Yes, I am aware of the fact that global warming isn't as trendy a subject to discuss as it was a couple of years ago or even last year before the health care reform, but it may still be important, as stated in this Onion news article.
I just wanted to point out something I've been thinking about yesterday, while walking with a stroller in the November gloom. That is, global warming isn't the only environmental issue facing us and it's not the only one we have to deal with. This thought isn't my own at all - hard core scientific environmentalists have brought it up earlier - but it doesn't seem to catch.
Don't get me wrong, I don't belong to the so-called global warming skeptics. In fact, these skeptics hardly ever doubt that the climate is changing (that can be measured) but many doubt that human behavior has influenced that change, and that human behavior could also slow or stop the process. These are valid points and brought up by many real scientists, but it seems that the majority of climate scientists believe that, in fact, the carbon emissions by humanity are warming up the climate at a worrying rate. The fact that all don't agree only shows that we're talking about a real scientific process where there needs to be dissenting voices. That's how the scientific community works.
Then there are those skeptics who might not be scientists and who feel that liberals and environmentalists are using this global warming issue for their advantage. This would imply that there is a conspiracy and that the research is distorted and so on. I sort of agree on environmentalists using this for their advantage, being one myself. And possibly Al Gore did it too. But I don't agree on the conspiracy theory. In fact, I'm not at all excited about any conspiracy theories. Occam's razor, everyone! But of course the environmentalists (we environmentalists) like to make a noise about global warming, since it sounds satisfyingly catastrophic and may get people to react, which "mountaintop removal mining destroys our scenic Appalachians and soils the water sources in West Virginia" doesn't.
The danger is that we'll be so caught up in global warming that we forget the other issues. Also, if global warming becomes a less interesting news item at some point we'll have hard times fighting coal with any other weapons, since that fight is tied up with global warming...
But still, I think we need to reduce our carbon emissions. In fact, I think I need to stuff something in that hole under the door of our house so that I don't use all that much heating.
I've always been frustrated with the global warming debate because I've never really cared that much about global warming. I can think of dozens of other reasons why we should adopt environmentally sensitive practices and policies that don't have anything to do with global warming. But, like you said, it's not as catastrophic...
ReplyDeleteWhat I do dislike, when talking about global warming, is that our small country tries to obey all these laws and guidelines and whatever, and pressures us Finns not to burn wood in our fireplaces and sauna's when it's below 20 celsius, when the bigger countries get away with doing nothing. I know each individual choice matters, but I really don't care of every tiny atom size drop I produce in scale or the great size of all the seas combined... From my perspective my every act really doesn't count or matter. So I happily put more wood in and enjoy the warmth it gives. And many other things too.
ReplyDelete(have to say though, our use of electricity for a house of our size which is heated by electricity is 50 % less than average. I'm almost proud of it.)
Mirja