Can We Prevent Climate Change

Can We Prevent Climate Change?

Recall the tale of the Viking King Canute who had his throne carried to the beach whereupon he commanded the tide to halt so as not to wet his feet and robes. Naturally the tide ignored the King and according to Henry of Huntingdon, a 12th-century chronicler, Canute leapt backwards and said, "Let all men know how empty and worthless is the power of kings, for there is none worthy of the name, but He whom heaven, earth, and sea obey by eternal laws." The king then He then hung his gold crown on a crucifix, and never wore it again.

Even if this story has a touch of fantasy about it, the idea that nature is not ours to control has a real bearing on the challenge of climate change.

We probably need to accept that natural climate change is real, has been around ever since there was an atmosphere stable enough to create a climate and has causes that are definitely beyond us.

We will not be able to stop the earth from wobbling in its orbit, alter the sequence of sunspot activity and the subsequent energy pulses from the sun, or moderate volcanic eruptions and their gaseous emissions.

We are stuck with what these mechanisms bring. In one sense we are passengers on the roller coaster of global climate change and even to pretend we can be preventing climate change is just a little crazy.

But Google 'preventing climate change' and you will find plenty of websites claiming otherwise. There are lists of actions individuals can take for what can be done preventing climate change.

Here is a list from a green organization:

Change a light

Drive less

Recycle more and buy recycled

Check your tires

Use less hot water

Avoid products with a lot of packaging

Adjust your thermostat

Plant a tree

Turn off electronic devices when not in use

Stay informed

And here is another

Make your home more energy efficient

Make your lifestyle greener

Change your habits at work

Educate future generations

Get involved in the fight against climate change

The assumptions behind these and dozens of other similar action lists are familiar.

Climate change is all about global warming that, in turn, is all about greenhouse gas emissions and that is something we can stop.

Now before you cry heretic at your screen and click away to a greener site, please pause a moment.

Stop to think.

Even if everyone actually did all these things we would not prevent climate change. The climate system is huge and beyond our control. This is not to say that our actions in burning fossil fuels and clearing land have not contributed to the next phase of change, they probably have. But even if it were possible, a simple reversal of the actions would not reverse the climate effect our actions have set in train.

Ask yourself if we really should enter into a war on climate change that we really can't win. Plus, we know that war is bad. Even so-called 'just wars' are bad. Anything that we fight against we resist and the more we push the harder it is for us. We have wars on everything from terror to drugs and yet these things have not gone away.

It turns out that we should be proactive and carry out the actions on these lists to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (except maybe the fighting suggestion).

Not because we will be preventing climate change but because we need to transition away from economies based on fossil fuel because that energy source will soon become scare and expensive. We also need to be smarter about resource use now that there are unprecedented numbers of us and the frugality at the heart of all the suggested actions is a great way to start.

The risk in accepting prevention of climate change as plausible, let alone possible, is that we put our considerable energies in the wrong place. If all we do is keep greenhouse gas emissions down then we will be in a mess when sea levels rise, droughts hit and the storms still come.

We should be wise and energize ourselves around adaptation, get closer in our understanding of how nature works to better know her limits, and equip ourselves for a world of 9 billion souls. Otherwise, like the Viking king we will have to hang up our own gold crowns on a crucifix.

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12 Deadliest Effects of Global Warming

12 Deadliest Effects of Global Warming

This is not a hidden fact from most of us that global warming is affecting our environment and some serious steps must be taken to reduce it. Gases like carbon dioxide, ozone, water vapor, nitrous oxide are responsible for global warming. Few of us have already started seeing some effects of global warming including ice caps melting and changing weather patterns. Here are 12 effects of global warming that many of us may see in years to come, if some serious steps are not taken to curb it.

1. Melting of glaciers More global warming means that the earth will go warm and glaciers at high altitude will start to melt. This will increase the sea level and possible can affect wildlife. The rising sea level will enter to our oceans which may take over land and some islands around the world may become extinct.

