Will global warming kill us? (this is only for those who believe in global warming)
Yes, eventually
Side Score: 43
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No, we can fix it
Side Score: 23
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First: I don't "believe" in global warming. It's not some faith based thing. I understand the evidence, and agree with the overwhelming majority of scientists who have shown that we are causing global warming. I've also read the arguments of numerous skeptics and found them all to be erroneous in their critique of the science of global warming. It won't kill us all, but it will certainly lead to hundreds of thousands, if not millions of deaths. Because of the change in climate, there will be lots of crop failures and millions displaced from rising sea levels. In addition, we will see the extinction of many different types of animals. Full ecosystems are likely to collapse thanks to the decrease in biodiversity. I don't mean to sound like the crazy guy on the corner holding up a cardboard sign that says "the end is near" but if we don't face this issue soon then the consequences will be serious. The good news? If you're reading this, then chances are you're living in a country that's wealthy enough so that the effects will be minimal. If you instead happen to be some poor farmer living in a village in Africa, or Southeast Asia (for example) well then chances are, you're fucked (or at least your children and grandchildren will be). Side: Yes, eventually
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You always know just what to say to press my buttons, don't you Joe? I'd be happy to try and convince your wrong but I know that's futile...then again, I'm bored so here it goes: Have you ever tried to guess the future? It's pretty hard right? Well scientists often attempt to predict the future as well. In this case they use what are called climate models in order to predict what current actions will have on the world. They incorporate things like physical and thermodynamic laws in addition to real world data in order to get the best results possible. Obviously they can never be 100 percent, but they do give us a good idea of what is happening, and as more data comes along, we can get more and more accurate results. But how do we know that what they're predicting is accurate? It's called hind-casting. You pick a date in the past, and enter the data you would have had if you were running the model back then. Then you compare the results from the model to what happened in real life. When climate scientists did this exact thing, using the models that predicted global warming, guess what they found? Their climate models were very accurate. In addition, nearly all of the short term predictions made using these models have been shown to be correct. Don't get me wrong, climate models are only a small part of the evidence for global warming, but certainly they do offer substantive proof about how accurate current climate theories are. So, I would argue that scientists in the past didn't understand the world nearly as well as we do, so we're way more qualified to address issues such as climate change. Side: No, we can fix it
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Well what we were talking about is the science of global warming, and in science there are no such things as "believers" and "deniers," as is the common language used in the public sphere. There are instead proponents and skeptics of the theory. I believe that Obama is doing a good job as president. I believe that people should be treated equal regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation. I believe the Red Hot Chili Peppers make good music. Global warming? No belief is necessary. Side: Yes, eventually
I mean, at some point the sun will expand and consume the first three planets of our solar sysem before caving in on itself and becoming a black hole or a dwarf sun too small and cold to maintain life here, so unless we figure out the space travel thing, a very warm earth will definitely be our demise. In the interim though, the problem isn't that it will kill us directly at all, on the contrary, a warmer earth may be quite comfortable in many places. What it will certainly die are simple things like algeas or minows or breeds of ocean and plant life. And over time weeker animals that cannot change their environment with the flick of a switch or that need these simple organism for food will die, and that will lead to more animals that needed those things for food to die, on down the line, until there is nothing left but eachother. I mean, humans would be the second to the last thing to go before some kinds of insects, (and those discovery specials about "Earth without people" are retarded, because anything that would kill all of us would kill all those mammals in the shows as well) but we would die second to last, that is for sure. And yeah, everthing can adapt to a changing environment, the arguement that animal life that hasn't invented shelter and air conditioning though can adapt at the current rate of change is simply false. We're changing in centuries or even decades what would take nature hundreds of thousands of years to change. Nothing bioligical adapts that quickly. Side: Yes, eventually
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Liked your argument, but the sun is too small to become a black hole. Just saying. Side: Yes, eventually
True, from what we know of black holes our sun could not become one, The force of inward gravity would have to be enough to compress it to something like 3 kilometers, This would require apx 2 to 3 times as much mass as our current sun has in order to produce the gravity required to compress something our sun's size, to that size. Actually size is off, because mass plays a greater role. But that is the size our current sun given it's current mass would need to be compressed too, a sun similar in size, but with that much more mass, would never have lent itself to such a planet as ours to exist so close anyway, we would have been swallowed upon the Universes' birth. A much smaller sun, but with the mass required to become the size Schwarzschild radius' requires of it, while giving us a similar orbit, would likely not have provided the light or heat required at the dawn of this planet to create "life as we know it" though some kind of life it seems likely would have existed. But unlike global warming, I don't believe the science as to how, what, when, where, and why a black hole is produced is so conclusive that we can rule out all of our options, and I think being swallowed by a black hole sounds so damn cool in a debate ;) Side: Yes, eventually
