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Global-warming

Global warming, now there’re two buzz words guaranteed to start a debate any time they’re mentioned around the old water cooler! Ask any group of people what they think of it, & you’ll get everything from: “It’s the end of the world!” to: “It’s a left wing hoax designed to destroy our economy!” So, let’s look at just what the facts are.

Global warming was first observed (as hard as this may be to believe!) way back in 1896. In that year, a Swedish chemist named Svante Arrhenius was the first person to quantify just how much the world is warmed by carbon dioxide. In his report, he warned that the world was “evaporating our coal mines into the air.” He was largely ignored.

Then, in 1979, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences issued a report that rising carbon dioxide levels could cause temperatures to rises, & warned that a “wait & see attitude” could be dangerous. Unfortunately, the naysayers in all this are a very powerful group: oil, coal, gas, automotive & steel. All industries that create vast amounts of the greenhouse gases, & all with very deep pockets. So… Since the late 1980’s, they have funded a whole host of lobbying groups like the Global Climate Coalition, & the Information Council on the Environment, specifically to down-play the danger or deny it outright.

On top of that, there is the problem that this issue isn’t something one nation can address alone. Recently, in the State of California, Governor Schwarzenegger signed an executive order with the goal of reducing car emissions ten percent by 2020. While quite the laudable effort, it will achieve nothing! China & India are poised to become highly industrialized counties, meaning: more cars, more power plants, more greenhouse gases being vented into the atmosphere. And that is just two nations. Right. What of the rest of the world? It was because of the global nature of the problem that the Rio Treaty on voluntary emission reductions was signed in 1992, & later the Kyoto Treaty was negotiated. However, while President George H.W. Bush signed the Rio Treaty, its mandates were never enacted; and, under pressure from lobbying groups, President George Bush did not sign the Kyoto treaty.

In recent years we have seen the effects of Global Warming: killer heat waves in America & Europe, wilted crops, smaller snow packs & receding glaciers, & bigger & stronger hurricanes. So… So, we must ask ourselves: who are we to believe? There’re thousands of scientists around the world, from all manner of political & social backgrounds who agree that global warming is happening. And then there’re the naysayers, all of whom are backed by industries that have a vested interest in preventing any actions that would endanger their profits. Right. Which ones are impartial, do you think?
About the Author
frank j vanderlugt owns & operates http://www.global-warming-now.info 2 Global Warming Now Info

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