OPINION & EDITORIAL
Global-warming prevention lacking
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Also by Jeff Carnes:
- Gay frat diversifies Greeks (May 4, 2007)
- Problems in city's environment vast (April 26, 2007)
- State budget must keep UW in mind (April 19, 2007)
- Students should take responsiblity for credit card debts (April 12, 2007)
- State must confront brain drain issue (March 29, 2007)
Related Stories:
- Don't despair for global warming (February 13, 2007)
- Kohl ought to follow Feingold (April 13, 2007)
- BH mischaracterizes FACT, climate effects (October 26, 2006)
- Global Warming? Its cold! (February 14, 2007)
- Ald. King combats warming (March 12, 2007)
by Jeff Carnes
Thursday, February 8, 2007
When the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a report Feb. 3 stating there is a 90 percent chance humans are causing global warming, it should not have come as a shock. With a mild winter and Lake Mendota freezing over almost a month later than average, the evidence of global warming in Madison is tangible.
There should be little doubt that global warming does in fact exist, but the question now is what should we do to slow or stop it?
In the State of the Union Address, President Bush said the United States is "on the verge of" having technologies that will decrease our dependence on oil and, as a result, reduce greenhouse gases. On a state level, Gov. Jim Doyle, in his State of the State Address, called the federal government's disregard for the issue a "disgrace" and pledged a $40 million investment in alternative energy sources. He also announced the formation of the Governor's Task Force on Global Warming to develop a comprehensive plan on combating its effects.
Right now, there are fingers pointing from all sides: Scientists are angry at the federal government for interfering in the science of global warming, state governments are pinning the blame on federal government inaction and even other countries are pointing fingers at each other. While this debate may be necessary to find out who should be blamed, it does not begin to address the fact that the global temperature is rising and that the United States is the largest producer of greenhouse gases.
There have been haphazard efforts to reduce emissions. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 offered tax credits for measures purchasing hybrid cars, installing solar panels and installing energy-efficient hot water boilers. The Wisconsin Energy Corporation reported that emissions decreased slightly from 2004 to 2005 despite a 1 percent increase in electricity generation, due in part to increased energy efficiency and conservation as well as increasing wind capacity. Tax incentives may have been a contributing factor in a 26.6 percent jump in sales of hybrid cars in 2006, and the Wisconsin Energy Company is making a concerted effort to decrease its emissions. Lawmakers may battle it out in congressional hearings about who should be held responsible, but without enacting a real policy to slow the effects of global warming, little can be done to stop the first signs of global warming from becoming problems that may be too developed to solve.
There are simple things that we can do as individuals to help the environment and slow global warming, such as riding the bus around campus instead of driving. Even better, we could walk to campus or ride a bike. We could install energy-efficient light bulbs and make sure to turn them off when we are not using them. Our landlords could install higher-quality windows and patio doors so that we do not waste as much electricity on heat. We could reuse and then recycle our grocery bags or get paper bags instead of plastic.
These small efforts that we can and should be doing require small sacrifices. Most are painless and can even be beneficial to us, such as getting a small work-out walking up Bascom Hill instead of taking a mo-ped up Observatory Drive. But these individual efforts, however noble they may be, are likely not enough to stop the overall global force of climate change. Gov. Doyle aspires to make our state a leader in combating global warming, and policies enacted in Wisconsin could become the model for the whole country. While developing a task force is well-intentioned, the fact remains that little will be done until the task force makes a plan. Even then, nothing will be done about this problem in the state until the plan is carried out successfully and the federal government follows suit.
Global warming is a challenging issue because it is difficult to see on a day-to-day basis. When we do see it in the form of a warm winter, a cold streak can wipe out all notions that the planet is warming. Less than three weeks ago, our city's lakes were still not frozen over. Now, our primary concern is not getting frostbite on the way to class. Global warming is bigger than individuals, a city and even a state. Wisconsin finally may be taking a serious look at something that will be catastrophe once we are all gone, but looking at the problem is only one step. The true challenge will be for the state and country to enact a comprehensive plan for controlling climate change before it is too late.
Jeff Carnes (jcarnes@badgerherald.com) is a senior majoring in linguistics.
