GW: FAQs

Q: Is global warming unprecedented?
No. The earth's average temperature has increased over the last 30 years, and many point to this as evidence of a dangerous human-induced warming. But temperatures have risen and fallen many times before that. The Medieval Warm Period (c. 1100-1450) and earlier periods were likely as warm or warmer than the present. The earth was cooling as recently as the period from the 1940s to the 1970s, giving rise to fears of a coming ice age, until temperatures began to increase in the mid-1970s up through the present day. While it is likely that mankind's activities have made a contribution to warming, current temperatures are within the range of natural variability.

Q: Shouldn't we "play it safe" and take tough preventive measures against global warming?
... The Kyoto Protocol, the multilateral treaty that places a cap on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions, will actually accomplish very little. If fully implemented, its energy rationing provisions could cost hundreds of billions of dollars annually but would, according to its proponents, avert only 0.07 degrees Celsius of warming by 2050...

Q: Isn't the Kyoto Protocol a success in Europe?
No. The European Union nations that have signed onto the Kyoto Protocol--and regularly criticize the U.S. for failing to join them--are falling considerably short of its requirements. Despite the caps on carbon dioxide emissions, nearly every Western European nation has higher carbon emissions today than when the treaty was signed in 1997, and these emissions increases show no signs of leveling off. Compliance with Kyoto's looming 2008-2012 targets will be all but impossible for most of these countries, and many are actually seeing their emissions rising faster than those in the U.S.

My personal favorite is the notion of the impending ice-age from previous decades. I actually remember some talk of this way back when I was in grammar school. It didn't rise to the level of today's GW issue. But then again, it didn't have fatous blowhards like Gore-Co fueling it.

I also find it appalling that any news coverage of this issue cites all sorts of estmated data on climate change: temperatures, sea levels, salt content of oceans, and so on. Actual improvements offered by such and such policies never gets mentioned.

It's sorta like hearing how cheap gas is on the other side of town, driving your ass all the way there and then realizing that the savings amounts to $1.35 a tank.