Some new research has found that global temperatures are the hottest they've been in about 1,200 years. Some argue that research like this is flawed and doesn't indicate anything while others argue that this is just one more piece of evidence that shows that humans are having a negative impact on the earth. The article is from the BBC:


You can read the complete article here.

This post has been edited by Thorned Rose: Feb 10 2006, 11:47 PM

Yes, this global warming is for real and we had better start listening. I have been following reports on this problem for some time now and the effect on the glaciers up at the pole is really alarming. They are disappearing. This is having a tremendous effect on the balance of nature. We are having all these world wide natural disasters as a result, in my oppinion. Consider the number of hurricanes we have had this year, just in the USA. Katrina was a warning of things to come.

This post has been edited by Mich: Feb 10 2006, 11:51 PM

I also have read a lot about this. They are working on trying to fix this though. It is mostly caused by the burning of fossil fuels and gas in cars. What happens is fossil fuels and gas emissions give off carbon dioxide which takes the sunlight in the atmosphere and holds it as heat. So when we burn more fossil fuels and run all of our cars there is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causing global warming to occur. Ice caps are melting and water levels are rising meaning soon some areas on the coach will start to flood. Right now they are looking for alternate fuels that won't give off as much carbon dioxide. They think they have found a way to use ethanol without the exceess of carbon dioxide gases. This would be really great because not only will it save our resources of gas, it will help slow global warming. It also can be used instead of the burning of fossil fuels they believe and that also helps because fossil fuels are a nonrenewable resource while ethanol is because it is just grass and plants.

I have to vote neighter of the options, there are many scientific articles claiming both global warming in the near future as well as an ice age in the near future. Sometimes a local warming leading to a lasting cold. We clearly don't know enough to be a basis for changing our habits. We definatly still have more time, as I don't recall any elements of Earth that have been drastically changed by us to be beyond naturally occuring cycles.

It´s for real and I can see that each summer gets hotter and hotter... and the weather is going crazy... the differences between seasons are getting softer, and natural disasters attack us suddenly. I think it´s a real problem but it´s not so new... we´ve been knowing this for a lot of years and people and governments say "oh, yes, this is terrible, blahblahblah..." but not much is being done about it, apart from the Kyoto Protocol... which is not supported by the United States, so it´s not going to make too much difference. So my opinion would be between the two first options... something must be done, but I´m afraid it´s getting late for the planet.

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You can get more information at the BBC website here.

I am somewhat of an environmentalist, and I have researched and written almost 20 articles on this subject. From my research and findings, Global Warming is as real as it gets. Studies show that Carbon Dioxide, the element produced by cars and burning of fuels, rose by 400% AT LEAST during the past 200 years. This is according to the Greenland Ice Cores.

Then there are CFCs that destroy Ozone, the substance protecting us from the sun and radiation, at a rate of 1 CFC to 100,000 Ozone. That is way to much. That is why there are companies that safely get rid of referigerators safely. Since that is the thing that creates the most. So recycle them, don't toss them to the dump. Hey keep the Earth clean guys.

I wanted to reply to this thread a long time ago, but I just couldn't get time or every time I logged in I was attracted by something else.
I think global warming is for real, but there is not much we can do in just a few years. It is simply not enough. The world depends on fosil fuel. If every country in the world would agree to stop using oil world's economy will go into bankruptcy. So in my opinion we have passed the point of "no return". Not only because nature cannot regenerate, but because there is no way mankind can stop or reverse what it did. This is the price of progress... It is sad , but in just 200 years menkind has evolved from steam engines to rocket engines. Thinking in the time of the univers or in the time of nature this 200 years are just a few seconds. The changes were much to big and much to fast.
You don't have to be a scientist to see that the climate is different (changing). My country used to have 4 seasons and not it only has two, winter and summer. And it seems that in just a few years we will only have one long summer. Not to mention the flods, earthquakes snd other natural disasters which tend to repet every single year. My country NEVER had a tornodo in it's history, but last summer we had one tornado (sure it was not like the american ones where a lot of people die or are left homeless, but it is a very unusual thing).
I even saw a news on Discovery Channel website a few days ago speaking about how animals and plants have begun a fast evolution trying to keep up with the ever changing climate.

This post has been edited by adriantc: Mar 1 2006, 08:26 PM