Nature and Environment

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For or Against Global Warming?

2/4/2009 12:04:22 PM

Tags: climate change, global warming, congress, grist, climate debate, scientists, IPCC, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change


polar bear 

While Congress continues to consider climate legislation (see Gore Says this is the Year for Action on Climate), some scientists and scholars — believe it or not — still debate about whether or not the global warming issue is real. There is even a government website (the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works) that debates the topic, as if it’s something that still needs to be debated over. Climate Debate Daily also lists arguments for and against the idea of global warming. My personal favorite response to the debate comes from the Canada Free Press: “They’ve given carbon dioxide (CO2) a bad name and it is now being hanged by draconian and completely unnecessary legislation.”

It’s hard to believe that there are still people out there that won’t grasp the fact that humans can and do have an affect on our environment. Yes, the Inhofe EPW Press Blog has been able to find 650 international scientists to speak out against global warming. But many of these scientists aren’t credible on the climate topic, like this blog on Grist magazine quite logically shows, by comparing the credibility of these skeptical scientists to the credibility of just any doctor on the treatment of cancer. It’s always best to find the answers to problems from actual experts. Environmental scientists prove again and again that global warming is manmade, like the evidence in this Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report that says “There is very high confidence that the net effect of human activities since 1750 has been one of warming.” Or like the evidence in this RealClimate article.

But whether you do or don’t “believe” in global warming, it’s a good idea to research both sides of the debate, especially if you’ve found yourself lost when trying to gather up a not-too-condescending response to co-workers, friends or even — in my case — to family at Christmas dinner. That way, the next time the issue comes up, the evidence can prevail and the debate will be finished in time for you to enjoy your post-break-room or post-dinner cup of coffee.

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Kenneth Kozak
10/16/2012 12:28:24 AM
I think its funny...don't take much thought to realize the heat and the drought are at all time highs.

Ladislav Mihaly
4/19/2012 10:19:41 PM
This is already scientifically proved and published that steam has no gases dissolved. Also the water is absorbing C02 and other gases. This is impossible to question by any one. I did just the calculation what quantity of water is able to dissolve the human generated C02. I am not talking about sea because I have no data, (but everyone using just estimation for that) my calculation is proving that 2”-3” of water at 25 degree is absorbing all the C02 generated by humans. We have more than 10 times rain every year, average over our planet. This quantity of water is also absorbing C02 and because this is not generated by humans, must be natural (I considering it as natural generated by temperature risings of sea water) I am not including the photo synthesis because could be also only estimated. This simple calculation is clearly based only on physical and chemical calculation and already published in all the school books. If the humans want to regulate the less than 10 % of C02 production (I am considering it as human activity emission) and unable to do anything with over 90 % of natural emission) all the activities around climate control are just wasting of time and useless. Also the ethanol is generating 1.7 times more C02 as the regular fuel. I cannot understand why the scientists are lying for the public. My calculations were reviewed by University Professor and confirmed as correct

7/9/2010 10:59:33 AM
hey my names jane and im 14 years old ! youu all most probely think im a little to young to be worry about this kind of thing but the truth is i do belive that it part mans fault that the earth is changing but i also believe that it a naturally think aswell. The earth is doing another ice-age but instead of getting coldr it going to get hotter. Pepole dont care about the plant and i knows because i did a survey of 150 people and 100 of them said they dont care! people need to understand that it will effect them . .. . also people need to listen to what young people say there are many ideas in young peoples mind but adults just listen to there mps and what not !

Andrea TN_2
3/24/2010 4:09:07 PM
No I do not think we have Global warming, but I do believe that the earth has cycles of cooling and warming that we cannot control. Over ten years ago I stumbled across an article in regards to the sun's role on earth's temperatures. They also noted Mar's temps at the time of article.They talked of solar flares, and how sometimes there is an abundance of these flares, and at other times the Sun is relatively quiet. When the SUN does not produce a lot of these flares, then generally the effect on the other planets can be seen in a cooling phase. When the SUN produces more of these solar flares we will a warming. At the time of this article they said we would be going into a warming phase for awhile but it would not last. Apparently it takes quite some time for the SUN cycles to be felt on earth, years in fact. Recently these same scientist said that we are entering a cooling phase, perhaps even a mini-ice age. I tend to believe these scientist, you see unlike Gore they do not stand to make BILLIONS or more on taxing us common people for our carbon footprints. Gore and the scientist who manipulated data for their financial profit should be facing a court, and then they should go to jail for fraud. With that being said, I think we do need to do a better job on protecting our earth. We need to respect our environment and be better stewards for our next generations. I think we should get back to basics in our living, and organic is the way to go. SAY NO TO GMO!!

Andrea TN_2
3/24/2010 12:39:52 PM

1/23/2010 5:07:38 PM
"UN wrongly linked global warming to natural disasters" Ohhh say it ain't so.... "THE United Nations climate science panel faces new controversy for wrongly linking global warming to an increase in the number and severity of natural disasters such as hurricanes and floods. It based the claims on an unpublished report that had not been subjected to routine scientific scrutiny — and ignored warnings from scientific advisers that the evidence supporting the link too weak. The report's own authors later withdrew the claim because they felt the evidence was not strong enough. " Another quote: "Muir-Wood himself is more cautious. He said: "The idea that catastrophes are rising in cost partly because of climate change is completely misleading. "We could not tell if it was just an association or cause and effect. Also, our study included 2004 and 2005 which was when there were some major hurricanes. If you took those years away then the significance of climate change vanished." "Vanished", "misleading", "evidence not strong enough" I hope you're paying attention.

