I've finally found something in all the noise about climate change that finally poses the questions I've been wondering about in this important debate: are humans to blame for climate change? and, can we do anything to stop it? Watch this and tell me what you think in the comments.
*Thanks to Ben for finding this clip
It's comforting to hear an opposing view point on this popular bandwagon issue.
8 comments:
An excellent clip. I don't know how anyone can ever take Al Gore seriously.
Well, besides the fact he is the inventor of the internet. That gives him so much cred. I'm shocked he didn't win a nobel prize for that, too.
Awesome clip! I have to be honest that I am really skeptical about the theory that climate change is caused by us, that we can actually do anything about it, and that attempting to do something about it would be a good idea. Having lived in Bangkok Thailand for a long time, I do think that pollution is really bad and I like the idea of not carelessly trashing the environment (like they tended to do in Bangkok). However, almost everything I have heard about global warming seems to be propaganda designed to scare us. I just always cringe when people say something like, "The scientists agree". Al Gore getting the Nobel Prize gave that much more credibility to something that still, in my opinion, lacks substance. Now people can say, "Anyone who gets the Nobel Prize can't be wrong"
The popular rhetoric (arguably a "scare" tactic - just watch the evening news) used to guilt people to a state of action is, "humans are to blame." Although this is the center of the controversy cited in the video, isn't the more important question: If the earth is warming, can humans mitigate the effects? Additionally, do negligent consumption/production habits lead to a lower quality of life? And at what cost?
I'm confused at why people are so resistant to change the status quo or their way of life. Not only are outcomes measured by an improved quality of life, but there are enormous opportunities for economic advantages by moving in the direction of efficiency and innovation in the field of energy savings (for the individual as for the country). Think of it on a household production level; how much more yearly discretionary income would you have by decreasing your energy (electricity, gasoline, etc.) costs by 50%?
I don't disagree that there is some global warming as measured at discrete locations over finite periods of time. I don't know if we are the main cause or not, but certainly our actions do contribute. I do believe the Earth to be an incredibly resilient organism that can adjust incredibly well.
At the end of the day, a market-based approach is the only way to affect change. The largest per capita consumers of energy in the world, Americans, have shown incredible selfishness. They will not changed unless forced; altruism is not part of the American consumer DNA. With that being said, anyone who believes in tackling global warming and not support a carbon tax is deluding themselves.
My libertarian roots hate to give government more money to waste, but less energy consumption will only be enacted through higher prices. Government mandates such as Kyoto's cap-and-trade can be easily manipulated (although I will admit this is close to a market-based solution); and not including developing countries is a time bomb. Read about China's management of the Three Gorges Dam.
Full disclosure: I eat meat, drive a small SUV, and fly frequently.
jmulls said: "The largest per capita consumers of energy in the world, Americans..."
Not exactly correct. See Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_dioxide_emissions_per_capita
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_ratio_of_GDP_to_carbon_dioxide_emissions
This says we are 10th per capita, others have us at 5, so it depends on how you count. And the second link shows that we produce a lot for the energy we consume. So, are we really more "wasteful" than the rest of the world? This suggests not.
When anyone says that "Scientist agree" on something, be very wary. They are (probably) trying to sell something. Remember, less than 30 years ago scientists were preaching "Global Cooling."
That all being said, there are enough other reasons to ween ourselves from our addiction to Oil. The two big ones are better Health and not funding our enemies. I do my part by only owning 1 car, carpooling when I can, recycling when I can, donating goods instead of trashing then (when appropriate,) etc.
However, rarely are good choices made when panicking. A wise man once said "Global warming will be solved by Engineers and Scientists, not by politicians." :) This is a long term problem that will not be solved by knee jerk solutions that will not make much difference. We need fundamental changes like alternate fuels and cheap solar power (among others). They do not exist today, but appear to be close on the horizon. Let's wait till we have good solutions that will actually make a difference before we make widespread changes that accomplish very little. Plus, when the tech is marketable, we can sell it and make a boatload of money.
Besides, the idea of solar panels on my house and an electric car just make the techno-geek in me salivate! :)
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