| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:cuts no ice | |
| Posted by: | Stewart Dean | |
| Date/Time: | 01/07/08 13:43:00 |
| Colin, I'll address your points. First I'm not nagging, I'm stating a view based upon what I know. I have limited this recently to this thread so I have zero guilt about posting here. As long as there appears to be interest in this debate I'm happy to chip in. As someone else pointed out the level of public knowledge about global warming is dire as, well, many people just don't know or understand what causes it, what you can possibly do about it etc. Next science never conclusively proves anything but as far as science can be certain global warming is anthropogenic. There are many myths floating around which have been debunked. These range from solar activity to cloud formations. There simply is little or no correlation between these causes and the current rise in temperature. To view many of the common myths check out this link http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn11462 The next issue is what can we do about it? Depending on who you talk to the current answers range from 'nothing it's too late' to 'why bother' to 'as much as we can'. There are many obvious things that unequivocally will help, such as reducing the amount of meat you eat, buying less consumer electronics, drinking less bottled water, driving in a more smooth style etc etc. No hair shirts required. I am not being patronising, far from it, and judging by your heavily loaded language you see it as an attack on your lifestyle. This is where people do get passionate. We all want to know what we should be doing to be a success in life and different people put different criteria on it. Someone I met recently who had moved to this country from a less rich country had managed to by an SUV and was proud of the fact but couldn't understand why his co workers where disparaging of his item of status. The reason was increasingly in the west 'bling' culture is see as a lower culture as it becomes socially unacceptable. The more we know about how a diamond is produced the less we want to wear one. But is your life really altered by not owning a diamond? My answer is no, it only has the worth that others ascribe to it. If a rolex is considered garish and tacky by your friends then what does it matter if it cost more than a families yearly income in India? Look I do understand, there is only we can do. For now I'm just trying to expose a few myths, one being that there is still debate in the scientific community that global warming is anthropogenic. I'd also like to quash a few myths about what actions are beneficial but I'll make do with the former. Please don't take it so personally, it's not intended to be that way. |