Well how bad is it gonna be???

[bassin_bug]

Once upon a time, people were convinced the world was flat and sailors who didn't return from a voyage might of sailed off the edge of the earth. It took years before enough scientists could convince the masses of the truth.

People, by nature, are resistant to new ideas or scientifically-derived explanations of reality especially if this novel concept is linked somehow to other aspects of their personal belief systems. Many Christians don't believe in evolution, for example, although there is a gigantic body of scientific evidence that supports it. Other religious fundamentalists don't believe in modern medicine, but believe only in the power of prayer.

I believe in science. I also hunt, fish, believe in personal responsibility and my right to bear arms. However, I also believe in an open mind and to see things for what they are. For almost 18 years I made my living assessing human health risk from exposure to chemical contaminants. I have read hundereds of toxicological studies about the effects of chemical exposure on living organisms (primarily rats) and have learned to respect science. If you remember, the pesticide DDT was once considered safe. It took years of research and evidence for the government to ban the sale of DDT in the USA and in the meantime our nations treasured Bald Eagle was almost eliminated because DDT causes egg-shell thinning and the eggs would break before they would hatch (many scientific studies proved this, although there was a smaller group of others that refuted it). Well, the Bald Eagle is back... because enough scientists conducted enough studies and the lawmakers finally acted.

At this point in the argument, even the oil companies are accepting argument that global warming is real http://www.boston.com/news/nation/wa...g_is_shifting/. And despite GeoFisher's claims, the consensus (which is a majority) among scientists involved in climate research is that global warming is real. Very real.

Here's a sample (the links won't work, but if you can check it all out on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scienti...climate_change

Scientific consensus
A question which frequently arises in popular discussion of climate change is whether there is a scientific consensus. Several scientific organizations have explicitly used the term "consensus" in their statements:

American Association for the Advancement of Science: "The conclusions in this statement reflect the scientific consensus represented by, for example, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and the Joint National Academies' statement."

US National Academy of Science: "In the judgment of most climate scientists, Earth’s warming in recent decades has been caused primarily by human activities that have increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. ... On climate change, [the National Academies’ reports] have assessed consensus findings on the science..."

Joint Science Academies' statement, 2005: "We recognise the international scientific consensus of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)."

Joint Science Academies' statement, 2001: "The work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) represents the consensus of the international scientific community on climate change science. We recognise IPCC as the world’s most reliable source of information on climate change and its causes, and we endorse its method of achieving this consensus."

American Meteorological Society: "The nature of science is such that there is rarely total agreement among scientists. Individual scientific statements and papers—the validity of some of which has yet to be assessed adequately—can be exploited in the policy debate and can leave the impression that the scientific community is sharply divided on issues where there is, in reality, a strong scientific consensus. ...IPCC assessment reports are prepared at approximately five-year intervals by a large international group of experts who represent the broad range of expertise and perspectives relevant to the issues. The reports strive to reflect a consensus evaluation of the results of the full body of peer-reviewed research. ... They provide an analysis of what is known and not known, the degree of consensus, and some indication of the degree of confidence that can be placed on the various statements and conclusions."

Network of African Science Academies: “A consensus, based on current evidence, now exists within the global scientific community that human activities are the main source of climate change and that the burning of fossil fuels is largely responsible for driving this change.”

International Union for Quaternary Research: "INQUA recognizes the international scientific consensus of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)."

Australian Coral Reef Society: "There is almost total consensus among experts that the earth’s climate is changing as a result of the build-up of greenhouse gases....There is broad scientific consensus that coral reefs are heavily affected by the activities of man and there are significant global influences that can make reefs more vulnerable such as global warming....

I just hope we haven't lost our chance to do something meaningful to prevent the potential long-term effects. The intense storms are just the tip of the (melting) iceberg.

Here's a video for those with a mind open enough to watch it:

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2005/...c-ice-cap.html

Tight lines,

JWP

You started your post with "Once upon a time" as if you were reading us a bedtime story. Hun, wake up! We're all adults and know the world was once thought to be flat. That is not a new revelation. How did you mention DDT and forget Agent Orange? All Vietnam vets can tell us much about it, that is those still left to tell the story.

I noticed you went to a lot of trouble to try and make your point about global warming and used one of the most unreliable web sites on the internet as one of your sources. Wikipedia is filled with misinformation and disinformation. Anyone, and I mean ANYONE, can remove parts of the information, change it to whatever they desire, post unreliable information and quote nonexistent sources. Warnings to that effect are posted in Wikipedia.

Excuse my ignorance but "assessing" human health risks from exposure to chemical contaminants, in rats, doesn't sound like you were a research scientist, or an environmental scientist. Rats are not human, therefore, it is assumed results because it is impossible to give a small rat the amount of chemicals it would take to harm an average size human; it's more of a mathematical equation. It sounds like you read reports and charted the statistics which can then be used to apply for government research grants, sold it to EPA or some tree huggers organization. I have a family member who works for the CDC doing records research on cancer treatments but that doesn't make her a doctor or a scientist. She is not qualified to determine that a specific course of treatment or medication killed either the cancer cells or the patient. In that same vein I don't believe you are qualified to declare that global warming is a real threat just because you read a few articles or recorded the results of another person's work.

