Global Warming, Our Immediate Responsibility
January is a good month. It’s a month that is the human symbol of starting over. Out with the old, in with the new. This January was particularly exciting for us here in the US, as we ushered in a new era of progressive politics with almost a little too much pomp and circumstance. But underneath the excitement lies a particularly disconcerting truth. We still have a nation to fix.
>> Interested in solar power? See if group discounts are available in your city
>> Don’t forget to: Sign up for our electric car interest list.
I like getting big things out of the way, so here it is. According to Susan Solomon, scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, once global warming sets in, it isn’t going away. The voice on NPR told me with such solemnity that I assumed that we had already lost the war with Global Warming. No matter how evenly I accelerated my car, it would no longer matter because the damage was done. Once I stopped hyperventilating I realized that there was more to the story, and the thoughtful voice informed me that the effects haven’t reached the point of no return yet. The oceans are currently padding the effects of global warming, holding it in check indefinitely. According to Solomon, the oceans will be able to hold off the siege of carbon dioxide for some time, but there are more immediate problems at hand.
According to Solomon’s study published in the Proceedings of the Natural Academy of Sciences, not immediately curtailing our carbon emissions could create permanent dust-bowl conditions in the U.S. Southwest as well as the Mediterranean. I immediately thought of all the wonderful French wines I wouldn’t be able to try if that happened and subsequently panicked until I was informed that even this could take decades. I let out a nervous sigh of relief, knowing that this news just adds to the urgency of our battle for the atmosphere.
“We’re used to thinking about pollution problems as things that we can fix. Smog, we just cut back and everything will be better later. Or haze, you know, it’ll go away pretty quickly,” Solomon said of cleaning up our current mess. “People have imagined that if we stopped emitting carbon dioxide that the climate would go back to normal in 100 years. What we’re showing here is that’s not right. It’s essentially an irreversible change.”
It’s still rather unsettling that we can’t get a better picture of what kind of time frame we’re working on here. Global warming isn’t exactly priority number one on everyone’s list, which is understandable considering our current economic meltdown. A Rasmussen Report as well as a Pew Research Center Pole taken around inauguration time showed a general cooling in global warming concern. Again, the current economic crisis calls for immediate attention, but how much longer will it be until global warming gets immediate attention?
Fortunately, we’re already beginning to see a drastic reversal of climate change policies as President Obama opened the door for states to regulate their own emissions (something California has been chomping at the bit to do). Of course I’m worried that global warming apathy will continue and lead to irreparable repercussions, but at the same time I’m optimistic. The Pew pole showed that in general, environmental issues are important to the American public, and that right now we’re just experiencing a lull. On the other hand the Rasmussen Report showed again that the American public is becoming increasingly divided along party lines, especially when dealing with the environment (21% of questioned Republicans believe that global warming is being induced by human activity).
President Obama has made it a priority of his to curtail global warming, and he hired an energy secretary who knows his science to prove it, but we can’t forget that our planet is our responsibility. No matter how many laws are enacted or how much reach the EPA is granted, it will still ultimately be up to us how far we allow global warming to go before it’s stomped out.
Sources:
The New York Times (There is a nice little graph here that shows how America’s concerns have changed over the years)
National Public Radio
Thanks to CarbonNYC for the picture (via Flickr creative commons).
And in case you missed it, our Fireside Chat for the week.
You Might Also Like
Automakers are Clear: “We Want The EPA to Regulate Auto Emissions”
Scientist Implores US to “Master” Rare Earth Metals For Future Transportation Security
A Victim of Federal Bias? Advanced Lead Acid Battery Company, Firefly, Goes Bankrupt 
Even Shell’s CEO Expects Electric Cars to Dominate
February 1st, 2009 at 11:21 pm
Let’s see if I understand this… This was the coldest October in 104 years, the coldest November in I don’t remember how many years, the coldest January in 24 years. The Iowa weather study shows increasing polar ice, and a two year period of global cooling. Russian meteorologist have predicted the onset of another period of glaciation in parts of Russia and Siberia. You want Americans to accept as “the gospel” a theory that is being widely deserted by scientist worldwide? Congratulations…
February 2nd, 2009 at 1:45 am
> This was the coldest October in 104 years, the coldest November in I don’t remember how many years, the coldest January in 24 years. The Iowa weather study shows increasing polar ice, and a two year period of global cooling.
