Global Warming! Please read and answer

[Moridin]

I am doing a paper on Global Warming for an Environmental Economics class and am interested to hear your views on a few points.

To start I would like to give a little background information

The earth’s atmosphere acts as a ‘large’ greenhouse. The heat and energy of the sun after reflecting off the earth’s surface is ‘trapped’ in the atmosphere by so called greenhouse gases -- primarily carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. These gases act much in the same way as the glass panes in a greenhouse.
Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide have increased nearly 30%, methane by more than 50%, and nitrous oxide by about 15%. The result of these increases is that the average global surface temperature has risen nearly 1°F. While this may not seem like a problem, just think about how sensitive the human body is to a 1° change in temperature, the earth is no different.
Proof of global warming can be seen by the fact that 1998 was the warmest year on record (global temperatures, on some scale, have been kept since the early 1600’s). Ocean levels have risen from 4-10 inches, due to melting of polar icecaps. And, global precipitation has increased by nearly 1 inch, due to increased evaporation. These are the facts from the last century.
Looking forward to the year 2100, it is expected that the average temp will rise by another 1.6-6.3°F, ocean levels will rise by 12-16 inches and global precip will increase by another 2-4 inches. While these effects will surely have no impact on us, they will effect our children, grandchildren, and all future generations.
The survival of any species on earth is due to the ability to adapt to new conditions. Unfortunately, we are changing the earth’s conditions faster than we can adapt and it is estimated that the human race will not be able to survive the conditions on earth past the year 2250, unless drastic and absolute changes are made.

Now for my questions. These are poll type questions and the results may be used in my final paper. Thank you in advance
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Do you think global warming should be a top priority for world governments?

Have you read any news articles or heard/watched any TV programs on global warming in the past 6 months? If so, do you remember the exact topic (i.e. Kyoto treaty, fossil fuel consumption)

Do you recycle? (recycling reduces the amount of debris in landfills and therefore reduces methane emissions)

How do you feel about Nuclear power as an energy source? Against or For
If against, why?

How much more would you be willing to pay for a car that used an alternative power source to gasoline?

Would you be willing to pay more for electricity if your power company used alternative energy sources (i.e. wind/water generation, solar power)?

Who do you think is the main culprit of global warming
Consumers for their unwillingness to use ‘cleaner’ products because they cost more and are less available
Automotive and Oil companies for their unwillingness to change to alternative energy
Governments for their unwillingness to introduce and enforce stricter emissions laws

Thank you everyone for your answers!
I will post the poll results at the end of the week!


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It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear ignorant,
than open it and remove all doubt!

[Yorick]

Moridin doesn't the earth naturally warm up and cool down over longer periods of time? Wasn't England and Europe much warmer than it is now. Of course we had the ice age eons before as well. I'm a greenie and totally agaist pollution and rape of the earth, but I also have a longer view of the earths pulse.

The annual hole in the Ozone is a problem, but the earth warming? Tell me if I'm wrong.

So I'm not panicking. However that said:

Do you think global warming should be a top priority for world governments?
yes

Have you read any news articles or heard/watched any TV programs on global warming in the past 6 months? If so, do you remember the exact topic (i.e. Kyoto treaty, fossil fuel consumption)
yes, no

Do you recycle? (recycling reduces the amount of debris in landfills and therefore reduces methane emissions)
Of course!

How do you feel about Nuclear power as an energy source? Against or For
If against, why?
Solar, Wind or Hydro doesn't cause Chernobyl. Bring on Wind farms.

How much more would you be willing to pay for a car that used an alternative power source to gasoline?
I don't own a car.

Would you be willing to pay more for electricity if your power company used alternative energy sources (i.e. wind/water generation, solar power)?
No. There is no reason why they should charge more for alternatives they should already be using.

Who do you think is the main culprit of global warming
Consumers for their unwillingness to use ‘cleaner’ products because they cost more and are less available
Automotive and Oil companies for their unwillingness to change to alternative energy
Governments for their unwillingness to introduce and enforce stricter emissions laws
It all starts and ends with consumers. However we only consume what is available. The chicken or the egg?



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O.K..... what do I do now?


A fair dinkum laughing Hyena!

