Opinion Talk

By Call it Like it is

September 10, 2008 8:13 AM | Link to this

Oh brother.

Global Warming = HOAX!

By CJ

September 10, 2008 8:16 AM | Link to this

I think there’s a connection. Either that, or our technology allows us to know more about the intensity of storms than we used to.

However, if your last name is McBush, you believe we should do more off-shore drilling which puts us in more of a bind. How? 1. Offshore platforms are subject to be hit by hurricanes, which will drive the cost of fuel up. Remember Katrina? 2. Burning oil pollutes the atmosphere, which increasing global warming.

By Mr. Knowitall

September 10, 2008 8:21 AM | Link to this

Oh PA-LEASE! Hurricanes have been around since before man and the dinosaurs.

Can we please use our common sense and intelligence and get over this Global Warming scam?

By Shawny

September 10, 2008 8:22 AM | Link to this

Only idiots think human caused greenhouse gases contribute to increase in hurricaines.

By Peadawg

September 10, 2008 8:24 AM | Link to this

LOL CJ, where does McCain come into this?

BTW: Looks like your boy has given up on Georgia…

By Mr. Knowitall

September 10, 2008 8:27 AM | Link to this

CJ @ 8:16

By Call it Like it is

September 10, 2008 8:29 AM | Link to this

CJ,

You must be on crack.

There is no scientific evidence that man can influence the weather.

Remember the industrial revolution?

Factories polluted the earth for years, and yet, the earth’s weather patterns did not change.

Finally, you are correct that off shore drilling is the answer to drive our foreign oil dependency down which will lower fuel costs.

Do us a favor in November, do not vote.

By ron

September 10, 2008 8:34 AM | Link to this

I haven’t seen any pattern to suggest global warming has any affect on hurricanes.The extra ocean temperatures should give hurricanes more intensity,Can’t see that it does.

By Helen Crane

September 10, 2008 8:54 AM | Link to this

Yea, and, don’t tell me, ya all listen to Fox News too.

Only Georgia rednecks would not understand what EVERY ONE has acknowledged- including both candidates for President, the current President and the Utility and Oil Companies- global warming is occuring. And why is this? Facts. Compelling Evidence. Why don’t you folks take the time away from tossing toilet seats in the mud and read! The National Accademy of Sciences- the entire (except for paid lobbyists and even they have stopped lying due to shame) scientific community is in agreement.

Dont tell me: cigarettes don’t cause cancer (choke choke) and the earth is flat.

By Copyleft

September 10, 2008 8:58 AM | Link to this

What do WE think? What an absurd question.

The only folks who are qualified to comment on this point are trained and experienced climatologists; everyone else will go with their gut instincts, their political leanings, and whatever they heard/saw on the media lately.

Science is better than opinion, folks. Their statements indicate the truth; yours (and mine) do not.

By Citizen of the World

September 10, 2008 9:06 AM | Link to this

Actually, Shawny, there was a big cloud of orange dust over the Atlantic carried by winds from China during those summers you mentioned, which may have partially blocked the sun off the water and kept it from heating up as much. Perhaps with China’s efforts to reduce pollution this year for the Olympics, that big cloud of dust has been minimized and we’re experiencing the results of that.

And while we’re on the subject of global warming, what’s up with all the denial? Now, if you are a climatologist, and you have gathered first-hand, empirical evidence that global warming does not exist or if it does, it’s not caused by man, then fine. But if you are a lay person with no such evidence, then I think it’s incumbent upon you as a responsible citizen to go with the overwhelming consensus of said climatologists and adjust your actions accordingly, and require your government and the people who sell you products to do so as well.

Global warming is not like Santa Clause or God. You don’t “believe it or not.” The vast majority of scientists agree that this is happening and it’s very serious. You can’t cast that aside based on ideology or politics.

(Here’s a link about the dust: www.nasa.gov/missionpages/hurricanes/ archives/2007/hurricanedust.html)

By ButtHead

September 10, 2008 9:11 AM | Link to this

I have noticed a cooling trend; could that be because Al Gore has been keeping his mouth closed? LOL

By Citizen of the World

September 10, 2008 9:13 AM | Link to this

Correction: Dust not from China — it was from Africa, according to the link I posted; however, China’s deserts are growing due to climate change and deforestation in their region, and it is creating a lot of dust.