Anonymous (February 8, 2007 @ 6:52am):
There are several flaws in your piece. First and foremost, to assume a local period warmer than average is indicative of global warming is a crock. They call it global warming for a reason, a warm summer in Madison and a late freeze are no indication of what is happening globally. Second, the fact that you discount the current colder than average temps as an anomaly that can happen during global warming means you only want to look at things that support your incorrect beliefs. Did you mention that they had snow and colder than average temperatures earlier than normal in the west this year? Nah, because that does not support your premise. That is the way the global warming crowd has made their point, use only data that supports the cause, all other data is invalid because of <insert reason here>. There is no evidence that CO2 is large contributor to warming, but it does appear as though when things warm up, there is more CO2. If you jump to the conclusion that CO2 is the cause of the warming (without considering non-man factors), of course, when you use that as the basis for a model, when CO2 increases, the model will say temp increases.
Man made? Considering the fact (look it up) that the Martian ice caps have been receding since this so called man made warming has started on Earth, one has to question how our influence has stretched to Mars. A real scientist would ask that question, yet you never see word of it mentioned (even to discount it) in any "man is at fault research". As a matter of fact, anytime anyone has the spine to question global warming and its cause, the movement tries to stifle debate. WHY? One just has to look at the political agenda behind the groups who are pushing the cause to find the answer.
Is the Earth warming? I think there is no denying it has been for about the last 10-15 years. Is this out of the ordinary? No, it is not. The Earth was on a cooling trend from the 50s to the 80s as well (thus the global cooling ice age coming end of the worlders)... note, the cooling took place at a time before there were emission controls... once we started cutting back, it got warmer... perhaps the problem is we need to start putting more CO2 into the air (I am being absurd).
I could go on and on about bad (mad) science and political agendas, but I will let the fur start flying and see where it goes. Have a great day! And do a little research, ask questions, don't take anyone's (except mine) word without checking things out for yourself!
Anonymous (February 8, 2007 @ 11:22am):
Somebody's got to turn down the Sun!
What about that scary old "ice age is a coming" meme from a few years back? Can I expect another scare about "global cooling" once this "global warming" thing peters out?
Anonymous (February 8, 2007 @ 11:53am):
How do you explain the chilly October and bitterly cold last few weeks then? We had a month of above normal temperatures, certainly not an indicator of global warming. Besides, global warming is only supposed to occur by about 3-7 degrees over the next century. At that rate, assuming you're in your early twenties, temperatures would have only risen 0.6 to 1.4 degrees. Normal highs for January in Madison are about 27 degrees, so this is merely the difference between a high temperature of 27 degrees and a high of 28. You're telling me that 1 degree of temperature change causes Lake Mendota to take a month longer to freeze? I'm not a scientist, but things froze pretty easily at either 27 or 28 degrees last time I checked.
Anonymous (February 8, 2007 @ 1:26pm):
6:52, are you serious? Here's your consensus:
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/306/5702/1686#
Or do you want some more?
http://www.ipcc.ch/SPM2feb07.pdf
This BH article wasn't the greatest, but this shouldn't be your only source of information.
Anonymous (February 8, 2007 @ 2:16pm):
global warming is a religion and heritics will be burned! using a big magnifying glass to reduce carbon footprint of course.
Anonymous (February 8, 2007 @ 2:36pm):
Remember that hole in the ozone layer that was going to cause UV rays to sizzle our pasty white skin? Why doesn't anyone talk about that anymore?
I have to agree with 6:27, the author is wrongly blaming global warming for the effects of el nino.
No one has yet to convince me that warming is something that we should be fighting. What happens if the world gets warmed? The oceans rise and Boston, LA and NYC have to relocate? This would be bad if it happened overnight, but it will be gradual. We'll have years to adapt.
Anonymous (February 8, 2007 @ 2:54pm):
There is evidence of ice melt and possible lengthening of the growing season in Greenland. However, the historical record indicates that the growing season in Greenland was a good bit longer several hundred years ago. Does this indicate the the current observations are merely a return to "normal"?
Anonymous (February 8, 2007 @ 3:32pm):
Subject: Global Warming/The New York Times,
circa 1932
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/weekinreview/warm1930.pdf
***
By Timothy Ball Monday, February 5, 2007 Global Warming, as we think we know it, doesn't exist. And I am not the only one trying to make people open up their eyes and see the truth. But few listen, despite the fact that I was the first Canadian Ph.D. in Climatology and I have an extensive background in climatology, especially the reconstruction of past climates and the impact of climate change on human history and the human condition."Few listen, even though I have a Ph.D, (Doctor of Science) from the University of London, England and was a climatology professor at the University of Winnipeg." . For some reason (actually for many), the World is not listening.
http://www.canadafreepress.com/2007/global-warming020507.htm
***
WHY AM I SKEPTICAL ABOUT MAN-MADE GLOBAL WARMING?
