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Do we need to change our behavior to address global warming?
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(Seth Perlman/AP Photo)
Gazette guest columnist Jerry Schnorr says we need to modify our behavior to address the effects of global warning.
“Is there a congruent connection between the ravages of Hurricane Sandy and the U.S. drought of 2012?” says Schnorr, a professor at the University of Iowa and Co-Director of the Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research. “How can we reconcile the “weird weather” that we are seeing across the planet?
“Although a warming climate manifests itself in many different ways, the changes we are experiencing now are totally consistent with a forced warming of the planet by greenhouse gases. Globally, arctic ice is melting, Antarctic ice shelves are undercut by warmer ocean currents, sea level is rising, the sea surface temperature has warmed 1 degree Fahrenheit, and the planet averages 1.4 degree Fahrenheit warmer than 100 years ago.
“But the good news is that we can reverse climate change by acting now. We must level off global emissions now and achieve steep cuts by 2050.
“The tendency to dismiss the current drought and climate change as just another manifestation of variable weather is dangerous. It fails to acknowledge the clear and present danger of accumulating greenhouse gases and the changing climate it will cause.
“We can adapt our infrastructure to more extreme weather, but we must also help to mitigate climate change by reducing our emissions. A transition from the fossil-fuel age to the renewable-energy era can provide an engine for economic development for Iowa and the country while addressing a very serious problem for future generations,” Schnorr concludes.
What do you think? Do we need to adapt our behavior to address the effects of global warming?
Even if the likelihood of climate change problems is not 100%, it is irresponsible to not act on something that clearly appears to be much more likely than not. We have a moral responsibility to our children and grandchildren to do what we can to minimize the effect of climate change.
Now all we need is some guidance and some leadership. President Obama is weak on this issue, but he is a lot better than Romney would have been. Romney once stated that man made climate change is a problem that needed to be addressed. Then, due to a lack of courage, he changed his position of the issue and, literally, made jokes about it.
We need a change in global finance starting with the Federal Reserve related to our own domestic policies. There will be a change in our attitudes toward global climate change with or without Obama. A few more “superstorms” should do the trick.
Climate change has been going on since the earth has existed! Dont fall for the crap! Its a way for the UN to rap a Carbon Tax on everyone! Who do we blame the global cooling on from the Ice Age?
Catastrophic man made global climate change is an academic exercise in navel staring to the nth power. Every scientific computer model ever created has failed to predict global climate conditions. The feed back loop for carbons effect in the atmosphere have been proven to be greatly exagerated. The planets average temperature is not discernable, nor is it proven that a few degrees higher temp will result in any negative impacts. What has been proven is that Europes cap and tax on Carbon emissions has done nothing to reduce their carbon emissions, and the United States relience on the the free market has reduced carbon emissions. That single example should be enough to end the silly notion that government solutions to this non issue will only serve the power of govt, and not man.
Below is the reason that any govt program at a local, state, or federal level, is only ment to entrench power in the govt, and nothing towards addressing the stated issue, As phony as that statement is.
“China made the largest contribution to the global increase, with its emissions rising by 720 million tonnes (Mt), or 9.3%, primarily due to higher coal consumption.
India’s emissions rose by 140 Mt, or 8.7%,CO2 emissions in the EU in 2011 were lower by 69 Mt, or 1.9%, as sluggish economic growth cut industrial production and a relatively warm winter reduced heating needs. By contrast, Japan’s emissions increased by 28 Mt, or 2.4%, as a result of a substantial increase in the use of fossil fuels in power generation post-Fukushima.”
“CO2 emissions in the United States in 2011 fell by 92 Mt, or 1.7%, primarily due to ongoing switching from coal to natural gas in power generation and an exceptionally mild winter, which reduced the demand for space heating. US emissions have now fallen by 430 Mt (7.7%) since 2006, the largest reduction of all countries or regions.”
“CO2 emissions in the EU in 2011 were lower by 69 Mt, or 1.9%, as sluggish economic growth cut industrial production and a relatively warm winter reduced heating needs. By contrast, Japan’s emissions increased by 28 Mt, or 2.4%, as a result of a substantial increase in the use of fossil fuels in power generation post-Fukushima.CO2 emissions in the EU in 2011 were lower by 69 Mt, or 1.9%, as sluggish economic growth cut industrial production and a relatively warm winter reduced heating needs. By contrast, Japan’s emissions increased by 28 Mt, or 2.4%, as a result of a substantial increase in the use of fossil fuels in power generation post-Fukushima.”
http://www.iea.org/newsroomandevents/news/2012/may/name,27216,en.html
Once again, Mr Williamson, do you read the things you link to?