My point stands, though: If you are not a scientist with your own evidence to the contrary, you shouldn’t deny global warming. What do you know?

By Willie

September 10, 2008 9:18 AM | Link to this

By Helen Crane September 10, 2008 8:54 AM | Link to this Yea, and, don’t tell me, ya all listen to Fox News too. Yep I do, and I do not like you calling me a redneck with the same hate and degradation as if someone would call a black the “N” word. You can take your transplanted butt back across the mason-dixon line anytime. carpetbaggger!!

By Willie

September 10, 2008 9:30 AM | Link to this

Now wince we got the ga haters cooled off!! All the scientists that I have read about concerning global warming came to a consensus that human behavior may have contributed to some climate change and polution. A consensus myfriends is not scientific fact. We have had ice ages and the only way for them to disaapear is for the earth to warm. Maybe the caveman built too many fires using fossil fuels then the wachos would be correct that man caused global warming.

By woodle

September 10, 2008 9:39 AM | Link to this

I thought that they were now calling it “Climate Change” since the last few years have actually cooled. I’ll believe these so called climate experts when they can predict tomorrow’s weather accurately.

By Anti-Helen

September 10, 2008 9:43 AM | Link to this

Dear Helen Crane: Please jump off a high bridge and save us all from your stupid rhetoric. Your statement is FALSE, sweetie. Here’s the truth: the MAJORITY of environmental scientists around the world and in the US do NOT believe that there has been significant global warming in the past few decades. Even among the minority that do, they cannot demonstrate proof that man has anything to do with it. The past two years (when the north Atlantic Ocean basin had been slightly warmer, due to NATURAL cyclical changes) resulted in FEWER hurricanes than this year, in which the water temperatures have been found to be 1-2 degrees cooler than 2006. And - the early tropical storms we had this year stirred up the Gulf of Mexico enough to eradicate the “dead zone” which usually forms near the mouth of the Mississippi River during the summer and chokes out marine life. Mother Earth - using her own cycles to take care of herself as she has done for millenia. Who’d a thunk it? People like you, Helen, disgust me.

By Citizen of the World

September 10, 2008 9:45 AM | Link to this

Willie, did the scientific studies you read say that human behavior “may have contributed” to some climate change and pollution or “is contributing” to some climate change and pollution? Are we done? Is the earth’s climate henceforth immune to change from our actions?

And while a consensus may not be tantamount to scientific fact, it is an indication of overwhelming scientific evidence.

Yes, the climate continually changes, but usually it’s a slow change and plants and animals have time to adapt and evolve. Whenever there have been catastrophic, sudden climate changes, plants and animals die. What the scientists are saying now is that this climate change is happening too fast, and that we may soon reach a tipping point beyond which there is no return. Plants and animals will die, and humankind will surely suffer.

By ButtHead

September 10, 2008 9:46 AM | Link to this

Let’s see if you can follow logic, a 4,500 year old ice shelf has broken off of Greenland and is now a 25 mile long iceberg. Previous to that there was not any ice, which means that there have been temperature fluctuations in the past. SUV’s and Al Gore’s hot air and CO2 did not cause temperature variations in the past or present. Simple logic.

By Helen's Husband

September 10, 2008 9:53 AM | Link to this

OK, Helen, you’ve had your fun - now, get back in the kitchen and whip up some breakfast for me and the boys.

By Dennis

September 10, 2008 9:55 AM | Link to this

A short list of unavoidable truths that man cannot effect: The Earth turns. The wind blows. The rain falls. Earth’s climate changes.

By CJ

September 10, 2008 9:56 AM | Link to this

I’m voting for McCain/Palin!! You better do the opposite!

By theScientist

September 10, 2008 10:08 AM | Link to this

The World Meteorological Organization says the first half of 2008 was the coolest in at least five years. And that it expects 2008 will almost certainly be cooler than recent years. The United Kingdom Meteorological Office’s Hadley Centre for Climate Change says that data shows worldwide temperatures have steadily declined since 1998 while CO2 levels have steadily risen.

