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Originally Posted by Mr K
Windy lately, isn't it ? And the snow thread has been quiet ....
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Yes, March winds, April showers bring forth May flowers. Or so I recall my Mum telling me.
And did you notice how far back those temperature records in your post went? The graph clearly shows how temperatures have been steadily rising for at least two centuries as they were before that (remember the 'little ice age' in the 17th century?).
The mantra of the scientists should always be questioned, and only when they come up with conclusive prove should we believe what they say.
For example, in the 1960s they were telling us we were moving into another ice age. But look at that graph. Where is the proof there? The temperatures were moving in the opposite direction!
Now it's global warming. Well, as long as we can rely on those reported temperatures (and after the 'hockey stick graph' fiasco, I wouldn't put any manipulation of the figures past them), it does appear that temperatures are on the up. But there are other reasons than carbon emissions that could explain that.
A couple of examples.
1. If we were plunged into a mini-ice age a few centuries ago, how do we know that the climate is not simply still recovering from that? The current bunch of scientists would probably have blamed mankind for that as well, although looking at it, that seems an unlikely argument.
2. There was a tremendous amount of pollution in the atmosphere from industry during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Even in recent times (the 1960s) I still remember those awful sooty smogs we used to get. What if its the cleaner air that is letting in more sunlight and producing this warming trend?
You should also be sceptical of scientist claims that another few degrees increase and it will be 'irreversible'. How can that be, when temperatures have been quite a lot higher in the past?
I do think that logging may have affected climate, almost certainly in fact, but I still don't buy the idea that increasing carbon emissions are the cause of any warming that may be taking place. Where is the evidence for that when the atmosphere only absorbs a small amount of carbon? The amount of carbon in the atmosphere the last time I looked stood at 0.04% of the atmosphere. Yes, 0.04%. Think about what a small proportion of the atmosphere that is. Most of the carbon is absorbed by vegetation and the oceans.
So I don't think we should be unquestioningly following the advice of the scientists. We should listen, but then give it the reality treatment.
Having said all that, I agree that we should do our best to clean up the air rather than continue to pollute it. I have believed that since childhood.