[Warren Kiefer]

At first I wasn't sure my posting had much to do about life here in the Villages but finally concluded it relates to us where ever we might be.
In todays Daily Sun, a gentleman wrote a letter to the Editor about Global Warming being a scientific sham. In my opinion the evidence is overwhelming that global warming is a fact and a serious issue. It is further my opinion that anyone who calls global warming a scientific sham must be living under a rock. I would really like to ask this person ARE YOU NUTS ??? The polar cap, millions of years is receding at an alarming rate, polar bears are finding their hunting areas now open seas, our weather patterns are under going dramatic changes ( hurricanes and tornados in regions never before experiencing such massive disasters), the sea levels are showing a definate rise, our summer average temperatures have generally increased, massive multi year droughts throughout the Western States and water shortages throughout the USA. A friens says we are just undergoing a normal cycle, I said to him " the ice cap that is rapidly melting has been determined to be over a million years old" and does he expect to be around when the cycle ends.

[eweissenbach]

Originally Posted by Warren Kiefer

At first I wasn't sure my posting had much to do about life here in the Villages but finally concluded it relates to us where ever we might be.
In todays Daily Sun, a gentleman wrote a letter to the Editor about Global Warming being a scientific sham. In my opinion the evidence is overwhelming that global warming is a fact and a serious issue. It is further my opinion that anyone who calls global warming a scientific sham must be living under a rock. I would really like to ask this person ARE YOU NUTS ??? The polar cap, millions of years is receding at an alarming rate, polar bears are finding their hunting areas now open seas, our weather patterns are under going dramatic changes ( hurricanes and tornados in regions never before experiencing such massive disasters), the sea levels are showing a definate rise, our summer average temperatures have generally increased, massive multi year droughts throughout the Western States and water shortages throughout the USA. A friens says we are just undergoing a normal cycle, I said to him " the ice cap that is rapidly melting has been determined to be over a million years old" and does he expect to be around when the cycle ends.

I agree with you, but virtually no way of elaborating without becoming political.

[l2ridehd]

I think everyone would agree the climate is changing. The NORTH polar ice cap is melting. However the South polar ice is actually growing. Oceans rising is only in a few places, not over all which is disturbing and not yet understood. Our climate is definitely changing. Likely getting warmer. Although the short period of time we have records when looked at with the age of earth is very minor and may not indicate anything. However the contribution man and fossil fuels make toward that problem is infinitesimal when compared to other known causes. As only one example, termites contribute more CO2 to the atmosphere every day then man does in a decade. Now does all the building and construction man does cause more termites? Who knows. And there are several thousands other bugs that also add to the issue. So personally I don't believe the main argument is about is it changing, but how and why it is changing. If we don't understand the North and South pole issue and correct it we could find that the earth will flip axis in the next couple thousand years.

So we really need to all work together to learn how and why vs attack each other because we believe we know the answer.

[eweissenbach]

Originally Posted by l2ridehd

I think everyone would agree the climate is changing. The NORTH polar ice cap is melting. However the South polar ice is actually growing. Oceans rising is only in a few places, not over all which is disturbing and not yet understood. Our climate is definitely changing. Likely getting warmer. Although the short period of time we have records when looked at with the age of earth is very minor and may not indicate anything. However the contribution man and fossil fuels make toward that problem is infinitesimal when compared to other known causes. As only one example, termites contribute more CO2 to the atmosphere every day then man does in a decade. Now does all the building and construction man does cause more termites? Who knows. And there are several thousands other bugs that also add to the issue. So personally I don't believe the main argument is about is it changing, but how and why it is changing. If we don't understand the North and South pole issue and correct it we could find that the earth will flip axis in the next couple thousand years.

So we really need to all work together to learn how and why vs attack each other because we believe we know the answer.

To what degree mankind contributes is uncertain and debatable, however that mankind DOES contribute is clear. We therefore can make efforts to reduce our contribution, and politely ask the termites to do their part as well.

[OldDave]

Hey, I'm just an old radio guy who slept through most of both my degrees, but how can the ocean level only rise in a few places? I think I remember they are connected and that's why it's called sea level.

