Hello everyone,

Been a long time since I've been here on Riva...been busy trying to work on a degree to become a teacher and riding my harley more than my ski's...

I've gotta do a survey on global warming for a college class I'm taking...please click on this link if you'd like to help - it will only take a few minutes of your time.

climate change survey

Thanks for your help!

Ray

Long time, no post! Interesting survey. Can you expand on what the data collected in your survey will be used for?

Hi RC,

Sorry for the delay in replying - was busy putting together a research paper and a speech on global warming. Got it all finished and got a perfect score on the paper but missed the perfect score on the speech cause I went over the time limit. No worries though...part of my paper research requirements was to conduct a survey of some sort. The survey did help - of the 75 people who responded, 74% felt humans can affect the climate, but a little over 50% do not feel the current warming trend is human caused.

My paper and speech ended up going against Al Gores & the mainstream view that we are causing global warming - there is plenty of proof showing we're not the cause whereas the only proof Gore & company have are computer models that are only 66% sure we are the result of the warming. 66% isn't much better than the flip of a coin...not very sure if you ask me.

Regardless of the cause, the fact remains the earth is warming right now. But it won't stay that way. The question isn't the cause, but how we're going to deal with it. My suggestion for those who live near the ocean (me included) is that when the ocean starts lapping at your door in about 500 years, move.

Yeah - it's been a while since I've posted...I check the forums almost daily to see how things are going but don't post much cause my days of modding/racing are over. I'm hoping to spend a lot more time on the water this summer...

see ya'll around,

Ray

Interesting. I'm of the opinion that we (human beings) are primarily to blame for global warming and should be more proactive to prevent it from accelerating.

Congrats on the perfect score!

Hi RC,

Without trying to start a heated debate, here are some facts - not theories - to consider:

The earth has been "globally warming" since the end of the last ice age approx 12,000 years ago.

2005/2006 are not the warmest years on record. There were many times in the past - prior to the start of the last great ice age even - that the temps were warmer than they are now.

The temps from 800 AD to 1200 AD were warmer than it is now.

Historically - for at least the past 650,000 years anyway - CO2 levels lagged temperature rises by about 800 years. In other words, at the end of past ice ages, the temps rose and it took 600-1000 years for the CO2 to catch up.

That is a biggie - that means the CO2 does NOT create global warming. Global warming creates CO2.

Yes, CO2 levels are high right now - for the first time ever - CO2 leads temps so to speak.

That does not mean that the CO2 levels are causing global warming however. CO2 is only one greenhouse gas. Water vapor in the largest concentration of greenhouse gas - 50-70 times higher than CO2.

Water vapor has a huge effect on temps compared to CO2. Ever notice how it's blazing hot on a clear cloudless day but on a cloudy day it isn't? How about a clear night - notice how fast the temps drop compared to days when its sunny all day and then clouds up in the evening? Water vapor vs CO2 is no contest.

Finally, the sun has a lot more effect than all of that combined. Changes in the earths orbit, the angle of the axis, and the angle relative to the sun all affect climate change much much much more than greenhouse gases do. It is thought that changes in the past (Milakovitch theory) were responsible for creating the ice ages and subsequent warming periods including the current warming trend that's been going on for the last 12,000 years.

With the exception of the Milakovitch theory, the above items are fact, not fiction.

Another fact is the computer models they use to try and predict the future cannot do it accurately. Hell, they can't even predict the weather next week let alone a few centuries from now.

The big question people will ask is "why would all of these people blame humans if we're not the cause?".

I think the prime answer is they want a cleaner earth, and blaming the weather is the easiest way to do that.

I agree that a cleaner earth is a good thing, but to blame the weather? I think they are giving humans a greater impact than we can create...

Anyway, gotta run for now - check our realclimate.org if you are interested in learning more...

enjoy,

Ray