[adam warlock]

Do you think global warming should be a top priority for world governments?

yes

Have you read any news articles or heard/watched any TV programs on global warming in the past 6 months? If so, do you remember the exact topic (i.e. Kyoto treaty, fossil fuel consumption)

no

Do you recycle? (recycling reduces the amount of debris in landfills and therefore reduces methane emissions)

yes

How do you feel about Nuclear power as an energy source? Against or For
If against, why?

we are in big trouble then

How much more would you be willing to pay for a car that used an alternative power source to gasoline?

as long it does not come with Firestone tires

Would you be willing to pay more for electricity if your power company used alternative energy sources (i.e. wind/water generation, solar power)?

ah.... I don't know




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Do you think global warming should be a top priority for world governments?
- yes but we still need stunning prove this is not the result of the fact there's more solar wind

Have you read any news articles or heard/watched any TV programs on global warming in the past 6 months? If so, do you remember the exact topic (i.e. Kyoto treaty, fossil fuel consumption)
- Not all of it

Do you recycle? (recycling reduces the amount of debris in landfills and therefore reduces methane emissions)
- as much as possible but my parents don't

How do you feel about Nuclear power as an energy source? Against or For
If against, why?
- for but we need to keep it save
Coz if it is save we can produce a lot of energy without hurting the earth

How much more would you be willing to pay for a car that used an alternative power source to gasoline?
- Yeah but honestly i think a hydrogen powerd car is actually cheaper in the end

Would you be willing to pay more for electricity if your power company used alternative energy sources (i.e. wind/water generation, solar power)?
- yeah

Who do you think is the main culprit of global warming
Consumers for their unwillingness to use ‘cleaner’ products because they cost more and are less available
Automotive and Oil companies for their unwillingness to change to alternative energy
Governments for their unwillingness to introduce and enforce stricter emissions laws
- i think the main problem are the companies as long as they only have these products the comsumers cannot choose something else
and the goverment can't handle everything

Thank you everyone for your answers!
I will post the poll results at the end of the week!


I want to add something
A group of scandanavian scientist tested some thing and come to the conclution that global warming could be the result of increased Solorwind blowing about cosmic radiation
thus on earth lesser clouds more sunlight hits the earth
I've seen the result and they are quite convinsing

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[Accord]

Do you think global warming should be a top priority for world governments?
YES

Have you read any news articles or heard/watched any TV programs on global warming in the past 6 months? If so, do you remember the exact topic (i.e. Kyoto treaty, fossil fuel consumption)
Can't exactly recall, sorry.

Do you recycle? (recycling reduces the amount of debris in landfills and therefore reduces methane emissions)
YES

How do you feel about Nuclear power as an energy source? Against or For
If against, why?
Against, the potential risk is too great, we should seek alternative source such as hydro or solar.

How much more would you be willing to pay for a car that used an alternative power source to gasoline?
Hmmm...difficult to quantify, but the price of hybrid should drop within the next decade......hmmmm (argh!! head hurts)

Would you be willing to pay more for electricity if your power company used alternative energy sources (i.e. wind/water generation, solar power)?
Depends on the price of the premium, but probably yes.

Who do you think is the main culprit of global warming
Consumers for their unwillingness to use ‘cleaner’ products because they cost more and are less available
Automotive and Oil companies for their unwillingness to change to alternative energy
Governments for their unwillingness to introduce and enforce stricter emissions laws

Tough question, but I think stricter emission standard is a good start.


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Long live H22A1!!!!!

[250]

Do you think global warming should be a top priority for world governments?
ideally yes

Have you read any news articles or heard/watched any TV programs on global warming in the past 6 months? If so, do you remember the exact topic (i.e. Kyoto treaty, fossil fuel consumption)
no

Do you recycle? (recycling reduces the amount of debris in landfills and therefore reduces methane emissions)
normally, I do, but I don't do it as a strict rule

How do you feel about Nuclear power as an energy source? Against or For
If against, why?
No, not yet. I am against it. As a power source, it should be controled, manipulated and tamed. however, I am afraid this fire human is holding is over our limit. We have only a glimpse idea of what kind of power we are playing with. not yet, not yet.

How much more would you be willing to pay for a car that used an alternative power source to gasoline?
I don't own a car.

Would you be willing to pay more for electricity if your power company used alternative energy sources (i.e. wind/water generation, solar power)?
No. and I doubt it is practical, while I support the idea, I'd like to see following things:
1. use purer enegery source:

what we are using today are still not 100% pure. while this is only ideal, we can achieve a state as close to that as possible, say 99.9999%. buring this kind energy source will mostly produce CO2 only. CO2 does cause global warming, but I don't see how it becomes a problem.

2. grow more greens

they consume CO2

3. putrify the waste from industry (so only CO2 will pass into atmosphere, not SO2, and SO3, etc), making strict laws and raise tax on heavy industry producing main polution.

this mainly apply to developing countries, who are doing their best to speed up economy. they normally pay little attention to the surroundings.

4. education, education! this is the root of everything


Who do you think is the main culprit of global warming
Consumers for their unwillingness to use ‘cleaner’ products because they cost more and are less available
Automotive and Oil companies for their unwillingness to change to alternative energy
Governments for their unwillingness to introduce and enforce stricter emissions laws
they are all responsible

[Staralfur]

Hey snap - I've got work to do on this aswell (and various other ways we're not doing the planet any good).
Here's my answers - hope they help.