[Cantwaittoarrive]

I certainly believe the globe is warming but so what? The geological record shows the earth has warmed and cooled many times in the past. This warming and cooling has happen in the past without the contribution of man, think ice age when the polar ice covered large sections of the world and then receeded. If man were alive at the peak of the last ice age and then the world started to warm and the ice melted raising the sea level, man would of had the same conversation. I always get a chuckle out of how "in control" man thinks he is of his enviroment. It's kind of like driving a car, you feel you have all of the control in the world until you have an accident and then you realize how little control you really had. Man builds all kinds of structures trying to control the enviroment, think of sea walls, levees and e.t.c. and then a force of nature comes along and wrecks it. Look what has happened with man's attempts at protecting coast lines from storms or man's attempt to control small enviroments with domed stadiums and then snow builds up and collapes the roof and the artifical enviroment created by man is exposed to the real enviroment created by Mother Nature. Let's not forget many of the credible scientist in the 1970's were talking about mini-ice age and global cooling

[l2ridehd]

Originally Posted by OldDave

Hey, I'm just an old radio guy who slept through most of both my degrees, but how can the ocean level only rise in a few places? I think I remember they are connected and that's why it's called sea level.

That's why it's a mystery. There is one spot off the coast of India where they have confirmed oceans rising. By several feet. Fact. However no place on the East or West coast can you document and prove any rise. If it came up even two feet, Key West would disappear. Last time I checked it was still there. So much for "sea level" A good guess might be the islands in the Indian Ocean where this has happened might be sinking vs oceans rising.

[rubicon]

I agree with those previous posters who point to the complexities of nature and so Iwill leave you all with to simple points. First, scientist refer to the problem as 'global warming yet the fact is that there are so many variable that one can't get a firm number on the local temperature let alone on a global basis. Second global warming is big business just ask Al Gore he left politics with $2 million and now isworth $100 million

[happy employee]

a couple of quick comments.....Florida was once covered entirely with sea water..........Florida was once fully exposed and had a width three times as wide as it is now.......1 volcano contributes more CO2 to earths atmosphere than man has in his entire existence.

Now if you want to pay more taxes and "CO2 credits" feel free. As for me i'll spend the rest of my life enjoying "the only thing constant in life is change"

[weeder01]

ppmv: parts per million by volume (note: volume fraction is equal to mole fraction for ideal gas only, see volume (thermodynamics))

Gas Volume
Nitrogen (N2)
780,840 ppmv (78.084%)
Oxygen (O2)
209,460 ppmv (20.946%)
Argon (Ar)
9,340 ppmv (0.9340%)
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
394.45 ppmv (0.039445%)
Neon (Ne)
18.18 ppmv (0.001818%)
Helium (He)
5.24 ppmv (0.000524%)
Methane (CH4)
1.79 ppmv (0.000179%)
Krypton (Kr)
1.14 ppmv (0.000114%)
Hydrogen (H2)
0.55 ppmv (0.000055%)
Nitrous oxide (N2O)
0.325 ppmv (0.0000325%)
Carbon monoxide (CO)
0.1 ppmv (0.00001%)
Xenon (Xe)
0.09 ppmv (9×10−6%) (0.000009%)
Ozone (O3)
0.0 to 0.07 ppmv (0 to 7×10−6%)
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
0.02 ppmv (2×10−6%) (0.000002%)
Iodine (I2)
0.01 ppmv (1×10−6%) (0.000001%)
Ammonia (NH3)
trace
Not included in above dry atmosphere:
Water vapor (H2O)
~0.40% over full atmosphere, typically 1%–4% at surface

[eweissenbach]

Originally Posted by weeder01

ppmv: parts per million by volume (note: volume fraction is equal to mole fraction for ideal gas only, see volume (thermodynamics))

Gas Volume
Nitrogen (N2)
780,840 ppmv (78.084%)
Oxygen (O2)
209,460 ppmv (20.946%)
Argon (Ar)
9,340 ppmv (0.9340%)
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
394.45 ppmv (0.039445%)
Neon (Ne)
18.18 ppmv (0.001818%)
Helium (He)
5.24 ppmv (0.000524%)
Methane (CH4)
1.79 ppmv (0.000179%)
Krypton (Kr)
1.14 ppmv (0.000114%)
Hydrogen (H2)
0.55 ppmv (0.000055%)
Nitrous oxide (N2O)
0.325 ppmv (0.0000325%)
Carbon monoxide (CO)
0.1 ppmv (0.00001%)
Xenon (Xe)
0.09 ppmv (9×10−6%) (0.000009%)
Ozone (O3)
0.0 to 0.07 ppmv (0 to 7×10−6%)
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
0.02 ppmv (2×10−6%) (0.000002%)
Iodine (I2)
0.01 ppmv (1×10−6%) (0.000001%)
Ammonia (NH3)
trace
Not included in above dry atmosphere:
Water vapor (H2O)
~0.40% over full atmosphere, typically 1%–4% at surface

That clears it up.