12/26/2009 7:10:20 PM
The biased article aside - here's a test for ya boys and girls - take a bottle with a cap - fill it 2/3 full of water with a thermometer inside it - put on cap - bury in earth or store in basement for the night - now take it outside in the open - lay it on its side so you can see the thermometer - bury the half on the bottom with dirt and grass level with the surrounding ground - record the temps every hour for 24 hours - now repeat with a second jar sitting upside down on a rock - heat transference isn't factored into most GCC nut's "facts" - the earth is cyclic - a thermometer sitting in the middle of a parking lot is going to read higher than one in the country - or in a park - when you set up the experiment to alter the outcome - you just rigged it to favor your views - get a clue people - we are not in a glass jar - nothing shatters above us to let the shuttle out or miscellaneous debris back in - gravity keeps our atmosphere in place - heat still rises - energy is still transfered - take a third and fourth jar - one buried and one on a rock - now poke holes in the lid - record as before - *tap,tap,tap, is this thing on?* - please tell me there is still a logical mind not perverted by multiple media and political factions - determined that you are truly stupid and need to be ruled by whatever fascist dictator screams "the world is burning" most convincingly - or "if you vote for me i'll give you cash from the treasury - just to buy your vote - i promise" - wake up -

12/21/2009 10:24:11 AM
I saw Al Gore, after his first showing of An Inconvenient Truth to a room full of BUSINESS people....saying "if anyone here has any expertice in BRANDING I need your help" Once I saw that I KNEW it was all spin! And money making! You who think Government needs to do more, be careful of what you ask for; THINK before you place INTO their hands what our future will be. The rules, laws, are already there! Its in our constitution already all there. Outside of those rules, we the people are letting those hypocritical Con-men to restructure our lives. Heck do you think GORE lives economically? or green? We'll be paying more for what we've already got-right now- only smaller packages. That will send us to the store again sooner. Homesteading sounds so great, I want to do it.get back to the land. But its true, building codes, home association fees, permits if you want your septic, they'll tell YOU what you get to do.Forget about freedom to do your own thing.. . Big Government/ Big Business are entangled. Makes me sick. Look what their doing to us. THEY need to tighten up those loopholes they've looked the other way on, we don't need stronger laws for the EPA either... just implement the laws on the books that we already have.Honestly!

Bob Marrs
9/11/2009 8:49:14 PM
Dearest fellow-readers, Thank goodness that the cavemen made fires with CO2 or we might still be in an ice age. Check out a chart of the earth's temperature for the last 2 billion years (that is about 1/2 of the age of the earth), see: No politics, no hype, just a simple graph. A simple perusal of the graph will tell you that we are in the progress of coming out of a very COLD spell that happened 1 million years ago. The graph even shows that the normal "average" temperature of the earth is 7 degrees C hotter that now and that the earth is normally 15 degree C hotter than now. The only problem with the graph is that it is vertical (print it out and lay it sideways - it is easier to read). So please do not tell me that G-warming is man made. It has been going on in recent history for at least 10,000 years, and that is just a simple fact. Love to all - Bob

Adrean Stephenson
8/6/2009 4:32:46 PM
In reaction to letters bent on proving or dis-proving Global Warming, I wonder if readers look from above the cloud of debate and consider this: Whether founded or not, the scare of man-made Global Warming is serving its purpose. One would assume that readers of a publication entitled “Mother Earth” already understand the value of low-impact living, but without “Global Warming” would there have ever been such a swing toward green living in our society? Sometimes scary scenarios are useful to bring about life-changing and world-changing ideas. I just hope that instead of sending their hard-earned cash to save the polar bears, more and more people are implementing changes to their routine that make low-impact lifestyles more commonplace everywhere. Heck, I just purchased my first Mother Earth magazine in an effort to change mine!

jim montgomery
6/20/2009 1:00:31 PM
My son,who is a geologist and biologist says that there is some warming going on but is ,with great probability,caused by a 30% weakening of the mid-Atlantic magnetic field and an global 10% drop.According to my son it is still weakening and allowing more solar radiation to reach our atmosphere.They have no idea what causes it,but I'm pretty sure they can't pass a law against it

6/15/2009 9:51:57 PM
Mother, Mother, Mother. Human caused Global warming - nope. Don't buy it. Hype, hysteria, and political positioning. I first felt you had wandered too far off the track of reasonable editing in the April/May 2009 edition. The article "5 Plans for Action.." included the fictional byline "World leaders and the scientific community have come to a clear consensus that climate change is real - and is primarily driven by human activities, especially burning fossils fuels." This is irresponsible reporting and shame on you for passing along this tripe. Where is the REAL evidence that there is a consensus on this matter? Yes - Some scientists agree, but some scientists disagree. And oh, by the way, those scientists are going back and forth on where they stand. Apparently, Mother, you believe it is OK to tell a lie in the form of a fact to try to spread and confirm your own agenda. So I was surprised, and hopeful of the possible message, by your editorial in the following edition, that posted above. It is an oxymoron of sorts to see the statements above in the same magazine concerned with protecting the integrity of science. Science is not what you want it to be - and generalizations are not science. Also, science - true science based on hypothesis, testing, and analysis, then formulation of theory with additional testing, leads to scientific law. What we have lost in this debate, almost like the debate on evolution, is that simple principle. Science has taken a back seat to political correctness and fear mongering in an effort to drive a cultural shift and enable big government. Mother, please stop the politicizing and the false bylines - let's keep to the subject matter that brings us to your pages - homesteading, energy savings, gardening, etc. Our responsible use of the resources God has blessed us with will do more for our planet than hyper-headlines and wild statements of fiction presented as facts.

6/10/2009 3:09:56 PM
Ah, 'global warming', the next money and power grab. I'm afraid more and more people are starting to see through the shenanigans and hysteria. The illusion can't be shattered though. It's time to selectively choose data, manipulate statistics and take photos of polar bears to "demonstrate" the effects of global warming (Note to Jesse: learn the story behind dishonest and misleading source photos before using them). I recently received my first issue of Mother and was excited to learn about gardening, homesteading and many other items in which traditional Americans may have interest. But then I read the editorial. It's too bad that a magazine with useful information has been hijacked by a political agenda. Evidently, in you opinion, progressives or liberals have the corner on caring about the environment, gardening and other such items. As such, please cancel my subscription. I've discarded the bill. I'll find another source for this information.

Eric Muetterties
4/26/2009 12:58:16 PM
Global warming due to MAN is a farce. Nature is far more to blame for changes to our world climate. I don't advocate that we mistreat or pollute our world, but... Read for yourself. There is a political agenda behind "Global Warming" that has nothing to do with our climate and more to do with control of the US and what we consume. Theye will never call it what it really is!

