dburg30
Contributor
Climate change is very complicated, and it is not helped by the fact that both scientists and journalists tend to 'dumb down' concepts (a fact much picked upon by Michael Crichton in his best-selling novel, Climate of Fear), or the fact that tree-huggers engage in witch hunts of scientists with opposing views.
All that having been said, it is very hard for a lay person to seriously argue against the general scientific consensus: global warming is real, and it is man made. There is also a third area of consensus slowly emerging - that it is irreversible.Further reading:
- Scientific opinion on climate change
- Climate change consensus
- List of scientists opposing the mainstream scientific assessment of global warming
Curiously I don't worry so much about global warming. I am far more concerned about ocean acidification and the buildup of other (non-greenhouse gas) pollutants. But those issues rarely get press time because they are not as readily identifiable to the public as a baby polar bear sitting on a shrinking iceberg.
Well if it's irreversible then there is no reason to dwell on it. Even if it is reversible, I see no way that the entire planet would / could come together on it. Unless we dont want electricity / gas etc etc..
And of course the solar / wind (IMO the best) / water power people need to remember that to use that you still have to use a TON of other pollution creating resources to be able to harness and actually use them.