More or less concerned about global warming than 1 year ago?
Icebergs float off the coast of Greenland. Scientists believe Greenland - with its melting ice caps and disappearing glaciers - is an accurate thermometer of global warming. (PHOTO CREDIT: URIAL SINAI/GETTY IMAGES)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Global warming has become a religion among the "First World urban elites."
That's just one of the explosive charges made by Australian geologist Ian Plimer, who says man-made global warming is little more than a con on the public perpetrated by environmentalists and politicians.
According to the Vancouver Sun - the controversial geologist says that global warming is not caused by human behavior, rather it's an entirely natural phenomenon.
By looking at a time frame going back thousands of millions of years - he says the changes in the Earth's climate are cyclical and random. For example - polar ice has only been present on Earth for less than 20-percent of geological time; and animal extinction is a national part of evolution.
Plimer shoots down the current logic that global warming can be reversed. He gets especially worked up about carbon dioxide, saying it's actually at the lowest levels it's been for 500-million years.
Critics have slammed Plimer's book - saying he makes a lot of basic errors and manipulates data.
Here in the U.S., it depends on who you ask about global warming. The city of Chicago is seeing its coldest July in 67-years. The average temperature has been 68.9 degrees.
On the other hand, ask the people in parts of Texas, melting under a blazing sun and suffering through one of the worst droughts in many years if they think global warming is real.
Here’s my question to you: Are you more or less concerned about global warming than you were a year ago?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Jeff from Anacortes, Washington writes:
Jack, It is supposed to be 102-degrees here in Seattle today. That is an all-time high since record keeping started 118-years ago. We have had only four-days of rain since the middle of May. If that is not enough proof, then I don't know what will convince some folks. Yes, there is global warming.
Robert from Alaska writes:
I have to say that I am less concerned because I have heard of conflicting data that suggests to me that more studies are necessary. That said though, I reside in Alaska and I do see the effects of warming on our glaciers and tundra.
Mike writes:
I've lived in the Northeast for twenty years of my life so far and I have never seen acorns falling from the tree so early. I've also never seen so much rain this time of the year, native tomatoes and other vegetation won't grow. I hope things don't get worse here.
Brian writes:
I wasn't concerned about global warming a year ago and I am definitely not concerned about it today!
Jim from Oakland, California writes:
Global warming is real, and is caused by human activity. More than 90-percent of the world's climatologists agree with this statement and give it a probability of greater than 90-percent. You may not like it, but you better believe it. Denial won't make the temperature go down.
Josh writes:
Less. We had a cooling scare in the 70s. Then warming. Now it's just conveniently climate "change." The only sure thing about climate "change" is just that: change. It's a slick political move to rename it.
John fom Watertown, Massachusetts writes:
We just had a terrible winter and a pretty lousy spring, so my mind is elsewhere. This debate will go on and on until either New York looks like Venice or it doesn't. In any case, none of us will ever see it.
@jackcafferty on Twitter
I have come to think that global warming is much more politics than science- a manufactured moral imperative which can become the basis of a level of regulation and taxation unheard of ever. YET- there are public policy issues involved which badly need to be addressed, which are no less urgent when considered separately from the mega-generalizations of global warming. These include energy alternatives which are more efficient and cleaner, and available on a large scale.
Less, and here's why...for most people with sense "What bills do I need to pay" will surely override "Hey that ice cap is melting"...its not terribly important right now...
Yes, I'm more worried. But then I both understand the science and care about my kids' generation. It's a shame the same can't be said for some others.
Whether global warming is real or not, why fight what seems to be an intrinsic good of polluting less? We should not need a reason to pollute less. No real progress can come from denying global warming, yet trying to reverse it can do so much!
I'm more concerned than ever. Has anyone forgotten that the Poles are melting? People should be concerned even if it only affected the next season of "Ice Road Truckers." But it affects more than that. New Hampshire has had the wettest years since I moved here twenty years ago. In Southern NH, we have 2 more frost free months, April and October. but all that has brought is more bugs and rain. Winter is warmer, but the snows are heavier and deeper. And has anyone who thinks it's "just a cycle" ever wondered why instances of asthma and other lung diseases are increasing every year?
Less concerned than I was a year ago because this congress will just turn around and find a reason to tax us to pay for the solution.
And exempt the union workers from paying any because thay are the only ones that benefit from anything this goverment does.
From all the data I've seen presented by experts from both sides of this argument, I can say with high confidence that the truth, as usual, is somewhere in the middle. The planet is currently going through a natural warming cycle, but it is being accelerated by man-made global warming. We're not all going to die in the next decade, but we will see changes in the next 50 years. It won't be so bad for us because we're develop, have money, and have a lot of usable land so we can quickly adjust. Third world countries and overpopulated areas like Japan are in for some trouble. Of course we were heading that way anyways with overpopulation alone. That's pretty much where my opinion stood one year ago as well.
Ignore the book salesman Jack. The Runaway Greenhouse Effect on Venus is real and life cannot survive there. The conditions which have saved earth from that fate have been altered by an abrupt increase of atmospheric CO2 caused by us. Earth’s climate change is real and as the polar ice caps abruptly melt, polar life is dying. .Just like when the canary in a coal mine stops singing, when all the polar bears are gone, we are next.
I'm less concerned, althought it's not because I don't think global warming is any less of a problem; I'm less concerned because more people are recognizing it as a real problem and addressing it rather than letting it go unleashed. More restrictions on pollutants and "Go Green" campaigns are promoting awareness and is the beginning of the end of the destruction. Some of global warming is probably natural, but now that we know how we are contributing, we know how to stop.
Im always concerned about global warming. I really hope President Obama convinces Congress to push forward some sweeping alternative energy reform bills
Always concerned. It's been in the 110-118 degree range in the Valley of the Sun for over 3 weeks with no relief in sight, and this is supposed to also be our "monsoon" season....I believe we are now in the 8th year of a drought since I've lived here.
Jack, the parched folk in Texas are starting to believe!
It is much more concerning to me, the fact that we're calling global climate change, global warming is a total Misnomer. People stick their heads out the window here it the northeast and feel the weather is cooler and rainer than ever an think that global warming is a crock.
They don't see the big picture, like Wasington state is having one of the driest season's on record while the northeast is having the wettest. It seems all the money is being spent on convinving the public that this is not happening, and we just ignore the scientists which overwhelmingly agree that it is a fact. Don't these people have children, if so why do they choose to igore the fact that to continue to live the way we have been will soon make this planet uninhabitable!
Dave from NH.
