Is global warming just a way for the government to raise taxes?
967065
So by your logic, we should just sit on our hands and watch the sea drown huge areas of the world. Good plan.
1107357
Global warming caused by humans is a myth.  It has been debunked by scientist after scientist.  The reason the earth is in a "warming cycle" (the temp on earth has risen 1 degree in the last 100 years..1 DEGREE) is because the sun is hotter.  \n\nThe environment is the new "religion" of the left, both in America and abroad. They don't believe in God and hate America.
989061
Your notions are very well-reasoned. You are correct, the down side of accepting that we are responsible for global warming is much smaller than the downside of denial.\n\nThe ONLY reason that the conservatives deny global warming is that they are afraid it will hurt big business and big industry. They are less interested in the truth than they are about protecting their personal  financial status.
833807
I agree, that global warming MUST be a lie, I mean it's fu.ckin freezing here!\n\nI need to start burning my rubbish. Fu.ck the councils and their spy-chips in the bins, If they want to charge me extra on enviromental grounds for taking away my rubbish, I'm gonna start burning it!\n\nand  I am going to part ex my efficient small diesel car for a fu.ck-off huge SUV and have a monster truck engine installed, and then drive my car, with the windows down and the heating up full for miles and miles for no apparent reason.
976302
1.  Yes, temperatures actually have been rising - in certain places.  2.  No, it isn't too early to make predictions, as long as they are based on sound, unbiased scientific findings.  3. I believe that the warming is being driven by both people and natural causes.  We can do something about the former, but not the latter.  To what degree (no pun intended) each one is a factor is still up in the air, I think.  4.  Yes, it certainly could benefit some regions of the earth, but it would damage many populated regions tremendously.  That's why we need to try to slow down the human contribution a.s.a.p.
716608
There is not a consistent policy about global warming because no country wants to limits it own industrial capabilities to prevent pollution. The US agreed to the Kyoto Accords but now finds ways to side-step their obligation. How can any group of countries punish the US? Too many factors such as the national economies of small countries depend on the US for trade to force Washington to comply. But one thing is certain and that is that there is no agreement as to global warming even amongst the scientific community. It is being used by politicians as a gimmick to sway opinions. Before Al Gore didn't much worry about global warming but found it useful to take votes from Republicans and so there was sudden attention.Are you certain that there is indeed global warming? I realize that people have been tugging at the issue for years, but there is no substantial proof that this warming effect is not a cyclical phenomena. We have no proof about the last 50,000 years from the estimated period of the Ice Age. Counting tree rings is hardly an answer and the oldest know trees are less than 3,000 years...perhaps this situation occurs every ten thousand years. Fossils date much further back and we know that some cataclysmic event, a massive volcano or perhaps even a meteorite created so much dust that the earth was blanketed and brought about the sudden extinction of the dinosaurs. That took place about 65,000,000 years ago...just days ago, Norwegian paleontologists announced the discovery of a dinosaur 'graveyard' with the fossils of ichthyosaurs and pleisosaurs (perhaps cousins of the Loch Ness Monster) on an Island about 800 miles from the North Pole. Because both types of dinosaurs were marine (living in salt water), we then can assume they died in the water...but the 'graveyard' is now situated on a hillside some distance from the sea, but also that the water level was much higher at that time...Global Warming? Island can rise and sink because of volcanic activity but the island shows no geological suggestion that that was so. Perhaps too, this is a natural event in that as the temperature increases, so does evaporation and thusly more rain, so could it be that it is a cleansing system to remove pollutants from the atmosphere? There are many far-fetched theories and one is from Australia where scientists claim that cows are a major source of pollution. Herbivores produce methane gas as they digest grasses, fodder and such, and with the vast number of cows and other herbivores, our atmosphere is contaminated. It makes little sense as in America were vast herds of bison, and the plains of Africa still have millions of grazing animals...both past and present. The die-off of marine organisms is often linked to man-made problems...oil spills, dredging, sewage and such...i.e. the Thames River of England was so polluted years ago that no fish could exist...the environmental agency cleaned it up by stopping sewage, etc and now 10 species of fish have returned. We build dams and prevent floods and deprive vital nutrients to the sea. In Asia, DDT was introduced to protect the crops and successfully killed many species of fish and birds (most potent when used with oil as the solvent). Few people understand that a tree does many things besides provide wood, it retains soil but also transpires a substantial amount of moisture into the air...and we cut down the forests. We cover vast areas with tarmac and concrete and deaden the soil. On my last visit to Mt. Kilimanjaro, I noticed the reduction of the ice caps and glaciers but I didn't come away with any firm conviction of a drastic change. In Tibet, I visited the glacial rivers but they seemed much unchanged, and the peak of Mt. Everest seems to have the same amount of snow and ice. The only tangible proof I have found is that some of the tropical marine life in the Sea of Cortez have move further north, but that could be explained by a shifting of currents, rather than an
89233
There is enough evidence as it is. It is happening, and the reasons may be natural (interglacials, etc) or man-made (which would be, ultimately, "natural" too), but that doesn't matter because the effects are altering the world right now. \nI think the people who always advocate for "more evidence" and "further consideration" instead of real action about pollution issues are those interested in their immediate benefits. I guess they want to buy more time to continue earning their profits, or maybe they think that anything we can do is useless. \nThe Kyoto protocol has been around for a while now, and guess which countries have been refusing to compromise?
