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Of course human beings have adapted in the past and will continue to be able to do so in the future. The ability to adapt is almost synonymous with the definition of life.

But the more dramatic and sudden the change the more difficult and painful the process of adaptation. Try adapting to a hurricane or a major earthquake in the heart of a megalopolis. And there are limits. If the entire earth turns into an 800 degree oven, forget it.

We are now witnessing some kind of significant climate change, perhaps caused by human activity (There are the usual uncertainties inherent in all human attempts to understand reality). If you don't believe in the reality of the change then no action is called for. If you don't believe human activity is responsible then adaptation is the best course. If you believe that human activity is responsible then it is reasonable to try to mitigate it.

Larry, I'm not trying to get on a soapbox, but would you indulge me for just a minute?

The earth is warmed by the sun. Radiation from the sun heats the earth to a certain temperature. The warm earth radiates heat, too. Mostly invisible infra-red (just like you feel on your face when stepping out into the sunlight).

If you radiate something, it gets hot. Then it radiates, too. The sun radiates all the way around it, and the earth catches a small part of it. The warm earth then radiates (all around, to a much lesser degree).

If the earth, with a steady supply of radiation, started "keeping" more radiation, it would get warmer. If it "kept" more radiation, less radiation would be given off by it--it is "keeping" it.

If you saw the earth giving off less radiation, it would be warming. If you saw the earth giving off more radiation, it would be cooling. The infra-red energy would go off into space.

We can measure both amounts of radiation with accuracy way beyond your wall thermometer. Sattelites have the most advanced sensors that mankind can produce. Sattelites have been measuring the amount of radiation given off by the sun, and the amount given off by the earth, for 35 years.

The satellites show no difference in radiation from earth. No warming or cooling has occurred in the past 35 years.

Some areas have gotten hotter, and some colder, but the earth itself has stayed the same.

If you believe that human activity is responsible then it is reasonable to try to mitigate it.

Maybe not, if a warm green house grows more food, makes more land habitable, creates more fresh water, and saves lives. My first thought when I was told about global warming by the socialist schools 25 years ago is what's bad about a green house?

I thought the dogma is liberals are progressive, change is good, and conservatives want to return to the past. Why are liberals non-progressive about a better functioning world? I suspect they are attracted to the global warming scare because it means more government, a world-wide super government in fact. The subconscience motive here is more and bigger government.

”Of course human beings have adapted in the past and will continue to be able to do so in the future.”

Then why, in your post #6 do you imply that humanity may not survive climate change? I quote you in full: ”Life has adapted but not necessarily human life. And the adaptation has often been very, very painful.” (Emphasis added).

Look, I realize that arguing in sound bites can lead to misunderstanding. But, that is one of the problems with those who, for political or financial reasons, are determined to scare people by asserting that climate change is due to human activity, and who then wish governments or supra-national agencies increase the regulation of individual activity.