A consensus as yet to be reach as to whether or not these facts undermine the concept of man-made global warming.

By TV Junkie

September 10, 2008 10:13 AM | Link to this

Don’t you see? If GW is a natural event, then there is no solution other than to make adjustments, such as, if you live in South Florida, maybe you want to move to higher ground. But, if it is a man made problem, then there must be a man made solution. And, aren’t we lucky? Not only has Big Al discovered the mother of all environmental problems, but he and his buddies have a solution for us as well. All we really need to do is give up on capitalism, adopt socialism, and start living like the rest of the (third) world. Gee, thanks Al.

By demwit

September 10, 2008 10:25 AM | Link to this

“give up on capitalism, adopt socialism, and start living like the rest of the (third) world”

Errrr.., haven’t you already done that…, TV JUNKIE?

By zeke

September 10, 2008 10:53 AM | Link to this

What a crock of B.S.! So a group os “scientists” reached a “consensus” that man made causes are causing global warming! So what? Science fact is not reached by consensus! There are more reputable scientist that say the current climate conditions are from the natural cycles of the Earth and the Sun! When there is more than normal sunspot activity, there is a warmer period on Earth! These same nuts were worried in the 60’s and 70’s that we were headed for another ice age! This is a political agenda of the Eurosocialists and complete idiots like Al Gore to redistribute the wealth of the successfull USA into the hands of those who have not prospered by hard work and ingenuity like we have! We cannot in any way possible get off oil for the next 100 years! The means or alternatives are not there to replace oil, gas, or, the myriad other products made from oil! We must use all our resources, oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear and hydro to allow us to move toward a less oil dependent situation! Build many nuclear power plants and reprocess the waste into usefull products. Build many new hydro plants. Use all the coal we can dig or mine. Build many gas fired power plants. TELL THE ANARCHIST GUISED AS ENVIRONMENTL GROUPS TO TAKE A HIKE AND QUIT ALLOWING THEM TO HOLD UP< PREVENT OR LIMIT ANY OF THESE ACTIVITIES THAT WILL BE BENEFICIAL TO OUR ENTIRE COUNTRY!!! Typical example is the owl that “could only live in the extreme old growth forests of the Pacific Northwest”, but, were found to have adapted to development and were actually nesting in a KMART sign or facade!

By Copyleft

September 10, 2008 11:01 AM | Link to this

Sorry, Zeke, but you’re simply wrong. Provably, factually wrong. Far more environmental scientists and climatologists agree that human activity is altering the climate than the few qualified climatologists who differ.

This is not up for debate. Sorry. You don’t get to have an opinion on this, because you don’t know what you’re talking about. Climatologists do. Period.

By GeorgiaRedneck

September 10, 2008 11:06 AM | Link to this

I think I’m a-gonna drive mah SUV to the Kroger’s, let it idle in the parkin’ lot while I go in and buy me some big ole steaks and bakin’ potaters, then drive me home and fire up the charcoal grill with lots of lighter fluid. Maybe I kin generate enough warmin’ to kick up some fierce storms over Lake Lanier and take care of this drought thing we been havin’.

By kimmer

September 10, 2008 11:14 AM | Link to this

For all of these claims that we ignorant lay-people should leave the climate change debate to the ‘experts’, does anybody remember back in the 70s when the ‘experts’ were saying the earth was cooling too fast and that we may be entering another ice age!

The problem with the whole climate change thing is that it has left the realm of true scientific debate and has become the favored tool of the extreme left to promote their anti-capitalism strategy.

By kimmer

September 10, 2008 11:15 AM | Link to this

For all of these claims that we ignorant lay-people should leave the climate change debate to the ‘experts’, does anybody remember back in the 70s when the ‘experts’ were saying the earth was cooling too fast and that we may be entering another ice age!

The problem with the whole climate change thing is that it has left the realm of true scientific debate and has become the favored tool of the extreme left to promote their anti-capitalism strategy.