A 21-page report from something called the "Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change" has been released today...in Paris, no less...and as expected, it's predictions are dire. According to the report: "Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising global mean sea level." Yeah right...we've heard all this before. <snip>
Sorry .. I'm still a skeptic. In no particular order here are just a few of the reasons why I'm not buying this man-made global warming scare:
Follows: 24 bullet points, the most telling of which notes that global warming advocates have to suppress the Medieval Warming Period in order to make their point. "In 2001 the IPCC issued another 1000 year graph in which the Medieval warming period was missing. "
http://boortz.com/nuze/200702/02022007.html
Anonymous (February 8, 2007 @ 3:43pm):
"Oddly enough, most of the news coverage neglected to mention that the document released on Feb. 2 by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was not the latest multiyear assessment report, which will run to something like 1,500 pages when it is released in May. It was only the 21-page "Summary for Policymakers <http://www.ipcc.ch/SPM2feb07.pdf> ," a document written chiefly by government bureaucrats -- not scientists -- and intended to shape public opinion. Perhaps the summary will turn out to be a faithful reflection of the scientists' conclusions, but it wouldn't be the first time if it doesn't."
We need to at least wait until May to read the actual report.
Anonymous (February 8, 2007 @ 4:10pm):
The earth IS warming up. This is not in dispute. The planet has warmed slightly since the little ice age of the 1600's-- and has warmed considerably since the start of the present interglacial period, several millenia ago.
The real debate is not if global warming is taking place, but WHAT we can sensibly do about it. The Global warming nutroots insist it's primarily due to man's activity but that is virtually impossible to prove and we all know that correlation =/= causality.
If it is occuring, however, one thing is clear. We're not adequately considering the potential of the Geritol Solution. It seems to me that a little iron in the Antarctic Ocean would do the diatom phytoplankton (and the Cetacean ecosystem) alot of good-- while also sequestering this CO2 "problem" in the deep ocean sediments.
If the situation is really so dire, why aren't we at least trying this low cost solution?
You know what I think: The chicken little don't want to solve this thing-- they just want to make money complaining about it and studying it.
Bullocks!
Anonymous (February 8, 2007 @ 5:32pm):
Why is a 1 or 2 degree rise bad? Worse hurricanes? Last year there weren't any, but the year before there was Katrina. I think people who fear global warming just don't like to sweat.
Anonymous (February 8, 2007 @ 5:55pm):
Prior to the little ice age, from about 1000 - 1300 was a period of warm as well (evidence suggests it was much warmer than now). This appears to be true at least throughout the Northern Hemisphere (it is said there is insufficient data to make conclusions in the Southern Hemisphere). It is just interesting that at all other times, the data needs to be used, except for that one 300 year stretch that brings more doubt as to what is the cause. Of course, all "evidence" from greater than 50 or so years ago is purely speculation considering the accuracty of recording equipment (or way back, the lack of equipment all together, geological data is about all they have).
Look around, there is talk of removing credentials from anyone who disagrees with the man made theory... there are those who are being threated with a loss of job if they do not agree. That should scare the crap out of you people, that is Fascism (sp) plain and simple. The fact that those who push this agenda (scare tactic) are doing all they can to silence debate and free thought should wake people up, unfortunately, the flocks are nothing but sheep.
Anonymous (March 22, 2007 @ 6:47am):
badbadbadbad.
Anonymous (March 22, 2007 @ 6:48am):
dude your a geek.
Anonymous (March 30, 2007 @ 5:27pm):
If you guys dont believe in global warming I would deffinatly reccomend for everyone to see "An Unconvient Truth"
Anonymous (April 18, 2007 @ 9:51am):
Ok why don't we stop pointing finger and insted of argueing try to fix our global warming problem not "i think 6:27 or whatever's right well no i think he's wrong" get a life and try something different get schools to do stuff get big organizations car pool. whatever needs to be done should be. Duh
Anonymous (May 16, 2007 @ 8:31pm):
Global warming is happening.
We ARE the problem. It's not that hard to see. I think the 5% of the world who doesnt agree with this is just in denial because they LIKE to waste things and they do not want to change their lifestyle, it would be 'too inconvienient'.
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