more effective at absorbing the energy of the sun than CO2. Still, as water vapor increases, so does cloud cover, which is reflective and sends the energy back out to space from whence it came.
It's the same reason's that massive volcanic eruptions like Vesuvius, which spewed more greenhouse gas into the air than 20 times the gas that man has on record for all-time, didn't cause a cataclismic change in world climate. The world climate did change significantly for several years, however it leveled itself out over time because of the self-regulation.
Overall climate is cyclic, such is the cause of ice ages. Currently, many scientists theorize that we are on the upward swing of a rebound from the previous ice age, which would account for such an increase. If the ice caps started to melt or the temperature overall began to increase, water vapor would increase causing cloud cover and the Earth's overall reflectivity to increase as well.
It's the same reason that the Sun's consumption of hydrogen doesn't increase exponentially. As it becomes hotter in the core, it expands, cooling the gas and causing the reaction to slow, causing it to contract, causing the reaction to increase, causing it to expand again...
If you are a scientist, I suggest taking an Astronomy class before posting sensationalistic trite like this.
Submitted by highersound (user info) at 2005-04-28 23:44:25 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
In article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7665636/
"There can no longer be genuine doubt that humanmade gases are the dominant cause of observed warming," said Hansen, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies.
Humanmade gases ?.....I wish political correctness existed to this degree back in my days of "academia". Back then the correct word would have been fart bombs. I don't think its use would have gone over well with Dr. Treehugger.
Submitted by Dead_0hi0_Sky (user info) at 2005-04-28 23:06:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
meh.
Submitted by TheSpook (user info) at 2005-04-28 22:57:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
I agree, but those graphs suck ass for comparison purposes.
Submitted by Sofa_Ace (user info) at 2005-04-28 22:38:19 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Well bro, I've lived in south-east Florida my whole life, and you'll be hapy to know that the beach is exactly where it was 20 years ago. This year also had one of the coldest and longest winters I can remeber. I miss CFCs.
And besides, if the rising temperature of the earth, and subsequent floods don't get us, nuclear winter, the flesh eating virus, AIDS, Jesus, Bush, Bush/Jesus, the terrorists, The next great depression, the next satanic cult, the sun exploding, an asteroid, the return of the dinosaurs, dioxins, cancer, Bruce Lee, Bigfoot, drought, famine, alcohol poisoning, hurricanes, tsunamis, volcanoes, Canadians, blacks, whites, chinese, ghosts, zombies, or anything else you want to be fearful of will. I'll coninue to drink beer on the beach, throwing my six pack rings into the ocean to kill off the stupider animals, cause that's what I like to do. Hopefully the aliens will be more compassionate than me when they invade.
Submitted by lordofthedance (user info) at 2005-04-28 22:19:39 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Yes. I am already here. The end is nigh.
Submitted by proofofpurchase (user info) at 2005-04-28 22:19:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I can lick my own nipples.....I give myself a +2
Submitted by Degreeless_Capibara (user info) at 2005-04-28 22:15:46 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
No Need To Protect The Environment, Jesus Is Coming. (1 hits)
hahahahahaha
Submitted by Degreeless_Capibara (user info) at 2005-04-28 22:08:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
as you read this post, five thousand fifty two cows just farted