Global Warming

[ithacaartist]

Originally Posted by mrerick

If there is anything sure about the Earth, it is that the Climate will Change.

Humans may contribute to that change, and we may even accelerate it, but regardless of that contribution it will change and always has changed. Millions of years of history, evidence of which you can read in the rocks, proves that.

This is essentially correct. However it is the unprecedented rate of change--way beyond what the planet would do to itself naturally--that is the problem. Human activity since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution is demonstrably responsible for the higher rate of any warming. It's even possible to calculate just how much old carbon has been added to the atmosphere by our burning fossil fuels. Denying this science would be idiotic. https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4549

That doesn't mean that you need to react by taking the wealth of nations and redistribute it. It doesn't mean that you need to destroy the systems you depend upon for energy and commerce. It doesn't mean that any society needs to wallow in guilt or expectation of windfall.

Redistribution of wealth may seem unfair, but consider that the countries sufficiently developed to create that wealth have screwed up the global ecosystem by choosing the methods of doing so. The price to be paid to avoid ecocide will probably be immense. Do we expect those least responsible for it to even equally shoulder the burden? This reminds me of the humanitarian crisis at the border. People are quick to blame refugees while not even thinking about who/what made them refugees.

It does mean that it is time for rational instead of emotional thinking - and that seems to be something that is in much greater shortage than almost every other scarce resource needed in this wonderful world.

In any case, may the peace of the world be with you during this season.

Agreed..if it is sound science, compelling evidence, and best analysis are used to informs us.