Denys wrote:
> Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2008 13:55:41 -0600> From: [log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: [HP3000-L] OT: Which is your favorite?> To: [log in to unmask]> > A is Anthropogenic, which means man-made. This is the correct name of the> hoax that Man is responsible for the planet warming and cooling.> > Denys...
Denys makes an important point. It is not the fact of global warming that is being debated, but whether it is man made. The question of whether or not global warming is happening is not a matter of opinion; it can be empirically determined simply by observing whether the average global temerature is rising or not.
It is.
Global warming is happening. The question is whether it is being caused by the actions of humans. Regarding that question, I am amazed at the utter certainty with which those who would like to believe GW is not anthropogenic insist on their position. It's no coincidence that such absolute certainty seems to go along with a certain political leaning. It seems many accept the mantra of the media pundits who have made a career of insisting that if you call yourself "conservative" you are required to subscribe to a whole litany of beliefs that have nothing to do with the liberal/conservative dichotomy, at least as those terms used to be defined.
I prefer to think for myself. I believe very strongly in some "conservative" positions, and equally strongly in some "liberal" ones. I prefer to decide each question on its own merits, rather than on the basis of a label assigned by the likes of Rush Limbaugh.
With respect to the AGW question, I am less certain, because I prefer to take my position on the basis of science rather than politics or wishful thinking. I lean more toward accepting the AGW model than rejecting it for the following reasons: (1) There seems to be little disagreement among those who make their living as climate scientists, as opposed to those who have a political axe to grind; (2) We do know that carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, and that carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have been increasing for some time, mostly through human activity; (3) Glacial core samples show a correlation between carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and global temperatures. I realize that a correlation does not prove a cause/effect relationship, but it at least seems to help support the premise; and (4) even if AGW is not true, it is a good thing to try to find ways to be less dependent on fossil fuels and to put fewer pollutants into the atmosphere.
My $.02
John Clogg
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