Every once in a while I'll get an email or comment that can be roughly paraphrased as "I'm not actually that big a fan of cold weather...so why should I be worried about increasing CO2 emissions?"
Well, for you, I've put together a list of four somewhat surprising (and quite unsettling) things that that scientists have determined are occurring because of rising CO2 levels.
- Global Depression
Depending on who you ask, the necessary changes the world will have to make as a result of global warming (everything from building higher sea walls to relocating entire cities) will cost up to 20% of the world's GDP. So, yeah, you think it's bad when we have a financial fall-out from a little housing bubble...imagine having 20% of the world's economy sucked into a hole the size of the Larsen Ice Shelf. - Global Fish Kill
One of the oft-overlooked, but possibly most devastating consequences of global warming is the acidification of the oceans. Oceans suck up huge amounts of CO2. And as the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere increases, so does the amount absorbed by the world's oceans. Unfortunately, when the CO2 enters the water, it creates carbonic acid. So, over the last hundred years or so, the acidity of the ocean has increased so much that it is literally eroding the shells of mollusks. Unfortunately, these mollusks are the base of many marine ecosystems, important to everything from salmon to sperm whales. The possibilities of an oceanic mass-extinction are on the rise. - Global Hunger
There is a massive amount of infrastructure in place to create the world's food. And that infrastructure depends on a fairly stable climate. We expect the rain to fall where and when it falls, we expect the thaw to come where and when it comes. But global warming does more than change the temperature, it changes the climate. Projections show more rain in dry areas and less rain in wet areas, the result of which could be the need to completely re-create much of our farming infrastructure. In th meantime, while that infrastructure is being created, we should expect that a lot of people will be very hungry. - Feedback Loops
A positive feedback loop is not something one likes to see in nature. For example, if melting snow creates more heat-absorbing land which creates more melting snow which creates more heat absorbing land, we have a positive feedback loop that is likely to exponentially increase its effect on global climate. These feedback loops are everywhere in climate models. From decreasing albedo (the example above) to increased wild fires puffing cities-worth of CO2 into the atmosphere to the Canadian boreal forests dying due to climate change and thus releasing their 27 years-worth of stored carbon into the atmosphere.
So yes...this time of year, I appreciate a nice warm day as much as the next guy. But those who get excited about global warming just don't know what they're talking about. And my thanks go to the scientists who work tirelessly to determine what effect climate change will have on us all, and what we need to do to deal with it.

written by Eric, February 02, 2009
It is not just Earth that is warming, so is Mars, Jupiter, Titan and Pluto.
Ice core analysis clearly demonstrates cyclical warming and cooling as far back as 1MA BP. Furthermore, ice core analysis clearly shows that warming precedes an increase in CO2 by several hundred years, and then a spike in Fe (iron) occurs and temperatures drop.
Earth's biggest problem is over population and environmental degradation caused by this fact. There is no argument here.
written by Jordanis, February 03, 2009
Now, of course we're talking about 20% of the GDP year after year, but that's much easier to adjust to than a one-year shock like this.
written by Global Patriot, February 03, 2009
Another factor that plays in this equation is the ability of the planet to support an ever-increasing population. We may very well see more wars fought over remaining natural resources and riots caused by shortages, especially food.
Man has disrespected this planet for so long the irreversible damage has already occurred - not sure how much more it can take.
written by David, February 03, 2009
Hank, "saving the planet" is futile and arrogant. Why not try saving people instead?
written by selena, February 03, 2009
written by ExistentialDuck, February 03, 2009
written by Chris, February 03, 2009
written by eric, February 03, 2009
written by marc4, February 03, 2009
A today big problem is the ever less fresh water supply for populations who lives on the costs (70% of world population!).
A rising of few mm in level sea causes the salt water to infiltrate towards hinterland. Effects: salinization of soils ==> googdbye agricolture and decrease in the supply of fresh water
written by Earl_E, February 03, 2009
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written by RecycledBottle, February 03, 2009
written by Peter Belmont, February 03, 2009
In earlier times (before 2000?) the beetles' eggs died (for the most part) in the cold winters. Now, with just a little bit of warming, the winters are not cold enough to kill them and, therefore, the beetles are destroying not just trees but forests.
written by eric, February 04, 2009
It was only 4,000 years ago (the Holocene period) that sea levels were significantly higher than today. The Holocene sea level high-stand was approximately 4 metres higher than it is today. The fresh water/salt water boundary naturally tracks the sea level.
If you live near the coast where there are rocky headlands, you will probably see wave cut benches that are a few metres higher than today's mean high tide point. These benches were cut by wave action during the very recent high stand. These benches are particularly evident around continents which were not subject to glacial ice loading.
Sea levels change, without man's input.
written by Ted, February 04, 2009
And if that doesn't get them there is the case of the sea circulation system ("the great ocean conveyor").. If that system should change, slow down or fail it would mean that the globe would become much less temperate. Should the North Atlantic drift get disrupted for example, it would mean the onset of a new ice-age in Europe and North America. If that doesn't send a chill down their spine I don't know what does ;-)
written by S Baker, February 04, 2009
By the way we in Michigan have record snowfall - greatest since records have been kept.
written by samantha, February 11, 2009
it's good practice to reuse and recycle, its good practice to NOT pump loads of co2 into the atmosphere, its good practice to do a lot of things that people are not doing.
perhaps we deserve the chaos that global warming might bring to us because we're so rubbish (literally) at doing things sensibly and responsibly! someone give me statistics of countries doing 'good' to cheer me up?
thanks.
