Here is a recent quote I found published by Ohio State University that I found interesting:
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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Global warming is a natural geological process that could begin to reverse itself within 10 to 20 years, predicts an Ohio State University researcher. The researcher suggests that atmospheric carbon dioxide -- often thought of as a key "greenhouse gas" -- is not the cause of global warming. The opposite is most likely to be true, according to Robert Essenhigh, E.G. Bailey Professor of Energy Conservation in Ohio State's Department of Mechanical Engineering. It is the rising global temperatures that are naturally increasing the levels of carbon dioxide, not the other way around, he says.
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Now, along with most people my age, I grew up hearing horror stories about Global Warming and pollution. Recycling was still very new when I was young and there weren't any of these products that you could find that had been made out of recycled material yet. There were only a few drop off points where you could bring your recycled materials, and there were no laws in place to encourage recycling.
Most people seem to argue that Global Warming can be combatted only through recycling and lowering pollution levels. But is this the case? If you look at history through a meteorologist's eyes, there has always been a cycle; bad weather, off wind patterns, hard-hitting hurricanes followed by years or even decades of mild weather, normal wind patterns, and not so hard-hitting hurricanes.
So, is it a cycle, or are we doing it? I am leaning towards the cycle, but I maintain that we aren't helping very much. Our pollution and over-usage of resources are speeding up the process, but over all I believe that Global Warming will occur whether we recycle or not.
It's now just a matter of when.
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I think it's a combination of both. Sure, there are natural cycles of changes... but it's really not helping that we're dumping countless thousands (or millions or trillions or whatever the number is) of pollutants into the enviroment with nary a care as to what effects those pollutants are going to have on said environment. Natural changes are to be expected... human arrogance was never introduced into those cycles before and no one yet knows what the outcome will be. I imagine, however, that it's not going to be pretty.
I've noticed people tend to look for solutions other than our own arrogance and ignorance as often as possible. Wouldn't want to upset the thought of humanity being infallable and blameless! We're screwing ourselves and are just too stubborn to admit it.
"We don't receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us." -Marcel Proust
Interesting. I do happen to think that the current trend we're seeing in global warming is due, at least in part, to humankind's activities in a post-industrial revolution world. The UN report due out in a few months should shed some more light on this, and I find it a bit suspect that this researcher isn't a meteorologist, but "Professor of Energy Conservation in Ohio State's Department of Mechanical Engineering." Sounds like he has closer ties to fossil fuels than to meteorology. I'm not trying to invoke conspiracy, but I think his findings on the issue might be influenced by his specialty a bit.
Regardless of whether we're causing global warming or not, America puts a LOT of emissions into the air, about 21% of that in the world, and it needs to be cut down. Even if we're not spurring on global warming, we're still polluting and ocean acidity is going up because of it, setting us up for a plankton crash that would be disasterous. Just because there's no immediate threat to our existence doesn't mean we shouldn't be good stewards, so I think there should be more of a push to become "green" and cut down our ecological footprint. We live in the most wasteful society in the world, and I think it's about time we changed that.
Oh, I agree. Even if they do in some time determine that Global Warming is a completely natural process, I don't think that should give rise to stop recycling programs or give people the idea that it's okay to pollute away like nothing's wrong with it.
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"Dream as though you'll live forever, but live as though there's no tomorrow" --James Dean
http://www.progressiveu.org/user/fanaile-drupal-org
This is an interesting concept to think about. Is it just a cycle or are we controling it or is there another answer? Cycle VS Control I would have to say cycle. Now when it comes to Cycle VS Another, I would have to say Another. For me, I believe that God created the Heavens, the earth, the sky, and everything in it. God can control the weather. He flooded the earth at one point in time and has promised to never do that again ( refers to the story of Noah's Arch) i dont know if i spelled that right. but any way. He ultimately controls everything. I believe He made the seasons and He controls the hurricanes, tornados, and all storms.
I think you'd like my satire: Dream For Dubaic Dinosaurs...
Sustainably yers, http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/green-underbelly
I feel that humans are causing too much pollution, and that this is certainly hurting the enivronment. However, I also think that this is a cycle, and that it would happen whether or not we polluted. I also think that the cycle is worsened by human pollution. So saying this, while I don't think that recycling will cure the problem, it will certainly improve it.
*~Heidi~*
State temperature records haven't been broken since they were set in early 1900's or late 1800's. The ozone layer isn't regressing but the hole is actually closing.
Tell this to people in Montana. We're seeing glaciers recede, forest fire seasons expand into September and subdued ski seasons. And yet private industries in Montana propose the creation of at least 2 new coal-fired power plants. Nutty?
Sustainably yers, http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/green-underbelly
This is very interesting~! Thanks for the post. I feel that it is a combination of both.....and the best thing to do is to be enviornmentally friendly in all that we do. I went and checked out some hybrids yesterday and they are really neat!
Peace n Bike Grease~Sara