Gretchen _1
4/24/2009 1:50:34 PM
I think that as a human race we should stop worrying so much about the heating and cooling issue, and rather focus on cleaning up after ourselves. We are so wasteful and yet there are starving people, homeless people sit outside of empty vacant bulidings. Really I mean come on where have we lost our common sense. The earth will change and change and change. It is our job as humans to adapt to that change, not try to stop it from happening. Lets worry about the all the trash that we are responsilbe for producing. Thats whats killing us off with things like cancer. The fish we eat has probably had a few bites of that plastic grocery bag floating around our beautiful oceans. How bout instead of predicting impending doom and freaking people like me out , we all come up with a way to clean house! you would think that as much paper as you see in the dumps, we should never have to cut another tree down. Why arent people thinking about these things more than whether or not global warming is a human problem. I feel like there are two types of people in this world, and especially men ( not an intenional slam here guys) But there are those whos mother made them pick up there own rooms and then there are those whos mothers did everything for them while they watched her do it.And up till Jan thoe people whos mommies did everthing for them were in charge!!!! right now we are living in a very very messy room and it is evryones responsibility to there part to help make it right.

3/8/2009 9:40:14 PM
I have read both sides of the issue and listened to many pundits on the issue. However, I'm still not sold on the fact the humans are the overall cause of global warming. A few years ago I took my son on a field trip to a science center. It just happened to have bones from a real dinosaur that was being dug up somewhere in Kansas I believe. During this visit I was speaking with a palaeontologist. I asked him a pointed question about temperatures during the period when the dinosaur roamed the earth. The exact question was: Dinosaur bones are being discovered all throughout American and Canada. What would the temperature would have had to be for their survival? His response was: During this period the average mean temperature of the earth was 81 degrees. He said the current average mean temperature of the earth is 54.6 degrees. I came away from the conversation thinking that the earth was really warm during the period when dinosaurs ruled the earth. Modern man was not present on the earth at that time so what caused the earth to be so warm? Also what caused the earth to cool so much. Does the earth warm and cool over thousands and millions of years. Just this past week I heard Scientists are baffled as to why the earth is actually cooling. I wonder if maybe they are not as smart at they think they are. The trouble with Global Warming hysteria as I like to call it is the politicians use it as a political issue in order to obtain further control. Their agenda is purely political. Too many of the elites want us to do as they say not as they do.

3/8/2009 4:58:05 PM
4000 years ago in Mesopetamia nature was not cooperating. There was a warming with terrible drought. The high priest Al Gorus told the people their sinful ways were the cause of their troubles and they must change if they were to survive. He demanded they bring offerings to the temple which he would collect and intercede on their behalf. The people did so, and Al Gorus became wealthy beyond belief.

John Adams_2
3/3/2009 6:33:31 PM
I recently read an article by Walter Cunningham, an apollo astronaut and Rand Corporation Scientist. So, a fairly smart guy. You can find his article by googling Launch Magazine and looking up teh article "I science, ignorance is not bliss". I'll not go into the whole article here, but suffice it to say that NASA evidence shows that we humans are not as good at terraforming as we seem to think we are. We are responcible for only about .1% of all greenhouse gasses. He also points out that the climate is, in fact, changing and that it may be more wise to adapt to it, reather than attempt to stop it. For me, I am neither for nor against global warming (which has been ammended to Global Climate Change due, I believe, to a few cold winters). No one ever seems to realize that people freeze to death in cold winters. Besides, if Greenland's entire ice sheet melts, they'll have a lot more farm land... Yes, I'm a little tongue in cheek here, but I agree with Mr. Cunningham. Better to adapt than try to stop a force of nature.

Hilltop Dweller
3/2/2009 12:27:54 PM
Well I intend to offset some of the loss to attrition resulting from this article; though I doubt it is genuine. I will be purchasing subs for my parents (2) and my (2) nearest neighbors as well as re-upping my sub, for a total of (5). There is rhetoric on all sides of this topic. Personally, after 5 years intensive study of the issue to try and wrap my head around it; I find that something unusual is certainly going on, and all indicators point to its being anthropogenic in nature. I also find that there are two distinct issues that cause casual observers to be lead down the wrong path: First, the title Global Warming is something of a misnomer, sure there has been a rise in the ambient temperature of Earth and this provides the impetus behind the title. But this belies the fact that this rise in temperature spawns erratic and more extreme weather across the globe, such that the argument of "record freezing temps in blah, blah, blah place...." actually bolsters the argument for global warming rather detract from it. But you have to really read the research and understand the implications to Earth as a set of natural and intimately connected systems to get it. Second, the Earth has been a place of dramatic change and swings in atmospheric composition and temperature for billions and billions of years (I believe it is generally accepted that Earth is 4.5 BYO) but never before has this change been directly attributable to the corresponding activities of its inhabitants and it clearly is if one does their due diligence and reads the studies. It is remiss, in my humble opinion, to summarily dismiss the notion that we as a people are capable of effecting change on the global scale.

3/1/2009 2:18:00 PM
Man made global warming is a farce. What are you all going to say when we head into a global cooling are you going to cry another ice age made by man kind. All you need to do is look on back down through the years to see that climate change is a natural thing and we the people have nothing to do with it. Oh we probably have screwlooses and control freaks out there that are trying to cause bad weather around the globe. But can they control the natural climate changes of the earth?

