Who actually cares about "global warming"? And is cutting CO2 important?

[mattyp]

The thread title may make me sound ignorant of the facts or just plain ignorant.
However, in a recent discusion the issue arose and pretty much everyone said they have lost interest or just dont care.

I see where people are coming from with this and in a way i agree, if you live in the uk you might have been annoyed after the recent budget to find tax increases to apparently cut CO2 emissions. But in reality, what does it matter?

It seems today that so much time, effort, money and media attention is fixated on cutting CO2 while so little is bieng done to protect nations around the world from the apparently imminent consequences.
While browsing the IPCC's website (IPCC - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) I came across this graph
(titled: CO2 concentration, temperature, and sea level continue to rise long after emissions are reduced)
which shows that tempratures and sea levels will rise even after CO2 levels are cut dramatically. (at bottom of post)

I am not a sceptic of climate change, i use energy efficient light bulbs and ride a bike for short trips and think saving energy is a good thing and all that... But if you want to drive a Hummer or just burn oil for the sake of it, feel free, and dont feel bad about it, and certainly dont go and buy a hybrid to clear you conscience as it shouldnt need to be cleared.

[coolieman1220]

global warming / mother nature doin its thing!

[kingofthering]

No.

As an apathetic American teen, I honestly don't give a damn either way. I just want a license (earned of course) so I can finally get people to shut up about the irony of knowing stuff about cars yet not being able to drive (legally, but hey, that guy who likes fighter planes; does anyone care if he can fly one or not?) .

[blingbling]

As an apathetic American teen

...honestly anyone who can admit this has enough awareness to make a bid for presidency

[70cuda88]

i think things will play out anyway, i dont think we can realistically stop it anyway with people who just dont care, and im not sure i do anymore

[ErWin76]

One man can't do SHIT about global warming, so i don't care.

[Quiggs]

I'd run no cat on my car in a heartbeat.

[aiasib]

its hard to think that a Prius will make a difference when those container ships on the open seas are burning a hundred tons of diesel per day.

although we do have a saying here in sweden, which roughly translates to: many small streams become a mighty river

or something.

[nota]

Interesting to compare the attitudes to this so far, and the locales..

Yes I'm convinced by climate change and its hard to deny the effect and ramifications seen even now, ranging from swamped Pacific islands within my region, to provable imminent extinction of the cutest of creatures that live just down the road from me and (had) managed to survive for 30,000 years



I think consumption for its own gruesome sake is a concept well past its user date

[zeppelin]

One man can't do SHIT about global warming, so i don't care.

Brilliant.

Do you realize that while yes, it takes more than one man, when everyone thinks like this nothing gets done. It's kind of like the person who says 'no one will notice if I don't vote, I'm just one person'. However when thousands think like this, that's when nothing gets done.

I, personally am still divided on the global warming issue, however I don't dispute there's obviously noticeable climate change. On one hand, the world has seen massive warming and cooling trends over its millions of years in existence; but then again we're seeing lots of changes occur quicker than normal. So who knows. I personally ditched my car when I moved downtown, and now I walk/bike/TTC transit it everywhere. I figure for now cars and the suburban lifestyle are wasteful and unnecessary, and true or not, trying to be more environmentally conscious is the way to go.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

I think the current system of waste and pollution can't go on. the effects are obvious. what I don't like for a lot of this is the pious nature of global warming campaigners.

Do I think we're having an effect on the climate? certainly our environment, but as for Climate change I'm not so sure. I just think Mother nature is doing her thing and it's not as if we've not had shifts in climate and whatnot before in the earths history.

Doesn't mean we shouldn't change how we do things though.

[The_Canuck]

Ill live my life how i feel like it, but ignoring conservation of the planet is stupid, so i'll still contribute to recycling, and support initiatives to cut toxic waste and pollutants etc...however I wouldn't go as far as to buy an electric car or something along those lines.

[baddabang]

Global warming is simply a plot to make certain individuals more wealthy than they were before.

[Sweeney921]

I read somewhere that it's ridiculous and borderline cocky for the human race to think it could have an impact on the world's environment (i.e. global warming) in such a comparatively short amount of time as the age of the planet. I'm not saying I believe it entirely, but it makes you think.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

It is almost definately used as a tool by lobbyists and the environmental nazis to push their own agendas.

The sad thing these days is that most scientists who don't believe in Global warming are shunned and criticised by their colleagues.