| Exactly how serious is global warming? Is it just a | | | | sea levels, and that the sea levels continue to rise. |
| mild problem, or is the whole planet doomed | | | | So, who are we going to believe? Which of these |
| because of it? Or does the truth lie somewhere in | | | | expert experts should we listen to? If you've |
| the middle? On the other hand, is the whole thing | | | | ever watched CSI, they say, "Follow the |
| just a hoax? | | | | evidence." And I believe we're seeing a lot of |
| Climate Cycles | | | | evidence to global warming! |
| There are a few nearsighted experts, especially | | | | Glacial Meltdown |
| certain politicians, scientists, and even journalists, | | | | It seems obvious to me that when glaciers and |
| who claim that global warming is just a hoax | | | | ice caps start melting, water levels of the oceans |
| perpetrated by overzealous environmentalists and | | | | will rise; causing low-lying islands to be wallowed |
| their supporters, but I say it's these | | | | up. And when we start seeing water creeping up |
| pseudo-experts who have their heads up the | | | | along our coastlines, I think we're really going to |
| ozone hole. These colorblind experts say that the | | | | start getting concerned. |
| main cause of the problem has been simply due | | | | Here are some facts. The snows of Mt. |
| to extensive climate cycles, which means for | | | | Kilimanjaro have been disappearing year by year. |
| millions of years there have been various | | | | Glaciers are literally shrinking. The Arctic ice cap |
| temperature fluctuations; some may last several | | | | has decreased in size by 40% in approximately |
| hundred years, others several thousands of years | | | | forty years. Reports project that in fifty to |
| or so. They claim that these high and low | | | | seventy years it will shrink down to nothing. The |
| fluctuations are the primary reasons that account | | | | ice sheets in Antarctica are breaking up into big |
| for what we call global warming. Although there is | | | | pieces and falling into the ocean, so the southern |
| definitely truth to this reasoning, this is not the | | | | ice cap is shrinking back also. If all the ice in |
| only factor. | | | | Antarctica vanishes, sea levels across the world |
| Scientists have used various methods to | | | | will rise twenty feet, reports say. And if the ice |
| determine the state of Earth's climate back into | | | | vanishes in Greenland, there goes another twenty |
| ancient times, such as glacier extension, ice cores, | | | | feet! And then if the Arctic ice cap completely |
| the remains of pollen, reading the rings in trees, | | | | melts on top of that -- I think we'll have a serious |
| and studying ocean sediments, to name a few. | | | | case of Water World! Anyway, continents will |
| I'm not sure how reliable these methods are, but | | | | begin to shrink and islands will literally disappear. |
| I think they at least give us a ballpark figure. | | | | Obviously, mapmakers will have to redraw the |
| Let's take a look at these crazy climate cycles. | | | | maps of the Earth. Actually, we would have a |
| Experts say there have been four major ice ages | | | | semi-water-world syndrome, because there's not |
| on the Earth. The last one began forty-million | | | | enough water in the whole world to cover every |
| years ago and ended ten-thousand years ago, but | | | | bit of land. What a letdown! And to think I really |
| since then there have been fluctuations in | | | | enjoyed that movie! |
| glaciation, which means sometimes glaciers and ice | | | | Carbon Dioxide on the Rise |
| caps advanced and sometimes they retreated. | | | | So what is causing all this Earth-heating? Why is |
| Then the planet basked during the "Medieval | | | | our atmosphere rising in temperature toward |
| Warm Period" from the 10th century to the 14th | | | | boiling point? (Or is that an exaggeration? Actually, |
| century, approximately. After which it shivered | | | | the whole matter makes my blood boil!) For one |
| through the "Little Ice Age" between the 16th and | | | | thing, CO2 levels keep rising on the Earth. |
| 19th centuries. These are rough approximations of | | | | The extensive climate cycles are not the only |
| course, because some experts may add or | | | | causes of global warming, although they do have |
| subtract a century here or there, due to gradual | | | | a significant impact to our climate changes. Global |
| increase or decrease in climate change. These | | | | warming is also a factor of human-caused events |
| two periods are roughly four-hundred year cycles | | | | more than anything else, especially in the last |
| each. The so-called Little Ice Age was a general | | | | hundred years. In fact, reports state that CO2 |
| cooling down of the Northern Hemisphere, but | | | | levels were much lower in Medieval and even |
| some glacial expansion ensued and in many parts | | | | Ancient times, and we can go back several |
| of the world severe winters developed. | | | | thousands of years further, compared to what |
| However, as this period tapered off, | | | | they are now. Scientific experts have ascertained |
| temperatures have begun to rise ever since, | | | | this information through ice core samples from |
| especially when the Industrial Revolution impacted | | | | frigid regions like Antarctica. This gives us clues |
| parts of the globe. This is when things began to | | | | into our distant past, via trapped air bubbles which |