Do you think global warming should be a top priority for world governments?
Yes. - aswell as Acid Rain (the two are closely linked), and the enviroment in general

Have you read any news articles or heard/watched any TV programs on global warming in the past 6 months? If so, do you remember the exact topic (i.e. Kyoto treaty, fossil fuel consumption).
Yes - Kyoto treaty (more specifially Pres. Bush rejecting it).
(Also had several lectures on what causes global warming and what is being done about it).

Do you recycle? (recycling reduces the amount of debris in landfills and therefore reduces methane emissions)
As much as possible

How do you feel about Nuclear power as an energy source? Against or For
Better than fossil fuels, not as good as hydroelectric, wind etc... So I guess 'For' for the moment.

If against, why?

How much more would you be willing to pay for a car that used an alternative power source to gasoline?
Never bought a car, no plans to.

Would you be willing to pay more for electricity if your power company used alternative energy sources (i.e. wind/water generation, solar power)?
No - If alternative power is available, maybe fossil fuels etc... should be taxed.

Who do you think is the main culprit of global warming
Consumers for their unwillingness to use ‘cleaner’ products because they cost more and are less available
Automotive and Oil companies for their unwillingness to change to alternative energy
Governments for their unwillingness to introduce and enforce stricter emissions laws
All of them - do what's best now, not for the future. I think it sould be the responsability of the government to push things along - so I'll go for them.

[Moridin]

Originally posted by Yorick: Moridin doesn't the earth naturally warm up and cool down over longer periods of time? Wasn't England and Europe much warmer than it is now. Of course we had the ice age eons before as well. I'm a greenie and totally agaist pollution and rape of the earth, but I also have a longer view of the earths pulse. The annual hole in the Ozone is a problem, but the earth warming? Tell me if I'm wrong.

The earth does naturally warm up and cool down over time, however it does so over a vastly greater amount of time than what we have seen in the past 100 years. According to geological evidence, since the last Ice Age, the earth has warmed about .25 degrees a century. Compare this to a 1 degree change in this past century and an estimated 1.6-6.3 degree change in the next century.

The destruction of the ozone layer should be a major concern, but for different reasons. Ozone acts to block UV rays from reaching the surface. UV rays do not have any effect on 'global weather' but are harmful to humans. It can damage the retinas of the eye and cause skin cancer. This is why Australia (the closest country to the 'hole in the ozone' has the highest rate of skin cancer per capita

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It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear ignorant,
than open it and remove all doubt!

[Moridin]

Originally posted by 250: 1. use purer enegery source: CO2 does cause global warming, but I don't see how it becomes a problem. 2. grow more greens they consume CO2 3. putrify the waste from industry (so only CO2 will pass into atmosphere, not SO2, and SO3, etc), making strict laws and raise tax on heavy industry producing main polution. this mainly apply to developing countries, who are doing their best to speed up economy. they normally pay little attention to the surroundings. 4. education, education! this is the root of everything [/B]

250-- These are great points, however I would like to 'clarify' one thing (I am not trying to be an a$$hole, just educating )
There is a delicate balance needed in the atmosphere to maintain a sustainable environment for species on earth. Greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, and NO2) act to 'warm' the atmosphere, while Sulphur compounds (SO2, SO3, & SO4) act to 'cool' the atmosphere. The problem right now is that too many greenhouse gases are being released into the atmosphere and it is warming up faster than the sulphur compounds can cool it down. We need to restore that balance by reducing the emission of greenhouse gases so that the natural emission of sulphur compounds can 'catch up'.



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It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear ignorant,
than open it and remove all doubt!

[250]

Originally posted by Moridin: 250-- These are great points, however I would like to 'clarify' one thing (I am not trying to be an a$$hole, just educating ) There is a delicate balance needed in the atmosphere to maintain a sustainable environment for species on earth. Greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, and NO2) act to 'warm' the atmosphere, while Sulphur compounds (SO2, SO3, & SO4) act to 'cool' the atmosphere. The problem right now is that too many greenhouse gases are being released into the atmosphere and it is warming up faster than the sulphur compounds can cool it down. We need to restore that balance by reducing the emission of greenhouse gases so that the natural emission of sulphur compounds can 'catch up'.

well, you are not being an A$$hole

anyway, just one thing to point out: SO2, SO3 dont cool atmosphere.
those are very strong acid (yes Accord, stronger than flail of agies) and they dehydrate water from air around earth. that was why Rain Forest suffered so much dmg from acid rain.
when SO2 met water:
SO2 + H2O = H2SO3

this is hmm...crap, i dont know the english name
and when H2SO3 met oxyegen, it will have further reaction to form H2SO4 which is...ARRHHH someone get a dictionary this thing is very damaging, and devastating. but Adminante Golems are mostly immune to it... (err.. crap, I played too much BGII)

anyway, just let you know, H2SO4 is not only acid but also poison. it can be used for making gun powders (strong one)

anyway, i am sorry for my poor vocabulary in english, i hope it helped a little