Is it just me or is global warming a lot of bollocks?

[cville]

See that concert? Load of balls. Remember the old Hole in the Ozone layer? Sure that healed itself. Year 2000 world catastrophe ... all those computers crashing? load of balls... I know a guy who made a mint speaking at conferences about the impending crash of the world on 1st January 2000 - Never happened. Al Gore - now that man is a Johnny come lately to having a heart. All I'm saying is that this Global Issue is out of control - I was on holiday in teh West of Ireland last week - pissed down - as it did in 2004, 1993, 1968, 1955 etc etc... However this year it was due to "Global Warming"..... Even the adverts are all claiming to be advantageous to teh environment as a selling point... Jesus Christ!

[Hereiam]

Indeed gobal warming is happening 5times, but for christs sake this process started once the ice began to melt after the last ice age. The thing is no mater what the hell we do its not going make one ounce of difference. The fact is that millions/billions of years ago there was no ice at the pole caps and its going back that way. Its just a way of the governments to keep its loyal subjects in control. Nobody knows what is going to happen, the only good thing to come out of all this bullshit is the public awareness of recycling waste. At the minute it is Britian trying to lead the way in how they are going to save the world, its the usual "look at us" to the rest of the world governments, we are going to show you all how its done. I say enjoy your life care free now; for you only get the one chance, this planet is going to be here long after us and the ones after us. They might have to deal with a change in the weather but sure we have doing that for years.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Indeed gobal warming is happening 5times, but for christs sake this process started once the ice began to melt after the last ice age.

But it has never before heated up at such an accelerated rate before (from the Vostok ice core, which gives us climate data for the last 500,000 years), and when it flips it might just flip completely the other way and the water levels will rise by 25 metres and that'll be the end of the current Holocene period. Interesting that the main plank of the global warming sceptics' defence was obliterated last week -- solar activity, which contrary to their claim that it has actually been increasing and thereby leading to greater temperatures on earth it has actually been decreasing!

Anyone who believes that the current global warming phenomenon isn't due primarily to human activity is in severe denial.

[J70]

The "self-healing" of the ozone hole will be news to scientists! Reductions in fluorocarbons will certainly reduce the hole and general ozone depletion in the future, but had we gone on our merry way, the problem would be a hell of a lot worse than it is now. Similarly for acid rain.

I don't what the Y2K bug has to do with anything, but I hardly see how the fact that the huge amount of work that was done to ensure Y2K compliance and avert problems in advance means that there was never a problem in the first place.

Finally, what the hell has the fact that it still rains heavily in Connacht got to do with global warming? Is a prediction of global warming theory that Connacht will turn into an Irish version of Arizona?

[Hereiam]

But it has never before heated up at such an accelerated rate before

Come on now you dont that for sure, Yes they have ways to tell using trees, ice cores etc but they only tell the story for a short period, I am sure that the earth has heated before and knocked itself into an ice age as a way of cooling down again. Its mother natures way of regulating the planet. This is no different if u ask me. Its like the tale about the oil running out, they have not got a clue because they don't know how much oil is under the crust, and if shell and the other major oil companies did know do you think they would tell the world that we have 100 years supply, the price of oil would drop like a rocket. Its in their interests to give this info to make as much money as possible. At this very moment America is looking to extend its claim to the international waters up in the Artic as there is a shit load of oil underneath it, but of course Russia and Canada are not going to let that go. Another point to realise is that its industry that produces the most waste and uses the most energy, far more than homes, yet you don't see the government introducing law for them to cut both these, Why? because there would be an almighty back lash, no.... the best way to do it is but it out there that we need to save the planet, come up with a pointless grants scheme for home owners to install wind turbines etc which are now being reduced.....you tell me is that a government who want us to cut energy bills. Its a complete joke and the government know this but they have to be seen to be doing something or the general public will not vote come elections.

[hitzelsperger]

the only good things that came out of the Live Earth concert were the sets by the Foo Fighters and Metallica...the fcukin rocked it!!

[cville]

look the media etc are using this for hype. There was picture of a guy standing a mile from a glacier in the papers with an old shot of the glacier in the space he was standing in - 100 years ago. Horror! What shall we do? A mile away in 100 years... But that is the way that the ice has been receding for 10000 years. It's all due to media manipulation... I heard - and stand to be corrected - that the icebeg that the Titanic hit is still doing the rounds in the North Atlantic - however if the Titanic sank in 2006 it would no doubt be down to GLOBAL WARMING - "Oh the icecaps are breaking up etc..... The planet may be heating up but tin twenty years we could have a minor iceage.... In the 1850s the Thames froze over five winters running - it will probably do so a few more times before Westport becomes Dubai........... It's all poppycock! - which means bollocks!

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

But it has never before heated up at such an accelerated rate before

Come on now you dont that for sure, Yes they have ways to tell using trees, ice cores etc but they only tell the story for a short period, I am sure that the earth has heated before and knocked itself into an ice age as a way of cooling down again. Its mother natures way of regulating the planet.