| heat up very nicely. In fact, it is estimated that | | | | have been there for several thousands of years. |
| during a general two-thousand year period before | | | | These ancient air bubbles contain varying levels of |
| 1850, it is believed that the planet's temperature | | | | CO2, and scientists can compare these to the |
| levels have been basically stable, although there | | | | quality of air in present time. Clearly if the levels |
| have been limited fluctuations. Let's put two and | | | | are extremely higher now than they were several |
| two together: around 1850 we can see the rise | | | | thousand years ago, I think that's a pretty big |
| of the Second Industrial Revolution, where we | | | | clue. |
| observe the beginnings of our emitting toxins into | | | | Through the burning of solid waste, trees (such as |
| the atmosphere. At this time the railway systems | | | | rainforests), and especially fossil fuels, which |
| were underway, plus the chemical industry was | | | | involves products such as coal, oil, and natural gas, |
| increasing, and the refining and distributing of | | | | these items cause carbon dioxide (CO2) which are |
| petroleum. When the automobile industry began | | | | distributed throughout our atmosphere. These are |
| and skyrocketed in the early 20th century, fossil | | | | caused by human activities, which is not a good |
| fuels initiated a major rise in CO2 emissions into | | | | sign that we're doing a good job as caretakers of |
| the atmosphere. Coincidence? Or is there some | | | | the Earth. This was one of our original job |
| connection between these artificial aberrations and | | | | descriptions when we were put here on this |
| the rise of global warming? I believe it's blatantly | | | | planet. I think we need to get our collective act |
| nearsighted to declare that only fluctuating climate | | | | together -- before it's too late. |
| cycles are the main factor. | | | | When there is more carbon dioxide dumped into |
| Vanishing Islands | | | | the air, temperatures rise higher, because it traps |
| In spite of these changing global cycles, there are | | | | more of the sun's heat inside the atmosphere. |
| still obvious signs that something is going wrong | | | | Unfortunately, the CO2 levels are predicted to |
| on this planet. For instance, awhile back I was | | | | rise much higher in the future, as long as we keep |
| listening to the Coast-to-Coast-A.M program on | | | | dumping toxins into the air. Skeptics think all this is |
| KNAX, AM Radio, and heard a story explaining | | | | no big deal. It's the "So freaking what?" attitude. |
| that approximately forty low-lying islands and | | | | They either don't care or don't believe there will |
| atolls had been swallowed up by the Pacific Ocean | | | | be any severe effects. These people have |
| in the last few years, and that on other vanishing | | | | become lethargic, complacent, and uncaring. They |
| islands about ten-thousand people had to | | | | would rather fatten their pocketbooks than care |
| evacuate, particularly the atoll nation of Tuvalu. It | | | | about our environment. These skeptics think |
| was predicted that more islands will be submerged | | | | we're suffering from the Chicken-Little Syndrome, |
| over time. Isn't this highly abnormal? | | | | running around crying that the sky is heating up. |
| Okay, I double-checked this information with | | | | And of course Al Gore is considered one of the |
| several other sources. Lohachara Island near the | | | | biggest alarmists today. Personally, I think we |
| Bay of Bengal was completely swallowed. The | | | | should be alarmed. |
| low-lying islands of Vanuata in the Pacific and the | | | | A large percent of global warming over the last |
| Maldives in the Indian Ocean are being threatened | | | | half-century is due to increased greenhouse |
| by the ocean and may soon be swallowed up. | | | | gases, and the largest source of this is from fossil |
| Inhabitants of such islands and atolls are | | | | fuels. Essentially, we're talking about the creation |
| evacuating continually because the oceans are in | | | | of petroleum products. In other words, this is |
| the process of submerging them. | | | | putting the spotlight on "we the people" who drive |
| Some sources say this phenomenon is clear | | | | automobiles. We can add diesel trucks, |
| evidence of global warming, whereas others say | | | | motorcycles, airplanes, and other means of |
| the islands were submerged due too typical storm | | | | transportation. And of course there are numerous |
| surges, and particularly from devastating tsunamis. | | | | factories and oil refineries spewing poisons into |
| But wouldn't that mean waters would eventually | | | | the atmosphere. It's not pleasant to look at this |
| level out and those islands would return to | | | | ugly brown debris hanging in the air, otherwise |
| normal? Evidently that's not happening. To my | | | | known as pollution, but it's also not pleasant to |
| shock and awe, some anti-global-warming | | | | realize all this atmospheric waste causes global |
| pseudo-experts even declared there have been | | | | warming. |
| no rise in sea levels while these islands were | | | | Are "we the people" going to do something about |
| vanishing, whereas our intelligent global warming | | | | it? Or are we just going to sit back and say, "So |
| experts claimed there have been continual rises in | | | | freaking what? |