Sign in to add a comment therefore, because of its harmful effects to our long term economy, we should be against the global warming that is being caused human addiction to fossil. Show more therefore, because of its harmful effects to our long term economy, we should be against the global warming that is being caused human addiction to fossil fuels, and start to really try to kick the habit. National academy of sciences, 2010: climate change is occurring, is caused largely by human activities, and poses significant risks for a broad range of human and natural systems.

Choices made now about carbon dioxide emissions reductions will affect climate change impacts experienced not just over the next few decades but also in coming centuries and millennia…because co2 in the atmosphere is long lived, it can effectively lock the earth and future generations into a range of impacts, some of which could become very severe. The academy membership is composed of approximately 2,100 members and 380 foreign associates, of whom nearly 200 have won nobel prizes. Members and foreign associates of the academy are elected in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research election to the academy is considered one of the highest honors that can be accorded a scientist or engineer. Answered last global warming itself is a reality or at least, it was, until about 10 years ago. More properly this is called global climate change as some areas may be warmer, some cooler, some wetter, some drier.

Background: the contention of the larger number of climatologists is that human activities since the industrial revolution have increased the content of co2, methane, and other gases in the atmosphere that trap solar heat. At the same time human activities have reduced the forest cover that had traditionally absorbed these same materials. They state that an increasing level of these atmospheric constituents has lead to a chain of chemical and physical changes that have increased the world's average temperature. Observations of atmospheric gas composition, average sea water temperatures, atmospheric temperatures etc. Technically this may be caused by melting ice from the polar ice caps or an increase in sea height as the less dense water is less compressed.

Ecology changes on the land could include species of animals and plants extending their range to the polar regions. Sea life may also be impacted both through the introduction of competitive species presently kept in other areas by water temperature changes, and by failure to adapt to less saline water. Human society may be disrupted if changes in rainfall and temperature cause crop failure. Famine refugees may require significant humanitarian attention by the lucky nations.

Conflicting opinions? yes indeed, some people don't agree! however, the problem breaks down into two potential scenarios. If climate change isn't real and we do nothing good! except of course many of the problems that science has identified and blamed as causing climate change are just plain wastes of resources, and inefficient and uneconomical practices that should be addressed anyway. A polluted, climatically steady world with no fish and no oil will be no fun at all.

If climate change is not real and we do all the things that we should reduce emissions, cut fuel use, re establish forests we're out money maybe but in general the world is a better and more sustainable place. If climate change is real and we do nothing we are dead or at least very miserable. If climate change is real and we work to correct all our bad habits we might still be in trouble. An afterthought: comments to this original post stated: it isn't real/ it is made up/ a figment of our imagination. Wahoo! however, no case in the summary of potential future scenarios which is based on us sitting around doing nothing at all has a cheery outcome. I disagree if climate change isn't real and we do nothing good! except of course many of the problems that science has identified and blamed as causing climate change are just plain wastes of resources, and inefficient and uneconomical practices that should be addressed anyway. Fossil fuel burning, as inefficient and uneconomical as it is, is still a far cry more efficient and more economical than anything else.

If we do all the things that we should , it will not only utterly destroy the world's economy, but will result in billions of human deaths due to hunger, exposure, and disease. Then there's the massive global war that will be fought when china and india refuse to cut their emissions, as they have every right to do as sovereign nations. And at some point, that war will go nuclear, and that will take care of the rest of the world's human population. First of all, there won't be any human industry or transportation left to pump co2 into the atmosphere.

But it won't matter because the planet will be encircled by a cloud of radioactive dust that will block 90% of the sunlight from reaching the surface. If climate change is real, and if it continues, we will enjoy great prosperity, as we have during the last three periods of global warming. Human deaths due to cold weather will decrease by far more than any increase in human deaths due to hot weather. Due to warmer temperatures in currently cold areas, more land will become suitable for human habitation even after deducting the area that will be flooded due to rising oceans. Or at least not any climate change beyond the normal, natural, cyclical climate change that's been going on for billions of years. But that's going to reverse shortly, and we will, sadly, have to forego all the benefits of a warmer planet. Work to correct what bad habits? transportation? freedom? food production? comfort? peace? oh yeah, if we correct all those bad habits , we'll be in trouble, all right.

We will be in trouble because we will have given up all those bad habits that keep the human race alive, healthy, prosperous, and comfortable. We will also have given up the technology necessary to avert the next big catastrophe looming on the horizon. Satellites, ground measurements show conclusively that average temperatures are in fact rising. Look at the history of any glacier and you will see that they have receded over the century.