This one is an International Energy Agency press release issued 24 May 2012, “Global carbon-dioxide emissions increase by 1.0Gt in 2011 to record high”.
And FYI, Cap and Trade is a Free Market solution
yes I read what I post. The link makes evident to those with average reading comprehension skills, that local, state, and federal legislation will have no effect on carbon as it relates to the stated issue at hand. The link shows that the United States actually reduced carbon emissions………with no govt intervention.
And FYI Cap and tax, a govt invented and regulated market, that only exists to meet the goal of govt, has no resemblance to ‘free markets’ If it was a free market concept it would already exist and thrive. Like the NYSE or the CBOTor its new competitor ICE, Intercontinental Exchange.The are examples of markets being created to fill a need.
on a side note. I notice with interest that If Dr Schnor would have written an opinion piece offering an opinion debunking global warming, the left would have excoriated the good Dr’s. credential and impeached any of his writings as irrelevant due to his lacking credentials in a related field of study. So just curious? Is the Dr even qualified to have an opinion?
No Mr Williamson, the press release doesn’t say what you think it says not at all.
And besides that, if the US really were reducing CO2 emissions, petrol consumption, switching from coal to cleaner sources of energy based solely on the “Invisible Hand of God” aka the “Free Market”, then all those pesky regulations conservatives love to hate must be all the products of Rush Limbaugh’s imagination
Roberta, other that claiming the link isnt relevent, you have not even attempted to challenge a single thing I have posted or a single thing from the link I provided.
By example you have failed to support your disagreement with fact.
And while your disdain for faith in God is plain to see. Why do you insist on inserting God into this discussion? While God plays a part in everything, not in anyway is it relevant here. The only conclusion is you have maxed out your very limited knowlege of the subject and need to deflect and change the topic.
No (Adding more words because a “no” answer is too short)
What is irresponsibile listening to a Pied Piper selling snake oil and unscientific drivel. If you read his entire piece he admits up front that there is nothing unusual about this weather unless you think the world came into being in 1940. The weather patterns actually are similar to those within the human record keeping and a geological study of the Earth reveals nothin unusual at all about the current situation.
It’s time to admit that the Earth controls the climate and the weather. Fools who think they can change it should be admitted to an institution with care-takers. What needs to be done is to admit that we have to stop spending taxpayer dollars on nonsense and be prepared to fund FEMA and other emergency management issues so that we can minimize the human toll when nature acts.
Get the federal deficit under control, make the American economy efficient, effective and competitive in the world market again and lead the world in energy production.
Your are right about one thing Richie, Obama is the weakest leader we have had in 100 years. Romney has done more in his career than Obama will ever do.
Obama is a weaker president than Warren G Harding?
Ellis, there is no contradiction between making an effort to halt and/or reverse global warming and efforts to deal with the adverse effects of climate change. Even if we can’t do anything about current trends, efforts to control greenhouse gasses–which, by the way, are causing the uptick in global temperatures—will give us cleaner water, cleaner air, and viable alternative sources of energy. We are going to run out of petroleum. You do know that. And what happens then? We all go Road Warrior?
We should keep in mind the rule of three when making personal and government decisions. Three min. without air and you die. Three days without water and you die. Three weeks without food and you die.
Keep the air, water and food clean and most of the other things will mostly fall into place and there will be enough for all on a living planet.
I’m going to go with Rich Greer on this.
We need to change our behavior. Even if we can’t turn around this disaster that we’ve created, we still have to drink the water and breathe the air. We still have to be prepared to deal with the fact of climate change. We can’t continue to grow the same crops in the same areas because they won’t grow. Otherwise we repeat the famines of the 14th century at the beginning of the Mini-ice Age when Europeans kept on doing what they had been doing even though it wasn’t working. Check out Greenland of 500 years ago.
Or more recently, the Dust Bowl.
We as human beings are capable of producing natural disasters on a massive scale. We are also capable of making choices in how we deal with those and with natural disasters over which we have very little control.
We can either choose to deal with the climate changes that even conservatives now admit are happening, we can choose to make the changes that we have to make if we are to survive, or we can sit here and do nothing and wait for the inevitable as if we were dumb brutes instead of human beings.
Bottom line, God gave us brains, gave us Free Will for a reason. Now is the time to use them..