It's real, and it's worse than normal because of humans. If we want to be around after the earth fixes itself (through major changes that would result in an ice age et cetera) we should try and...how to say this...cut it out. This is a natural cycle of renewal, but to think that the human footprint has no effect is extremely naive (insert umlaut on i).

This all being said, I voted for the "Warming? It's spring, and it's freezing!" option because...up here (NWT) we're getting the 'global cooling' side of things at the moment.

-Omni

Global warming is the only thing we can guarentee about our future. What we do about it is up to us.

Global warming and cooling occurs on an irregular cycle. Many references say that the earth has been stable or cooling for the last 5-6 years.

I am a non believer in the religion of Al Gore.

The sunspot scientists proclaim that we will soon be dealing with global cooling, not alarming cooling but approx 2 degree cooler. I give credibility to the sunspot proponents, and at least we should have a soon answer since this theory indicates that the cooling is likely to happen by the end of 2009, but definately within 5 years.,
http://www.warwickhughes.com/agri/Solar_Arch_NY_Mar2_08.pdf

Or
"I can't imagine there being a connection between the Sun and the earth's climate, do you?
After all the temperature of the Earth's atmosphere is about +14°C.
Without greenhouse gases (mainly water): it would be -18°C.
And without the Sun: it would be -273°C.

So, as you'll appreciate, the Sun, and any variations therein, have little impact on the earth's climate."
http://wattsupwiththat.wordpress.com/2008/04/04/march-2008-rss-global-te...

The global warming 'scare' is bunk. Don't believe it.

Jmh, I don't appreciate you and your ilk playing rough shot over the air that I breath, water I drink, and food I eat. What might I ask you, is the problem with be conscious of the effect that we as a species have on our environment? And if that doesn't get you, then what is the problem with erring on the side of caution and conservation?

Band, instead of the Ad Hominems, might I suggest, if you want to actually discuss with this person, if you don't just want to put them down or show how superior you are or how right you are (even if you are right), that you actually discuss it?

(Nobody likes the fetor of zealotry. Mucks up the system, and we here on WC are much better than that. Or try anyway)

Which will mean that you will have to make yourself vulnerable. Go ahead, don't be afraid. Be willing to be wrong.

The whole 'global warming' issue is, you'll probably agree here, much more complex than 'Does global warming exist, yes or no?'

Diplomatic-hattingly,
Inannawhimsey

Of course it's real! Do you think our global leaders and reknowned scientists would spend time attempting to educate the public and raise our awareness of the impact our choices are making on this planet of ours, if it wasn't?

There are far more attractive issues they could be dealing with that would provide some gain.. be it popularity or financial. Delivering the cold, hard truth is never easy...generally; it doesn't bring popularity -but skepticism and ridicule.
However; the message is clear and ominous and time is running out. We have to break out of our complacency and react. The decisions we make today regarding the environment will affect the quality of life for generations to come.

Perhaps to clarify my position.
I do beleive that global warming occurs even though there has been no increase in annual global temperature over the past 8 or so years.
My distress is that despite what most people beleive that the answer is still open
to debate. The science is not proven and there is no peer reviewed publication
that shows a causal relationship between man made CO2 and Global Warming.

It is distressing that Gore will not debate the issue, rather just dismisses it as a flat earth follower. The appropriate response to one that espouses a flat earth would be to explain why you disagree and offer proof.

"The debate is not over"”it's just getting started. There's a huge uproar in the scientific world because in the last ten years, the climate has cooled slightly, but the media won't tell you that. This year is a big downturn, you can't miss it. Global warming simply ended in 1998, but the public doesn't know it."
http://icecap.us/images/uploads/DonEasterbrookInterviewTranscript.pdf

My challenge to you is to keep an open mind, explore both sides of the on going debate. At least if the sunspot proponents are wrong, it will be obvious in the next few years.

What contingency plans have world governments made in case global cooling proceeds as it has for the last few years. Current shortages of food with a predicted 2 week shorter growing season for much of Agricultural Canada and USA.

There are definate changes that have occured over the past decade. At issue for humans is what impact have we had and what impact has the sun or other forces have.

I love hearing geologists discuss this as they take such a long term look at things and trends.

We north americans love to jump of band wagons.

Jan of 2007 was very warm in Ontario. No snow till about the 15 or so if I remember. huge hysteria about Global warming.

Then this year it was cold and snowy very early. DId we hear a huge outcry about how cold it is getting. No way as that doesn't fit . this spring is decidedly cold. Winter 08 was one of the coldest is years.

So where are all the warming folks now?

how much will we spend to correct a possible issue?

We can only change what we can. Global worming is a system which comes and goes every few thousand years i suspect. We see it as it effects us now within the snapshot of history we presently live within.In that snapshot we are very myopic, living as we choose to and so on. The next time i see a "go green" type of sticker on a large expensive vehicle, I'm going to ask them to take it off or sell the car.We have bought into a materialistic class system. $ period, we're going to wreck this globe we were given to live on and then say those bad companies wrecked it for us...we the consumers enabled them and promoted them. Comfort will be the reason for our downfall, not specifically global warming. And no we cant stop it..nope no way..it's just lieke assuming a human can be Holy.

Enough with this topic already ! How about one topic a week ?

I remember when scientists told us that we were beginning a new ice-age in the 1950's. They were not correct. The new global warming issue appears to be valid based on what we are actually doing to the earth. However, look at who benefits and who is disadvantaged by the various options offered to combat global warming. The rich few, get richer and the poor are asked to sacrifice further. I believe that we must be good stewards of all that God has given us. We must not allow those who can afford to manipulate the stock exchange to give us our priorities. The poor still need support, the rich still need to meet their obligations to those who have less. What else would change our whole situation more than that?

It is sooo over hyped like come on the Polar bears are going to drown and die hummm NOT TRUE
__________

Yeah, the polar bears are starving to death, the caribou herds can't follow their traditional migration routes because the perma frost is thawing, glaciers are the smallest in recorded history (and scientists are discovering artifacts due to the melt), and the polar ice caps are melting.

What's not to believe? Sheesh guys, wake up and smell the coffee - oh and don't mind the rise of skin cancer due to ozone depletion, the death rate is just a figment of us greeny types' imaginations.

WOW! Even TIME is starting to acknowledge the myth:

"All the more so since there is compelling evidence that no global warming is currently occurring. Although the alarmists are in denial about this, figures published annually by the Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research, an offshoot of the U.K.'s Met Office, show there has been no global warming so far this century, and recent research suggests this lull will last at least until 2015 "” when warming is expected to resume. Maybe it will: we shall see.

But a 15-year lull is not merely significant in political terms. It also needs to be set against the fact that the warming which caused the frenzy lasted only 25 years. From 1875 to 1975 internationally accepted records suggest that the average global temperature rose by a total of just 0.2ºC. It was only the 0.5ºC rise recorded in the fourth quarter of the last century that produced the hysteria that has sparked this gold rush among green entrepreneurs and investors."

http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1808242,00.html