Climate Change Talks Reach Agreement

Nov 16, 2007 By ARTHUR MAX, Associated Press Writer

(AP) -- Working until dawn, negotiators on Friday concluded a policy guide for governments on global warming that declares climate change is here and is getting worse, one of its authors said.



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BigTone
5 / 5 (1) Nov 16, 2007
We need to "call a spade - a spade" there are only two real culprits that we actually control 1) Human overpopulation 2) Human cultural wastefulness and disrespect for the environment, in general

Everything else is just a symptom... let me explain before you get your back up ;-) Assume that I created a whole new source of energy that had no emissions of any sort and only the most minimalistic of byproducts (i.e. mechanized heat from friction). This perfect energy source could more cheaply and effectively power chainsaws, bulldozers, mining equipment, farming irrigation pumps, etc etc - - Then we could vastly accelerate habitat destruction around the world, but "hurray" we did it without more greenhouse gas creation. Environmental problems that cause issues like a loss of species diversity - chemical pollution, hunting endangered species, habitat reduction/destruction, invasive or introduced species (i.e. pigs and house cats), etc etc - will not be "solved" by simply curbing greenhouse emissions or limiting drilling for oil...

I want to curb emissions as bad as anyone, I just get tired of that being the problem everyone is focused on. If we limit the number of us here and those that are here focus on a minimalistic total environmental impact - then we can make a material difference in climate changes that happen outside their normal rates. And Yes, of course, we should create technologies for green energy.

I know its not a popular opinion that I just threw out and I know we are supposed to be "fruitful and multiply" - but keeping down that path - we should start terraforming Mars right now because we need to spread like locusts throughout the cosmos. I'm not saying I have an answer to overpopulation or cultural wastefulness - I'm just saying that these are root problems and greenhouse gases are just a symptom...

We all can agree that climate change is inevitable - what changes that we can make to slow the impact that humans have on it is very much up for debate. With our luck, we can do everything right and one damn big volcano eruption nullifies it (but that thinking is just to defeatist)
fredrick
5 / 5 (1) Nov 16, 2007
we should start terraforming Mars right now because we need to spread like locusts throughout the cosmos.


err... right now? Do we even know how to terraform a planet, and do we have the technology and resources, let alone the scientific know-how, to start today?

If we limit the number of us here...


you know I've thought about that myself more than a few times - a lot of problems would be solved if everyone would stop having so many babies...

Try telling everyone else that, though. I'm married now, and I sure as hell want children - I can't even convince *myself* that I shouldn't have children (with my wife, that is), so there's no chance I'm going to convince anyone else that its for the good of the human species overall.

... focus on a minimalistic total environmental impact


absolutely we need to focus on this as well, and there are plenty of people who still do so. CO2 emmissions are like the flavour of the month, now; and they are probably the biggest contributing human-caused factor to climate change which is why they get so much attention - but I doubt anyone has forgotten that forests are being destroyed at an alarming rate while thousands of species are quickly going extinct.
DKA
1 / 5 (1) Nov 17, 2007
Amazing, so far no one has complained about the falsity of global warming like they usualy do in this "comment list". Maybe some of them are realizing that global warming is not a joke (what more do they need?). Once enough people will understand, gorvernments will have no choice but to regulate and order the right initiatives.
mikiwud
3 / 5 (2) Nov 17, 2007
The headline says it all.
The government representatives have AGREED what propaganda to put to the peasants.
It doesn't matter that even the IPCC's own data tells otherwise.How can you have global warming if the temperature is not rising?
DrPhysics
5 / 5 (1) Nov 17, 2007
The headline says it all.
The government representatives have AGREED what propaganda to put to the peasants.
It doesn't matter that even the IPCC's own data tells otherwise.How can you have global warming if the temperature is not rising?


Absolutely. Science no longer enters into this argument at the United Knuckleheads. This is now an economic and political strategy. Otherwise they would be turning to China, India, and Russia to change their policies.

I am encouraged with the posts here that seem to be shifting away from the 'man-made GW' position. For the most part I think those individuals have been 'found-out'.

As usual, you are all invited to my house today for a red meat BBQ (with true burning of hydrocarbons) .... of course after the college football games.
fredrick
not rated yet Nov 18, 2007
Thanks DKA, now you've gone and got them started...

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