So the WEATHER is temporarily cooler. This has little to do with CLIMATE, which involves periods of at least 15 years. Look at the average temperature worldwide for 2008, and compare it to the average 15 years ago:
http://climateprogress.org/2008/12/07/very-warm-2008-makes-this-hottest-decade-in-recorded-history-by-far/
Yup, the earth is still warming.
February 2nd, 2009 at 2:12 am
Let’s reduce air pollution. I agree 100% with that. Energy conservation and new tech should be explored. But don’t blame climate change on 100 years of man made air pollution. It’s just another cycle. It get’s hot then it get’s cold. We haven’t measured this long enough to understand anyway.
February 2nd, 2009 at 3:00 am
I certainly hope no scientist said “once global warming sets in, it isn’t going away.” If Susan is a scientist then she knows that our atmosphere at present is C02 deprived. C02 levels have been 20 times as high in the earth’s history. She will also know that C02 has never been a climate driver and is not now. And she will know that the earth has cooled .5 C in the last 2 years. And we all know that we only have valid temperature readings since 1979, way to short a time to decide that the planet is overheating or cooling, though I liked 1998 to 2006’s temperatures a lot better than the ones we have now. However no one can change the climate not even Al Gore.
February 2nd, 2009 at 3:12 am
> We haven’t measured this long enough to understand anyway.
Actually, the discovery of global warming took place over a century, and the science is very solid. See this web site for the history:
http://www.aip.org/history/climate/
February 2nd, 2009 at 5:00 am
Try this URL
http://www.libertyunbound.com/archive/2008_09/contoski-warming.html
During the 20th century, the earth warmed a huge 0.6 degrees C.
In 2007 alone the earth warmed by 0.63 degrees C.
In any event, the volcano in Alaska that is expected to erupt very soon, just may make any question of global warming moot as it throws enough sediment into the stratosphere to drop the temperature by several degrees C. or more.
There is evidence that the answer to the question of the cause of sinking ships and the disappearance of aircraft over the Bermuda Triangle may be caused by huge eruptions of methane and or carbon dioxide from the below ocean floor.
It would be nice it these doomsayers would collect all available information and analyze all of it rather than just that which fits with their desired objective.
February 2nd, 2009 at 5:03 am
Correction—-
In 2007 the earth COOLED NOT WARMED by 0.63 degrees C.
SORRY ABOUT THE TYPO.
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:49 am
Anthony,
Didn’t you get the news:
Over 650 dissenting scientists from around the globe challenged man-made global warming claims made by the United Nations Intergovernemntal Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and former Vice President Al Gore.
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:49 am
http://www.globalwarminghoax.com/comment.php?comment.news.93.6
February 2nd, 2009 at 7:44 am
“No matter how many laws are enacted or how much reach the EPA is granted, it will still ultimately be up to us how far we allow global warming to go before it’s stomped out.”
Maybe its time to end Oil, natural gas, and coal subsidies, eh? Let more of the actual cost be payed by those who purchase electricity from those plants. Perhaps this would help spur Nuclear Power, or even renewable energy. Nuclear is the answer today though, renewable energy is still not up to the challenge, yet.
Also, tell your politicians to support free trade and end corn subsidies and restrictions on imported agriculture which leads to damaging farming techniques in other areas of the world like slash-and-burn forest clearing. Opening up our borders to imported corn, sugarcane, etc., would drastically reduce the cost of ethanol to the point it would significantly reduce oil consumption.
Warning: Oversimplification here. I don’t know why, but that last line in the article really set me off. So whats the point of all the laws, regulations, EPA, countless gov’t agencies whose goals are conflicting. Department of Energy vs. EPA for instance. Yet the ultimate solution is just to remove artificial pricing. Then no matter how each consumer feels about reducing CO2 emissions, the real market pricing will be more successful than any law or gov’t agency in achieving that goal.