My opinion is as valuable as yours so I'm risking your ire {{laugh}} by saying that a 1 degree F. temperature increase over many years does not qualify as global warming. There are always checks and balances in nature; some years it's warmer, other years it's cooler, but nature always manages to keep everything balanced. I admit that we all could be better stewards of God's Great Garden but let's start where the most damage is done...airplanes, space shuttles, industrial pollution, and let's not leave out human and animal flatus.

I will open my mind to the theory of evolution as soon as it is proven, unequivocally, that it exists. So far there is not one shred of evidence. I have met some people who caused me to wonder, for a moment, if maybe I was wrong about the theory of evolution because I honestly couldn't understand how their brain could misfire so badly and still be classified as human brain.

You really missed your "calling" because you should have been a weatherman. You don't have to be right, you don't have to be wrong, just open your mouth and say something.

By the way, I am happily and proudly married to a Senior Health Safety and Environmental Specialist, graduate of ETSU Quillen College of Medicine, the smartest man I've ever known.

[mhall]

Well, the front just passed by my place. A little wind from Mother Nature and a whole lot of wind from the newscasters.

I repeat: The Sky Is Falling!!!!

Those guys have to hold stock in Kroger's!!

What about that wind now Tyme??? WOW.

[DJD]

Man I get it, you believe it, I don't. I spent some time looking at that stuff but I can only take so much. I know I have read and heard as much to support the idea that there is not a crisis of Global Warming so I'll agree to disagree.
Good day to ya.

[JD7.62]

That storm was weird! Like five minutes of HEAVY HEAVY rain and then SUN...and WIND!

I left downtown Louisville around 530 and drove along River Road to Prospect and let me tell you, the river was CRAZY! The waves were huge. If it was the beach it would have been a "red flag" day for sure. Ive never seen waves so big on an inland body of water. I wished I had a camera to record it. It was something fierce!

We lost power at about 630 last night (I live in Crestwood) and as of 7AM we still didnt have it.

[Tyme2fish]

What about that wind now Tyme??? WOW.

Second verse,same as the first. Just a little wind, nothing to get all excited about.

[mhall]

Second verse,same as the first. Just a little wind, nothing to get all excited about.

Tyme I didn't get real excited but unless you live underground brother, that was more than a little wind, lol. Prospect confirmed gusts to 78 miles an hour. Carroll county recorded gusts at 81 miles an hour. Most of the surrounding areas recorded gusts upward to 70 miles an hour. We have got spots around the county here that look like Ike all over again. When I came into work today I had to get my maintenance crew to begin fixing things. It blew a 16 by 20 overhead door completely out of it's track by bending all the rollers and blew it 30 feet from it's original spot. This door is heavy to not a little flimsy thing by any stretch. Also Shingles scattered all over this 6 acre lot.

A little wind, ha ha, alright Tyme I hear ya, lol.

[Col Forbin]

I noticed you went to a lot of trouble to try and make your point about global warming and used one of the most unreliable web sites on the internet as one of your sources. Wikipedia is filled with misinformation and disinformation. .

But I guess the sources used to defend your views of the argument are more valid??

[Tim_T]

If that was a little wind, I don't want to see what the bad stuff is like. An eighteen wheeler blew over on I-65 a mile from my house, right by the Bernheim exit off I-65. They had two of the big wreckers out there to get it on it's wheels. While I was driving downtown last night the ole Jeep was all over the road. It is a wonder I didn't get pulled over for suspicion of drunk driving.

[apb]

...I will open my mind to the theory of evolution as soon as it is proven, unequivocally, that it exists. So far there is not one shred of evidence. ...

Actually, there is an extensive amount of evidence that proves evolution. Probably thousands of books and many more scientific papers written on various aspects of the subject over the last 150 years (since Darwin published On the Origin of Species). There is no credible biologist alive who does not accept evolution. If you want to read up on it a little, I would be happy to provide you with some suggested readings.

Andrew

[JD7.62]

Bug, evolution is really pretty credible. Heck you see it every day. Dogs for example can be used to demonstrate what evolution is and how it works. The different breeds of dogs out there today are because we took traits we wanted and bred them out. We are kind of like playing "nature" here and choosing what traits...genes...we wanted to "survive" and get passed to the next generation. Nature has been doing this for hundreds of millions of years.

Personally I believe that life is far too complex and just simply too amazing to have come from no where. Something much greater then us had it all planned out from the very beginning. I think he has a great sense of humor too...

[Tyme2fish]

I think he has a great sense of humor too...

I agree. God gave us the duck billed platypus. Now that is a joke!!

[Devils Horse]

I just want one of you learned experts to tell me where the heck my BBQ grill cover and one of the cushions off my patio glider went. Poof...gone. Much like scientific evidence of human induced global warming, they don't exist.

BTW, I'm in Bowling Green, any of you folks over there around Dale Hollow find my grill cover I want it back; and I'm willing to come pick it up.

I buzz by the ole outcasts board and what do I see? My more realistic friends on the right side of the issues up in arms. Col, up to his old tricks of being a liberal with no justification, and a pro global warming gun owner telling beddy bye stories.

Is this a great country or what?