Clive Hamilton - Facing up to Climate Change

Professor of Public Ethics Clive Hamilton considers the frailties of the human species and the consequences of ignoring climate change.

[stinkles]

I'm confused by the vitriol on this comments page.
Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. Nobody disputes this.
As such, it is possible to calculate the amount of warming, in degrees, that one ppm of CO2 in the atmosphere creates, even if that number is very small. This is also not in dispute.
Human industrial activity creates a very large output of carbon dioxide. This is also a verifiable claim, and indeed has been verified.
So, why exactly is AGW such a ridiculous claim?

[peteface]

@mcamelyne You're wrong. Climate science started in the early 19th century with the discovery of the greenhouse effect. Data confirming the hypothesis that the greenhouse effect was warming the Earth has grown steadily since first being found in the 1950s. The fact that we must have ongoing discussion as to the scope of climate change in no way precludes taking action in the direction in which it has being pointing so far.

[jayblack]

They make it look alarming by only going off 50 years of data vs the thousands of years of data we have on file from ice samples.

[Impulse]

@mcamelyne The largest greenhouse gas is water? In what sense? Largest molecules? Seems irrelevant.

If orbits were all that mattered, Mercury (closest to sun) would be hotter than Venus (2nd from sun). But Venus is warmer, because it has an atmosphere almost entirely composed of CO2.

And citing a regional chart for North America on a worldwide trend is idiotic.

[FrankReif]

Interesting view on the effects of climate change. Although I think that he hugely underestimates the potential that humans have to adapt. Just look at the achievement made in the last 200 years. It gives me goosebumps thinking about it.

@ All sceptics. Even if human caused carbon dioxide emissions turn out to be a negligible contribution in a natural cycle, is it really that bad too prepare for the worst? Can everyone seriously say that their current lifestyle is sustainable?

[stinkles]

Even if the amount of carbon being released into the atmosphere now is negligible, which is debatable, the point of this video is that in the very near future, it probably won't be unless we stop polluting.

Even if you don't think that people are literally causing global warming, surely we can all agree that industrial pollution is not good for the environment and should probably be addressed in a meaningful way, and soon.

[TheKickerboy]

Henrick Svensmark too, check out his theory on here.

[peteface]

@ST0N3R420X420 That's called weather, not climate.

[TheKickerboy]

How can you say nuclear is zero emissions? You can't, but its the best we have. I bet if a guy fact checked this it would fall to bits. Would like very much for him to debate a guy like Richard Lindzen or Henrick Svensmark. Real scientists.