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Alan Henderson

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Certain actions of certain scientists has for some undermined the arguments of global warming. Does it really matter?

Some people have used the actions of a few well meaning but misguided individuals to dismiss the entire notion of global warming. Given the multitude of benefits that come with a move toward renewable energy systems I am forced to wonder if it even matters. Even if motivated solely by greed, I would hope for better, the bottom line is that green initiatives are frequently beneficial. I'm not aware of a discussion that focuses on this so directly.

I wonder what the crowd would say about how actions motivated by fear of global warming has affected their lives. Good or bad, I want to know. On an individual level it might not seem so obvious but in the greater sum we might find that global warming was just one of many things we could positively affect with these strategies.

Financial Security, Political Security, Health Security, Food Security, Water Security....I invite the crowd to add to this list and explain it in their own way.

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    Krisztián Pintér 200+

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    Feb 5 2013: absolutely no benefit comes from renewables other then zero carbon emission. if global warming is either false or not an urgent problem, we have no reason to move away from fossils. actually, we have a bunch of good reasons to stick with it. so it is a question of key importance. and the disinformation surrounding the question is scary.

    • Brian Ruckman

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      Feb 7 2013: Besides that fossil fuels are finite.. world conventional oil production has flat lined. I can think of many other reasons why staying with fossil fuels is a bad idea.
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        Krisztián Pintér 200+

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        Feb 7 2013: finite and runs out in 500 years. personally, i don't care. people 400 years in the future should start caring.

        • Brian Ruckman

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          Feb 7 2013: Unfortunately we have burnt through half of the low hangning fruit. Now oil companies are resorting to tar sands and other extreme oil sources. Say goodbye to cheap oil. And I think you would agree cheap oil is the most important commodity our modern economy has.
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        Krisztián Pintér 200+

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        Feb 7 2013: poor us. now we need to turn to coal and gas, which we have mother lodes all around.

        • Brian Ruckman

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          Feb 7 2013: You are optimistic about our fossil fuel future. If you say renewables don't have benefits other than zero carbon emissions than I assume you want to rely on fossil fuels. How do you feel about fossil fuel exploitation from environmentally pristine regions such as Ecuador's rainforest, the Alaskan north slope? What about mountain top removal? Certainly a fossil fuel dependent society would have to develop every region that has economical reserves. Do you care about the legacy we leave behind?
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        Krisztián Pintér 200+

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        Feb 7 2013: you assume wrong. i'm in favor of nuclear, especially 4th gen. but i acknowledge that if carbon emission turns out to be harmless, and it can be proven reliably, we should stick to fossils for a few decades. the resources necessary for any transformation are better spent on the poor parts of the world.

        and the same is true for the other things you mention. i care about people, present and future. we have billions starving.

    • Random Chance 30+

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      Feb 7 2013: How can you say that?
      "we have no reason to move away from fossils."
      The pollution from fossil fuels and their by-products, which number into the thousands and thousands of ways of polluting the environment, the food chain, water tables and so on, is to me an absurd comment.
      I do appreciate that you are at least honest that you care not one whit about others, here and now, or in the future. You could have picked a different planet to come to you know.

      Do you simply destroy your own living environment? If not, why not? I like water. I like to drink water. I find it to be the most delicious drink there is. So please, allow me clean water and you drink the filthy stuff. OK?

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