Global warming. A hoax? Is it real? Is it dangerous?

[gringo66]

Many people believe that this "global warming" is just a hoax or a rumor. If you do think that it is real and is actually happening in society today, do you think that it will have a huge negative affect on the world? Is it dangerous? I personally do think that it is a huge issue, and does need to be addressed ASAP.

 

[AltF4]

The issue I've had with global warming is that it's become too much of a political issue rather than a scientific one.

The science for global warming is really complicated and involves geology, meteorology, and more. Without an extensive appropriate knowledge you can't really try to come up with an opinion that isn't just wild guesses. And that's exactly what politicians do!

I like to use this as an example. I'm getting a math minor, and consider myself perhaps not an expert, but very well versed in mathematics. I know several very convincing 'proofs' of how 1=2. If you don't have an extensive knowledge of math, the error in the logic will go right by you. And that's why I still take a skeptical stance on global warming: I don't know enough myself to discern a good argument from a bad one. I'm not a meteorologist.

That doesn't mean I'm unwilling to listen to arguments, though. Nor does it mean I don't take the 'general consensus' of the scientific community into account. It's just that us trying to debate global warming here is like trying to debate the effects of game theory on the global market: Inevitably, nobody here has actual information of their own, they're just going to paraphrase stuff from the Wikipedia page. (Or just copy it directly)

 

[Ledger_Damayn]

I really could care less about the existence of global warming.

I personally will tell people that it exists, though, simply because the changes it will bring about are all good in nature. Greater emissions control of both businesses and vehicles, biomass fuels, other alternative energy sources, greener houses and appliances...

Regardless of whether or not it exists, the fact remains that it's a pointless argument. IF it exists, good, we HAVE to do all of those things to save our world. If it doesn't, then... we should STILL do all of those things, because they all need to be done anyway.