Stuff you SHOULD know (or at least think about).

I've just spent the last 60 seconds staring intently at my telephone. It hasn't rung. Based on this observation, I can conclude that my phone is probably broken... I could also conclude that it has NEVER rung in the history of it's existence.

Kind of a foolish assumption eh? How can I, from such a short period of monitoring, make such foolish assumptions? Now let's talk "global??" warming.

We have been, somewhat accurately, taking temperature measurements in this country for about 100 years or so. Around the rest of the world, man has been less accurately measuring temperature, for a lesser period of time.

The earth is old. Much older than the 100 or so years we have been monitoring it's temperature. Can we REALLY conclude that the phone (earth) is broken (abnormally heating up)?

Read Michael Crichton's book called "State of Fear". Though this is a work of fiction, all of his footnotes and research is factual. It's an eye-opener.

Yes, the polar ice caps are melting... But did you know they have been melting for about 8000 years? Yes, some glaciers around the world are shrinking... But did you know that they have been shrinking for thousands of years? Did you know that other glaciers around the world are actualy growing? And those growing glaciers have been growing for thousands of years.

The historical temperature measurements in Buffalo NY show an overall increase, or "heating up" in that area. The historical temperature measurements in New York City also show an overall "heating up". But did you know that in Albany NY (a city in between Buffalo and NYC), the temperature has shown an overall decrease (cooling down). --Global???---warming??

Global??? Warming? Shouldn't temperatures around the WHOLE world show nothing but increase if this is truly a "global" phenomenon? Perhaps the term "Regional Warming" would be more accurate.

Summary;
--There is such a thing as "global" warming, but it is a cyclical phenomenon that earth goes through naturally and continuously (and the earth has been going through this cycle ever since it cooled from molten rock-- Heat, cool, then heat, then cool... Remember those "ice age" things?).

--Does man/DID man, CAUSE global warming. NO, we did not cause it, but yes, we do contribute to it in very insignificant ways. (The eruption of Mount St. Helens pumped more "junk" into the atmosphere in three days, than did the whole United States in the last 100 years). How many other volcano's have erupted in the last 100 years? Did man cause those eruptions?

--Finally... The earth WILL rise in temperature over the years. Then it WILL cool itself via ice-age-ish conditions as necessary. This would happen EVEN IF MAN DID NOT EXIST ON EARTH! Did we cause the phenomenon? NO! Can we control it? NO! Should we prepare to live with it?

Yes.

READ Michael Crichton's "State Of Fear" and pay attention to the footnotes!! (I'll lone you my copy if you'd like).