Why anyone put confidence (and their money) in the gov’t to fix this, or just about any problem, I do not know. Today’s anti-gov’t rhetoric was brought to you by this article:
…
“New York’s Charles Rangel and five other Democratic members of the House enjoyed a trip to the Caribbean sponsored in part by Citigroup in November – after Congress had approved the $700 bailout for financial firms (including Citigroup).”
http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20090201/OPINION01/902010344/1005/OPINION
February 2nd, 2009 at 2:17 pm
OMG people do actually read and listen to something besides CNN. I always find it hilarious when people tell me how the planet is heating up. I live in Mobile, AL one of the hotter parts of the US and we just had two summers in a row where the temp never went above 96 Degrees. When I was a kid back in the 1980’s it was very common for the temp to top 100. I am sure everyone remembers all the press the frying eggs on side walk received in the 80’s. Yet I am supposed to believe a bunch of agenda driven media. I am all for lowering air pollution and promoting better cleaner energy and transportation, but enough with the chicken littel routine.
February 2nd, 2009 at 3:48 pm
My God people. I may have to declare a moratorium on debating climate change on our sites because it’s obvious that nothing will ever be resolved.
February 2nd, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Our immediate responsibility to defend ourselves and our children from Gore’s and Obama’s global warming scam.
Man-made Global Warming is a hoax that threatens our future and the future of our children. Václav Klaus, president of the European Union, is right when he states that “environmentalism is the new communism and climate change is a myth.”
In agreement with Klaus, more than 650 international scientists dissent over the man-made global warming claims. They are more than 12 times the number of UN scientists (52) who authored the media-hyped IPCC 2007 Summary for Policymakers. http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Minority.Blogs&ContentRecord_id=2674e64f-802a-23ad-490b-bd9faf4dcdb7
Additionally, more than 31,000 American scientists have signed onto a petition that states, “There is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane, or other greenhouse gases is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth’s atmosphere and disruption of the Earth’s climate…” http://www.petitionproject.org/index.html
“Progressive” (communist) politicians like Obama seem determined to force us to swallow the man-made global warming scam. We need to defend ourselves from the UN and these politicians, who threaten our future and the future of our children. Based on a lie, they have already wasted millions and plan to increase taxes, limit development, and enslave us.
If not stopped, the global warming scam will enrich the scammers (Gore and Obama’ Wall Street friends), increase the power of the U.N. and communists like Obama, and multiply poverty and servitude for the rest of us.
February 2nd, 2009 at 9:18 pm
Antonio,
Please, put down the paranoia pipe and communicate in a way that normal people can relate to. As a born diehard skeptic, I’m fully willing to debate the politics of global warming and the problem with the politicization of science, but not with nutjobs that claim Obama is a communist or who categorically state that climate change is a myth.
Oversimplification and pandering don’t solve problems.
February 3rd, 2009 at 4:43 am
I realized after I published this that it would probably attract more negativity than anything, seeing that we can all bend facts and throw out statistics to fit our own agendas. Where you are a lifelong skeptic Nick, I am just a lifelong worrier, so I felt compelled to write about it. I couldn’t help but notice the coincidence between the polls as well as the research, which I can’t say that there is causation, but I can safely say it’s in fact kind of weird.
Even if I don’t agree with you, thanks for your comments! I appreciate the comments that are mature enough to state their points without calling me a communist or an idiot.
~anthony
February 3rd, 2009 at 6:03 am
To Susan Solomon:
If you said that, once global warming sets in, it isn’t going away…it’s irreversible, please explain why this is so.
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:46 pm
John Hollenberg said “So the WEATHER is temporarily cooler. This has little to do with CLIMATE, which involves periods of at least 15 years. Look at the average temperature worldwide for 2008, and compare it to the average 15 years ago…”
Sorry, John, climatic cycles on earth last much longer than 15 years. Most scientists would set the number of short period climatic cycles at 60-70 years. Longer term climatic cycles last hundreds to thousands of years. I doubt that anyone has sufficient data to determine what effect the long cycle periods portend for humanity, but the short period cycles say that we have reached the peak of the current warming cycle and we will likely have a cooling period for the next 30-35 years.