2. Wildlife extinction Global warming may lead to more wildfires which may lead to deforestation. The result of this can cause wildlife extinction and some animals may become extinct.

3. Droughts and Heat waves Although, some parts of the world will get wetter as sea levels will rise while some other parts like Africa will face severe droughts and heat waves. Water, which is already a rare commodity in Africa can aggravate the situation and may lead to conflict and raise tension.

4. Floods With continuous melting of glaciers, it is predicted that it will raise the sea level which can floods in the areas which are near to sea. People who live along coastal regions will suffer most from this.

5. Wildfires As global warming keeps on rising, some areas of dry land which are already susceptible to wildfires may cause more frequent fires. As a result, the Carbon dioxide released from smoke will adversely increase the air pollution.

6. Deadly diseases As our planet goes warm, the risk of diseases affecting mankind will continue to increase. The number of sick people could overwhelm public health services especially in developing countries

7. Migration It is predicted that few nations see heavy migration activity as some of the densely populated areas many not afford to feed large section of people. Migration activity may lead to conflict and wars as heavily populated places would become uninhabitable due to heat or other factors, displacing millions of people.

8. Changing weather patterns We have already started seeing this as few areas start receiving rainfall much ahead of time while some of the areas receive prolonged heat. The changes weather pattern may bring droughts, floods and may even create havoc in some regions.

9. Desertification Many continents including Europe, America and Asia may start feeling growling land crisis. Global warming will make this planet even hotter. Warm planet means that land will become dry and food production will suffer as the available land may not be able to feed everyone.

10. Global population crisis As few areas will become warm, migration activity will increase. This will lead to population imbalance. Few countries might face huge population increase mainly from developing countries where no steps are being taken to curb global warming.

11. Effect on food supplies Desertification may affect food supplies. Some part of land will get so warm that it will be almost impossible to grow anything on them. Food production will suffer. Prices of food supplies might increase which gain may lead to conflict and wars.

12. Economic consequences As the world will start its fight against global warming, this may require large amount of investment due to which other several projects may suffer. Hurricanes and Tsunamis will increase and may cause worldwide destruction of human and property.

No one can deny that if some steps are not taken in time, we all may face some devastating effects of global warming. Being a part of the environment, it's our responsibility to make sure that it remains healthy so that our future generation can breathe in safe and clean environment.

Rinkesh Kukreja is a founder of Green and clean energy. He spends most of the time writing new content for his website. He has recently written an article on Global warming for his website.

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Global Warming: A Chilled View

Global Warming: A Chilled View

A Brief History

For the past several million years the climate has been dominated by ice ages, and approximately every 100,000 years the Earth's climate warms up temporarily. These warm periods, called 'interglacial periods', can last anywhere between 15-20,000 years before reverting back to a cold ice age climate. At year 18,000 and counting our current interglacial break from the Ice Age is much nearer to its end than its beginning, as can be seen:

• Approximately 15,000 years ago the earth had warmed sufficiently to halt the advance of glaciers, and sea levels worldwide began to rise.

• By 8,000 years ago the land bridge across the Bering Strait was drowned, cutting off the migration of men and animals to North America from Asia.

• Since the end of the Ice Age, Earth's temperature has risen approximately 16 degrees F and sea levels have risen a total of 300 feet! Forests have returned where once there was only ice.

In the 1970's concerned environmentalists feared a return to another ice age due to manmade pollution blocking out the sun! And since around 1940 the global climate has indeed appeared to be cooling. Then sometime in the late 1970s global temperature declines slowed to a halt and ground-based recording stations over the next 20 years began showing small and steady increases in near-surface temperatures. Fears of a Global-Cooling then changed suddenly to Global-Warming and the blame ironically laid at the feet of manmade pollution!

It is well understood in the scientific community, that Earths warming and cooling periods of approximately 40 years exists within larger 400 year periods, which in turn exist within larger periods of 20,000 years and so on..

