Is The Sun Causing The Current Climate Change?

[Fish24/7]

Until a scientist can part the red sea, their "facts and figures" seem pretty far fetched to me.

I agree

[Mark]

One thing we can all agree on is that air and water pollution are bad. And a world wide issue. Forget the talk of climate change or arguing over what data will or will not support. We all must do all we can to eliminate our carbon footprint on the planet. Think of the environmental impact we have made on this planet with 8 billion people today. Then, double that number in 40 years, and consider what impact India and China will have on the environment when there are 16 billion people on the planet.

Regardless how you look at it, our planet is in trouble if we don't change our ways.

[MOPanfisher]

My simplified outlook. Is the sun responsible, yes. Doubt it, what would happen if there were no sun. Is there Climate Change, yes, the geologic record shows much climate change over the history of earth. Is man the cause, no, can man have an exaccerbating effect sure. Sort of like wearing a shirt over a sunburn. Can man reverse climate change, no. Can man make positive changes, sure we can, do out absolute best to control and reduce pollution levels in water, air, soil etc. The natural world is a fantastic "filter" for pollution, however it can be overtaxed and we are pretty well there. Just as we talk about our individual fishing/camping trips where we leave an area better than we found it, that should be our goal worldwide, leave the earth and natural systems in better shape than we are living in. Will pollution and energy needs be solved in our individual lifetimes, likely not, however it can improved with each generation. Now if someone can just figure out a way to get even the majority of the earths nations/governments to work together on anything we could make some real progress, sadly that is not likely to happen.

[Justin Spencer]

Now if someone can just figure out a way to get even the majority of the earths nations/governments to work together on anything we could make some real progress, sadly that is not likely to happen.

We need an asteroid or invasion by aliens to bring the world together.

[Mark]

Or a pandemic. Or a global war. Both more likely than an asteroid or aliens.

[Justin Spencer]

Or a pandemic. Or a global war. Both more likely than an asteroid or aliens.

Those may be more likely, but won't bring us together like aliens would. Global war seems like the opposite of bringing the whole world together, although we would be together shooting each other I guess.

[mjk86]

CO2 absorbs IR light very strongly. About 2400 wavenumbers.....The majority of the light energy that the sun produces is IR light. A molecule that absorbs IR light does via vibrational modes of freedom. This means that as light is absorbed...the molecule becomes excited (vibrates) and upon relaxation a lower energy photon is releases...that gap in energy is lost to the environment as heat. Water vapor works the exact same way, but is even more IR active! Adding CO2 and/or H2O into the atmosphere will most definitely increase the heat energy on earth. It may not be a linear trend of increased temperature (although it is for the most part) due to the fact that earth has mechanisms to dissipate excess energy in the short term, but the general trend will be upward. There is no debate, there is no argument, the facts are the facts. Just like water + dirt = mud, CO2+ IR light = heat. There is a political debate, nothing more. The earth is not turning into some hellbound inferno next week....but the fact is that we are pumping outrageous amounts of energy into the atmosphere and just seeing what will happen. Most (nearly all) people who argue climate change have no buisiness arguing it as they know nothing. Nobody would argue baseball with a hall of famer, or quantum phenomena with a particle physicist, but we are all scientists when the climate change "debate" is brought up lol. (like the evolution debate, or the gravity debate...oh wait)

[Riverwhy]

mjk86, I completely agree. Just like a few hundred years ago when scientists argued the world was flat to keep on the kings payroll the current crop of scientists argue man made climate change to keep getting the government grants. Just as free thinkers eventually prevailed to prove the earth is round , I am sure free thinkers will eventually prevail and prove that climate change is a constant process that it is way bigger than the egocentric human race likes to admit.

Let's concentrate on clean water and clean air and not divide the public for the sake of a government grant or a carbon tax profit.

[Justin Spencer]

I don't necessarily think we can fix the damage we have done to accelerate climate change, but to think we haven't played a major role in it shows the lack of common sense that is seen when economics vs. what is good for the environment comes into play. It is easier for us to live with the fact we are trashing the earth when we deny that we are really the ones doing it. It feels good to think it is just natural and the billions of people on the planet pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere at ridiculous levels really does nothing.

Let's concentrate on clean water and clean air and not divide the public for the sake of a government grant or a carbon tax profit.

Concentrating on clean air is what carbon taxes would do isn't it? The profits involved in putting carbon into the air prevents companies from willingly cleaning themselves up.

[Riverwhy]

Justin,

I think you are a good guy. No need to question my common sense just because we differ.

Carbon taxes DO NOT reduce carbon emissions. They just shift carbon production to another venue.

Sounds we both want clean water and clean air.