Global Warming is a Rallying Point for Conservation + Non-Polluting Stewardship. In SHORT; "We All Need to Clean Up Our Act + Clean Up Our Back Yards + Dump It All In The Front Yards of the Polluters!"
Global Warming is one of the least of my worries- it's like 11th on my list of important things! I have to take care of my immediate life and survival before I worry about Polar bears ten years from now! I'll just turn the a/c up in my car/home/work if the globe gets too warm!
My concern? Not much different from a year ago. Then, I thought that global warming was more imaginary than real. Now, global warming seems to be the same. It's a natural occurrence with only those who have an "axe to grind" really promoting it's story and warnings about the "end of the world". I suppose that I would be propagating the story if I could profit from this imaginary crisis.
Buddy
US Southwest (where it's really hot, but not quite as bad as last year).
This is an interesting question. After some thought I cannot exactly remember how I felt about global warming one year ago. I was getting ready to start coaching high school tennis and I believe that was at the forefront of my thinking. But say around 13 or 14 months ago I probably had some strong feelings about global warming. But I am unsure whether those feelings should count because of the way the question is framed. So I think any future questions. about feelings in the past., should be a little less specific. For example you might ask "are you more or less concerned about global warming than you were in the last 13 or 14 months". While I would still not be sure how to answer the question I would be able to sleep better not trying to remember back to July 29, 2008 and how concerned I was about the planet overheating.
Even the Green Movement – Obama – doesn't use the term any more!!
It's Climate Change Jack. Which could be heating too, just in case!
I've always been concerned about global warming, which is why I think programs like "cash for clunkers" is a great program. I hope people realize the issue will never go away, and it should always be a concern for the future of this planet.
Jack, I'm paying $112 less on my electric bill this month than I did the same time last year, so I'm liking this global warming effect, it's paying more bills.
I'm not concerned about global warming at all, humankind's time on this planet is done. The earth will survive but the virus will be gone. That said this this forum is much too small for a serious discussion, not that the news media or the public have the attention span anyway.
John
Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
I'm actually less concerned now, only because media attention is finally focusing on global warming. I've been green for years and I'm happy to no longer be snickered at for recycling and using hemp products.
When our lawns begin to smolder and the cat refuses to go outside, perhaps the naysayers will get in the game.
never been concerned about tge globel marning mith
perry jones
council bluffs iowa
Whether natural or not, it's detrimental to our way of life, and should be a matter of attention. Plimer's reasoning skills should also be immediately discounted if he can call something simultaneously cyclical and random. In the past eight months my town has seen both the worst ice storm in decades and an entire month of rain – not being from Seattle, yes, the climate and the prospect of global warming is a concern.
Even if you dont believe in global warming, stoping and preventing further pollution is still the RIGHT thing to do. Our air is polluted, our oceans are dying, and out planet is runnig out of fresh water, so NO we should just stand there and say, 'oh well its natural, so we dont have to do anything,' its world wide problem!!
so much going on I forgot about our poor world.SORRY old world I love you.
Jack,
Its called "Global Climate Change". The contrived science of the Right bent on maintaining profit margins win the battle of semantics with someone says "Global Warming. Thats the science of Al Gore, their enemy. The earth is warming in places that have been cool and its cooling in places that are traditionally warm. Its raining in areas that are traditionally arid and deserts are spreading into areas that are traditional wet climate regions. The net result is the earth is warming considerably enough to see an impact on ice holding seas and ice caps in places like Greenland. Science is unanimous on this, except for the contrived corporate scientists helping to increase profits for the energy companies. Even after eight years of wreaking havoc on the earth, the Bush administration even admitted that global warming exists.
Mark
Wheeling, WV
I'd say I'm more concerned but I'm also more hopeful that some of the changes we need to make as a society will happen now. I think the administration and congress are moving kind of hesitantly but at least its in the right direction.
I am more concerned. I have to believe that our fine scientist know what they are talking about. On the other hand we have to realize that our planet did go through major climatic changes in the past even when humans were not around to cause them.
Its hard to believe that North America was mostly covered by glaciers thousand's of years ago.
I think it is a combination of the two. Nature is taking its course and we are just speeding up the process a little. Or a lot.
Time will tell.
Still concerned, Jack. The good news is, that we now have a president who is not in denial about Global Warming! The Earth will heal & survive, but the human race? Not so much.
Two points Jack. First, yes I'm more concerned about global warming. Second, I quite concerned over the number of people, especially scientists and political leaders, who are not concerned.
less, since I've done some study myself and not just watched Gore's movie and listened to the hollywood blowhearts give there fashionable opions, I am convienced it is a natural happening that man has no controll over, we can pollute but we can't change the weather.
I am very concerned about global warming, but I'm also concerned with the economy , nuclear proliferation, progress in Afghanistan, healthcare, our laws dealing with immigration and the "war on drugs", the degraded state of education, oh! and is there any room in there for concern about my personal problems!
Only thing changed within a year is we are polluting it faster now. So yes, I am at least as concerned as I was before. I think everyone should be.
Nuwan from Houston, TX
The issue isn't global warming. The issue is whether it's man-made (the earth is a gigantic sink), and whether actions by man can do anything about it. We have had warming and cooling cycles historically long before the modern intensity of man-made development, ranging from planetary warming to ice ages. It appears to be systemic, not man-made.
The science is simply not there to demonstrate that the feared warming is man-made. What is more, much of the "evidence" for man's involvement is based on computer simulation models. As a practitioner myself, give me a free hand with the assumptions and I'll produce any result you like from such models.
In the face of this set of highly dubious assumptions, neo-Malthusians are once again proposing wrenching changes in economic activity. They failed to sell the "running out of resources case" and the "Club of Rome" crowd arguments of half a century ago (though it was close, and we almost had suicidal governmental actions), and now they are up to it again.
David Sternlight, Ph.D.
MIT '54
I'm downright terrified! I've seen the graphs of carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere as well as the evidence of changes that have already happened. We can expect stronger storms, more droughts, and a rising sea level that will cause many people to need to be relocated. Where will we put them? The people who are opposing action have no comprehension of the security and financial costs of not doing enough to stop global climate change.
LESS CONCERNED. I'm concerned that we do not appreciate our natural resources and abuse them. And a few capitalize on them at the expense of others sell to others what belongs to the earth and its inhabits..
Oregon.
The same Jack! Have to think beyond our noses! We have one life to live but maybe if people would think life means others besides our selves then that would be a start! every little bit helps for tomorrow.