Global temperatures over 400 years ago were at the same levels as today, the so called 'Medieval Warm Period' which existed approximately from A.D 1000 to A.D 1350 gave way to a cool period termed the 'Little Ice Age' which lasted till around A.D 1860. This period was charaterized by harsh winters, shorter growing seasons, and a drier climate. The decline in global temperatures was only 1/2 degree centigrade, but the effects of have been blamed for a host of human sufferings including the 'Irish Potato Famine' and the demise of the Viking colonies in Greenland.

"... the Earth was evidently coming out of a relatively cold period in the 1800s so that warming in the past century may be part of this natural recovery." Dr. John R. Christy leading climate and atmospheric science expert- U. of Alabama in Huntsville.

Global Warming advocats insist that this increase in global temperatures since A.D 1860 are due to the effects of 'Industrial Revolution', whereby large amounts of CO² have been released into the atmosphere from manmade sources causing a runaway 'Greenhouse Effect'.

Is man truly responsible for bringing the Earth out of the 'Little Ice Age' with his industrial pollution?

The Numbers

Global climate and temperature cycles are the result of a complex interplay between a variety of causes. Because these cycles and events overlap, sometimes

compounding one another, sometimes canceling one another out, it is inaccurate to imply a statistically significant trend in climate or temperature patterns from

just a few decades of data.

Unfortunately, a lot of disinformation about where Earth's climate is heading is propagated by "scientists" who use improper statistical methods, short-term

temperature trends, or faulty computer models to make analytical and anecdotal projections about the significance of man-made influences to Earth's climate.

During the last 100 years there have been two general cycles of warming and cooling recorded in the U.S. Which is currently in a second warming cycle, and overall, temperatures have showed no significant warming trend over the last 100 years. This warming trend is well-established but not well-publicized.

Each year Government press releases declare the previous year to be the "hottest year on record." The UN's executive summary on climate change, issued in January 2001, insists that the 20th century was the warmest in the last millennium. The news media distribute these stories and people generally believe them to

be true. However, as most climatologists know, these reports generally are founded on ground-based temperature readings, which are misleading. The more meaningful and precise orbiting satellite data for the same period (which are generally not cited by the press) have year after year showed little or no warming.

The problem is ground-based recording stations, many of which were originally earlier in the previous century, sited in rural areas, but over time have suffered from background bias due to urban sprawl, and the encroachment of concrete and asphalt which holds and releases heat well. Satellite measurements obviously are not limited in this way, and show no significant warming in the last 20 years they have been recording and returning data.

A Matter of Opinion

The idea that man-made pollution is responsible for global warming is not supported by historical fact. The period known as the 'Holocene Maximum' is a good example so-named because it was the hottest period in human history. The interesting thing is this period occurred approximately 5,500 B.C - 2,000 B.C long before industrial pollution.

Data taken from Ice Cores in Antarctica shows that CO² in the atmosphere has been steadily increasing for the last 18,000 years, which is long before humans invented the combustion engine. Incidentally, data shows CO² levels in the atmosphere today have reached similar levels in a previous interglacial period which existed around 140,000 years ago. This cycle lasted about 20,000 years and was known as the 'Eemian Interglacial Period' funnily enough the earth returned to a full blown ice age immediately afterward.

Seven Facts about Carbon Dioxide

• The footprint contributed by man to gases in the atmosphere accounts for only 0.28% of the 'air out there'. Approximately 99.72% of the 'greenhouse effect' is due to natural causes.

• Of the 186 billion tons of carbon from CO² that enter earth's atmosphere each year from all sources, only 6 billion tons are from human activity. Approximately 90 billion tons come from biologic activity in earth's oceans and another 90 billion tons from such sources as volcanoes and decaying land plants.

• At 380 parts per million CO² is a minor constituent of earth's atmosphere - less than 4/100ths of 1% of all gases present. Compared to former geologic times, earth's current atmosphere is CO²- impoverished.

• CO² is odorless, colorless, and tasteless. Plants absorb CO² and emit oxygen as a waste product. Humans and animals breathe oxygen and emit CO² as a waste product.

