So Assuming Global Warming Is Real, Is Caused By Humans, And Will Caus

[XIX]

What are we supposed to do about it?  This is a sincere question.  From what I can tell, we have a few options:

 

1) Do nothing.  Let the earth rot away out of sheer apathy.  (Remember, we are presupposing, for the sake of argument, that man-made GW is real).

 

2) Everyone do your part!  Carpool, turn your lights out, drive efficient vehicles, live green.  Push for pro-environment legislation in your spare time.  Good for you!  Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure this scenario will lead to the same outcome as scenario 1.  It'll just take longer to get there.

 

3) Punt civilization all the way back to the way we were before we starting messing up the environment.  Basically give up all modern technology and live like the Amish.  This should be enough to help the planet heal, I guess.  But if that's our most realistic path to healing the planet, then I'm genuinely afraid that our environment is going straight to the toilet.

 

This is not a thread to debate whether global warming is real, so please keep things on topic.  Thanks. :)

[Spem in alium]

What are we supposed to do about it?  This is a sincere question.  From what I can tell, we have a few options:

 

1) Do nothing.  Let the earth rot away out of sheer apathy.  (Remember, we are presupposing, for the sake of argument, that man-made GW is real).

 

2) Everyone do your part!  Carpool, turn your lights out, drive efficient vehicles, live green.  Push for pro-environment legislation in your spare time.  Good for you!  Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure this scenario will lead to the same outcome as scenario 1.  It'll just take longer to get there.

 

3) Punt civilization all the way back to the way we were before we starting messing up the environment.  Basically give up all modern technology and live like the Amish.  This should be enough to help the planet heal, I guess.  But if that's our most realistic path to healing the planet, then I'm genuinely afraid that our environment is going straight to the toilet.

 

This is not a thread to debate whether global warming is real, so please keep things on topic.  Thanks. :)

Interesting topic. I vote 3. To me it seems like the only real way of causing some good, though perhaps, unfortunately, the damage caused can't be reversed. 

[r2Dtoo]

Assuming it's real we have 100 years before we notice any difference.  Color me not worried.

[Nihil Obstat]

What are we supposed to do about it?  This is a sincere question.  From what I can tell, we have a few options:

 

1) Do nothing.  Let the earth rot away out of sheer apathy.  (Remember, we are presupposing, for the sake of argument, that man-made GW is real).

 

2) Everyone do your part!  Carpool, turn your lights out, drive efficient vehicles, live green.  Push for pro-environment legislation in your spare time.  Good for you!  Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure this scenario will lead to the same outcome as scenario 1.  It'll just take longer to get there.

 

3) Punt civilization all the way back to the way we were before we starting messing up the environment.  Basically give up all modern technology and live like the Amish.  This should be enough to help the planet heal, I guess.  But if that's our most realistic path to healing the planet, then I'm genuinely afraid that our environment is going straight to the toilet.

 

This is not a thread to debate whether global warming is real, so please keep things on topic.  Thanks. :)

Granting the assumption that AGW is a legitimate concern, I can think of at least one other option. That would be to push hard to develop viable sources of renewable clean energy and cleaner ways to dispose of our waste. I think that is both the most viable and most realistic.

[eagle_eye222001]

Option 2.

 

As stewards of God's creation......

[4588686]

What are we supposed to do about it?  This is a sincere question.  From what I can tell, we have a few options:

 

1) Do nothing.  Let the earth rot away out of sheer apathy.  (Remember, we are presupposing, for the sake of argument, that man-made GW is real).

 

2) Everyone do your part!  Carpool, turn your lights out, drive efficient vehicles, live green.  Push for pro-environment legislation in your spare time.  Good for you!  Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure this scenario will lead to the same outcome as scenario 1.  It'll just take longer to get there.