Much, much more. I’m downright terrified! I’ve seen the graphs of carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere as well as the evidence of changes that have already happened. We can expect stronger storms, more droughts, and a rising sea level that will cause many people to need to be relocated. Where will we put them? The people who are opposing action have no comprehension of the security and financial costs of not doing enough to stop global climate change.
I am concerned about receding glaciers in the rockey mountains. We need every source of fresh water we can get, and create. Whether global warming is cyclical or man made is NOT the issue. The issue is the availability of potable water and a clean environment in which to live.
Much, much more. When I hear members of Congress claiming that global climate change isn't happening or won't hurt us, I realize how much our educational system needs to improve.
Jack,...It's the same old story. Until people are dropping in the streets nothing is really going to be done about global warming, or anything else that's gonna kill us in the long run. Americans are spoiled and lazy. They want to have their cake and eat it too...So, "YES", I'm more concerned, because others seem less concerned.
Global Climate Change is a natural occurance that human beings are speeding up due to industrialization and Capitalism. What would take the earth say 6,000 years will now take 250-300. Problem is we are in the red line as industrialization started about 225 years ago. We are not going to give up Capitlaism and Industrialization so we are doomed-move on with your day.
I am getting more concerned, because there seems to be so much conflict on what SCIENTISTS think.
And I am more concerned because the MEDIA reports first that the sky is falling, (and it's gonna be HOT), then they report that other scientists think global warming is not happening.
What I would like to see happen would be for MANKIND to act as if global warming is TRUE. What can it hurt? What would be the dire effects of cleaner air, cleaner water, and less pollution?
On the other hand, what will be the dire effects if those who say global warming is true are right? The destruction of the earth as we know it?
I opt for the outcome we can LIVE with!.
Jack;
Global warming is real. It is happening faster than we think. We have done NOTHING about implementing a fix. As we heat the climate we add energy to all weather systems: higher highs, lower lows, stronger storms to name the easy ones. Changes in ocean currents will take some time to show up.
Yes, we are in worse shape than a year ago.
Unless the U.S. goes to Denmark in the fall and leads the world in meaningful changes that will stem the temperature rise it will continue.
Till every Joe, Jill, Ivan, and Abdul sees the need to force industry to clean up and every citizen of the world conserve no change will happen.
I live in the San Antonio area. When I walk on my yard it crunches. The few heat and draught tolerant plants that have survived are now being eaten by the deer who cannot find any food or water either. Even the weeds have died. People with wells are drawing silt. So, I suppose you could say I'm concerned about global warming. The folks here are doing a good job of conserving water, though.
I think the polar ice caps are receding for the same reason the Ice Age ended. It was either the Dinosaurs drove too many SUV's or it is a natural phenomenon, I just don't know which one it is.
No,I am not worried about global warming.
The Northeast has had one of the coolest summers ever.
Explain that!
Man-made global warming is a total con. Co2 represents less than 1% of the atmosphere and man-made Co2 is even more insignificant. The only people who believe we have any effect on the environment at this scale are just too impressionable. Use common sense. Usually the people trying to convince you that global warming is man-made are the the same folks who have invested in some kind of alternative-energy endeavor. They are hoping to use fear and create a huge outcry from the public so they can profit from it.
Wasn't there a news story a few days ago about the Bush Administration hiding evidence of global warming?
Gee, why would they do that if it wasn't real?
Keep in mind that global warming does not just mean warmer temperatures everywhere all the time. It causes extreme weather conditions and temperatures more often-cold and hot.
more and less worried. more worried because countries that have not enjoyed the abundance that the USA has enjoyed are now doing what we did years ago- guzzle and spew, guzzle and spew so that we can have lots of STUFF. a tiny bit less less worried because in the USA there is actually some thinking about it – also the price of oil is forcing people to look to more energy efficient cars and the economy is forcing us to look to more efficient ways of living.
Well Jack, In the last year I have seen on T V that in the year 2012 the planetary alignment will tilt the world axis creating doomsday. I have seen "It could happen tomorrow" where we are overdue for cataclysm of natural disasters.I've watch how ,over time, earth have cycles of climate. measured by ice cores. Which I don't understand, who polluted the air before the Industrial Revolution. Anyway I'm less concern about climate and more concern about are Government's ability to handle disasters when mother nature decides to test our human compassion. Jim Logansport, In
One year ago I watched An Inconvenient Truth and was alarmed by Global Warming. Since then, I have done a lot of research on the other side of the argument, and have found perfectly valid points, and facts on both sides.
I think it's a shame that we don't hear both sides of the argument at the same level of visibility. Only then, would people be able to form their own beliefs after having a broad scale of information to base it on.
Being that it is 108 outside today thats a great big "YEP"
More. I mean how cant you be when when ice cream melts twice as fast as last year. Its Hot!
I have to say that I am less concerned because I have heard of conflicting data that suggests to me that more studies are necessary. That said though, I reside in Alaska and I do see the effects of warming on our glaciers and tundra.
Who paid for the study?... If there is one thing I've learned in this so called democracy where capitalism is King, The results are always manipulalted to promote the payee..
Jack,after forty years of space exploration,maybe they should have been studying the effects of disturbing the ozone layers,exiting and re-entering the atmosphere so often,but then i am not a rocket expert,maybe it is hair spray that caused global warming.Van,from Houston.
I am more concerned about global warming now than a year ago because of the laws being passed in this country to prevent global warming. We don't need laws that will impose rules on our private industry that other countries do not have to follow which puts our companies at risk. We need jobs, jobs, jobs. If we must be a part of this global economy, let's level the playing field before we are forced into bankruptcy.
We just had a terrible winter and a pretty lousy spring so my mind is elsewhere. This debate will go on and on until either New York looks like Venice or it doesn't. In any case, none of us will ever see it.
I'm still very concerned, more so after learning that Mr. Pilmer works with the Institute of Public Affairs whos funding comes from,Western Mining,BHP Billiton and the last, but not least, I'll mention is Phillip Morris, I suppose in the 90"s old Ian was telling us tobacco was'nt the cause of cancer either.
Why would I be concerned about something that will affect us in 50 years? I have more things to worry about, like my job and my money.
Detroit, Michigan
Jack,
I am not concerned more than I was a year ago. My attitude is the same, we are all circling the drain. So stop worrying, sit back, relax and enjoy the show. And stop worring about what can not be changed.
Of course I'm more concerned. One self-righteous geologist's opinion against the combined consensus of the international scientific community? I know who I'll trust.
Yes!!!!!