sam
x+x-x
written by James, February 11, 2009
So says eric, who can't even check his facts. The Holocene warm period was from 7000 to 5000 years ago. I am astonished at the number of people with strong opinions about Global Warming who just keep repeating the same nonsense without studying the actual information. Questioning whether GW is human caused? Now? That is like questioning whether the Sun revolves around the Earth or the Earth revolves around the Sun. Get real, do some work before making fools of yourselves.
written by MajorAluminumm, February 11, 2009
written by Spiritual Alex, February 11, 2009
What I miss is an action plan!
written by bee, February 11, 2009
written by Geoffrey, February 11, 2009
And Hank, 20% GDP? Where did you come up with that figure. If our oceans die, our farms need to be relocated, and these idiots in congress are wasting trillions on their own without these challenges, I'm not sure this population is capable or even worthy of saving itself. Especially when there are people who don't look at the evidence all around them and admit there is even a problem. Then you've got real winners who are actually paid to think of ways to change the language so it doesn't seem so scary like "climate change" versus "global warming". Climate change is less specific but our tax dollars paid an agency to come up with that fodder.
written by Ormond Otvos, February 11, 2009
written by Gerald Sobel, February 12, 2009
written by Gerald Sobel, February 12, 2009
written by Steve Bergman, February 12, 2009
Yes we have warming now, but there is absolutely no proof that it is of anthropogenic origin.
Now that GW itself can't be denied, those who feel threatened financially or otherwise by the prospect of our taking action, have fallen back to their "Plan B": Claim it's not caused by human beings, and thus there is no reason to take action. This has got to be the most brain-dead argument ever put forth by any special interest group in the history of the world. And that is saying a lot.
Think about it this way. Say things had gone slightly differently and we were expecting 99942 Apophis:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/99942_Apophis
to strike the Earth in 2036. To be sure, this would be a "natural" event. Asteroids have hit the Earth in the past, causing incomprehensible devastation and mass extinctions. Clearly, this impending asteroid impact would not have been caused by us. So there would be no reason for us to take action. Right?
Eventually, the "Not caused by us" excuse will prove false and we will find out what their "Plan C" turns out to be. But regardless of the cause, we need to do what we can to avert as much of the impending catastrophe as possible.
written by Carol, February 12, 2009
Extreme weather is not fun, no matter who or what is causing it. Let's find some solutions now, before the Great Lakes overflow their banks and drown everyone who lives on their shorelines.
My #1 argument against living in cities is that they cause too much concentrated CO2 emissions, leading to episodes of localized extreme weather. These cause sudden disruptions to essential services that are very costly to contain and repair, as the city of Toronto is finding out today. The environmentally friendly GO Transit (inter-city train) was shut down this morning by a flood in the main station connected to the suburbs and GTA, and again this afternoon by an electrical failure in the main switching centre. A lot of people will be staying in Toronto tonight, instead of "getting on the GO" to go home. Many will choose to drive their cars into town during the next big rainstorm, you can bet on it.
written by Tomas S., February 16, 2009
written by Daniel S, February 17, 2009
written by fred, February 19, 2009
There are 3 kind of environmental problems:
1) Easy Problems - Readily accepted and soluble, for example; Cleaning up gross filth in the oceans is do-able. Countries should not dump into the ocean or face trade restrictions. The UN can help organize countries with navies to clean up portions of the ocean - volunteers help clean our national highways. Manufacture of some items can be limited when preferable substitutes are available. No more 1000 year water bottles.
2) Hard Problems - The problems are accepted but we don't have easy answers. At the root of it all is the planet is becoming overpopulated - should we pay people NOT to have children? Seems to work for farm overproduction. Dumping carbon products into the air is a problem but there no solution we all agree on and much of our modern civilization is dependent on the benefits. Only science will lead us out of this problem by producing substitutes that are MORE economical. The substitute must compete or it will not work. Preaching at the users is a waste of time. The biggest disservice to the environmental movement in the past 50 years is Al Gore who, blimplike, flies around like Baron Harkonnen from Dune, and preaches that the rest of us should peddle to work.
3) Problems of Awe - We don't even know if it is a problem, much less how to fix it. The atom is an obvious thing though no one can see it - we blow things up with it. The fluctuation of trace elements in the heavens causing climate variations is not an obvious thing. It requires research because we just don't know. Species disappear and are created and it can be either a good thing or a bad thing. I personally would like to see leprosy eliminated and if it's the snail darters turn next, so be it tho I hold know personal animus. All living things must be treated with respect and humility but that does not mean we must save every species at all costs.
written by Pete Scaffidi, February 25, 2009
written by MG, March 19, 2009
written by MG, March 19, 2009
written by SandruMircea, August 18, 2009
written by sheleftmalfoy, November 18, 2009
Next, I'd like to add that to everyone who jokes that they would like "global warming", rebut by saying that even though on average the Earth will warm by a few degrees, the real issue is global climate extremism. The deserts will get dryer, and hotter, but some places, like Canada, are expected to get cooler and wetter. The problem is that people are living in risky locations and will have to migrate, and the areas that are habitable will be fewer and farer between than now.
Lastly, regardless of whether you think that climate change is anthropogenic, you cannot argue that spewing tons of GHG into the atmosphere is a good thing. I have asthma and I don't want cancer. My arguement for why we are affecting climate change is that yes, there are natural cycles of heating and cooling of the planet (I have heard of the ice ages we keep having), but that humans have upset the balance of nature. We extract CO2 from the earth and spew it into the air at a faster rate than ever before, we are creating and dumping toxic substances all over the earth and consuming much more than are share of the earth's resources.
written by Arcee, December 13, 2009
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