558543
Pollution caused by exhaust gases plus CO2 blocks the radiation of heat from the earth into the universe. Thus global warming will cause the sea level to rise as much as 2 kilometers high in the near future.
1103116
GLOBAL WARMING/THE ENVIRONMENT IN GENERAL\n\nAny and I mean any environmental cause or approach must be grassroots in nature. Having PhD's talk about global warming and having those representing industry interests debunk these present theories is a high level and almost an entirely futile effort. Don't get me wrong, it is great that someone with Al Gore's connections and exposure is getting the word out. However, people are people they want to see results. \n\nYes, the expression is now trite but still true, "Thing Globally, Act Locally". Watching the sky over a city, town or even a more rural area become darkened by smog has local impact, people take note and actually see A PROBLEM. A problem that can measured in terms of air quality or perhaps an AIR QUALITY HEALTH INDEX like the one that the provincial government in Ontario, Canada is in the process of implementing. You can measure results (however small) in terms of air quality and the affect it has on the health care system (those with breathing problems, doctor's visits, etc). It certainly speaks to the advantage of a UNIVERSAL health care system (however, actually implemented) as it actually makes sense to improve the environment as it keeps people healthy (a humanitarian cause) and when health care it publicly funded it affects the public coffers when people become ill therefore it even makes better financial sense to keep the environment a top priority.\n\nPlus any approach must be entire with a complete overall plan (the big picture). Including recycling initiatives, energy solutions (alternatives/renewables can now present a real potential financial threat to the big oil companies and even power companies...), government involvement at all levels, public transit, greener vehicles in general (Hybrid, Hydrogen, Conventional electric, bio-diesel, ethanol), conservation in all energy arenas, ETC!\n\nEconomic viability is the real sell as many of these solutions are just that economically sensible (ensuring we look at the entire picture). Yes as more people use solar, wind and other renewable energy sources the cheaper the technology will get. Two of the newest billionaires have earned a large portion through renewables Solar (India I believe) and Wind (China I believe). Yes in many ways developing nations and economies will be the first and early adopters of such renewable tech as they are just building much of their infrastructure.\n\nSo what do we all need to do? GET INVOLVED ! Contact your local government about improving your recycling program, contact provincial/state/federal government about the adopting of these new technologies (renewables such as solar/wind), buy gas with ethanol in it and demand it, use and demand bio diesel, buy products with less packaging and demand manufacturers to reduce packaging and to offer a price break as a result. More ECONOMIC VIABILITY! After all energy diversity just like economic diversity is the safest and best bet for good long term results and return on investment.\n\nJoe...\n\n\nKEEP IT UP MR. GORE THE POLAR BEARS NEED YOU FIRST **GRIN**.
1041724
Because it is a way for big business to push there idea upon the public to spread fear throughout the world so it is easier for them to sell new products or for government officials to try to win elections studies have shown that that the ice caps go through periods of shrinking and growing and is not unusual for it to do so there is should be no fear of global warming its just propaganda and should be discredited by any self thinking intelligent person!
702913
Absolutely - the hydrocarbon tax on vehicles is a great idea, especially if it is graduated for the amount of hydrocarbons produced.
383446
NO! it's just going 2 cause more popultion and we're all going 2 die from global warming!
802266
I am a conservative and i am very concerned about Global Warming, just think, in 3or 4 trillion years the earth will warm by 3or 4 degrees. I think all of us should stock up on lotion in case we want to go to the beach in 3or4 trillion years!!
260304
global warming is cause by greenhouse gases being trapped near earths atmosphere, which causes heat to be trapped nearer to earths surface which increases the temperature on earth slightly which melts the polar ice caps which makes water levels rise which means islands will be flooded and shores will advance into the land making living space smaller in an already overpopulated world.
400589
Yes.\n\nThe US Government regulates every business to some extent. Minimum wage, Social Security, Unemployment tax, are all government regulations that dampen the economy.  In addition to this, look at the way they abuse the oil companies.  You think Gas prices are high?  Don't blame the oil companies, look at the US Government.  For the process that crude oil goes through to be gasoline, gas is relatively cheap.  Now, when you start adding environmental regulations that are based on paranoia and not fact, all of a sudden, there are a thousand different additives to the fuel depending on where you are in the country.  This drives the cost up.  The US Government constantly falls victim to the environmentalist wackos, and forbids oil companies from drilling in the Gulf of Mexico or Alaska, as well as forbidding them from building more refineries.  Add all of that together, and gasoline should be a lot more expensive than it is.  Take all of that away, and gas is fifty cents per gallon. \n\nThe oil companies are the best example of Government regulation gone wrong.  Look at it this way, whenever the government steps in and tells a business that they must do something or face penalty of law, that is over-regulation.  Another recent example in Maryland, I think, the government has passed a law that says that any company with over X employees MUST provide benefits for it's employees.  The law was directed at Wal-Mart, because Wal-mart happened to be the only business around that fell into that catagory.  Under the law, if they failed to provide benefits to it's employees, they must pay the difference to the government.  More politicians sticking their faces into places they shouldn't be, just to satisfy some voters.\n\nIf you need more, feel free to ask.
716969
Correct. The man's a nut case - global warming is mainly from his hot air, but is otherwise a myth.
1136197
Yep.  Its a great way for the state to make money without raising taxes.  My state FINALLY figured that out a couple years ago.  Its great.