2/28/2009 8:30:50 PM
Hello,yes the earth is warming and yes it's a hot political issue that we're ignoring/trying not to see(pardon the pun).All I can say is that in one regard, pertaining to the natural side of the issue,yes the Earth is warming up;we're on the waning side of an Ice Age,one of many the Earth has had in it's 6 billion year history.Is man having an effect?Yes.In one regard we try to control massive wildfires/forest fires in order to protect life/property and valuable forest land not to mention the wildlife that exists in it.Thats the human race's job,is to do this.Before,these wildfires used to burn uncontrolled over many thousands of square miles.That doesn't happen to that degree anymore.On the other side we're burning the products of material that existed millions of years ago when the same material exists now in different form.We should skip the middleman and use what grows now instead of having to mine it out of the ground.Are we ready for the inevitable changes,of course no.Are we ready for any natural catastrophe,one look at how we handled Katrina should tell anyone that no,we're not ready.We are responsible for the care of Earth,we have the technology to do a lot better job than we do..

ray muench
2/27/2009 10:44:39 PM
on global some simple investigating facts not fiction.....if there is global warming and it is so alarmingly evident mother earths temp is rising so drastically....the proof is to be found on the weather record highs all across the nation and all having been set within the last 20-50 yrs RIGHT? W R O N G!check out your local on the eights of each hour on gives you the record hi and lo for your area everyday...check the dates for say four wks bet you get enough evidence to argue either side. Man is no more to blame for this gorish hoax than he was for the ICE AGE (Here your scientific evidence could be he was...He didnt invent fire soon enough!

2/26/2009 3:26:33 PM
I too think that we can all do a better job of utilizing and protecting our environment. It only makes sense that we take care of and nurture what has given us so much and will continue to for generations to come. But with that said, I don’t believe the debate is really over whether or not we are experiencing a warming trend, but rather are humans the cause of it. I would submit that certainly we add to the equation, but to what extent is the unknown. For most people, it is generally accepted that the world has experienced warming and cooling trends throughout time. Much of that time there were no humans present, and when humans first appeared, there certainly were no cars, or industrial plants to pollute the air. Yet the Ice age came and went, tropical climates came and went and here we are today, arrogantly thinking as humans do, that we are the only factor in the global warming equation. I have news for you, it would be happening anyway as it has since our planet was formed. However, knowing that we are not in total control of climate destinies does not excuse poor stewardship of our environment. Instead of taking an arrogant and condemning position about global warming, why not focus on being better participants in our world ecosystem. But we don’t do this because we have evolved to an extremism society, where one side of a discussion believes there is no value in what the other viewpoint has to say. Many people believe that large SUV’s are to blame, not recognizing that there really isn’t an exceptional difference in gas mileage between them and the average car. Let us all do what we can and work on real and lasting methods of utilizing and protecting our environment and not jump on the hysteria bandwagon which is lining the pockets of those taking advantage of those folks who are easily misled.

Eric Kendell
2/18/2009 5:44:48 PM
Hi,global warming is happening big time.The new project we are working on is a prime example.Forget about saving your empty pop cans.When there are machines feeding fires with timber 24-7 the amount of carbon that I will save in my lifetime dosen't even matter!I believe that energy with potential, one cord equals 500 litres fuel replacement,should be utilized.A combined heat and power unit can produce carbon neutral power at a viable,affordable,price.Sweden is a prime example.Just because it doesn't come out of the ground looking like oil,it doesn't mean that we cannot derive the same and a more greener alternative from this product.Hello! Is there anybody out there who gives a damn!PS Burning over 50% timber covering nearly 55,000 acres just dosen't make any sense when the energy could be utilized for development of the entire project! Considering that the power is delivered from a coal powered unit to date,ha.The next time you deliver your empties please realize why certain energies are being processed at your expense and other greener ones are being destroyed without emission controls in place.

2/18/2009 12:51:50 PM
I believe that we as humans need to do more to keep things clean and use our resources wisely....that's a given, it's smart. Global warming is a topic that is as old as the planet. We have evidence that Antarctica was once green, we have evidence that CO2 is a by-product of warming as opposed to visa versa. Okay, that said, we also have "evidence" that this is not so. I truly believe that the environemntal hard liners like Al Gore and some of the others foment "revolution" simply because it is their job. That is how they make money, not because it is sensible, but because that is trhe vocation, it is their job. We see this in religion, politics, any number of things, even high finance. Think for yourselves, do the right and clean thing, follow your hearts, learn what is TRUE, not what someone wants you to think. There is an interesting article on the Farmer's Almanac web site that talks about warming trends. It doesn't comment on god or bad, just trends, there are also things like magnet pole changesd and wobbly orbits of our planet, sun spots, high and low energy emmissions, as well as the CO2 thing. Read them, and analyze them don't just jump off a bridge because a Guru says it will save the universe. Doctor Who?

2/18/2009 12:49:27 PM
I thought Al Gore said it was unanimous among scientists. So where's the debate coming from? My question is "What are we doing to raise the global temps ... on Mars and Jupiter?????" gerry

2/18/2009 12:29:48 PM
I remember the cheap gas ($0.30) and the oil embargo of the 70's. I've seen the increase of trasportation with bigger heavier vehicles since I started driving 40 years ago. With each generation the number of vehicles on the road, and the consumption nearly doubles. I remember when a McDonalds hamberger was worth eating! I work for the Parks Dept of our city and you wouldn't believe the waste during peak vacation season and holidays!...and this is just a modest midwestern suburb. Many of the other posts here echo my views far better than I could write. I think Mother Earth News tries to be a part of the solution and should continue its coverage of this issue. We could legitimatly wave the flag if we could agree that sensible conservation ultimately reduces our dependance on foriegn oil. And the sense of stewardship is common to all faiths. I've heard more conservatives who support conservation than liberals who deny it. Putting aside all the politicizing, arguing, algore bashing, conspiracy mongering and denial, I think we will find out one way or another in about 50 years (maybe sooner) if the Earth is warming or not. If we're all wrong I'd rather err in the side of caution and reason.

Greg Winchel
2/17/2009 4:24:48 PM
Hey-Ho, Mother, back in 1986 (me thinks) you ran an interview with a NOAA scientist, about global warming, or actually the carbon cycle. In that interview the scientist very succinctly pointed out the seriousness of unabated carbon influence on the life on this planet. Please search your archive, and resurrect this interview. Its not so much that the carbon balance, or imbalance causes global warming, more so global climate change.IMHO cheers Greg

Andrew McKenzie_1
2/17/2009 12:18:49 PM
I am incredulous that people commenting on the article don't think global warming is an issue. I imagine that they also don't believe that cigarettes are harmful, after all, scientists were on both sides of that issue also. Only the hired ones lost then as they and us will. Ignorance is bliss and apparently there are a lot of blissful people cancelling their subscriptions,or blocking their e-mail.