• Carbon dioxide is a nutrient, not a pollutant, and all life-- plants and animals alike benefit from more of it. All life on earth is carbon-based and CO² is an essential ingredient. When plant-growers want to stimulate plant growth, they introduce more carbon dioxide.

• CO² that goes into the atmosphere does not stay there but is continually recycled by terrestrial plant life and earth's oceans - the great retirement home for most terrestrial carbon dioxide.

• If we are in a global warming crisis today, even the most aggressive and costly proposals for limiting industrial carbon dioxide emissions would have a negligible effect on the global climate!

Some scientists believe we are "nearing the end of our minor interglacial period", and may in fact be on the brink of another Ice Age. If this is true, the last thing

we should be doing is limiting carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere, just in case they may have a positive effect in sustaining present temperatures.

Global climate cycles of warming and cooling have been a natural phenomena for hundreds of thousands of years, and it is unlikely that these cycles of dramatic climate change will stop anytime soon. We currently enjoy a warm Earth. Can we count on a warm Earth forever? The answer is most likely... no.

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Several Approaches To Prevent Global Warming

Several Approaches To Prevent Global Warming

Among the most detrimental issues that the world is experiencing currently is actually global warming. We quite often see how this subject is being discussed in almost all television shows that will cope with character as well as what exactly is happening close to.

This problem is definitely vulnerable the one which made numerous scientists wants to discover exactly what would be the even more results following several years.

Not only are studies being carried out, there's also some steps that many the authorities of most international locations do only to lessen the items which often can aggravate your circumstance.

Global warming is quite a common subject to most people; unfortunately, however, not every one of us understands how crucial this concern is.

There are several things that an ordinary individual can do for you to contribute and fix this kind of crucial as well as important matter.

Every single person needs to make a move to create points better and never to be most detrimental. A few of the straightforward stuff that can end as well as lower the scary global warming receive below.

A. At household usually switch off every one of the devices that aren't used. Although it will save you more electricity, you can also aid decrease polluting of the environment with this basic method.

B. If you cherish Mother Nature as well as plant life, you'll be able to place about your property; this may support take in every one of the carbon dioxide discovered coming from all the smog in which enters us all.

C. If needed, do not make use of plastic hand bags and exchange them a new cloth tote. Plastic material is just one of most dominant causes of air pollution.

D. Maintain your vehicle and maintain it usually in good shape. Understand that the actual cigarettes developing through all of the cars on the planet tend to be terrifyingly produced the environment we have now.

E. Do not really melt away rubbers, plastic material, or any other forms of items. The particular smoke cigarettes in which emanates from them can also affect the environment and will mean all of the polluting of the environment that this planet has already been suffocating through.

Information are already enumerated; and also the truth is we can invariably perform our own be associated with aiding the whole happening regarding climate change.

There are numerous straightforward nevertheless points that people are able to do to help save and lengthen the life from the simply Planet we have.

It is quite astonishing that this problem began with those people small and basic items that humans neglect. This is why, currently it is crucial for individuals to become dependable, involved, and be aware.

By: Ashley Claire

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Understanding The Complexity Of Global Warming Issue

Understanding The Complexity Of Global Warming Issue

Environmentalists are those people who are dedicated to the preservation, restoration, or improvement of the natural environment, and this includes the preservation of our natural resources and the prevention of pollution. In regards to the global warming topic, environmentalists believe that forests should not be cut down or burned, which would help to prevent more CO2 from going into the air. Environmentalists also support renewable energy sources, as less coal and fossil fuel usage would lead to less CO2 being put into the air.

Media coverage in the United States tends to give equal coverage to both sides of the debate involving global warming. That may sound reasonable, but it actually might lead to inaccurate coverage. The reason why is because the "balance" of covering both sides of the issue has allowed a small group of global warming sceptics, many of which are funded by carbon-based industry interests, to be frequently consulted and quoted in new reports on climate change.