I am more concerned. Become have become complacent about global warming. More needs to be done.
YES.
i am in Seattle and it is currently aobut 1000 degrees and raining fire from the sky.
though in all seriousness i don't feel this is linked to climate change, polar ice caps melting is. what concerns me the most seems to be the lack of any actual action on it from anyone besides the dems. even other countries seemingly have no intention on changing their practices. GOD IT IS SOOO HOT!
I wasn't concerned about global warming a year ago and I am definitely not concerned about it today!
I have been extremely concerned about it for a very long time. The point everyone seems to miss is that the root cause of all of this is overpopulation. Even without our present polluting technology, if the population was at a level from a few hundred years ago it wouldn't be much of an issue. If we want to halt global warming we need to stop overrunning this planet like a plague of locusts!
I'm less concerned about global warming than I am about all the hot air being generated about it. Would that be considered man-made source?
Jack,
More than last year because we don't have all in Congress that subscribes to the reality of global warming, like Senator Inhofe of Oklahoma who doesn't accept the science. Somebody tell him we knocked holes in the ozone layer but we are fixing it successfully. Senator, we landed man on the a while back, honest..
rain rain go away...
it's been raining all the time this summer!
I am less concerned than before about global warming,
but the temperatures are very nice compared to hotter summers
About the same as a year ago. Capitalists like to take no responsibility for their messes they make, and warming is one of them. I worry more however about the Reptilian alien (Chitahulli race) take-over of our planet as we devolve into a slave/police state.
Jack,
I'm less worried about Global Warming. I didn't here the Global Warming advocates complaining last winter or the winter before that. Seems to me they only complain during the summer when it's naturally hot. If they start complaining in December, then I'll be worried.
It is a western matter. We are in pursuit of survival and responsible leadership in Nigeria and in Africa where I come from. It may not be an issue in 5 years to come. We have more 'pressing' issues to address over and above global warming. Believe me Jack.
'Wole Aguda
Hull City, United Kingdom
Absolutely, I am more concerned about global warming today than I was a year ago. One would have to be asleep and ill-informed to not be.
Monsieur, at the moment I have seen so many things released by governments and international organizations that conflict with one another I don't know what to believe. I'm still concerned by the possibility of global warning,but the main thing we should be concerned about is just protect the environment.
Thank you,Jack
Ethan from Florida.
I’m less worried Jack. At the rate we as a people are going, before Global Warming has a truly deadly affect on us, the waring nations of the world will cause the remaining nations to play host to a Nuclear Bar-Be-Que.
If Chicago is experiencing it's coldest July in 67 years how can the warming be global? Global means global not local.
The problem here is that it isn't global warming however the proper and more appropriate name is global CLIMATE CHANGE. Humans have changed the climate in ways that have change the climate of the globe. It doesn't matter that some places are colder...that actually makes the argument for global climate change!!! If people would just call it the correct name we wouldn't be having this discussion. Global warming doesn't exist!!!!!!!!! However, global climate change does!
I am more concerned about global warming in the world right now. Being a college student in San Antonio, I have seen the alarming effects that lack of water can do to a large city. Its not as green as it used to be and it is very noticeable. San Antonio and much of Texas is hurting.
I hope that Congress can push through more plans to help alleviate stress on our world that we have created. It is our mess and we cannot continue to ignore it anymore.
Hi Jack,
Absolutely, I am more concerned now than a year ago.
Haven't read the book mentioned, and sure it could have manipulated data, but those of us who know about Global Warming/Cooling, aren't looking for justification because it's already here.
Utah's climate has slowly changed in the past decade and I have a feeling it's the same everywhere else and will continue.
Vitaliy
Utah, USA
I am very concerned about global warming. We have had the hottest summer on record in the Mobile, AL area, with weeks of over 100 degree temperature.
I;m not concerned about it at all for myself,it ill be a hundred years before the full affects surface. I'm more concerned about the affect on my alternative energy stocks.....
Jack, I am more worried because all we are doing is argueing about Gloabal Warming and the causes instead of proactively doing something about it – sadly we are in denial.
More concerned than ever, Jack. Reducing our environmental problems to "hot or not" is absurd. The problem is global, ecologically destabilizing climate CHANGE. And if you really want to have nightmares, look up the implications of ocean acidification, also a consequence of increased CO2, which is slowly killing plankton and coral that are vitally necessary to sustaining life on Earth.
Jack,
I am definitely less worried about global warming now than a year ago. I think Global Warming is more or less a natural phenomena. If it isn't natural could someone please show me where the planetary thermostat is and let me know what temperature to set.
Cheers from Seattle!
(BTW, what IS that big yellow thing we've been seeing in the sky lately?)
Get with it Jack. The official term is now climate change. I just thought you'd be interested to know.
Less. We had a cooling scare in the 70's. Then warming...now it's just conveniently climate "change." The ONLY sure thing about climate "change" is just that....change. It's a slick political move to rename it.
Who cares about the enviornment! If the temperature isn't going up, why should we be worried? People are just overreacting...
I have to agree with the critical geologist. The recent weather has been random at best. If people want to push an agenda that revolves around a clear upward trend in global temperatures, one would expect to actually see it. Instead we have the same randomized pattern of heat waves, droughts, floods, monsoons, and blizzards that have been a part of not only my entire life, but a part of human experience for centuries.
jack, just take a look at the polar ice fields comparing old measurements to recent ones and there can be no argument.
Definitely more concerned. Too ignore the scientific proof is to court further deterioration. The cyclical nature of the earths environment is fact but if interpreted correctly based on real data the rate of change of the cycles is far in excess of anything that has taken place in the history of the earth.
According to scientists, we're also supposed to be entering a mini- ice age. If that happens at the same time global warming does, they'll simply cancel themselves out.
But this makes Gore like a mouth flapping opportunist.
I was never concerned –
Of course there's global warming but there's NO WAY we can control it. Do we need to keep our air and water clean? ABSOLUTELY but drop the GLOBAL WARMING crap, send Al Gore back to Tennessee, keep those looneys in California, and more people will buy in.
Jeff – Peoria IL
In 1960, a Seattle newspaper blared "Seattle Swelters in 88 Degree Heat!" Today, a friend in Seattle said it was 102, and will be 99 tomorrow. Sounds like Global Warming to me.
One of the most glorious Summers I have ever experienced. Glad I don't have a pool pass. No global warming here. Jet streams have been kind to us. Hope winter is mild too as is usual in an el nino. Perhaps people will move back from the sun belt!!
Please ask me about global warming this winter– with this hot weather I would go along with anything that would have a cure for it!