2/17/2009 11:20:21 AM
I find it interesting that studies sponsored by entities with a form of the word government ie "Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report " always report that the government has to do something NOW or the crisis will devastate the earth. Government feeds on it's self and at this point is growing exponentially. Watch everything, read everything, listen to everything and make up your own mind. Remember that reporters are bias, as the one who wrote this article.

Flora Thomas
2/17/2009 8:12:35 AM
"Mother Earth News" is soon to become blocked in my email's inbox. I've wasted way too much time reading articles such as this. It infuriates me to read a statement such as: "It’s hard to believe that there are still people out there that won’t grasp the fact that humans can and do have an affect on our environment." I agree with what Rick Blythe (2/16/2009 8:10:24 PM)and with what Andy (2/16/2009 6:46:03 PM) had to say here in the comments. And, I believe that by causing the masses to believe there may exist a really HUGE threat to life itself (and/or our way of life) which must be dealt with immediately in order to avoid dire consequences, anyone and any government through the cooperation of the media can manipulate whole populations into behaviors which more resemble a stampede of frightened horses than sentient, rational individuals. Apparently, as members of "the media" Mother Earth News and the author of this article understand that principle well. What the author of this article is REALLY saying is: "It’s hard to believe that there are still people out there that won’t run with this stampede the media has embraced." Bye-Bye "Mother Earth News." You can tell your author that I have freedom of thought and refuse to join the global warming stampede... and, I don't care how hard it is for your author to believe.

Joe Gresham
2/16/2009 9:24:32 PM
"Global Warming" is one of the biggest frauds ever foisted on a people. Back in the 1970's these same alarmist morons were crying about the "coming Ice Age"...the same "scientists". They squash any and all opposing evidence and voices, that by the way totally disprove the latest Marxist theory (Global Warming) It's another excuse to control people and expand the Marxist Globalist empire. Wake up people!

2/16/2009 9:14:27 PM
I am not for or against Global Warming. You can't legislate the sun. We have done our share of damage to the earth but the truth is that we are so minute and the earth so big that we are not causing global warming. The earth rotates on its axis. It rotates around the sun. Now I have heard it wobbles on a 12 k year cycle. The last cycle gave us the ice age and I believe Noah's flood. It would have rained ice in the colder regions of the earth at that time clatyclismacally (mispelled). Wooly mamoth's have been found in mid fight and with undigested grass in their mouths in Russia. The next wobble should come to a climax in 2012 from what I've read. Oregon State University did a study on global warming. Although they don't want to cause alarm the earth's map could change dramatically if the water level rises from icebergs melting/falling off in the arctic. That has been substantiated by a map I saw drawn in 1975. Don't worry so much and just prepare as one should for emergencies and adapt to the new age of change. Prepare financially like you are staying here forever and prepare spiritually like tomorrow is the end of time as we know it because eternity is at our door.

2/16/2009 8:42:08 PM
I'm not sure which side of the coin is up when it comes to Global Warming. I do know that I don't want to be that Polar bear out on that small patch of ice all by itself without it's family and friends. I realize that today's world is very fast paced and I feel that and that alone strongly contributes to a lot of today's problems. Just day to day basics like eating and transportation are major contributors to major problems. Eating fast food is about eating empty calories and future medical bills. People are not willing to try public transportation because it may not be as convenient as jumping in the car and just going. Who cares if India or China gets the gallon of gas that we don't use. Have we become so childish and self-centered that we are going to worry who gets the last piece of candy? The world has made much progress over the centuries and now is the time to look at what is wrong and how we can improve. (One should always take inventory of themselves.) I feel that we have many unsolved opportunities in this world. I'm sure that addressing our unsolved opportunities would open the flood gates for jobs that make our nation productive again. We just need to be willing and have the right attitude.

Rick Blythe
2/16/2009 8:19:28 PM
continued from Rick Blythe The experts (whoever they are), they say, have already decided that man causes global warming. They have already ended the debate: how convenient. I love my mother, but she is a gift from my Father! Rick

Rick Blythe
2/16/2009 8:10:24 PM
I have been a reader of Mother since it started, and I have subscribed to it for just about as many years. I have always found her political views naive and offensive. I do enjoy most of Mother's articles. I am a back to the earth guy. However, I come from a Conservation View of things. I believe that God placed man on earth to care for it, and that the earth is here for our benefit. Are their abuses? Yes, there are to be sure. Environmentalist, on the other hand, have an agenda. They believe man is an intrusion upon nature, and he is bad for it. Environmentalists have little to do with the care and nurture of the earth. It is the new home of the socialist, who want government to regulate all aspects of our lives. They are about land control. Unwittingly, many of Mother's adherents, are simply dupes of this movement. Much like in the old Soviet Union, the elites of this movement are hypocritical at best. They live totally contrary to the doctrine they espouse (example: Al Gore). But they regulate by threat of law upon the rest of us. I have increasingly smiled through the years as Homesteaders have been harassed by governments and regulators for simply wanting to live on their own land the way they choose. But these elites always know what is best for the rest of us. And then I think, what irony. Hasn't Mother's children brought this upon themselves. To be sure, the elites of this movement have an agenda. And I dare say that it has little to do with the Environment. You see, to Mother's plebes who worship at the feet of the likes of Al Gore, they excuse these hypocrites because they are their Gods. A true leader like Gandhi, was the extreme in example to what he asked of his followers. These who follow, are the dupes I speak of. I call these the naives of the knaves. They are as their leaders, intellectual dwarfs. They don't have to think. They belong to a religion, and their Gods have already spoken for them. The experts

nick g
2/16/2009 7:38:07 PM
It is always a good thing to be skeptical about an issue, to learn the facts from varied sources before coming to a decision. But there really is a ton of evidence, and more every day, that global warming is being caused by humans, and is accelerating. Andy says: "Follow the money and you will see why there is global warming." How about oil companies receiving billions of dollars in subsidies? I would much prefer that my tax dollars go towards a renewable energy source that does not contribute to pollution, climate change, and geopolitical problems (say, the Iraq war). One problem is that the few people that believe that climate change is not happening as a result of human activity have been so loud in their protests that people who don't know better are uncertain. It leaves the matter open for debate, when we should be moving on to solutions. Rob Reed your ideas are great, but realistically there are very few of us that could take major steps to living off the grid today. It's great if you can and it will make a difference. But we need it to happen on a large scale, and for this to happen we really need the government to pass policies that will get us started as a nation in the right direction: Promote mass transit, tax gasoline at a higher rate, make utility companies use a certain percentage of renewable energy sources, make cars manufacturers raise their efficiency standards, make homes more energy efficient.... This is probably the EASY part! We need to realize that we can't live like we have been living, as if it doesn't matter how much energy we use and how much we throw away. It's not that we will run out of fossil fuels as much as the fact that the earth will become uninhabitable if we continue to use them at the rate we currently do. It starts with you and I to create enough interest that the government has no option but to take strong action.

