Global Warming, Global Stupidity

[Collin Li]

Can you show me some of the arguments and evidence that 'An Inconvenient Truth' puts forward to suggest that global warming is caused by man? I have to say I am not well educated in this topic, perhaps you can enlighten me.

[Mao]

CO2 vs Time(Years) - Keeling Curve

Retreat of Glaciers - Retreat of Glaciers

A study by researchers at the Physics Institute at the University of Bern and the European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica presenting data from Antarctic ice cores showing carbon dioxide concentrations higher than at any time during the past 650,000 years. (couldnt find links)

Temperature Record since 1880 - Temperature Record

My opinion: there is a chance that it might be a naturally occuring event, ice ages and previous global warming are well studied, but it seems too much of a coincidence that global warming is happening just when human emissions are off the chart...

EDIT:
http://www.aninconvenienttruth.com.au/truth/doc/sg_an_inconvenient_truth.pdf
a study guide designed for students, if u scroll pass the experiment bullcrap to page 10, the graphs on the bottom shows a clear correlation of CO2 vs Temperature... it may be that neither causes the other, but that much of an coincidence??

[DrowNz]

My opinion: there is a chance that it might be a naturally occuring event, ice ages and previous global warming are well studied, but it seems too much of a coincidence that global warming is happening just when human emissions are off the chart...

fair enough that you are very enthusiastic about this issue mate but it has been shown numerous of times through research that there is no direct correlation between CO2 and temperature and a prime example to that is the industrial revolution. Nevertheless, it is certainly an issue that we should look into and much more research is needed but I am arguing that it is not as much human induced as it is made out to be.

[Eriny]

I've seen 'An Inconvienient Truth' as well as that documentary by that British global warming skeptic (I forget his name) and the ABC's follow-up. I guess I'm somewhat skeptical even though I think that human emissions must play some part at least to the problem. I figure that if the world does attempt to cut emissions, that can't be a bad thing. There would be less pollution and renewable energy (because most current sources aren't going to last forever) and possibly more efficient cars (so we don't have to be at the mercy of OPEC). It would take some work, and I suppose there would be some short-term financial loss, but if the reforms were implemented with a wise plan, we'd be better off for them in the long term - we may even be saving the planet.

[Collin Li]

This is my environmental policy:

I support a carbon tax to pay for the costs of pollution. Subsidising renewable energy sources is economically incorrect (not saying that anyone said that), and encourages malinvestment (unwise spending of scarce resources). Private renewable energy investment is enough. If they have expectations of a future oil crisis, the future returns of renewable energy are expected to be high. This creates an incentive for R&D. I believe the carbon tax will help fix the market to the true social cost of carbon, and it will increase the incentive to research in alternative energy sources.

I also believe that we are not dependent on OPEC. OPEC are dependent on us. If they do not sell the oil in some form or another, their oil-dependent economies will be crippled. Other nations who buy the oil will simply resell it to the Western nations. Discrimination is not profitable in the free market.

[Eriny]

The countries which are in OPEC meet on a regular basis to determine output.  While they can not set the price directly, they have been able to control the level of output.  This sort of market power would not be permitted in Australia; OPEC is a cartel that meets behind closed doors, and the rest of us have to cope with the consequences of the decisions that they make.

http://mrwood.com.au/article.asp?newsid=99

Besides, if electric cars are more efficient both on the environment and in terms of running costs, then that's the kind of thing we should be working toward. And indeed, the free market already is with more brands offering hybrids.

[Collin Li]

My point is that OPEC does not pull us by strings. We are not dependent on them: they must sell their oil, or else the countries of OPEC risk crippling their economies.

I might have been confusing when I played a scenario where OPEC countries choose to stop selling their oil to Western nations, but I was just pointing out that even if they did that, they would still be beaten by the market.

The free market is indeed a great organising force