As the biggest users of ‘dirty energy’, Western nations would bear the full brunt of these tough measures. Website design By BotEap.comRealists want more concrete evidence of change Website design By BotEap.comRealists believe that much more scientific evidence, collected over a longer period of time, is needed before a definitive conclusion can be determined. They consider that the 50-year period to which the alarmists refer is not sufficient to determine the long-term trend in the general temperatures of the world, considering that the age of the Earth is 4.5 billion years. They point to the ups and downs of the earth’s temperature during its recent history and suggest that if a period of climate change is beginning, then it is part of an ongoing cycle that occurs from time to time. Website design By BotEap.comThey say that the relationship between the possible increase in temperatures and the industrial activity of man is tenuous at best. Realists suggest that alarmists need to produce far more tangible evidence than has been presented so far. There is a feeling among royalists that some of the alarmists are inciting public opinion to further their political ambitions. Website design By BotEap.comHowever, realists would agree that a shift to cleaner energy resources would be beneficial in the long run, but that the measures suggested by alarmists go too far. Website design By BotEap.comRealists generally accept the need to find and install alternative means of energy for when current sources – coal, gas, oil, uranium – expire. Realists also insist that there are bigger issues to be resolved than the extremely slim chance that the alarmists will be proven right. Here the realists refer to the main problems of world poverty; the widening gap between rich countries and poor countries; the decline in the quality of political governance in Africa; threats of religious confrontation; as well as the many regionalized issues that have been a source of ongoing friction between nations for decades. Website design By BotEap.comThis is an attempt to balance the ongoing international controversy that is the theory of man-made climate change.
Climate Change – The Basis of the Controversy
Website design By BotEap.comDuring the last 15 years, a great controversy has arisen worldwide about the earth’s climate: Is it getting warmer? – and if so, the cause of this phenomenon.
Website design By BotEap.comTwo different aspects of the same controversy, but grouped into one by many people. These people assume that acceptance of the global warming theory means accepting that man’s industrial activities are causing the problem. These people do not realize that the two problems are separate. Believing in global warming does not mean believing in man’s guilt.
Website design By BotEap.comThe man-made global warming theory polarizes people like no other. Most average people who have some knowledge of this theory fall into two camps:
Website design By BotEap.com1) Those who implicitly believe that global warming is taking place and that man is solely responsible. I call these people the alarmists
Website design By BotEap.com2) Those who believe that much more evidence is needed before any categorical claims can be made. I call these people realistic.
Website design By BotEap.comSo let’s take a closer look at the points raised by these two groups.
Website design By BotEap.comAlarmists predict a nightmare scenario
Website design By BotEap.comAlarmists emphatically believe that the earth is warming at an alarming rate, posing a serious threat to humanity’s continued existence. They point to the rise in global temperatures over the past 50 years and suggest that this has been caused by a global increase in greenhouse gases (industrial activity and pollution-causing activity) during and before that same period. They also indicate that they believe the problem is getting progressively worse and that higher temperatures will lead to higher sea levels causing coastal flooding; more violent storms, hurricanes, typhoons, etc.; possible problems in food production; and a wide number of other situations that could cause devastating conditions that would affect life on earth.
Website design By BotEap.comTheir proposed solutions to stop and then reverse the situation include eliminating our dependence on oil and coal and embracing ‘clean energy’ such as wind, solar and tidal power; find an alternative to the use of oil for transportation; and, most controversially, heavily taxing ‘dirty energy’ users to force them to switch to the ‘clean’ alternative.
As the biggest users of ‘dirty energy’, Western nations would bear the full brunt of these tough measures. Website design By BotEap.comRealists want more concrete evidence of change Website design By BotEap.comRealists believe that much more scientific evidence, collected over a longer period of time, is needed before a definitive conclusion can be determined. They consider that the 50-year period to which the alarmists refer is not sufficient to determine the long-term trend in the general temperatures of the world, considering that the age of the Earth is 4.5 billion years. They point to the ups and downs of the earth’s temperature during its recent history and suggest that if a period of climate change is beginning, then it is part of an ongoing cycle that occurs from time to time. Website design By BotEap.comThey say that the relationship between the possible increase in temperatures and the industrial activity of man is tenuous at best. Realists suggest that alarmists need to produce far more tangible evidence than has been presented so far. There is a feeling among royalists that some of the alarmists are inciting public opinion to further their political ambitions. Website design By BotEap.comHowever, realists would agree that a shift to cleaner energy resources would be beneficial in the long run, but that the measures suggested by alarmists go too far. Website design By BotEap.comRealists generally accept the need to find and install alternative means of energy for when current sources – coal, gas, oil, uranium – expire. Realists also insist that there are bigger issues to be resolved than the extremely slim chance that the alarmists will be proven right. Here the realists refer to the main problems of world poverty; the widening gap between rich countries and poor countries; the decline in the quality of political governance in Africa; threats of religious confrontation; as well as the many regionalized issues that have been a source of ongoing friction between nations for decades. Website design By BotEap.comThis is an attempt to balance the ongoing international controversy that is the theory of man-made climate change.
As the biggest users of ‘dirty energy’, Western nations would bear the full brunt of these tough measures. Website design By BotEap.comRealists want more concrete evidence of change Website design By BotEap.comRealists believe that much more scientific evidence, collected over a longer period of time, is needed before a definitive conclusion can be determined. They consider that the 50-year period to which the alarmists refer is not sufficient to determine the long-term trend in the general temperatures of the world, considering that the age of the Earth is 4.5 billion years. They point to the ups and downs of the earth’s temperature during its recent history and suggest that if a period of climate change is beginning, then it is part of an ongoing cycle that occurs from time to time. Website design By BotEap.comThey say that the relationship between the possible increase in temperatures and the industrial activity of man is tenuous at best. Realists suggest that alarmists need to produce far more tangible evidence than has been presented so far. There is a feeling among royalists that some of the alarmists are inciting public opinion to further their political ambitions. Website design By BotEap.comHowever, realists would agree that a shift to cleaner energy resources would be beneficial in the long run, but that the measures suggested by alarmists go too far. Website design By BotEap.comRealists generally accept the need to find and install alternative means of energy for when current sources – coal, gas, oil, uranium – expire. Realists also insist that there are bigger issues to be resolved than the extremely slim chance that the alarmists will be proven right. Here the realists refer to the main problems of world poverty; the widening gap between rich countries and poor countries; the decline in the quality of political governance in Africa; threats of religious confrontation; as well as the many regionalized issues that have been a source of ongoing friction between nations for decades. Website design By BotEap.comThis is an attempt to balance the ongoing international controversy that is the theory of man-made climate change.