Global warming

[Eric the Green]

(07-24-2017, 11:10 AM)X_4AD_84 Wrote:

(07-21-2017, 11:28 PM)Eric the Green Wrote: In my experience, especially online, I see a high number of deniers who do not acknowledge human-caused climate change. In fact most of them make the disreputable, dishonorable statement that they believe in climate change; it's happened for eons. So it seems to me that most "skeptics" are deniers. There are some climate change activists and prophets who are extreme, but it is they who are small in number. Here is one whom I know about, Guy McPherson, who can be considered extreme and out of the mainstream of climate science:

http://www2.nzherald.co.nz/the-country/n...d=11756300

But he is a distinct minority. And Bill Nye is not one of the extremists. Most climate change scientists and activists are right on target. What is scientism and phony in scientific "discussion" of climate change? The idea that models have to be exact in their predictions in order to matter. No, they don't. Science is not certain or exact, especially when it comes to predictions of this kind. No model is going to be exact; what is the case is that they have been correct in essentials; climate change is happening as they predicted, and will happen as they predict.

Exactly how much climate change and global warming will occur depends on certain factors, chief among which is whether the base of ignorant Americans who put Trump and other Republicans into office will continue to be allowed to get their way. That's #1. And in general, the difference will be decided by what humans (in both politics and business/lifestyle) do in the next years and decades. It seems certain that some level of catastrophe will occur, and some already has occurred, given our denial so far, and given the rope we have given to deniers so far to hang us with.

CO2 output of the US as well as a number of other Western industrial countries, as well as Japan, peaked a few years ago. What will determine the CO2 output profile will be the behaviors of China, India, Brazil, Russia, etc, etc.

In other words, the US no longer matters vis a vis AGW.

We are still easily the #2 contributor, and we have a very long way to go and really no time to get there. And the Feds are out of the game.

Meanwhile China clearly is going in the right direction, and the other nations have signed the Paris Accord, which is at least a start. China is currently the #1 polluter, but pretty soon the USA will be again if Drump and his GOP grumps get their way.