I think the label "global warming" is too simplistic. The issue is global climate change. We are experiencing extreme changes in a short period of time. Some areas have floods, while others have drought. Some have exceptionally cool temperatures, while others experience exceptionally warm temperatures. All areas have material change in weather, and not of the good kind. We can see there is a problem. We need to move toward solution
More concerned!
Global warming is a just something created by some entrepreneurs to create a need in the economy for "green" items. In reality nature always has had shifts in climates and what we are experiencing is completely normal.
It would not be wise to determine if global warming is a problem based upon local weather. After all it is not called "local warming." It is important to look at global weather patterns to see what is happening. When you do that, it is very worrying.
Well, Jack it's like you said about Chicago's record lows and Seatle's record highs. In the antarctic region there have been both record lows and highs in temperature. Last year, environmentalists say the earth actually cooled. In my opinion neither side of the argument of "yes the global warming is manmade" and "no it isn't" is consistent in it's arguments, making some people wonder if there is global warming even occuring in general or is it just a scare. So I pretty much feel the same as last year. Confused.
I was never concerned, its just a money making scheme, Last year the dought was in the southeast, now its in Texas, last year rainy in Texas. Its never been that hot in Washington, but its their turn.Its just weather Jack Jerry / Iowa
I am not concerned more about global warming than i was a year ago but it is still relevant. Glaciers across the world have Continuously been on the decline. It might not affect us now but sooner or later it will.
Jack, I've always had a feeling that global warming was mostly hype. It's also important to remember how Al Gore preached about this crap while riding around in a Chevy Suburban (and they didn't have hybrid models in 2005). Honestly, when you put the pieces together, very little of this debate makes any sense at all.
It doesn't matter whether you think the earth is warming up by a couple of degrees each year. It is a matter of national secruity that we stop polluting and start to rely more on alternative sources of fuel and energey. We need to change our ways now and not in a decade.
Michael
South Carolina
I'm about as concerned today as I was a year ago, which is to say, not concerned at all. When you hear experts says "It's as hot as it's been in a thousand years", that just shows that it was this hot once. Why shouldn't we expect it again? That pretty much sums up a cyclic condition.
Less. Its hard to give a damn when I'm unemployed, my husband is laid off, and we are barely holding on to our dream house.
I don't know Jack? Weren't leading scientists predicting the imminent threat of a coming ice age in the 1970s? That's only 30 years ago!
Yes I am concerned but I am very glad about the new business opportunities.
Think about it; renewable energy, new ship trade routes, new stock options in a "carbon" sense approach; the benefits out number the consequences. I prefer the north pole to melt so more trade routes will open up for global businesses.
cheaper gas = better national security for USA.
Wind, solar and water won't fuel my Ford Mustang.
Not as much as last year because there are other possible causes I've heard about. One of them is that the rising temperatures are caused by increased solar activity. If you look back in time, there's a period called the Medieval Warm Period. Right now, our global temperatures are lingering around the minimums of that period. It should also be noted that the other planets are warming up as well.
Ask me in January Jack...it was 115 degrees here yesterday. I am not concerned, but if Boone Pickens ever gets his Gigantic Midwestern Wind Farm set up...have him point some of those turbines in our direction. Blow some of that cool Chicago air down to Arizona. Maybe we can reverse the air flow and return the favor in the winter.
I am no more concerned now than I was a year ago because I am no more unhappy with the lack of inventiveness among technological leaders who refuse to abandon fossil fuels. No one seems to be making the brave moves that will be required to re-tool and save the planet becuase none of those ideas promise get-rich-quick results... I am, however, quite disappointed that we haven't made more progress by now.
When the head of the Weather channel states that global warming is false, I tend to believe that. So we're to think that what, cars are causing global warming? How long have cars been around? Look at how much less they pollute than they did twenty years ago.
I support the cause of reducing pollution by not by scare tactics. Global warming is just politicians/activists blowing hot air.
I think Al Gore and all the global warming alarmists should go to jail.
Global warming is a real HOAX!
Global warming is real, and is caused by human activity.
More than 90% of the world's climatologists agree with this
statement and give it a probability of greater than 90%.
You may not like it, but you better believe it. Denial won't
make the temperature go down.
Jim from Oakland
Much more concerned, we may see mass extinctions in our own lifetime due to our unwillingness to adapt and change our behavior....
Jack I'm more concerned, whether or not you agree with global warming we definately have an energy issue which is not solved by "clean coal" or more fuel efficient hybrids. Humanity should be completely off carbon by now. All the money in the world won't do us any good if we can't grow crops or people can't reproduce because of man made pollutants. Its not just about temperature its about the ecosystems that support our existence. This is also why its important to invest heavily in space exploration. We're not getting any smaller.
I support all actions to protect the environment not because I am concerned about humans' contribution (or lack thereof) to global warming, but because of the most basic and most important reason – cleaner environment. Cleaner air to breathe, cleaner water to drink, better food to eat, etc. Very basic and most important health-safety-SURVIVAL-related reason.
Jack, global warming is simply a ridiculous idea, created to rake in more money for the greedy. There is significant proof that the idea is false, yet people like Al Gore are giving speeches on the subject in Washington D.C. while there are blizzards outside. Ironic.
I'm more concerned, not because there's anything noticeably worse about the climate, but because it looks increasingly likely that little will be done about the problem before it's too late.
It is officially 100 degrees here in Seattle! If global warming is something not to be concerned about then someone please explain why our beautiful 2 season, 40 degree temperature range city became a 4 season, 95 degree temperature city? The view of Mt. Rainier has melted outside my living room window today...
I am equally as concerned as last year. The evidence indicating global temperatures are far from cyclical. Never before has earth's average global temperature been this high. Global warming is a phenomenon to be seen, not day to day, season to season, or year to year. This is a decade to decade phenomenon. Of course certain locations will have not days and cold days. But when the average global temperature rises, and sea level rises as it is doing, we have a global problem. Think about refugees from coastal areas. That is why global warming is a national security issue as well as an environmental issue.
Global warming is effecting my life more and more as I enter the business world. Everything is green, everything is organic, and has become a reality that we have to confront. After seeing Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, I wondered if President Obama had seen it. Have you seen it Jack?
