Isn't payback wonderful?

[Bucko]

Hotsie, this is not liberal mantra, and you KNOW I'm not a liberal. I am open minded though. After reading on the subject and taking a journalism course in Natural Disasters from UMass Amherst, I am more convinced than ever that we are on the slippery slope. None of us will live to see the worst of it, but our children may.

[thewoodman]

Hate to even enter the fray...I don't know that I've ever seen any debate on this topic that changed anyone's mind.

GAD seems to suggest that he has provided some facts, but all I've seen from him is rhetoric.

Do you accept that the climate is really warming? Do you accept that increasing levels of greenhouse gases have the capacity to affect the temperature of the earth? Do you accept that CO2 in the atmosphere has risen in the last century? Do you accept that fossil fuels contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, and at an increasing rate?

If you accept all of these FACTS...then you must accept that we are having some impact. The degree, and when it will make a noticeable difference are the only issues really open to debate.

Is that an excuse not to do what we can to avert a potential crisis? This may come in two forms. First, reducing our output of greenhouse gases to reduce our impact, and second, preparing for changes in precipitation, water supplies, flooding, sea level, etc.

Even, if you don't accept the premise that we have any impact or control, if you believe the climate is actually warming we must prepare for changes in the way we live. The argument that everyhting is hunky-dory because the earth has been warmer and colder in the past is kind of absurd. There used to be dinosaurs too...thank god they aren't roaming the streets of our cities now.

[dananne]

It might be a good idea, in a way of promoting future goodwill and civility on the board, to not attack the individual when disagreeing with his/her viewpoint. I hardly see how essentially calling someone an ignorant dupe of CNN and ridiculing someone's educational background can be constructive. If it was as cut and dried as you evidently believe, there wouldn't be such ungoing debate on it, including within the scientific community.

[winoweenie]

Holy-Moly-Andy-Magillicuddy! Can't leave you children alone for 10 minuets wfiout youse squabblin'. All KC did was to tweak me nose 'bout the unseemly bootiful weather he was having. This looks like the threads you find on some other so-called "Wine Boards" SHEESH!!!!!WW

[Glass_A_Day]

I give. I should know better about arguing this nonsense. That extra glass of wine last night made me edgy. Of course I know that we are changing the climate. I just don’t' think it will make a difference. Yes, there were dinos, but the climate change that put an end to them came due to an impact that was bigger than my gas guzzler. The reason I get worked up about these things is because my biggest hang up in the world is going nuts when I see someone who is so sure of themselves and I know they are wrong. It makes me crazy, but you are right, I should relax in the knowledge that I am correct. Unfortunately, there is never a way to prove this in any of our lifetimes so no way to really see who is right. Well, maybe there is. According to Al Gore's countdown, we have 9 years, 22 days, 15 hours, and 55 seconds. Lets all drop it until then. I should remember something I read that is very not PC a long time ago. It does seem to ring true. Arguing on the internet is like running in the special Olympics; even if you win, you are still retarded. I am sorry if I was personal with anyone. Politics get me very fired up as I am quite passionate about my beliefs.

[Kcwhippet]

WW's right. I just wanted to turn the tables on him for all his bragging about the great weather down there while we had many feet of snow and sub zero temps a year or three ago. There's no way I wanted this to degenerate into such a morass. GAD's right - this isn't the right format for such a discussion because there's too much conflicting data and, in the end, it's all a matter of who's view you want to espouse. So, everyone's right and everyone's wrong regardless of which position you take.

[hotwine]

Buckster, I know you're not a liberal. Guess I've just been sensitized by all that kumbaya among the dems in the congress of late. Makes me want to puke.

[Innkeeper]

The January thaw in the Northeast has been going on since my grandfather's time, and probably longer. No big deal.

[TheEngineer]

Gent's,

This has been about as nice a post where people disagree so significantly. I've seen other posts where it gets so personal and nasty but it never really happened here. Glad that above all there is a common respect for all on this board. Love that cozy feeling (No reference to the 68 Degree that we are going to get today in Beantown).

Thanks again!

[Glass_A_Day]

Sorry again for anything personal. Just get passionate whence in the middle of it.

[Kcwhippet]

Once again, this is meant strictly to bust WW, but we hit 69. He's supposed to make it to about 63. Poor Judy's out in San Francisco and it's only going up to 59 there. Of course, that's about what it is on a good day in July there. Sorry folks, but I just have to bask in this weather. I miss it from when I lived out in NorCal where the winters were so fine compared to here.

[Glass_A_Day]

It was 72 here in Western MA today. People had their tops down and the bikes were out in force.

[winoweenie]

Go ahead youse animules.... Rub it in! I've been shivering in 59 degree frigidom for 3...THREE...solid days. There be a light at the end of the iceburg howm-so-ebberly. Projected to be back to our normal 75 tomorrow. Life is good. WW

[Kcwhippet]

Looks like we may be heading back to our normal temps (almost) tomorrow. Right now it's 59 here and the high tomorrow is forecast at 49.

[Bucko]

I saw an ark go by -- I'm glad we live on a small mountain -- 540 feet up. We've had all time record rains in the lowlands and record snows in the mountains. People were hitting the slopes in November.

[winoweenie]

None of our ski slopes have opened yet. Just get a little dusting here and there. They are normally skiing by mid-Dec. WW