Chris Hedges writes: "The rapid and terrifying acceleration of global warming, which is disfiguring the ecosystem at a swifter pace than even the gloomiest scientific studies predicted a few years ago, has been confronted by the power elite with equal parts of self-delusion. There are those, many of whom hold elected office, who dismiss the science and empirical evidence as false. There are others who accept the science surrounding global warming but insist that the human species can adapt. Our only salvation - the rapid dismantling of the fossil fuel industry - is ignored by both groups."
The single deadliest tornado since the National Weather Service began keeping records in 1950 hit Joplin, Missouri. At center is Joplin High School, 05/25/11. (photo: Google Earth/GeoEye)
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I live in an area where the people are so stupid, that they run around daily, some hourly. Kids gunning engines, now Motorcycle riders doing same, doing short quick runs, revving, going for another short quick run revving because they are saving money? Not at that rate.
then we have the mobile campers who think it too expensive to rent property or perhaps buy property outright and drive with camper every weekend. Kids on SUV and play bikes...Parents saying they cannot afford the gas but running to store every 3 hours for beer or cigs.
These are the idiots who keep gas prices up. I have no mass transit but with costs today I do not know which is more expensive.
We could make first steps, been working 35 years to prove it, but no one cares
We can "do" a lot here if we start bombing Chamber of Commerce Buildings and Oil Company offices, not refineries but countries like China and India and other emerging nations will not get on board. America is a small county when compared to these other combined nations.
We need to get used to the idea that the human race on a large scale is going to die off in a very uncomfortable way. Republicans will not be immune to this no matter the rhetoric.
Many reveled in the party
Quite a few enjoyed the feast
In the end my unknown friend
'Twas rapaciousness killed the beast
Winds carry the CO2 all over the world.
Yes. I agree with Bonham. Overpopulation is a huge contributor to the problem.
In the meantime our president fiddles with the intricacies of European relationships and other irrelevancies
Since all the more respected climate models predict tropospheric warming, the tornedoes appear to be an anomoly that global warming theorists have not predicted. This anamoly does not disprove global warming theory (there is still much evidence to support it and some of the theory is quite incontrovertibl e), but it does indicate that we do not yet understand global climate sufficiently well to make accurate predictions.
Will someone with some basic science please stop publishing such exaggerations? These misleading statements, most often made by non-scientists, make it impossible for knowledgeable people to take these arguments seriously.
Lee Nason
New Bedford, Massachusetts
I agree, Lee, that global changes are chaotic and not very well understood. A great many people have a very real stake in promoting both sides, pro or con. It is best to trust only independent research, which at times is hard to come by.
Most are in agreement with warming trends, but what that will bring as far as plant life, ocean warming, effects on atmosphere, and chaotic weather remains to be seen. Many Americans consider only the U.S. in their climate analysis, when they should be looking at global - for instance the recent Super Cyclone off China.
It should be in around-the-clock crisis planning to help us begin the changes we need to make and to help us adapt since we are already being hit by these changes. Ten percent unemployment in the U.S.? Put all of us to work on this problem now!
This is like denying the ship is going down as the waves lap at your waist on deck. The denial of our leaders around the world (or perhaps they know but cannot act) is staggering.
http://www.climatechangedispatch.com/home/9044-climate-change-paradox-creating-a-nonevent-crisis
For those who would now like to libel me by calling me names, accusing me of being a conservative or some other negative title, please take a moment to think of how nonsensical it is just to call names.
I am a scientifically trained individual with two degrees who taught science for 33 years. I am an environmentalis t, a liberal, and believe that human activities are endangering the earth. But I also believe that we are being hoodwinked by the concentration on such a minor topic as CO2 in the atmosphere by non-scientific arguments and I am much annoyed with the author for producing such one-sided nonsense.
Yes, CO2 is not the only consideration when studying the atmosphere. CO2 has pretty much taken the stage, when in fact there are issues with the ozone and the long life of chloroflorocarb ons, etc.
Man made destruction of the planet is easy to research.
Independent researchers should definitely be encouraged. I learned some of that from Michael Crichton, who took a lot of flak for being against global warming when in fact that was not the case at all. His was an even handed approach hoping for decent researchers and warning that many cannot be trusted.
Also, you asked THE QUESTION: How do any of us do without the millions of products that are possible because of oil? That's the side of the oil industry many have forgotten.
So, might we experience greater levels of radiation while feeling the chill?
Like the science editor at Newsweek wrote this weekend,
"The Midwest suffered the wettest April in 116 years." Yea yea - causing the great Miss to flood again. Hmm, not since 116 years ago. So, what the heck was going on then to cause the exact same weather we are having today.
Looney toons.
Heavy snows last winter and heavy rain have both caused flooding.
Goodness - I didn't look, did he blame earthquakes and the resulting tsunamis on AGW, as well? Many are.
2 things that most scientists do agree on; i.e., consensus:
1.) While some theorize that cyclonic activity and total intensity may increase slightly with possible future GW, as of yet, they have absolutely no evidence that it's occurred yet. And the IPCC has stated that as well. In fact the 1st 1/2 of the 20th century, on both counts, were worse than the 2nd 1/2.
2.) Scientists do not believe that GW will make tornadoes worse or more frequent - in fact, just the opposite.
The tornadoes are horrible this year (as they have been in the past) because of the unusual strong cool air pushing down from the NW. Combine this with a jet stream in the wrong place and a little northward circulation of warm moist air from the always warm Gulf of Mexico - and the resulting collision is what we saw. This year is nothing unusual -just a bit rare. And it certainly did not break any records.
As a matter of fact - tornado activity, especially the 4's and 5's, as well as the number of deaths, have been on a decline since it was a bit cooler in the 70's. Cooler again this year, and a cool Pacific - and, well - they predicted it.
The SE US was in a drought - and because of GW/ Climate Change (CC) they were toast - may never come out of it. All back to normal now.
CA and the west were never going to see a substantial snow-pack again - skiing was toast. Well, all back to normal again.
note: According to NASA's data, CA has been in a slight cooling trend for around 26 years now.
More state high temp records were set before 1950 (34) than after 1950 (16).
The SW had a great drought from 900 AD to 1300 AD. The SE had one in the 1800's, I believe.
The Midwest hasn't experienced this much rain for 116 years. What was going on then - now - what's the difference?
It is coming again, it will all happen over and over - but now, when weather history simply repeats itself, we're going to blame it on the earth's temp rising some 3/4's of a degree C over the past 155 years? The earth's temp has fluctuated many times that over and over since the end of the last great ice age - and it does in in 300-800 year cycles.. 2+ degrees C, is not an unusual shift in global temps.
And, why is cooling not in the near future? I'd bet that we're either to immediately have a 30-40 cooling mini-cycle - or it's time for the next 300-600 year major cooling cycle.
The data looks pretty convincing to me... not just co2 going up either... methane is increasing, and a far worse greenhouse gas.. As far as freak weather goes; there has been a couple straight years of huge snow storms in new york including a thunder snow, a tornado in Brooklyn??, snow in Iraq, floods in the dry part of Cali...
Why would we even take the chance? Fossil fuels suck anyway, for a lot of reasons, pollution of air and water is probably actually a worse problem.
Can't get the energy... no, not that.. it's not really being worked at, either conservation, or full scale alternative energy... when you factor in pollution costs, fossil fuels aren't that cheap.
you can get energy from any source of heat or motion... meaning it's possible to recycle energy from your AC...
The risks, city flooding and out of control weather storms, to keep a dirty, polluting system in place when there are clean ones available, and we waste tons of electricity.
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