2/16/2009 6:46:03 PM
The attitude of this author is an example of why I have chosen not to renew my subscription. Her condescending attitude towards people that have a differing viewpoint shows how ignorant the pro global warming crowd and Mother Earth is. The debate is not over. There are several comments here that already explain that. The only place that climate change is not allowed to happen is in the religion called environmentalism. There has never been a time on earth when the climate has not been changing. The only reason it is such a big deal now it that al gore and environmental lawyers have found enough sheep to follow them, that they are rolling in money. Follow the money and you will see why there is global warming. If the goal was to fix the pollution problems, save the endangered species, then you money should be going to the people who care for our natural resources. That is not al gore, lawyers, or the government. That is farmers, ranchers, loggers, and other land managers across this country. The people who actually do something to help the environment. Right now, anyone who manages land is only harassed and threatened by environmental lawsuits and government regulation. If you wanted to improve the environment you would be rewarding land managers for doing the right thing. One more thing on global warming, the Discovery Channel did a report on dinosaurs. They had a great point. Currently the earth is not able to support large herds of 10 ton dinosaurs. The earth was different back then. It was warmer with higher levels of CO2 to support the vast amount of plant growth necessary to support them. If you did not know, large greenhouses inject CO2 into their environment to increase production inside the greenhouses. Goes to show that warmer temp and higher CO2 levels may be necessary to support an ever increasing population.

Bobby Yates
2/16/2009 4:53:43 PM
To advert global warming we must follow the lead set by those more enlightened than us. Let us follow the lead of Vice-President Al Gore, Jr, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and the various politicos and other style leaders that say that global warming is upon us.

Rob Reed, Homesteader
2/16/2009 4:23:45 PM
If you believe we humans are hurting the environment and/or causing global warming and/or causing the extinction of species, etc, etc, etc, ad nauseum... WHEN...are YOU going to stop driving your car? Not until the government makes a law to forbid it? WHEN...are you going to stop burning fossil fuels to heat your house and water and using electricity which does the same? Not until the government makes a law limiting your output of pollution and CO2? WHEN...are you going to move out of your suburban 1/2 acre or 4th story flat, etc., (that produce nothing but problems for your environment and give nothing back) and move to a two acre plot of land, grow your own food, collect rainwater and greywater, AND BLACKWATER, get off the grids and ACTUALLY live a life that is NEUTRAL to the environment? When some politician who wants to make a name for himself convinces everybody he's right and they start passing laws legislating responsibility? How many of the crazed politicians and/or scientists are actually DOING SOMETHING about these things in their own lives? How many are living carbon neutral lives? What an interesting statistic that would be.

2/16/2009 4:12:45 PM
We can debate whether or not humans have made an impact on the climate just as deeply as any other controversial topic. But we are missing the point- blameless or not, what are we going to do about the real problems our world is facing right now? The photo for this article was wisely selected. Look at the number of species going out of existence. Look at how rapidly glaciers are breaking apart. Polar bears are running out of places to live. Why do we sit idly by instead of creating preservations for these creatures. Don't think that humans are not affected by these changes. Look at the losses due to record breaking tsunamis, freak hurricane groupings, severe droughts, and the like. Whether this is a man-made catastrophe or a cyclical event throughout history, the facts remain and we should act accordingly.

2/16/2009 3:36:50 PM
I find it hard to believe there are still people out there who do NOT think humans have changed the environment. Humans have wiped out ENTIRE SPECIES of animals by hunting like the woolly mammoth, carrier pigeons and dodo birds. India is putting a million new vehicles on the road each year, all of them spewing billions of pounds of carbon into the atmosphere. And China was opening up hundreds of coal burning plants but has slowed construction due to the economic downturn. So ya really don't need to be a scientist to realize that something is happening. Look around and know that we are the cause. And even if you refuse to pull your head out of the sand, reducing our use of fossil fuel means less money for terrorists to use against us Americans because it is the Saudi sheiks who secretly fund them. Less money = less oil = less terrorism. Green energy is the way to go.

Mother Chris
2/16/2009 2:52:56 PM
I was once a True Believer in global warmning. Until I started to read books, not just the internet. I now no longer believe it is as simple as we do this= that will happen. If you want a real account of what is going on, from real experts in their fields, you must read the book, The Deniers by Lawrence Solomon. What an eye opener. The IPPC report mentioned in the article above? Well, apparently the authors of it DO NOT believe that there is manmade global warming. The commitee chairman decided that the correct thing (or should I say coerced thing) to do was conclude that we have a problem, even though the facts and the IPPC's own models show the exact opposite. Of course i can't relay all that is in the book, but it is a real interesting read. All of the scientists interviewed are experts in their fields. No, they may not be climate change experts, but they each are experts in one area that "climate change experts" swear is falling apart. The author is an environmentalist and reporter and he really did his homework. Do I believe in global warming now? Nope. In fact, the data all points to the fact that we should be beginning an ice age soon! Please read some real scientists, look at the charts and studies yourself, and see if you haven't been fed a load of manure too.

2/16/2009 2:49:33 PM
Everything is connected. If you destroy one strand of the web of life, the whole tapestry will be damaged. Anyone who believes in a Creator, must honour all of creation, since humans are but a small part.

