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View Poll Results: Global Warming is
Real, it is caused by humans, and we should try to do something about it 59 50.43%
Real, it is not caused by humans, and we should try to do something about it 7 5.98%
Real, it is caused by humans, and we should not try to do anything about it 6 5.13%
Real, it is not caused by humans, and we should not try to do anything about it 24 20.51%
Not real, and we should try to do something about it just in case 5 4.27%
Not real, and we should not try to do anything about it 16 13.68%
Voters: 117. You may not vote on this poll

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Global Warming Poll
Old 06-17-2007, 09:04 AM   #1
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Global Warming Poll

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Old 06-17-2007, 09:16 AM   #2
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I voted real, not caused by humans, and we should do something about it. But I believe in doing something to guard ourselves against its consequences, not doing something about the climate or our emissions for the sake of GW. For example, we can revise building codes along hurricane coasts, limit construction along coastal plains, discourage overpopulation of areas likely to become drier, etc. And we should limit atmospheric pollution for health reasons even if they are not primary drivers for GW. (CO2 is not a pollutant)
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Old 06-17-2007, 09:24 AM   #3
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I don't mind sharing my choice - real, caused by humans and we should try to do something about it.

I am not sure we will be able to reverse much of anything but I try to do what I can.
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Old 06-17-2007, 09:58 AM   #4
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Instead of saying "humans" I'd rather state that global warming and/or cooling has always been a factor in the natural history of the planet. Do humans factor into the equation, then I'd have to say yes... however no where close to the level of "Al Gore hysteria".

A perfect example of this hysteria at work is one fellow who is a very obvious "save the planet" type person (which I have no problem with since I also like drinking clean water and breathing clean air) but about a month ago he gave me a hard time and short lecture about me using styrofoam cups.

I quickly engaged and reminded him that I live only 3 miles from work and he drives 30 miles (one way) each day. I also reminded him of recently flying his entire family to Oklahoma one weekend for a wedding and did he realize how many pounds of jet fuel per hour and per person that it takes to keep that big bird in the sky? After this comparison of carbon footprints he hasn't discussed "solutions" with me since and I continue to enjoy my guilt-free one styrofoam cup of coffee every morning. By the way, he just flew his family to Israel for two weeks.

Don't get me wrong... I want to do my part and to be a good steward of the land but a growing number of well intentioned folks just like to "talk the talk" for no other reason than how it makes them feel good.
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Old 06-17-2007, 12:33 PM   #5
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We have the same situation FreeBird, living in a big diesel motorhome, and get the same sort of comments. However, when we explain our total carbon footprint, no commuting to jobs, low average miles on the motorhome and good diesel mileage for its' size, not to mention almost never having to cool or heat our living space, which only numbers several hundred square feet for the rare times we need heat or a/c, using our ignition key to position ourselves in good weather seasonally instead......creating our own electricity on the roof with solar photovoltaic panels, a water usage of about 50 gallons per week, most of what we own, which is limited in amount, comes from thrift stores or we make it ourselves, use almost no disposable products such as paper plates, cups or paper towels, eat low on the food chain which means mostly vegetarian, no processed foods, no lawn mowing or leaf blowing, sooking in a solar oven, etc........after all that, they usually shut up.

Because our carbon footprint is a tiny fraction of that of most folks in this country, and we know it. And after we talk to them about our lifestyle, they know it as well.

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Old 06-17-2007, 02:00 PM   #6
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i believe we caused it and i think we should try to do something about it even though i don't believe we will succeed in stopping global warming. i do believe we will survive it. but for all i believe in this matter, the only thing i know is that the most important thing at this point is that we change our thinking, for only that will change our world.
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Old 06-17-2007, 02:18 PM   #7
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Real, but only exacerbated by humans...
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Old 06-17-2007, 02:33 PM   #8
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Real, but only exacerbated by humans...
I agree with that...I vote real and we should do something about....I think we probably are causing a small change, but compared to the cycles in history, probably not worthy of the hysteria that some are trying to create.....I vote for a change because moving away from fossil fuel energy is a good idea for other reasons (geopolitical and less local air pollution)....
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Old 06-17-2007, 04:43 PM   #9
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Good poll choices!

I never thought I would say this, but the input from my question brings me to the conclusion that GW is:

Real, it is caused by humans, and we should not try to do anything about it

I still want to try to live lightly on the planet... smaller house, car, etc.... and personally "pack out what I take in" in general...
... but there is too much that public funds can do that can really be helpful to spend money that won't make a difference
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Old 06-17-2007, 05:13 PM   #10
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Old 06-18-2007, 04:48 AM   #11
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I voted Real, it is not caused by humans, and we should not try to do anything about it.