LESS – what a hoax. Can't wait until 2020 when we can all look back and laugh at how everyone was worked up about this "crisis"
As from what you said on Texas, and Chicago. I believe global warming is a matter of opinion, and politics. The scientific dispute has been over for some time. Radicals like Al Gore try to use fearmongering as a tool to get you to believe it actually exist. While many scientist show many facts, on the fact of the "global warming" myth. The average temp of the Earth is at its lowest in millions of years. While CO2 in the air, is lower than it has been in the past. Here in Ohio, it is a cooler summer than it has been in years past. The truth is the Earth goes threw cycles, and a hybrid car isnt going to stop it. The true enemy is solar flares, which have been proven to raise the Earths temperture. So in reality, I am not concerned about global warming. It is simply a way for goverments to tax CO2. Also China and many other countries as well, do not even have a EPA. So even if America did its best to stop CO2 emmisions, most other nations will make up for it. Global warming is also a reason for manufacturing jobs leaving our nation.
Yes, i am more concerned about global warming now than before, and when you have someone like S. Palin who was in office and didnot care about polar bears drowning bc of the polar ice melting, yes – i am concerned. Oh, i forgot, S. Palin, she also agrees with areal hunting of wolves. You, know, humans flying in a low flying airplane, and using hi-powered rifles to shoot wolves, adults and their cubs. Yes, i am very concerned about our planet. thank you
I live in a suburb of st. Louis, mo. I have become more convinced that global warming is occurring due to climate changes that are apparent worldwide. As long as weather trends have been recorded, analysts have recorded trends or averages regarding temperature, precipitation amounts, severity of weather systems, and found statistics termed "normal". Often, regions around the world no longer experience patterns that fall near the normal range. This is the reason why I'm convinced that we have made an impact upon the atmosphere through the dramatic increased use of technology wound the globe.
More every year. When I was a kid growing up in Seattle the population was whatever it was and anything above 80 degrees was considered a mini-heat wave. Now, the population has more than doubled (most of the adults drive) and in the summer, any time the clouds break, it's not unusual at all for it to reach and go beyond 90. Presently it's 101! That's unprecedented. Oh, and by the way: putting ice in front of the fan doesn't work. It is over-the-top hot!
Global warming is absolutely real and ignoring climate change means you're from another planet. Yes, the earth's climate undergoes cycles, but all this happened before we had six million people clamoring for the earth's resources. We seem to ignore the fact that population grows, but earth's resources do not. In the end, population control and green energy are the keys to a more stable climate.
Less,humans are terribly concieted if they think we affect the environment that fluctuates as much as the earth does in as little amount of geologic time as is shown in the geologic record
Stop calling it global warming. Catastrophic climate disruption seems more descriptive. 70 degrees in Minneapolis at the end of July, 107 degrees in Portland, Oregon, cool and raining for the month of June on the Eastern coast and severe drought in the South. But gee, there's nothing amiss here....
More concerned. My cenral air conditioning has clicked on only 5 times so far this summer, as opposed to the usual 24 hours a day for four months. It's great for the electric bill, but it tells that me something bad is happenning to the planet. As to Mr.Plimer, he sounds like a self-aware fraud just trying to sell some books to fringe idiots who already believe global warming is a hoax.
Hi Jack,
I am more concerned about global warming now because this country (the U.S.) seems less and and less concerned with it. Yet, it is still happening around the world; and amidst the endless accusations, no one is discussing how we are going to cope with it. In the 21st century, people will fight over fresh water like people have fought over oil.
- John
Fremont, Ohio, United States
Less concerned. Mostly due to the political and capitalistic games that have developed recently. I believe these people are giving humanity a false picture where we are significant enough to the planet where we could cause such a drastic change to the ecology that has been in the works for billions of years.
Global warming has nothing to do with human activity, so I'm not more or less worried than last year. What worries me is that the general population is so easily tricked into thinking that it is. However, this doesn't mean that we shouldn't be conscious of all the effects of what we do to the Earth and all its inhabitants
I'm a geologist...I'm with Ian. These warming/cooling processes are natural. This is basic geology....Al and the gang are idiots. Their jobs are to blow hard....and that they do!!!
Jack,
I'm less concerned than last year, although I was never really concerned about "Global Warming". It is a bit presumptious to think that Man, as insignificant as we are in relations to the planet, can have any major impact on the climate. The only warming trend in the world is coming from all the hot air emitted by Mr. AL GORE and his ILK.
Walt...Salt Lake City
More concerned than ever. My rose bushes bloomed here in North Georgia the winter before last. We’re milder than northern states, but not enough for roses in December, until recently.
Kooky Australian! One major problem is that from the beginning it should have been called Catastrophic Global Climate Change. Some places will be colder, but the greatest impact comes from melting polar ice caps that will drastically change what areas of the globe are inhabitable and which are not. Hey, Plimer ... I've got some major coastal properties in Florida I'd be glad to sell to you, only a flat earther would buy them, and you qualify.
Yes, so what have we done. Created hundreds of thousands new jobs. The un employment record ceases to grow. And the other side can say I told you so!
You bet I'm more worried today than a year ago. I wish everyone would read "The Weather Makers" by Tim Flannery. It's the best thing written on this subject and ought to be required reading in every science class.
I care about my job first and foremost, I guess the president forgot about this when he made the mistake of supporting the 'cape and trade' climate bill.
Show me one credible Kyotoskeptic scientist who isn't making a comfortable living for him/herself with a fat book agreement or on the speaking circuit and I'll be a bit less concerned next year.
Here in Nebraska it got up to 109 degrees and thats before August.
It got up to 110 degrees in minnesota.
How can people not think there is something very wrong going on.
We are going through a weather change that becomes worse every year.
My God open your eyes
SmokeyC4
I am more concerned each and every year as the evidence piles up. First the nay sayers claimed there was no climate change, now it's real but not man-made, soon it will be here and their claim will be, "There is nothing we can do about it except cut taxes for the rich."
Not surprisingly, the Bush administration hid thousands of spy photos where ice is melting at a rapid pace all over the planet. What reason is there to hide these photos? It would be damaging to their party. "Country First"
I am significantly more concerned about the environment in the last year. As I have educated myself more on the science and the politics of the whole thing, I realized that I trust the repairman who fixes my car, the electrician who wired my house, the scientist and pharmasist who created my medications, and my teacher who teaches my kid. So why shouldn't I start trusting the scienciests who study and advise on climate and atmospheric sciences? If I trust them too, and they know much more than I do, then how can I not be concerned about global warming? I believe every American has a unique reason, but at least a reason why they should support legislation and action by the government to help prevent global warming.
I'm more concerned and so should the rest of the world. Unfortunately, until it becomes a crisis, nothing will be done. I'm living through the Texas drought and my kids are shivering in Chicago. Anyone who does not believe that the human race is not impacting our climate is not living in reality.