Ken Hall
2/16/2009 2:07:53 PM
As I read these comments the decades long debates about the dangers versus the merits of cigarette smoking came to mind. As in the cigarette debates those in favor of smoking equated a small and decreasing number of so called experts, trotted out by the cigarette manufactures, who championed their cause as equivalent to the large and growing number of experts who had irrefutable proof of the health dangers of smoking. Today the number scientists who are analyzing the current global warming situation and come down on the side of significant human involvement affecting the real warming of the Earth far out number the numbers of scientists who claim it is all BS. Once again however human proclivity is to prefer the champion who finds them guilt free and allows them to continue on with their lives of conspicuous consumption. They therefore equate the minimal numbers of scientists willing to stick their necks out and utter the BS mantra equivalent to the 10s of thousands of scientists world wide who are becoming more and more convinced that humans are causing the observed effects and that it is a real disaster in the making. I found it interesting that Dan Fletcher used the BBC Science article about the ice man and the scientific investigation into deducing the events leading to his death and eventual discovery in 1991 as a logical argument denying the reality of global warming and human culpability. Does he seriously believe that the 10s of thousands scientists who are convinced of the reality of global warming and the culpability of humans to a man are unaware of or did not use comparable scientific methodologies in their research?

Don Santos_1
2/16/2009 12:38:49 PM
Just for the record, I am not a Global Warming Nut, but I do believe that I have a responsibility to my fellow man as it pertains to my effect on the climate. I like to keep things simple! I use the analogy of an empty room awaiting 100 or so guests to arrive for a social event. The first person to enter the room will probably find the temperature cold; as more and more people arrive, the room becomes more comfortable and eventually, the crowded room becomes uncomfortably hot. The only contribution to the heat is the increasing number of guests. How many times in your life have you encountered this situation at a Wedding reception or some other crowded social event? That's how I explain society's effect on Global Warming. It is just not sensible to believe that we as a Society do not contribute to Global Warming. Therefore, it makes sense to attempt to improve our individual footprints. Let's not leave a troubled legacy to our children and grandchildren.

2/13/2009 11:26:41 AM
Maybe more interesting than the science of climate change is the psychology of the screwballs behind this nonsense and the save the earth cult. I guess it makes you pretty important when you are saving the earth !! I hope to one day take on such a project that will make me as special as them.

2/10/2009 11:45:26 AM
I agree Global Warming is real. We may very well be able to restrict companies in the US from contributing to it as much. How do you plan to get China, India, or Russia to stop? Global warming will actually benefit Russia. The answer is they will not. For every gallon of gas that we do not burn in the US in cars with catalytic converters the will be a gallon available in India in a automobile that does not have a catalytic converter.

2/8/2009 11:19:09 AM
I am not sure where to go here I will try to keep it simple. CO2 in necessary for life, it is part of a cycle. The problem with focusing all our attention on one molecule with laws and taxes and allocation of such, is that we miss the whole. If Al Gore is so sure that the end is near due to CO2 emissions he too needs to be taking great personal strides, of which he is not. He currently uses the "do as I say not as I do" theory. Many will say oh but he put up solar panels and is thinking of putting a wind farm up at his parents estate and this is great, but a man of his wealth could do allot more. Currently he is looking at making huge amounts of MONEY on "carbon credits" besides the largest emitters with find loop holes in the laws it will change nothing. Okay, with that said we must be good stewards of this earth, that we are only borrowing for a short time there is no "silver bullet" we need to take personal responsibility. Yelling at you neighbor because they are living supposedly less "sustainable" then you will only cause hate to boil. Teach by example and calm peaceful manure and good things will happen.

Ronald _1
2/8/2009 6:45:22 AM
The scientific evidence is clear; our human machines are putting alot of carbon dioxide into the air and the accumulation of CO2 over decades is having affect on the average temperatures, different than the temperature would be without the added CO2. The global warming problem isn't so bad now, yet; but continuing to add CO2 into the atmosphere will make changes to our climate and very drastic ones. We may see climate temperature changes of 6 degrees celsius (11 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of this century, with very bad consequenses for the people living at that time. Our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. The Mckinsey report says that changing our economy from a carbon burning energy economy to a non-carbon burning energy one would cost between 0.6 to 1.4 percent of GNP. Many of those changes would be beneficial to our economy even if we didn't need to change to non-carbon energy. The evidence for Human machine caused destructive global warming is clear. Change our economy.

Dan Fletcher
2/7/2009 9:40:59 PM Inadvertantly, these forensic scientists prove that temperature is cyclical and not caused by man or the industrial age. If you read these links to the BBC carefully 1. When this "iceman" died 5,300 years ago, the crevise he died in was lower than the level of the glacier that would later form. That allowed his body to mummify due to exposure to the sun and very low humidity (similar to the mummies of South America). It also kept his body below the ice flow when the glacier did form. If he had died on a glacier, his body would have flowed out the bottom thousands of years ago, and we would not have been able to study him. 2. After mummifying, the body was converted to "grave wax" due to being submerged in water (not ice) for a period of time. They speculate that this was probably around 100 AD during a known warm period. 3. Both when he died and then again around 100 AD, the earth was warmer than it is today. Both are obviously pre industrial age. 4. This is pure CSI type evidence that although the world may be warming or cooling, it has always done so. The real question isn't whether it is warming or cooling. The question is do we have any control or influence on it. If there were two defined periods of climate markedly warmer than today, and one was pre-Pharod and the other around the time of Jesus, why conclude that our current climate which is currently cooler that both periods is caused by man? I believe in conserving resources and being a good custodian of the earth, but a false baseline does little to advance anything but a new McCarthy era.

Loren West
2/7/2009 5:17:27 PM
If this "global warming" continues, we're going to freeze to death! I now heat my home by burning plastic grocery bags and styrofoam.