 

3) Punt civilization all the way back to the way we were before we starting messing up the environment.  Basically give up all modern technology and live like the Amish.  This should be enough to help the planet heal, I guess.  But if that's our most realistic path to healing the planet, then I'm genuinely afraid that our environment is going straight to the toilet.

 

This is not a thread to debate whether global warming is real, so please keep things on topic.  Thanks. :)

 

Pro-environment legislation should not be a spare time matter.  It should be the main thrust.  

 

I'm glad that this thread is not about debating whether global warming is real since that is not a serious argument to have.

 

 

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-kochfunded-climate-change-skeptic-reverses-course-20120729,0,7372823.story

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2006/sep/19/ethicalliving.g2

Edited December 10, 2012 by Hasan

[4588686]

Assuming it's real we have 100 years before we notice any difference.  

 

 

No.  Not even close.

 

 

 

http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geophysics/arctic-ice.htm

[WillT]

What are we supposed to do about it? This is a sincere question. From what I can tell, we have a few options:

1) Do nothing. Let the earth rot away out of sheer apathy. (Remember, we are presupposing, for the sake of argument, that man-made GW is real).

2) Everyone do your part! Carpool, turn your lights out, drive efficient vehicles, live green. Push for pro-environment legislation in your spare time. Good for you! Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure this scenario will lead to the same outcome as scenario 1. It'll just take longer to get there.

3) Punt civilization all the way back to the way we were before we starting messing up the environment. Basically give up all modern technology and live like the Amish. This should be enough to help the planet heal, I guess. But if that's our most realistic path to healing the planet, then I'm genuinely afraid that our environment is going straight to the toilet.

This is not a thread to debate whether global warming is real, so please keep things on topic. Thanks. :)

Unfortunately all of those options have some pretty bad outcomes, I think. As I said in the other thread, I have exams through Wednesday but I'll try to post some after that.

[hermit]

I think spem is right, you can't stop it, the damage is done, any real solution is going to be catastrophic... it's human evolution, advances in science and technology have made our lives easier, but that comes with a price...

The better our lives become the faster our population grows and the more we come to rely on science and technology... the faster the population grows, the more we use and consume... Try and remove petrolieum and see what happens to life as we know it... We have come past a point we can't go back on...

 

I've included a link, from what I see we are running out of space quick...

 

 

 

 http://desip.igc.org/populationmaps.html

 

PS: As far as the choices go, No.1 is probably what we will do, No.2 is a bandage on a hemmorage, No.3 might work but requires depopulation

Edited December 11, 2012 by hermit

[4588686]

Unfortunately all of those options have some pretty bad outcomes, I think. As I said in the other thread, I have exams through Wednesday but I'll try to post some after that.

 

Today is Thursday.

[XIX]

I think spem is right, you can't stop it, the damage is done, any real solution is going to be catastrophic... it's human evolution, advances in science and technology have made our lives easier, but that comes with a price...

The better our lives become the faster our population grows and the more we come to rely on science and technology... the faster the population grows, the more we use and consume... Try and remove petrolieum and see what happens to life as we know it... We have come past a point we can't go back on...

 

I've included a link, from what I see we are running out of space quick...

 

 

 

 http://desip.igc.org/populationmaps.html

 

PS: As far as the choices go, No.1 is probably what we will do, No.2 is a bandage on a hemmorage, No.3 might work but requires depopulation

 

I suppose my question, at least as a starting point, is more like "what would I have to do to ensure that my existence does not contribute to global warming?"  What kind of lifestyle would I have to live?  It would be a nice goal if it could be accomplished without rendering myself incapable of functioning in today's society.  Has any scientist come up with a semi-reasonable "path" to, at the very least, making sure the climate doesn't chance any futher?  Or that we eventually reach the point where that happens?  Perhaps this is a better question for an environmentalist forum.

 

I'm not sure that straight-up overpopulation is the culprit here, as population growth (I think) will eventually level off.  The growing population will, of course, exacerbate any "energy excess" we currently indulge in.