No pun intended Jack, but when you choose to live in the high desert of California amidst coyotes, roadrunners, Marines and Meth Addicts, you tend to not sweat the Global Warming stuff. What does concern me is the more disturbing trend of "Office Cooling." The dictators in my office are of the opinion that inducing hypothermia on its employees is the key to dramatic increases in productivity. It's 105 degrees in the shade outside, and I'm wishing that I had worn a thicker parka and some woolen mittens. I gotta go now Jack before my hot chocolate freezes.
As I sit here in my Seattle living room in 100+ degree weather for the 3rd day in a row, with no A/C and no hope of a cool down until next Thursday, I am positive that Global Warming is worsening. When the eastern seaboard has cold weather and flooding, and we are baking without relierf, something is definitely wrong.
Is Global Warming real, man-made, or a hoaxt? I don't know. I do, however, know that I have lived here in the Pacific Northwest my entire life, and we have never known weather as extreme as current conditions. Blistering hot summers, mountains of snow in the winter are not the norm here, but that is what we are experiencing.
Global warming? Maybe. I think probably so.
Arnold from Los Angeles:
Does it really matter if global warming is real or not? Even if global warming is a complete fraud, still isn't it a good idea to decrease our drain on limited natural resources, such as oil and coal, and to reduce polluting emissions into our air? These are both by-products of the push to reverse global warming. So even if it is a lie, lie to me baby! We'll all sleep and breathe easier!
Jack,
Trying to evaluate global warming based on viewer's antidotal experiences over a 1 year period is irresponsible journalism.
I honestly don't know if I'm more or less concerned, and I don't know the precise causes of global warming, but I do know that several of my friends who are noted researchers in environmental and climate science at a DOE-funded national laboratory near where I live are convinced global warming is real. And, every one of the scientists I know are concerned about the rate of increase of greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere. On that basis, I'm concerned as well.
Bill
Yes, because of the science. Yup, that's right, science. Not personal point-of-view or "belief". Not the opinion of individual scientists or individual nutjobs or even, gasp, scientist/nutjob hybrids. The presence of human-caused global warming is a scientific consensus.
Hey Jack,
It's not that paradoxical that there are record low temperatures in some places, with record highs in others. Maybe 'global warming' isn't the best word for what's believed to be happening. It implies that the whole world is heating up. The more accurate phrase is 'global climate change,' which means that some places get hotter, some get colder, weather gets more extreme, rainfall patterns change, etc, etc.
So, yes, I am concerned about climate change. That you throw around some bad counter examples, in an attempt to drum up some nonexistent controversy does little to soothe those concerns.
Look at the destruction of the polar bear's habitat. Look at the disappearance of arctic ice. Aren't those ominous warnings? If this continues we'll be swimming instead of driving to get from one place to another by midcentury.
There is no question the climate is shifting, not changing. Take a look around. Record rainfall in some places, record dry spells and heat in others. You can measure in all the contributing factors you like and we, the human race, is but one of them. Do what you can do to mitigate your impact and mother nature will look after the rest.
Jack,
Living out in West Texas, I see global warming as a great opportunity to bring the shoreline a little bit closer to my backyard. If we ignore it, maybe my apartment could have an ocean view. But on second thought that would drive my monthly rent through the roof... maybe we should take Global Warming seriously after all.
At this point it seems to me the "global warming" issue is secondary. The issue is said to be driven by anti-oil & gas groups. Even if they are wrong doesn't it seem logical their goal is a good one. To stop our dependency on foreign oil? To become more self-sufficient. On the carbon dioxide issue ... I've heard that asthma rates today are unbelievable compared to earlier times. To those who support the oil & gas driven economy, surely you don't enjoy pollution.
Thanks!
C-Ya
Jack, People need to ignore morons like this and get with the program! Global warming is happening now and if you don't think so you haven't been to Texas lately or any of the other places around the world who are suffering from the horrendous consequences. Ask an environment refugee how it felt to be forced from their homes due to environmental changes.
Brad
Dallas, Tx
I'm more concerned!
I'm still reeling from the ongoing sagas of Michael Jackson, Prof. Gates & Sgt. Crowley (ObamaGates), Healthcare plans or lack thereof, Wise Latina Women, and... oh yes, Michael Vick. There should be a journalism rule against more than one 'Michael' in a news cycle. The environment? Who have time to think about that!?
People who blame the global warming (or lack thereof) on day-to-day temperatures, even for a whole given season, are missing the point entirely. As are those who think the trend over the years is either entirely due to humans or entirely due to natural causes. As concerned as I am about climate change, I don't think humans have enough power to correct it quickly enough. Maybe people would be taking the issue more seriously if they were given more realistic expectations on what impact we are really having or going to have. Then again, maybe some people need to be scared into being less wasteful.
I am more concerned than ever; of course Global Warming is natural, but out behavior is "putting the petal to the metal!" Besides forget global warming, I want to rid ourselves of the oil-based society we have and begin buying clean energy from ourselves. Natural gas is a cheaper, cleaner alternative while curbing Global Warming. It just makes common sense!
I'm much more concerned about what the government is not telling me.what is the truth about the heating of the world?
Less concerned. In practice, the green movement does function much like a religion, where many strive to fix or hide their perceived shortcomings, lots of judging, and many following dogma without much critical thinking. But unlike most religions, in which beliefs are based on faith in the absence of evidence and understanding, environmentalism reflects the principles of science and engineering in which all new discoveries should be considered and today's beliefs and practices could be abandoned tomorrow with new learning. But like religions, individual truisms without context only cause confusion and frustration.
I am concerned as much as ever.We need to tackle global warming and energy independence together.They go hand-in-hand.
If something is cyclical, then it can't be random. That should tell you something of how Ian Pilmer thinks, and how accurate he may be.
Charlie.
Dear Jack,
You quoted a "geologist" who is a warming doubter.
I also am a geologist, who has had a little education in climate. I am not qualified to give an educated opinion about climate change that could be taken seriously by the public.
That said it is hard to believe that all the burning of fossil fuels would not be having some impact on weather patterns. I am very concerned.
We should not give equal time to people who do not directly study the topic. Find one of the few expert climate scientists who dispute climate change to quote the next time you must find someone who is a contrarian on the topic.
George in (chilly this year) Superior, WI
Not as concerned, if I ever was. I've read there are actually dissenting opinions amongst qualified scientists and not the consensus that we've been lead to believe exists.
