Climategate

[DuncanONeil]

Well! This is a volatile issue. There has been;

1. evidence that the planet has been getting warmer, but
2. in the 70s there was ample evidence it was getting cooler. And
3. the last twelve years have evidence that the planet is getting cooler.

How do the proponents of Man-caused Global Warming react to this evidence. For evidence set one the followers of Gore cite this as proof that we have screwed up the planet. For evidence set two the Goreites simply state that data collection is more accurate now. For data set three the data is irrelevant.
Then there is the evidence of the countries following Kyoto having increased their CO2, while the US not following has reduced theirs! That is hailed as fiction. Yet the guess by some body of people that doing nothing will cost 28 trillion per year.
What happens if the Goreites get their way and there is a wholesale reduction in CO2? Where does our O2 come from then? And who is to decide what the proper temperature is for this planet? And what if they pick the wrong one?

Global leaders have been meeting on the subject of Global Warming...aka Climate Change.

Here is my theory/belief:
This planet has a natural life cycle in which the climate fluctuates. Our time on earth has been a mere blip on the horizon and we haven't been keeping data long enough to determine if we are truly having an effect on the planet's life cycle in a negative way. I think we should step back and do a lot more research. It will be thousands and thousands of years before we can determine with any reasonable conviction that we indeed can cause changes in the natural cycle. I feel the entire Cap and Trade is a huge mistake designed to take money from the more "affluent" nations and spread it to third world countries. This is not a "fix". This will not solve anything except to make the affluent countries poorer while the third world countries remain poor still.

Where do YOU stand on this issue?

[Ozme52]

And who is to decide what the proper temperature is for this planet? And what if they pick the wrong one?

My point exactly. If not for global cooling, the western hemisphere would probably be speaking Norse.

[Thorne]

Where does our O2 come from then? And who is to decide what the proper temperature is for this planet? And what if they pick the wrong one?

There is no "right" temperature for the planet. That's a fallacy. What we want is the optimal temperature for human civilization. That would be the temperature which allows the most fertile areas for crop growth to remain productive. For without crop growth, we don't eat!

[DuncanONeil]

Your response is a tautology! ""right" temperature for the planet" and "optimal temperature for human civilization" is the same thing.

Worse than your food concern is without enough CO2 we don't breathe!
Being the slightest bit off can push the planet into an ice age. Just which do you think would be worse?

There is no "right" temperature for the planet. That's a fallacy. What we want is the optimal temperature for human civilization. That would be the temperature which allows the most fertile areas for crop growth to remain productive. For without crop growth, we don't eat!