[4588686]

I suppose my question, at least as a starting point, is more like "what would I have to do to ensure that my existence does not contribute to global warming?" What kind of lifestyle would I have to live? It would be a nice goal if it could be accomplished without rendering myself incapable of functioning in today's society. Has any scientist come up with a semi-reasonable "path" to, at the very least, making sure the climate doesn't chance any futher? Or that we eventually reach the point where that happens? Perhaps this is a better question for an environmentalist forum.

I'm not sure that straight-up overpopulation is the culprit here, as population growth (I think) will eventually level off. The growing population will, of course, exacerbate any "energy excess" we currently indulge in.

There are a lot of extremely reasonable and pretty simple ways to seriously mitigate the effects of climate change. Or at least there were. The longer nothing is done the harder it will be to avoid a lot of pain down the road. It's not really an individual thing. You buying high efficiency bulbs won't do much. National and international level action is required. That doesn't mean that the state dictates that everybody rides a cow. I mean that something like a carbon tax or funding of alternative forms or energy or fuel standards on cars require state leek action.

[XIX]

There are a lot of extremely reasonable and pretty simple ways to seriously mitigate the effects of climate change. Or at least there were. The longer nothing is done the harder it will be to avoid a lot of pain down the road. It's not really an individual thing. You buying high efficiency bulbs won't do much. National and international level action is required. That doesn't mean that the state dictates that everybody rides a cow. I mean that something like a carbon tax or funding of alternative forms or energy or fuel standards on cars require state leek action.

 

Essplain.  Do you have specifics?  Numbers?

 

"If we pass this that and the other thing, we would cut out 90% of the problem in five years" kind of thing.  Because that's something the public could seriously afford to know about.

[LouisvilleFan]

What are we supposed to do about it?  This is a sincere question.  From what I can tell, we have a few options:

 

1) Do nothing.  Let the earth rot away out of sheer apathy.  (Remember, we are presupposing, for the sake of argument, that man-made GW is real).

 

2) Everyone do your part!  Carpool, turn your lights out, drive efficient vehicles, live green.  Push for pro-environment legislation in your spare time.  Good for you!  Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure this scenario will lead to the same outcome as scenario 1.  It'll just take longer to get there.

 

3) Punt civilization all the way back to the way we were before we starting messing up the environment.  Basically give up all modern technology and live like the Amish.  This should be enough to help the planet heal, I guess.  But if that's our most realistic path to healing the planet, then I'm genuinely afraid that our environment is going straight to the toilet.

 

This is not a thread to debate whether global warming is real, so please keep things on topic.  Thanks. :)

 

There are more than three options. I vote for promoting technology to conserve energy, research alternative energy, along with a long-term plan (10-20 years) to slowly and predictably raise taxes on gasoline. Higher taxes would better reflect the true cost of consumption to our environment, the cost of highways, etc., improve the economic viability of alternative energy, and encourage more development in urban areas.

 

Of course, nobody likes higher taxes, so I have no illusions this is likely to happen unless we are eventually left without much choice in the matter.

[LouisvilleFan]

I suppose my question, at least as a starting point, is more like "what would I have to do to ensure that my existence does not contribute to global warming?"  What kind of lifestyle would I have to live?  It would be a nice goal if it could be accomplished without rendering myself incapable of functioning in today's society.  Has any scientist come up with a semi-reasonable "path" to, at the very least, making sure the climate doesn't chance any futher?  Or that we eventually reach the point where that happens?  Perhaps this is a better question for an environmentalist forum.

 

Move to New York City and use mass transit. You could also move to Vatican City, which is a carbon neutral state, however NYC is at least halfway more realistic :)  Of course, the more practical solution is staying in the city you live now and move closer to work (within a short walk or bus ride) or otherwise find ways to reduce how much you drive.

 

When it's been an option for me, I have found riding the bus to be an enjoyable alternative. You can get a lot of good reading done during that time!