Rumbled

[nedflanders]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6263690.st m

What are your opinions on this atricle. Do you agree or disagree with the majority?

[Neilzulu1]

Well after the non event of this summer, i think perhaps it may have been blown up a bit.

[jno]

obviously, the public are right and the experts are wrong, just as they were over their foolish claim that the earth is round.

Interestingly, the report does show something that can be tested: that the public believe scientists are still questioning climate change. Al Gore did the maths in his film: scientists aren't questioning it but people think they are. It's mostly vested interests (airlines, for instance) and their tame journalists who are doing the 'questioning'.

[Gromit]

I tend to think it is exaggerated but global warning undoubtedly exists. The problem is we have been given dire warnings for years, and any scientists that have disagreed with the current consenus have been sidelined or ignored all together. A couple of documentaries and books have shown the counter arguments and allowed people to make a judgement which side they favour. And a lot think GW is exaggerated.

By the way, what happened about the hole in the ozone layer, that was going to leave the UK unprotected from the suns cancer causing rays. Did it mend itself?

[jno]

I believe it does mend itself, gromit. It fluctuates seasonally (basically, the wind moves it) , and has apparently done so less sharply since action was taken to reduce the use of chlorofluorocarbons.

Some information here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_layer#Ozone _depletion

[chompu]

JNO
Just like the scientifc experts who in Victorian times told us that negroes were of inferior intelligence because of the size of their heads or that women weren't fit for anything other than homemaking because they suffered from the medical condition of hysteria.
There are numerous scientists that question the theory of man made global warming. Wikipedia gives a fairly comprehensive list.

[sp1814]

I reckon that part of the reason people refuse to believe the science is that if they did then they woudl feel more morally obliged to do something...and in our heart of hearts...we're lazy.

The majority doesn't want to leave their car at home, to recycle, to reduce their carbon footprint.

Much better to close our eyes and wish it away.

[Reverandfunk]

Personally I don't care, I wont be here anyway.

[Gromit]

sp1814

I don't think it is a case of not believing the science, it is a case of we are only being told one of several different theories on climate. And the model being pushed makes Nuclear Power the inevitable cornerstone of our future power needs. I say, before we go down that route, we should at least look at the counter arguments. For the record, I don't have a car, I recycle and have a energy efficient boiler and lightbulbs - And I am quite happy about the size of my carbon footprint.

[sp1814]

I too have a fairly small carbon footprint (one European holiday per year, a rarely driven car, grow my own veg etc).

But the thing I don't understand is people's reluctance to conserve energy and to switch to low energy products and reduce food miles...no-one will actually be making any money out of this, and it'll actually end up saving households money...so what's the problem?

That's the core of what I don't get...it's gonna save you money, so why not jump on the climate change bandwagon???

[Gromit]

True we are a wasteful society, but I don't see that jumping on the climate change juggernaut for nuclear power is wise.

[sp1814]

Actually, I didn't mean supporting nuclear power...to be honest, I've read that it's the 'cleanest' form of power generation, but I've not read enough about it to have an opinion on this one way or the other.

What I mean is that there is absolutely no reason to conserve energy at a household level.

Those who claim that global warming and climate change are a myth - well, I've found that on more than one occasion, the studies have been funded or supported by lobbyists from the oil/coal industry.

I'm not convinced by their impartiality.

[Gromit]

But you are convinced by academics whose jobs and laboratorys are funded by governments who are arguing the case for Global Warming so they can follow the Nuclear Power route.

[ludwig]

I think the survey says something about the level of cynicism that people feel towards the information that's fed to them nowadays.
Basically you can't believe a bl00dy word any newspaper, politician, scientist - anyone in authority in fact, tells you.
That's the truth, and that's why there's such a reluctance to accept global warming.

[ludwig]

..scientists are among the worst of the lot by the way. Throughout history they've been giving us 'facts' and theories which later turn out to be nonsense, as per Chompu's post.

Personally I do all the thing's I'm supposed to - recycle, save energy and water where possible, because as sp1814 says , it saves me money, so it's stupid not to.