Do I think we should ignore climate change? No, but let’s not go overboard and institute idiotic – yes, idiotic – laws, because some community of scientists and environmental extremists have seen the sky falling. Our approach should be well thought out, environmentally appropriate, and economically feasible. Covering Greenland with reflective aluminum foil is not a solution, although you can go to Discovery and see that it is “being studied”.
Alternative energy is a good start, but let’s face it, if Ted Kennedy doesn’t want his view messed up with wind turbines, and we don’t want to cover the entire state of Texas to produce Hydrogen for Hondas, we need to perhaps incorporate known safe technologies – such as nuclear. Let’s quite wasting our nature gas generating electricity. Electrical gas fired generators are bleeding us dry of our nature gas – it’s a waste.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Aw come on Nick, fighting(oops debating) is fun. : )
February 3rd, 2009 at 4:57 pm
Steve,
I have been wondering how people can deny the rapidly accumulating science about climate change induced by carbon emissions. The answer: there is research to suggest that political ideology blinds one segment of the population to the science. See this discussion of the Rasmussen poll:
http://climateprogress.org/2009/02/03/rasmussen-reports-global-warming-denial-gop-polling/#more-4722
February 17th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
global warming scare is being used as a political tool to increase government control over American lives, incomes and decision making
March 17th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
John,
Just circling back to this… Interesting that you would use a radical leftist web site to make your point. For your information, I’m not a member of the GOP, I am actually a registered Democrat, but I am also a conservative. Also, I blame Republicans and Democrats equally for out current lame responses to everything from “global-warming” to international terrorism.
Here’s the real issue, we will allow some pseudo-scientific proof to set the global policies, which will effect us until some singularity does a reboot of the entire world. You might recall that scientists once thought that all disease was caused by an imbalance in the bodily humours: blood, water, yellow bile and black bile.
I think that’s about where climatologists are right now. Would you fly on an airline that has a < 75% safe landing experience? Well, climatologists aren’t that accurate…
June 17th, 2009 at 9:43 am
There are a few scenarios that have been brought forward by some leading scientists over the last 5 years.
One is called Global Dimming, this is cause by the amount of pollution in the atmosphere, wheather it be natural or man made, and we know that we are taking or making an effect on thisbecause if you remember back to 911, when all avaiation was stopped, areas over the un tited states rose by 1 degree within 24 hours, because of the clearer skies.
It has also been witnessed in place like austrailia where a tried and tested simple method of pan evaporation has been used for many decades now, which also proves that there is a cooling effect over certain parts of the planets surface because of the global dimming effect.
However,
Every year we are pumping an unatural amount of particulates into the atmosphere in a chain like manner to the equivalent of at least, 2500 billion tons and that’s only three continents, North America 900 billion, China 700 billion and Europe another 800 billion tons, this is bound to be making a difference and climbing, each year, China is just getting started with their industrial revolution.
The extra unatural pollution is really raking havoc with the weather pattern, we have been witnesing freak droughts on a regulat basis today, where there were once fertile vallies in certain african countries there are now arid wastelands incapable of growing crops, due to the pollution in the air, that pollution is taking longer to become saturated with moisture and moves further away from traditional areas before it has taken on enough liquid to form rain and fall under its own weight, its similar to when we try to make rain by adding aluminium to the air from an areoplane, you know the rain maker technique.
There have been naturally caused droughts caused by volcano activity, but also without that natural inbalance caused by us, what this all means certain parts of the world will get hotter and others cooler but on the whole its getting warmer, the glaciers in Greenland and the northern ice cap now no thicker than 1 meter overall are telling us this.
June 17th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
I forgot to say the grounded aircraft throughout the country saved enough fuel to run all the cars in the USA for a year.
The clearer skies over the country that day let through the sunlight and experts are saying without that pollution sheild the earth will warm up even faster, if we carry on adding the greenhouse gasses and cleaning up the pollution its gonna get a whole lot hotter.
August 30th, 2009 at 8:56 pm
Her is a group of individuals of all walks of life, perhaps we might get a beter picture of what is being said and thought id we watched the video, check it out
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2174195060267517042&hl=en
enjoy.