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To: b_sharp; phantomworker
I don't really think there's much that can be done by humans to affect the climate. CO2 is only the third strongest greenhouse gas and what's mankinds contribution to the global total? And how much difference would a small percentage cut in CO2 emissions make. The two strongest greenhouse gase are: water vapor- first, and methane- second. There's not much that can be done about either of those.

There is also debate among meteorologists about what effect the increased temperature would have. It's possible that it could result in increased cloud cover, which would reflect back more of the incoming solar radiation, which would then mean cooling. There are way to many variables.

The problem is climate change takes place over long periods of time. The year to year variations cannot determine a pattern.

In a nutshell, no one knows what's going to happen. What if we get another Krakatoa type volcanic eruption? All the human efforts to steady the climate would be wasted.

101 posted on 02/15/2006 10:29:04 PM PST by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: metmom

Never thought of it that way. Thanks!


103 posted on 02/15/2006 11:26:35 PM PST by phantomworker (Restlessness and discontent are the first necessities of progress.)
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To: metmom

The only thing is what about reports about the ozone layer in South America and Australia? Is it just hype or is it really happening that humans are starting to need to use more sunscreen etc to adapt to more UV radiation?

http://www.recyclingpoint.com.sg/Articles/20Oct2000Life_under_the.htm


111 posted on 02/16/2006 5:59:11 AM PST by phantomworker (Restlessness and discontent are the first necessities of progress.)
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To: metmom
"In a nutshell, no one knows what's going to happen. What if we get another Krakatoa type volcanic eruption? All the human efforts to steady the climate would be wasted.

True, but we can't give up on something simply because 'bad things may corrupt our good things'. CO2 production is not the only way humans can affect an ecology, stripping forests can create deserts, deserts can change airflow and storm paths. Granted the Earth's weather patterns are complex systems thus making it very difficult to predict a specific outcome but we can generalize that certain human activities will cause weather patterns to 'tend' in a specific direction.

The cause of the global change is less important than our reaction to it. If we can affect a change we need to perform cost and risk analyses to determine if our current actions need to be changed.

143 posted on 02/16/2006 6:55:48 PM PST by b_sharp (Science adjusts theories to fit evidence, creationism distorts evidence to fit the Bible.)
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