Ed Lunt stated a key part of the question. Undoubtedly earthly (and Martian) climate has extreme variations over time. Human collective memory- any kept human records, for that matter- are but the briefest eyeblink. For anyone to think that the climate we historically experience is some kind of natural state of "normalcy" is ridiculously naive. That said, if we are currently experiencing a natural cycle of global warming, it would be just as naive to think that man-made contributions are inconsequential. The evidence is there, in various forms, clearly showing a warming trend over the course of a single lifetime. The implications for the massive populations living in coastal regions are ominous, both in terms of shrinking coastlines and storm frequency and severity. Even relatively minor climate shifts can have serious repercussions in food production. Ecosystems are changing in ways we cannot always predict. It only makes sense to do everything in our power to not accellerate those changes. Even if examinined in purely ecconomic terms, it becomes clear that by ignoring man-made contributions to global warming for short-term ecconomic gain, it will cost vastly more in the long run. We have to think in terms of generations, not simply our own lifetime. The slower the climate changes, the less it affects our collective pocketbooks ("human misery" factor aside). Dismissing the man-made contributions completely is a case of "The Emperors New Clothes". Actually it's probably more simple than that, just plain old greed. "Leave no trace" is more than just a good camping policy. Especially since we have no idea what the "end state" of such change will be. --- Edward Lunt <lunco@yahoo.com> wrote:
I read somewhere, about two years ago, that the polar ice caps on Mars were receding due to higher temperatures on the planet. The suggestion was that if Mars was experiencing global warming, then global warming of the earth was in part, at least, to natural causes.
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