You're correct to say that the earth has heated up before to the point that it has flipped into an ice-age to correct the balance, but we have half-a-million years' worth of climate data from the Vostok ice-core that tells us the earth never, during that period, heated up at such an accelarated rate as it is doing today. Fact. It's inevitable that the Holocene will end, but do we really need to bring it upon ourselves so much quicker than would happen otherwise?

Its like the tale about the oil running out, they have not got a clue because they don't know how much oil is under the crust, and if shell and the other major oil companies did know do you think they would tell the world that we have 100 years supply, the price of oil would drop like a rocket. Its in their interests to give this info to make as much money as possible.

Why was Shell caught out in 2004 years ago deliberately overestimating their reserves by 20%, and had to downsize their reserve estimations four times (http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-412815/SHELL-WRITES-DOWN-RESERVES-SLIGHTLY.html)?

At this very moment America is looking to extend its claim to the international waters up in the Artic as there is a shit load of oil underneath it, but of course Russia and Canada are not going to let that go.

And that definitely is last-chance saloon were oil is concerned. The industry consensus is that we've have already hit peak oil (regardless of the Arctic reserves), or if we haven't we're no more than 5 years from peak oil, i.e., after peak oil demand continues to rise but output continues to fall. Then the fun will begin.

Another point to realise is that its industry that produces the most waste and uses the most energy, far more than homes, yet you don't see the government introducing law for them to cut both these, Why? because there would be an almighty back lash, no.... the best way to do it is but it out there that we need to save the planet, come up with a pointless grants scheme for home owners to install wind turbines etc which are now being reduced.....you tell me is that a government who want us to cut energy bills. Its a complete joke and the government know this but they have to be seen to be doing something or the general public will not vote come elections.

Yes, such is the 'joy' of democracy, where these politicians care only about their own re-election, and not something as trivial as the saving of the planet for everyone. It's not quite correct to say that industry isn't being regulated, however, even in the earth's dirtiest backyard, the US, and California is leading the way there. And it's not totally useless for individuals to regulate their own energy usage, it all helps.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

look the media etc are using this for hype. There was picture of a guy standing a mile from a glacier in the papers with an old shot of the glacier in the space he was standing in - 100 years ago. Horror! What shall we do? A mile away in 100 years... But that is the way that the ice has been receding for 10000 years. It's all due to media manipulation... I heard - and stand to be corrected - that the icebeg that the Titanic hit is still doing the rounds in the North Atlantic - however if the Titanic sank in 2006 it would no doubt be down to GLOBAL WARMING - "Oh the icecaps are breaking up etc..... The planet may be heating up but tin twenty years we could have a minor iceage.... In the 1850s the Thames froze over five winters running - it will probably do so a few more times before Westport becomes Dubai........... It's all poppycock! - which means bollocks!

I'd rather take the word of the scientists who know something about this, and not the word of someone who 'heard' something somewhere, and who thinks that a 'mile' in 100 years is nothing (have you measured it? Have you measured the actual volume of ice that's disappeared?) and no offence, but I hope you've a boat ready when the sea-level rises by 25 metres. And this whole global warming began with the Industrial Revolution, well before the 1850s (early 1700s). The permafrost is melting, but I suppose that's not due to global warming, eh?

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

But seriously, we need to do something, not just as a nation, but on a planetary basis. Its no good some wee Paddy recycling his wine bottles and reuisng his Dunnes bag if every little chink is burning coal and all the Brazillians are cutting the rainforests down.

It's no bad either 5times, better to have the national mindset shifted, and it also gives more clout (moral high ground) to those countries that need to persuade others. Regarding the Brazilians: if we get into a climatic positive feed-back loop, i.e., the more the earth heats up the less able trees become at absorbing CO2 (fact), which results in higher concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases, which in turn further reduces plants' abilities so absorb CO2, etc., etc., it won't much matter about the Amazon. We're a bit away form that yet, but not that far away. The most pressing concerns are the US, China & India (in that order).

[Hereiam]

Hi cville there is no hope of the thames freezing again with all the chemicals going into it, sure its better than anti freeze

[cville]

thames? yeah it was as pure as the driven snow in 1850.....

[ONeill]

Saw a three-legged hen two months ago. Something's definitely up. (though he was reared in Derry)

[Gnevin]

The thing that pisses me off is the power of one bullshit. I mean guilting joe public into plugging out everything , turning off ever light while the government takes no actions from the simple things such as power saving lights to major issues like eco friendly power stations

[J70]

The thing that pisses me off is the power of one bullshit. I mean guilting joe public into plugging out everything , turning off ever light while the government takes no actions from the simple things such as power saving lights to major issues like eco friendly power stations

You don't live under a dictatorship. If the people give a shit about green issues, they can elect the politicians who will take action.

I'm all for what you call "power of one". Every little bit helps, and it can help to educate your kids.