Interesting article regarding wasps in the north...

[Quinn]

http://www.cbc.ca/story/science/nati...asp040909.html

[Delphinus]

Pretty eyebrow raising stuff. As much as I think we like to pretend not to notice, the climate is changing around us. To be honest, I am a little alarmed.

[AJ_77]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

To be honest, I am a little alarmed.

To be honest, it's a few wasps... that's the trouble with alarmist reporting.

If it were global cooling we were talking about, then I might be alarmed.

[Quinn]

It was more the statements of the northern folk that I thought was interesting.

As far as global warming goes, there's so much talk out there... I'm waiting until scientists give us some idea of just how much is our fault and how much is part of a normal cycle. Although what I know about the lack of interest in renewable energy on the part of big business does bother me.

[Beverly]

From some of the scientific stuff I've been reading over the past several months, global warming could be coming to a faucet near you......

The glaciers feeding the rivers flowing through Edmonton and Calgary are receding at unprecented rates, something to do with the end of the current ice age. I wonder how long it will be before both cities are rationing water due to glaciers all melted away Then we'll be on our knees and praying for global cooling and the next ice age

[Delphinus]

Originally Posted by AJ_77

To be honest, it's a few wasps... that's the trouble with alarmist reporting.

The problem with the wasps is not the wasps themselves. So what if there are wasps in Baffin Island? The point is that the amount of signs that point to climate change. In of itself, no one sign is really all that alarming in itself. What I find is alarming is the sheer number of them out there. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

Originally Posted by teevee

I'm waiting until scientists give us some idea of just how much is our fault and how much is part of a normal cycle.

Well, I think it's naive to believe that climate change isn't happening and it's naive to beleive that human activity does not have an impact. But does it really matter? The point is that it's happening, and that the world for future generations is going to be different than what it is now, and what it has been. I'm sorry, but .. Get used to the idea. It's happening. Some of it probably IS just a natural cyclic phenomenon. But, the rate we pump CO2 into the atmosphere ... I have trouble believing that we probably aren't accelerating things to some degree. And short of the end of civilization as we know it right now, that's not going to stop anytime soon. Realistically, the solution is to try to reduce our footprint as much as possible, but reconcile that 50 years from now, 100 years from now, etc. .. things might not be how they are right now. I'm not trying to be alarmist ... I'm trying to be realistic.

If you want to read some sobering observations, take a read through the latest National Geographic.

PS. Sorry - I'm not trying to be rude or argumentative. I certainly don't have any answers.

[Quinn]

That National Geographic article is the most recent and likely most extensive write-up on the problem I've read thus far. While I think it's absurd to say the planet is not warming up, or to say that humans have had no effect on that temperature rise, the question that the article seemed to leave unanswered was, just how much of a factor are we? 20%? 50%? 95%? That's what I am interested to know, and I don't think the answers are going to be immediately forthcoming. Regardless, what's done is done. It's sad that even with what is fairly good evidence that we've at least caused some of the problem, world governments won't take steps. In 100 years they'll be thanking us.

[Delphinus]

I'm not sure I want to know the exact percentage, and it's certainly, not going to be an easily accepted number even if it were truly quantifiable.

Suffice it to say, it's non-zero... I can accept that on faith alone.

Even with major restructuring of things, I don't think we can go to a "zero impact" model. Of course, it seems noble to try for it anyhow.

I guess I should be riding that bike to work a little more often. Unfortunately, it's a lot easier to be noble and ride to work when it's warmer than 3 degrees in the morning. Apparently I'm a fair weather environmentalist.

[Quinn]

Yeah, lots of SUV drivers among us here, I am sure. It's hard to be environmentally friendly and Albertan at the same time.

I don't think you need faith Tony, the graphs on page 20 are fairly indicative of what seems likely to be our effect, at least regarding carbon.

[StirCrazy]

Its all good, in 50 years I will have tropical ocean front property for sale and retire a billionair

Steve