This has allowed their views to be greatly amplified to the point where it looks like there is a 50/50 divide on whether human-made global warming is a legitimate concern or not, when in reality, there is more overwhelming evidence that suggests that human-made global warming is a real legitimate concern. Controversy is being stirred when science actually finds consensus.

However, there is disagreement about whether the scientific community has reached a consensus that human-made global warming is a legitimate concern and that if it is left unchecked, it will cause considerable damage to our planet in terms of extreme climate changes, more powerful tropical storms and hurricanes, and rising sea levels that will lead to the destruction of coastal communities, among other destructive events. Opponents maintain that no consensus has been reached, claiming that most scientists believe that human-made global warming is "unproven," they dismiss the theory altogether, or they dispute the dangers of consensus science.

Global warming is also a decisive political issue, especially in the United States. Most Republicans tend to adopt the view of not believing that human-made global warming is a "proven" issue, so they oppose all proposed measures of counteracting it because they don't believe it's necessary. Democrats, on the other hand, believe that human-made global warming is a legitimate cause of concern and endorse measures to reduce and/or eliminate the threat.

Two perfect examples of the political division involving the global warming issue are President George W. Bush's inaction regarding the Kyoto Treaty provisions and 2000 Democratic Presidential candidate Al Gore's new documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth," that refocuses attention on the global warming issue and why we must address it soon or face dire consequences.

The Kyoto Treaty is an amendment to the international treaty on climate change, calling for mandatory emission limitations for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to the nations that sign off on it. It was opened for signature on December 11, 1997, but wasn't enforced until February 16, 2005.

Even though the United States is a signee of the Kyoto Treaty, the US has neither ratified nor withdrawn from the Treaty. Since it has not been ratified by the US to this point, the US is not required to follow the provisions of the Kyoto Treaty.

On July 25, 1997, the U.S. Senate passed the Byrd-Hagel Resolution, which called for developing nations to also be required to follow the Kyoto Treaty before forcing industrialized nations to sign off on it, 95-0. They feared serious harm would come to the US economy if they signed off on it beforehand, as developing nations not bound by the Kyoto Treaty would have an unfair advantage over industrialized nations like the US in coal and fossil fuel production. As a result, the Treaty was never submitted to the Senate for ratification.

Current President George W. Bush has no intentions of submitting the treaty to the Senate for ratification, not because he doesn't support the Kyoto principles, but because of the exemption granted to China (the world's second-largest emitter of carbon dioxide after the US, and is projected to be the largest emitter by 2010.) Bush also believes the Treaty would put much strain on the US economy; he has concerns over the uncertainties which are present in the climate change issue.

Bush and the US Government have enacted some of their own legislation in order to mitigate the climate change and the US is on track to fulfil its pledge to reduce its carbon intensity 18% by 2012. However, Paul Krugman has stated that the target 18% reduction in carbon intensity is still actually an increase in overall emissions. In addition, the White House has also come under criticism for downplaying reports linking human activity and greenhouse gas emissions to climate change.

Al Gore has brought renewed focus on the topic of global warming with his Oscar-winning documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth." This documentary shows Mr. Gore's passionate and inspirational look at his fervent crusade to stop global warming's deadly progress by exposing the myths and misconceptions that surround it. The documentary also reveals that if most of the world's scientists are right about global warming, we may have just ten years to avert a major catastrophe that could cause our world to experience extreme weather, floods, droughts, epidemics, and killer heat waves at levels we've never seen before.

As you can see, there are many facets and elements that go into the topic of global warming. From the controversial science behind it to the way the media covers it to the politics that are behind each side of the debate to the Kyoto Treaty that tries to address the issue of global warming to the Oscar-winning documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth," that tries to alert people that global warming is a real issue that needs to be addressed now by all, both governmental and individual, global warming is a very important topic in our world. The debate will likely continue, but the evidence seems to indicate that human-made global warming is having more pronounced effects on our world, and without concise and decisive action in the near future, it's quite possible that the damage caused by global warming will only continue to become more devastating to our world.

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