2/7/2009 1:18:53 PM
Here's some science to keep in mind, as I understand it: The natural temperature of our atmosphere does not depend on the distance the earth is away from the sun. It actually depends on the tilt of the earth's axis, and the fact our earth is spherical. (I forget the specifics behind this -- it has something to do with the thickness of the atmosphere and the direct or indirect angle the sun's energy hits different points of the earth.) The earth rotates around its axis -- duh. But something that isn't commonly known is the axis itself spins around. If you were to draw the shape of one revolution of the earth's axis, it would trace an hourglass shape. What does this mean for the earth's climate? The axis revolves around its central point once every thousand or so years. So, one point on the earth -- e.g. a city in the USA -- moves closer and farther from the sun quite regularly! This messes up our idea of climate quite a bit. So, although I do not deny spewing known toxins into the atmosphere is a bad idea, we should be careful not to assume that all the climate changes we see are directly caused by global warming.

2/7/2009 7:46:06 AM
Global climate change is happening and has an unequivocal human component. The main evidence, the hundreds of thousands of years of ice core carbon dioxide values that show when the CO2 goes up, the temperature goes up, is clear and available to anyone who wants to learn how to read it. That the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has climbed radically since the industrial revolution is also clear. It is not a conspiracy, a liberal lie or a plot to remove the US from being a world leader. To "believe" that climate change is not happening and human accelerated, is a failure to look at the evidence. To let your knowledge of this issue be based upon some TV or radio commentator or a radical right-wing flier in the mail, makes you unable to be part of the solution. The "its a lie" view reminds me of a guy I know who, up until he nearly died of congestive heart failure, loudly proclaimed to one and all that cigarette smoking did not lead to cancer. You might be having a cold winter this year, but those who are looking at years of drought "get" that climate change is real.

T Childers
2/5/2009 10:49:06 PM
To keep bringing al gore into these stories is another joke. His home uses more electricity than my entire extended family does in all our homes combined. Add to that the farce of green or carbon credits and it is just one long, continuing, bad joke. If you want to preach about using less power then just do it. Don't tell everyone else the way to do it and then just gorge yourselves in energy consumption because you are the rich elite and pay others to grow trees to try to make yourselves feel better. Out here in the country we always have, and continue to, use as little as possible and stretch what we do use to the limit, not because we are trying to be politically correct, but because we have to. Yes there is a climate change going on, there has been ever since the world was created, and it will continue to change until the end of time. It has not stayed the same anywhere on the planet since creation, so why would you expect it not to keep changing today. We adapt, and so does everything else. And if the area you are in changes too much, then those folks will move to another area, just as it has always been. I am 225 miles from the ocean, but as I was digging my own well there were several sea shells brought up by the auger at about the 65-75 foot mark. Change? Sure thing, but it is nothing new.

2/5/2009 4:01:46 PM
All of the debating aside about whether humans are contributing to the problem or not, climate systems are changing. There is evidence from all over the globe. The earth's climate is changing faster than we thought, and making it more difficult for many people to continue the lifestyle or count on the livelihood that they have over the last number of decades. More unpredictable climate creates a new paradigm for dealing with global development, poverty, and disaster relief.

Robbie Seal
2/5/2009 10:54:35 AM
While I believe that we should all be good stewards of our resources and environment, I'm amazed at the level of evidence you have given to supporting the credibility of the experts you do not name, then you wonder why there are still those of us "who won't grasp the fact". Sorry, but some of those folks who lack credibility only lack credibility because the experts you deem credible say so. There are enough experts on both sides who have and lack credibility. Lets face the "FACT" that Global Warming has not been proven as fact. I am amazed that you won't grasped that. I know this much, I would be happy to collect as much money as those in the carbon credit market...

Brian Spirito_1
2/5/2009 5:59:29 AM
I'm amazed at the sheep mentality of the global warming (oh wait, now it's climate change since things are cooling off). Many scientists (including the science professors at my college) know that this is a hoax to gain government power over people's choices. I think our actions toward the environment should be that of stewardship. Our efforts and money should be focused on cleanup of water, air and soil locally. We should attack the problems we are certain of in our own hometowns. A carbon trading scheme is only going to transfer wealth from wealthy countries (who are typically cleaner) to corrupt third world countries (who are usually more directly polluting water and soil). The money will be siphoned off by the government employees (just like our foreign aid money) and there will be no accountability. It's just a power grab by the elite (Al Gore, etc...). I just can't take that guy seriously!

Vines & Cattle
2/4/2009 8:15:21 PM
Where has it been proven that any variations in the climate are anything other than the normal fluctuations our planet has experienced for millions of years? Remember, on a short enough time line, every weather event is unprecedented.

2/4/2009 6:43:07 PM
Of course we have an impact on our environment. That doesn't mean we have an impact on global climate. Don't try and make the case the two are indistinguishable. I don't think co2 causes global warming. I think it is an effect, not a cause. CO2 goes up AFTER temperatures increase, not before. That has been shown definitively in core samples of ice. It is solar activity and fluctuations in the tilt of the earth on it's axis that control climate. When it warms ice is melted , releasing trapped co2 from the ice. Russian and Canadian climatologists both have studies showing this quite clearly. The famed "hockey stick" graph has to be cut off in a timely place to make the whole theory work. This is readily admitted in the early years of the theory. They knew they had a problem with the data. So they lied. Why? Because it fit with their overall philosophy. They justified with the argument that even if they were wrong it was still the right thing to do for other reasons. That is not just bad science but criminal. We have limited resources and should be spending our money wisely. Wasting trillions of dollars to fight an imaginary problem will only hurt the environmental cause. I want responsible environmentalism. Let's concentrate on cleaning the sulfur out of diesel fuel and developing clean coal. This has become an emotional issue for a lot of people. They can't stand the thought of giving up on this even though public opinion has turned against the movement. This is undeniable. Polling shows this clearly. I am in the midwest. It is FREEZING. It was last year and the year before as well. The summers have been cool for the last few years. We are just in a natural cycle. Trying to posit that because it is possible for man to pollute his environment MUST therefore mean we are influencing climate is an immature argument. We need to find common ground because if it is shown in a few years that co2 is not causing global warming your cause will

James Skinner
2/4/2009 3:38:04 PM
I don't know why the debate is still going? It seems clear that we are doing something. How could we not be having an impact on the environment? Ever drive down the street and see a plastic bag flying in the wind? That's just the tip of the iceburg.


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