OK...with all the whys and wherefore aside (since we know, ad nauseum, the suspected, or real, causes), what are the specific predictions for weather patterns, due to GW? The earth will still rotate, so what's the forecast? Do the winds slow down all over the world?

The good news is in a few million years, the planet will be just fine and the **** will continue on ...

That is the question. If there is global warming, does that mean more wind or less wind? If there is global cooling, does that mean more wind or less wind?

And not only that, how would global warming or global cooling affect beach area for cat sailing?

Those are the things inquiring catsailor minds want to know.

(Time to get this thread back on track.)

To the Skeptics who took my question seriously, thank you. I would like to return to the original question. So far, it appears that the level of scientific evidence that could chamge your opinions has not been met. Some of you believe the warming is real, but natural; others are skeptical of the existance of warming. --Question: If many of your favored scientists changed their positions, would that affect your personal opinion?

Global warming theory predicts a variety of future adverse events. If some of these events start appearing, would that affect your personal opinion? How severe would those events need to be to cause you concern? As examples:

--Would a complete summer melt-out of the Arctic sea ice, within the next ten years, cause concern?

--Would a one foot rise in sea level by the year 2025 cause concern?

Thank you for taking my questions as sincere. And, yes there are events that could cause me to reconsider my current opinion. A 15-year cooling period, with advancing glaciers, could have me rethinking. But, a 5-year cooling period after a volcanic eruption wouldn’t sway me.

If the scientists who do not believe in manmade global warming suddenly changed their minds, I would figure that pressure had been brought to bear on them -- like the threat of losing their research funding.

If the sea level rises one foot by 2025, I would suspect that an army of green people wielding blowtorches is down melting the ice off the land mass of Antarctica.

It IS comforting to know that if things start heating up too much, we can always drop a bomb into a volcano so it will erupt and cool us off for a few years.

I took your question very seriously and answered it honestly.

You are right in your assertion that the skeptics debate is about cause.

The earth is always either warming or cooling. Since WW II it appears that the earth has warmed somewhat although that appears to have stopped in the last 10 years or so.

Given that, it will not be which catastrophe makes me believe my Jeep (that I tow my boat with thereby making this relevant) caused it. It will be someone presenting evidence that co2 or cfcs in the environment actually change it more than Mt Pinitubo or solar activity.

The issue has been so politicized by the believers that they have stopped trying to convince and now just try to silence. Whoever said the US was the cleanest should have said western democracies. Of that there can be no doubt. Why aren't the earth firsters beating up China, India or some of the other third world hell holes where they take their air chunk style?

Where's the beef? Stop telling me the sky is falling, stop the Stalin-like suppression of dissent, and start presenting evidence!

If you think what you see now is anything like "Stalin-like suppression of dissent" you better go check some history books.

Rolf,

If I can keep you from flooding I'll do the best I can. Unfortunately we can't keep ourself from flooding.

I agree with trying to reduce polutants and trying to keep OUR earth for our children. But when the loudest (in our country) person on the bandwagon flys around on his private jet (its OK cause he buys carbon credits...) each of his houses burns more fuel in a day than mine does in a year, and tells ME I'm the cause of global warming... excuse me while I don't give a rats butt about HIS theory. Scientists (not politicians) can't agree on specifics about this so who do we believe? When its real they will all have the same story.

JMO,

Clayton

Well regardless of the conspiracy theory, there is no denying the negative impact man has had on the planet Earth. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Clayton,

it is more a matter of icing down under one large glacier called "Norway" than flooding. Once Greenland really was green, a thousand years ago. Same for Svalbard further back in time, which was tropic. I dont want to live and see similar changes in our climate or in my childrens time.

For a guy who at least knows what the internet is, flying around spending the energy he does is quite hipocritic. Norwegian politicians are no better. They dream up all kind of restrictions and "environment taxes" which they calls "fees" to save the environment and makes the common public pay. These taxes are added to hydroelectric power (go figure), new cars, fuel, airfare etc. etc. With the other hand they let oil companies pumping black gold out of the north sea get away with power stations based on gas, and even burning off excess gas pressure in "flame towers. All without taxing or restrictions. Politicians are into it for money power, and they will not go against the large companies before they start to loose votes big time. They are all the same, funny enough.

Jeff your sample period is too short to confirm global warming. We have just exceeded our hottest spell recorded since 1935 I assume that global warming rose and fell between then and now. Old fences on the Coorong and river Murray are being exposed due to global warming, I assume that the fencing contractors used submarines 50 years ago. The credibility of scientists should be seriously questioned now, the money and fame goes with being on the warming bandwagon which gets all the press. There is no difinative proof about global warming but I can plant some trees for you ( for a fee ) to offset your computer use, what a crock of sh&*%$^
regards

OK, now take a deep breath and relax. No sense in getting all worked up over nothing.<img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Maybe more people would be worried about global warming if we didn't have the benefit of air conditioning. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" />

What a well thought (and spelt), intelligent response. The world needs more troglodytes like you, I don't think.

The original post or subject does not warrant such flippant comments.

The issue is not necessarily one of global warming, but rather climate change with a resultant increase in extreme weather events (drought, flood, storms, low temperatures, high temperatures). We are all paying for these events now through higher insurance premiums.

I was not being flippant. I just think that a lot of people go from their air conditioned houses to their air conditioned cars to their air conditioned offices and to their air conditioned malls and just don't spend much time in the outside environment, so they would not even notice if things were getting hotter.

The original question was about what it would take to convince people that manmade global warming is real. So I guess one of my answers to that question would be: Turn off the air conditioning. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

But, then, of course, there are the people up north who are digging out of record snowfalls, and it is hard to convince them, too, about global warming.

Or maybe if I didn't have to use 1500 gallons of Propane to heat my home annually. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Jeff, as you can see from the responses of the believers, there seems to be only a focus on man as the big problem. Good job by the "scientists". Capitalism? Hello? If there is warming as many have suggested, it is not unusual for this planet. My big question is with the Sun. No one talks about the Sun? You know, solar flares. The history and phases of the Sun might give a clue. There is a lot of information out there, but don't look behind that curtain. Why is it warmer on Mars? The simple things really.

You hit the nail on the head Phile, everyone that doesn't believe in Global Warming is an uneducated troglodyte

I belive that it's happening.... I just don't belive that it's caused by man.