Originally posted by: Jeff7
Originally posted by: AndrewR
What I find amusing is that one of the cultures with the greatest long term mindset, the Chinese, are among the worst contributors to the global warming problem with their immense and increasing use of coal fired power plants. Guess the USA isn't the only place where short term gains are overruling long term considerations...
I think that they'll begin to realize the problem too, or rather I hope they will. Or at least I hope they will. They're in a rapid economic growth spurt, and such growth spurts are periodic things - they are not sustainable in the long run.
Growth like that seems to come on quickly, and everyone assumes it'll just keep its momentum. People get optimistic, too much so. Then the supply is ramped up too much, too quickly, to satisfy the increased demand, demand which is perceived to continue indefinitely. Once it's satiated though, after several years perhaps, then there's a slight recession. It's like an impulsive driver of the market, it moves ahead in pulses instead of at a steady pace. It seems to happen with China, and it happens here. Too much, too fast, or too little, too slowly.
Hopefully China will realize that 1) despite coal being abundant, it still will eventually run out, 2) it pollutes considerably, 3) money can be made off of alternative fuel sources, and 4) reducing emissions isn't
only in their best interests.
Originally posted by: Macattak1
Greetings,
Global warming? 1/2 of 1 degree in the last century? That is not 'GLOBAL WARMING'.
It is a political movement that pays the bills for 1000's of people every day. They cash in on it. Just like other causes where we have thrown billions of $'s each year for 30 years and we have no cure. But their sure are alot of groups that make money on that.
To think that the Earth has never changed its overal temp we know is wrong.
The fact that the Arctic is all ice and no land means that if tides change it may freeze more or melt more. When it goes up 10 degrees world wide then call me.
Peace and Blessings.
1 degree Celcius over an entire globe can amount to a significant increase in the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere. The oceans have a surface area of about 139 MILLION square miles. Alright, it's "only" 1 degree. That's a hell of a lot of surface area though, which means a hell of a lot of evaporation.
Doing something about global warming can make people rich, as can not doing anything about it. Keep going on the status quo, and fossil fuel producers and those who use their products will continue to bring in high profits. Or, put more money towards alternatives, and the manufacturers and researchers in those sectors will profit.
I'd sooner play it safe, so that in 50 years, when various oceanic currents are shutting down due to your "10 degree world wide" limit, we don't have to make an abrupt transition to a new, more environmentally friendly lifestyle. If we do it now, make the transition gradually, it will make it much easier.