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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
 Posted - 10/26/2007 : 09:18:17
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Step by step goes the Bushie's carefully fought rear-guard fight over man-made global warming. They have retreated from one prepared position to the next. First, their position was "What global warming?" Once that no longer was viable, they moved back to the next trenches: "Yes, there is warming, but it's just part of the wonderful cycles of Mother Nature."
That hasn't played well, either. Now they seem to have reached what may be the final defensive trench line: | The White House on Thursday defended its prediction that climate change would bring some "health benefits" to humans, a forecast unlikely to endear it to critics of the US environmental record. |
In my opinion, the White House never sought to win the argument. The plan has simply been one of foot-dragging, casting doubt, and delay. Every day they can postpone responsible action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions means millions more profit to their petrochemical sponsors.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
Edited by - HalfMooner on 10/26/2007 09:36:56
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chaloobi
SFN Regular
1620 Posts |
Posted - 10/26/2007 : 10:27:50 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by HalfMooner
Step by step goes the Bushie's carefully fought rear-guard fight over man-made global warming. They have retreated from one prepared position to the next. First, their position was "What global warming?" Once that no longer was viable, they moved back to the next trenches: "Yes, there is warming, but it's just part of the wonderful cycles of Mother Nature."
That hasn't played well, either. Now they seem to have reached what may be the final defensive trench line: | The White House on Thursday defended its prediction that climate change would bring some "health benefits" to humans, a forecast unlikely to endear it to critics of the US environmental record. |
In my opinion, the White House never sought to win the argument. The plan has simply been one of foot-dragging, casting doubt, and delay. Every day they can postpone responsible action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions means millions more profit to their petrochemical sponsors.
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#1. I agree with you totally. Those shameless greedy bastards don't give a shit about Climate Warming because their key supporters are monied enough to go on living healthy, comfortable, pleasant lives no matter what happens with the climate. Their crass disregard for the welfare of the less fortunate majority of humanity is simply jaw dropping.
#2. There's GOT to be positives to climate warming. Better crop yields, longer growning seasons, greater agricultural ranges, etc. I doubt very much these changes will amount to much in the face of the catastrophe of flooding coastlines, spreading disease ranges, and drying farm land, but they have to be there.
#3. If I could make a wish and put everything climate-related back to 'normal' I would not. For context, normal is where the climate ought to be in the repeating glaciation cycle. Growing evidence suggest humans interupted this cycle, ever so slightly at first, as much as 8k years ago with agriculture and animal husbandry. The clmate should be quite a bit cooler than would be expected even without the industrial revolution.
This research is based on CH4 and CO2 concentrations in ice core air bubbles going back a half million years. Each 100k+ year cycle (100k or so years of glaciation and 15k years or so of warm interlude) had more or less the same concentrations of these gases in the same period of the cycle, cycle aftger cycle, except this last one. There was an increase in these gases at about the time of the agricultural revolution and presumably a corresponding increase - slight at these concentrations - in temperature.
The study's author suggests that had humans not learned to farm, glaciers would even now be creeping across northern Canada. IIRC he suggested a 5 degree C drop in temperature from pre-industrial revolution norms - thought I'm not entirely sure on that number. I would not want to go back to that natural cycle. I think a bit warmer consistently for the extended future, interupting the glaciation cycle, would be just dandy.
What we need is the discipline of Climate Engineering. We need to stop this uncontrolled chaotic loading of the atmosphere with CO2 but we shouldn't necessarily reverse the increased greenhouse effect entirely. Human activity definitely influences the climate; with the proper care, knowledge and tools we can stabilize it at a reasonable temperature and not allow the glaciers to return. |
-Chaloobi
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 10/26/2007 : 10:29:24 [Permalink]
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Correct. Like the Iraq 'war on terra,' this is no more than foot-dragging 'till the next administration takes over. Let them clean up the mess.
It is said that we get the government that we deserve. Our karma must have really gone into the dumper for us, or anyone, to deserve our current pack of idiots and cowards, and I include the House and the Senate -- both sides of the asile -- in that.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 10/26/2007 : 12:25:16 [Permalink]
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filthy said:
| I include the House and the Senate -- both sides of the asile -- in that. |
Yep. The dems are pathetic. The republicans are disgusting, but at least they have a spine.
If not for the potential consequences I'd consider voting for a Nader candidate this comming election cycle.... but no way can I tolerate another republican (with the exception of Ron Paul, and he will never get the nod from the lunatic republican base/primary voters) in office so soon.
The dems will get my vote only for that reason.
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Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 10/26/2007 : 12:31:36 [Permalink]
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Oh yeah.... as for the OP, duh! They will do/say anything to avoid having to actually take steps to manage pollution. Wouldn't want the industry who has a dozen companies who's finances are greater than most of the countries on earth (exxon-mobil would be the 32nd wealthiest nation in the world if you put them on the list as a country), to risk a profit reduction.
Then we might have to increase the ~$100B in annual federal subsidies that we already give to the oil industry. No room in the budget for that as long as we have to spend $200B a year in Iraq.
I am, however, confident that oil would get a subsidy increase before children got healthcare coverage.
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Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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Ain't no warming! But it's natural! It's healthy!