Global warming will not kill everyone, it will kill a choice few that are not in the right place when worse comes to worse. People that are already struggling to survive in 3rd world countries will most likely not survive, due to all of the food that will be lost as crops are no longer able to be grown in such warm climates. Side: Yes, eventually
it will kill every speices on earth besides bugs and microscopic organisms.and its a known fact it wont stop. the ice age eventually stoped and if it didn't stop it would have killed every spiecies because it would have gotten worse. unlike the ice age global warming wont stop and will forever get worse until earth dies. Side: Yes, eventually
YES IF THE GOVERNMENT GETS ITS WAY! HERE is a classic example of selfish corrupt pollitics and their climate change copouts . http://www.australiamatters. NOTE: How they cut this from the air just as Peter was about to name names. Please chech out TMA. http://www.truthmovementaustralia.com. And please help save Peter from our corrupt government. NOTE; This is not a request for donations. Side: Yes, eventually
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I mean the damage is already done, getting worse and although we're trying to reverse it, there are still going to be stupid people out there that won't listen and try to help or make things better by making the smallest adjustment. And when eventually, the earth gets flooded, then people will definitely get killed. Yes, humans adapt very well but a great number of people would get killed. And if that doesn't, then the ozone layer eventually depleting completely due to this and exposing us to the sun definitely might. Side: Yes, eventually
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The Earth goes through this cycle all the time. Humans have been adaptable to harsher conditions than what some climatologists are currently predicting. Even if it's worse case scenario, humans will adapt and move on as they always do. That's what makes us so special =] Side: No, we can fix it
We always do? Humans have been around in their current form for a geological instant. Civilizations only began to rise a few thousand years ago, and modern life for only the last fifty or hundred years. Human have not shown themselves to be particularly adaptable creatures- and, even if we survive, it will probably be as small bands, not as large nations. We've screwed ourselves over. Side: Yes, eventually
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Actually I would argue that what makes humans special is that, instead of adapting, we usually end up changing the environment we live in. Too cold where you live? Chop down some trees, build a house and make a fire. Need to build a road through a mountian? TNT does the trick. Want to make the trip from the Atlantic ocean to the Pacific Ocean a shitload quicker? Aid a revolution in Panama and build a canal right the fuck through central America. Hole in the ozone? Let's ban the chemical that does that. Problem solved. So now how about we stop the earth from getting warmer since we know what the cause is. (Plus, didn't I already explain to you why the whole "The Earth goes through this cycle all the time" argument is bullshit? If you didn't understand me the first time I'll show you the scientific evidence again; just explain the nature of the cycle you're talking about.) Side: Yes, eventually
I agree. However, given the lack of international cooperation on this issue, and given the extent to which modern society depends upon carbon-emitting energy, it might be a while (a long while) before any goals are reached. We've probably already gone too far; a train going two hundred miles per hour towards a damsel on the tracks isn't going to be able to stop if it's only begun to design it's breaks. Maybe, maybe we can slow the effects of the carbon that has already been emitted, but we're already in a place we don't want to be. Side: Yes, eventually
Unwarranted Ban. "The Earth goes through this cycle all the time." This means that he's already open to the idea of climate change. "Humans have been adaptable to harsher conditions than what some climatologists are currently predicting." This is can be proven, humans were around when the earth was in it's cooler end of the cycle. "Even if it's worse case scenario, humans will adapt and move on as they always do. That's what makes us so special =]" The rest is opinion. Even if he outright claimed to not believe in global warming, the opinion is valid. You shouldn't ban people simply because they don't believe something anyhow, so long as they're sticking with the topic. If every mod did this nobody would be able to argue anything. Side: ThePyg was wrongfully banned
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Global warming is far more likely to destroy us and this planet than nuclear war. Everything, including temperature, sea levels & C02 concentration in the atmosphere is rising exponentially, it's getting quciker and quicker all the time and becoming more evident every year. Politicians are beginning to show more interest now but I don't think there's enough time to reverse the effects, to prevent this catastrophe their needs to be more awareness and more people need to invest time and money into it. Thing is though it's not going to bring the wealthy more money, so why would they invest? They don't care and probably don't believe. They're the ones with the power! Side: Yes, eventually
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I don't think it will kill us eventually. Scientists say that a long time ago, when human civilization was just starting to flourish, the Earth was much, much warmer. Also, global warming isn't everywhere; only in most places where there are more people and buildings, There could be global warming, but it won't necessarily kill us. Side: No, we can fix it
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