I'm less concerned because we no longer have a President and administration who ignore and/or deny the existence of Global Warming. President Obama is working toward a global soution.
I am more concerned, but not because I think the threat of global warming has significantly increased over the last year, but because the American public's general understanding of it does not seem to have increased at all, despite how mainstream of an issue it is. A cool Chicago July is but one side effect of progressing climate change and cannot be used as a stand alone argument for or against the reality of its existence.
Tucson, AZ – The geologist is mistaken. Climate is driven by cycles, but not randomly. There are about a dozen known cycles, none of which correlates mathematically with the measured 150 year increasing average earth surface temperature trend – but atmospheric CO2 % does. The weather any given place is too variable to be informative by itself, but if you look at the weakening of the circumpolar vortex, you can see global warming changing the weather annually. Indeed, CO2 has changed along with climate over geological time, but NOT at random! There is no source for the doubling in atmospheric CO2 besides fossil fuel combustion, just as there was no sink for the halving of atmospheric CO2 since the Devonian other than carbon fossilization. The surface temperature of the earth is actually controlled by reradiation of heat, which is controlled by atmospheric gases, methane, water vapor and CO2, and ONLY CO2 has changed as the temperature has gone up. QED The fact that this question, closed as far as I am concerned, is still considered open by policy makers is very bad news indeed
If nine out of ten doctors say "You have cancer, you need chemo" and the tenth says "Its indigestion, drink some root beer" what do you do? Yeah I am worried, but there are some technological advancements being made that make the diagnosis less bleak.
Not concerned at all.The developed world uses this argument as some way to assuage their guilt at having and abusing so much resource.What they are avoiding to say is that the developing world shouldent have what they have enjoyed
It's all hokus-pokus, and taxpayer money used for inefficient windturbines which are drowned in the North sea due to current and needs lots of maintenance to survive while the grid can't be controlled during high wind force. Therefore go Nuclear.
Haven't the polar ice caps been receeding since the last ice age? I'm not concerned about the melt, it's been happening for a long time.
Global warming has always been a bogus issue. One of those things you discuss when you cannot come up with anything better. Is the Earth getting warmer? I think the data proves that. It's the cause that we cannot agree upon. We only really have about 100 year's worth of accurate, reliable climate data. All the rest of the 'facts' are interpretations and suppositions based on polar ice cores, tree ring analysis and the like, not actual climatic data. As a result, it's like interpreting tea leaves – everyone has and can have an opinion about what each means. We are certainly not doing ourselves any favors with how we currently treat the environment, but to believe that we can truly impact it to the extent that the environmentalists believe is to believe in Santa and the Easter Bunny. Regardless of the cause, if the Earth warms too much we're cooked – figuratively and literally.
Dear Jack: Those who suggest global warming is other than a stark reality are unscientific, anti-intellectual morons whose predominant interest is perpetrating a sad ideology!
There is no such thing as "Global Warming", its a fact... Al Gore's film "An Inconvenient Truth" was excluded from the documentary awards because of the false information in it. Al Gore made this film so they could put taxes on everything that seems bad for the environment, as well for the publicity and money. Al Gore supports energy saving light bulbs which contain mercury in them how is that good for the environment. Anyone that does research will tell you the facts are there. climate change has fluctuated over time, take the "Ice Age" for instance.
I'm more concerned about global warming...we are already seeing the results – melting glaciers, raises in global ocean temperatures, the deterioration of Antarctic ice shelves, changes in bird migration timetables, etc. We have to ask ourselves, what’s more conservative and prudent…betting that we are not causing global warming for the sake of “our economy,” or understanding the facts and that it is a threat to all life on the planet.
MORE..
especially in observing that emerging economic powers China and India aren't constraining their emissions. In fact, India is planning to consume more by building their own pipeline. And they don't implement guidelines or restrictions on the usage low quality diesel that pumps out some serious pollution. And that's just one country in the underdeveloped world not enacting enviornmental protection policies.
I mean, I haven't read Plimer's book, but doesn't it just seem logical that, at the rate we are adding greenhouses gases and areosol emission to the atmosphere, we are changing the composition of the atmosphere at a faster rate than it would progress on its own?
I think the point really isn't how much harm are we doing to Mother Earth, she will heal herself.. and climate change cycles are a part of her history.. but how long can we last? By preserving what we have been given, we add to our own survival.
My wife and I never have believed in global warming. Just a way for government to have more say in what we can and can't do. Wish people would educate themselves and see that its a natural process of the earth. Quit letting government have so much say in everything, its ridiculous.
I wouldn't say I was more concerned than before, I'd sooner describe myself as more aware of what's going on. Either way, it doesn't help to continue polluting and destroying the environment.
The actual "warming" may or may not be a natural phenomenon, but certainly it doesn't help to put tons and tons of poisons into the environment.
The human effect has to own up to its part and take action.
Talk about the elephant in the living room. What are we going to do, wait until the elephant dies, and then wait until someone says,"Uh, do you smell something?"
More, As Al Gore would say "The debate is over Global warming is real" and we have a opportunity to move the world away for fossil fuels. The the future wealth of our country depends on Energy Technology. The nation that harneses the new Oil of the world, Rules. America must be that Nation, We need to make "Made in U.S.A" mean something again. We can not be a Nation of Shoppers anymore. We cant afford it. We must become the worlds source for clean and renewable energy. We send 500 billion a yr to Saudi Arabia for Oil, think about that... with 1 year of that money we could pay for everyone in America to get health care for 5 yrs.
I'm more concerned with global warming. Every year the U.S. does nothing to really reduce global warming, if we don't reduce are oil use and start to use clean alternatives for transportation and energy production we are going to make the economic and health sector worse.
Use something that is going to outlive every human, the sun, solar power is the key to energy reform.
I am equally concerned as I was last year. However as a believer in the science behind the issue of man-made global warming I am more hopeful this year knowing that the world has reached a tipping point and that more and more people are acting proactively to reduce their carbon output.
Besides even if the science turns out to be incorrect and man-made global warming is a farce, isn't it still a good idea to rid our environment of the pollutants which cause illness, smog, and countless other problems.
I don't know that I'm any more worried about global warming than I was a year ago, but I am more worried about what other people's reactions to this question might be. I've heard more people doubting the existence of mankind's influence on climate change than I did a year ago though the consensus among scientists hasn't changed. This is one case where ignorance isn't bliss.
Yes, it has been reaching the 100's in Washington whereas here in Minneapolis it has failed to top 90 in the month of July. The first time since 1994. It is a natural cycle.