By Anti-Helen

September 10, 2008 11:19 AM | Link to this

Helen - when you jump off that bridge, take Copyleft with you - he is just as misguided as you are and thinks if he says something, it is a fact. Thanks, sweetie. Stay warm.

By TV Junkie

September 10, 2008 11:26 AM | Link to this

Dimwit,

No I have not given up on capitalism. Not even close. And do you really think like in the USA is anything like the third world? Time for a reality check.

By Global gas

September 10, 2008 11:37 AM | Link to this

Some of you liberals are so miguided when it comes to facts and opinions it is a shame. A fact is not when someone says thier opinion and then you take it to this blog and state it as fact. Morons Our air quality and pollutiuon needs to be stopped becuase I think it hurts our enviornments now, but we are not causing more hurricanes right now you dumba55.

By Yankee

September 10, 2008 11:40 AM | Link to this

Dear Georgia Redneck, Leave if you don’t like it and go back to your used up, polluted city with no jobs that the democraps run up North. Stop coming to the south to find jobs and housing and go back to your cultural crap city, like Chicago, that has insane taxes, murder rates, and pollution and thank Obama for change. Go take a swim in the St. Louis canal, freaking moron

By Chaz

September 10, 2008 11:52 AM | Link to this

We’ve had two quiet hurricane years, and had little chatter about global warming (I’m sorry, isn’t that ‘climate change’ now?)… then after one busy month (in a summer that’s been relatively cool), out comes the same old Sky-Is-Falling hysterics again. And I do remember that the first Earth Day was founded to decry the coming Ice Age in 1970.

It is an election year. Sigh.

By ButtHead

September 10, 2008 12:32 PM | Link to this

Here is a fact, you are all fortune tellers, and if ANYBODY could predict the future they would have won the lottery and retired. No scientist or politician can predict the future weather patterns. But remember Al Gore needs YOUR money to fix global warming, and he has done so well with other people’s money…

By Hulak

September 10, 2008 2:08 PM | Link to this

I thought that Mr “I invented the Internet” Al Gore said the debate was over, the facts were indisputible? That explains why he won’t have a debate with anyone on the topic. What a bunch of wacko loosers!

By Copyleft

September 10, 2008 2:14 PM | Link to this

Actually, the debate (among qualified climatologists) IS over, and the facts ARE indisputable (among people who know what they’re talking about).

Obviously, that doesn’t affect the right-wing denial and hysteria industry. But why should it? Facts never do.

By Fred

September 10, 2008 3:10 PM | Link to this

“Qualified” = left-wing, anti-capitalist.

“Climatologist” = one who makes his living on govt. grants, researching whatever theory he can manufacture.

Also: “Al Gore” = a man who makes his money selling and promoting something called ‘carbon credits’.

By The banditry of punditry.

September 10, 2008 4:31 PM | Link to this

What we R arguing is “planet formation”. The atmosphere evolves as a planet evolves. The churn of what’s inside the planet that becomes what’s outside the planet is so much more influential to our weather, that it makes a thousand trillion coal-chimneys look like a little girly-mon cigarette or even a gay tipparillo, gone commando even.

morons. I love to read the ignorami argue from the mindset of a nincompoop. It’s how I get me grins.

Now you Einsteins keep bloggin, cause I’m fixin to keep grinnin’

By Citizen of the World

September 10, 2008 4:52 PM | Link to this

When Carl Sagan — an Einstein of sorts — devised a formula to calculate how many planets in our galaxy might be home to intelligent life, one of his variables was the number of planets that may at one time have had intelligent life, but the intelligent life ultimately destroyed itself.

Back in the 60s when we used to crawl under our desks to practice our “duck and cover” in the event of a nuclear attack, I used to think we might all die suddenly in one big apocalyptic grand finale. Now I think we might die a slow, protracted death from the slow, protracted destruction of our environment. And to me, it stands to reason that if man can control his environment (it’s cool inside!), he can destroy it.

By Citizen of the World

September 10, 2008 5:00 PM | Link to this

Oh, the estimated number of planets with intelligent life in our galaxy, according to Sagan, was 10.