Global Warming Freaks Really Getting Freakier

[guido911]

This on the heels of this genius ad (warning:blood):

Hell of a wonderful circle the environmentalists run in.

[Townsend]

Jemaima?

[Conan71]

You mean Manbearpig, right?

[Gaspar]

For the last time, it's not Global Warming because it's been established that temperatures are not actually rising globally.  It is now called Climate Change. . .no. . .wait. . .It is no longer Climate Change, because changes are not outside of established patterns.  It's now Global Climate Disturbance because it is disturbing. 

It has evolved from a scientific issue to a purely emotional one. 

Please update your vocabulary.

[guido911]

For the last time, it's not Global Warming because it's been established that temperatures are not actually rising globally.  It is now called Climate Change. . .no. . .wait. . .It is no longer Climate Change, because changes are not outside of established patterns.  It's now Global Climate Disturbance because it is disturbing. 

It has evolved from a scientific issue to a purely emotional one. 

Please update your vocabulary.

Thanks for setting me straight.

[dbacks fan]

Global Climate Disturbance, I like that. Explains the weather in Arizona the last couple of days.

http://www.azcentral.com/php-bin/commphotos/show.php?colid=16450&slide_nbr=1&fAZ=1&HTTP_REFERER=http://www.azcentral.com/#1

http://www.azcentral.com/php-bin/commphotos/show.php?colid=16439&slide_nbr=1&fAZ=1&HTTP_REFERER=http://www.azcentral.com/#1

While tornados in Arizona are a little rare, the Flagstaff area had four this morning.

[nathanm]

Probably a bad time to bring this up (or maybe a good time?) given that it's forecast to get down to 6 degrees tonight, but:

http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2011/01/noaa-2010-goes-down-as-a-tie-for-warmest-year-on-record.ars

[patric]

While tornados in Arizona are a little rare

So is snow in Hawaii
http://thestir.cafemom.com/in_the_news/114924/snow_in_49_states_means

[Red Arrow]

So is snow in Hawaii
http://thestir.cafemom.com/in_the_news/114924/snow_in_49_states_means

Haleakala (the big volcano on Maui) is about 10,000 ft tall.  It gets snow in the winter. 

[heironymouspasparagus]

There is often snow in Hawaii.

As far as climate change - after the cooling trend of the 90's, the last decade has seen record increases in average temperature.  In spite of 8 degrees last night.  Notice how long it has been since we have had a -10 or 15 in Tulsa??  Used to have them once in a while.  It has been a long time now.

We are hundreds if not thousands of years late on the next ice age.  Regardless of whether humans are involved or not.  As far as worrying about it, I heard a guy that made sense say that there are only two conditions that mean anything.  IF global warming happens to be real, it is either 1. Not gonna make any difference, or door number 2. It is too late to do anything about it anyway.

There is no door number 3.

[Breadburner]

There is often snow in Hawaii.

As far as climate change - after the cooling trend of the 90's, the last decade has seen record increases in average temperature.  In spite of 8 degrees last night.  Notice how long it has been since we have had a -10 or 15 in Tulsa??  Used to have them once in a while.  It has been a long time now.

Well that settles it.....

[heironymouspasparagus]

Sorry Breadburner - had to add some.  Have at it!

[nathanm]

IF global warming happens to be real, it is either 1. Not gonna make any difference, or door number 2. It is too late to do anything about it anyway.

It's probably too late to avoid any consequence. It's probably not too late to avoid the most disastrous consequences. As I've said many times, I don't really care whether the warming trend is caused by humans or not. I only care that earth's climate remain conducive to my continued survival and that of future generations.

[Red Arrow]

As I've said many times, I don't really care whether the warming trend is caused by humans or not. I only care that earth's climate remain conducive to my continued survival and that of future generations.

Standard follow-up question:

If it's not caused by humans, what do you think we can do about it?

[we vs us]

Standard follow-up question:

If it's not caused by humans, what do you think we can do about it?

What we're doing right now is saying, "if humans didn't cause it, then we not only won't deal with carbon emissions, we won't prepare for significant sea level rise, or mass extinctions, or massive changes in weather patterns, decreases in arable land, lack of fresh water, or any number of other wholesale dislocations, all of which are probable whether or not humans are responsible for warming."  

We're using the argument as an excuse to do nothing at all, and that's inexcusable.  

IMO, however, I think it's too late.  Not only have the usual interests aligned against it (going so far as to call into question not just the science behind it but the nature of scientific inquiry itself), but I've started to wonder if it's really a problem that is beyond the scope of nations and governments as we currently conceive of them.  The amount and scale of change required is simply too much.  This is why, I think, so many people are ready to believe that it just couldn't be man-made . . . because to admit that it's man-made is to question some foundational ideas about our societies and cultures.

Shorter version:  we're screwed, because we're as a species incapable of getting our smile together on the level we need to.