My thought process and the evidence I've read leads me to believe GW is similar to a colander, that humans put an extra hole into, even if we plug up that extra hole the thing still won't hold water.
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Old 06-18-2007, 09:40 AM   #12
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If it's not caused by human activity, what is the explanation for this graph:



1. The graph is wrong
2. Carbon Dioxide does not cause global warming
3. The increase at the end is a natural cycle?
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Old 06-18-2007, 10:53 AM   #13
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Al, how about showing the rest of the graph going back 50,000 to 100,000 years? I beilve global climate change is real just not convinced that humans are the cause.

After all you could put all of humanity in the state of Texas with 300 sq ft per person and still have room left over. The amount of energy striking the earth from the sun every day is thousands of times more than humanity has used since 4000 BC. I think its a lot of Hurbis to think we have any long lasting effect on earth. By long lasting I mean a million years or so.

We are just here for the journey. Enjoy the ride.
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Old 06-18-2007, 11:10 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick S View Post
Good poll choices!
I never thought I would say this, but the input from my question brings me to the conclusion that GW is:

Real, it is caused by humans, and we should not try to do anything about it
Another possible conclusion is that the IPCC/Al Gore propaganda machine is working....ER folks are representative of the population after all!

My choice was not presented:

Real, has a minor contribution from civilization, and is unlikely to respond in any meaningful way to CO2 limitation schemes.
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Old 06-18-2007, 01:31 PM   #15
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how about a "not sure if it's real or not, but we should do something about it/how we live anyway" option?

I'm honestly not sure if it's real or not. My opinion on it changes practically daily. I've heard really good reasons & scientific facts on each side & well, I just don't know. We've seen proof of the climate being much hotter and much colder in the past. IMO, it's a bit arrogant of us to assume that we've 'got it all figured out' either way. But then, that's the human race, arrogant about its ability to handle everything it sticks its nose into...

Regardless of global warming, we are most certainly leaving an impact, between the deforesting, the massive destruction of delicate ecosystems, the extermination of whole species through carelessness, the polluting through burning, dumping toxic wastes, oil spills etc. & I think that laws perserving our environment should become a lot stronger & involve much heavier fines (and jail time) than they currently do.

We've only got this one planet. & unfortunately, we don't yet have a peter f hamilton kind of society, with lots of planets colonized. & it doesn't look like that's coming any time soon.
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Old 06-18-2007, 02:57 PM   #16
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My choice was not presented:

Real, has a minor contribution from civilization, and is unlikely to respond in any meaningful way to CO2 limitation schemes.
Yep, that's where my vote would go too.

The odd thing is, the people that Al Gore quotes (the IPCC) are saying the same thing. That message is not getting out much, reflected by the fact that it was not even a choice in the poll!

OTOH, there may be some other strategies that will work (if needed). Send out satellites to block 1 or 2 % of the sun, iron fertilization of the oceans, probably others that I don't know about, or have not been invented yet.

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Old 06-18-2007, 03:01 PM   #17
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If it's not caused by human activity, what is the explanation for this graph:
Al, with all respect, that graph only says CO2 has been increasing and is likely caused by human activity. But it says nothing about that CO2 causing a temperature rise. Here is a more informative graph. What caused the CO2 rise back then, and why does CO2 lag temperature? The earth is a very complex nonlinear dynamic system, no easy answers.

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Old 06-18-2007, 03:15 PM   #18
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That's an interesting graph, Soon, I'll look into that.

If I'd added "but I'm not sure" or "minor contribution" variations to the options, there would have been a lot of poll choices.
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Old 06-18-2007, 03:21 PM   #19
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I don't feel that I have the information or skills to know much about it. Count me agnostic.

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Old 06-18-2007, 03:26 PM   #20
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That's an interesting graph, Soon, I'll look into that.
There's plenty more like that, and a lot of theories as to why the earth exhibits such cyclical variation in both temperature and CO2. But there is no one theory that explains it or that is accepted by all scientists. One thing appears clear, even if a combination of deterministic geophysical theories answers a portion of the observed data, there will remain a large part that will remain unknown because it gets into the chaotic behavior of such systems.

The theory that human activity and CO2 is the cause for the observed global warming, or any other theory, has to also explain the long term record during times when there were no humans around.
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