snedunuri’s Recent Comments

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  You may be a science teacher, but you're surely not teaching science, if that's the kind of stuff you go quoting to your school kids. You're right about one thing though: it is best to get to the underlying science if you can. The problem is that most of the public is not very well versed in science, and even for those who are, the arguments can seem quite arcane and eyelid-drooping. For those who do get down to the science, one thing is clear: the science on human induced climate change is nearly unanimous: Its happening, and Its us. The dissenters as you might call them are generally funded by big Oil or various loony right wing outfits. Even Lindzen, considered one of the more honest skeptics, is well funded by such interests (see http://www.desmogblog.com/lindzen-wipes-hands-clean-of-oil-and-gas). As for your claim about Milankovitch cycles and Medieval Warming, that's just old recycled claims. Take a look at this article http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2004/12/werent-temperatures-warmer-during-the-medieval-warm-period-than-they-are-today/ Finally, its popular among dissenters to claim they are being muzzled but far greater and revolutionary ideas in science have found takers in the form of some respected scientific journal. It makes you wonder why these dissenters can't get their theories published anywhere and instead have to resort to yelling at passers-by from their web sites. cheersOn ‘No compromise’ faction attacks climate bill posted 1 month, 1 week ago 104 Responses

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  Ed Abbey wrote: "Looks like you two aren't all that familiar with popular uprisings and their dynamics." On the contrary, it seems you are the one not familiar with the psychology and dynamics of mass movements. Remember when Nader ran against Gore, and predicted that the election of Bush would unleash a mass of protests against his utterly incompetent adminsitration (rather like the starry-eyed predictions I'm seeing on this page)? Well we got an utterly incompetent administration alright, but I don't recall mass protests every night, and certainly nothing that changed a thing that that tone-deaf president did. You've all got a rosy view of "mass protests" I'm afraid. People have to take time out of their lives and sometimes risk career and life to protest. That in turn demands that it be something that's staring them in the face. Vietnam was certainly one of those. Racial discrimination was another. Sadly climate change isn't in that category b/c people don't have a very good record of reacting in advance to climate disasters, which is exactly what we have headed our way. Until its in their faces, i'm afraid we can expect very little "mass action". That means its left to a small group of dedicated individuals to take action - and for them the only means is the legislative and legal process. I certainly hope that as evidence for climate change shows up on people's doorsteps there will be calls for further action, but further action is only possible when we have initial action - hence why a climate bill is so importantOn ‘No compromise’ faction attacks climate bill posted 1 month, 2 weeks ago 104 Responses

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  OK, what evidence do you have that young people are massing at the gates for action assuming the Senate doesn't pass a Climate Bill? Yes, I agree that gummnts are not usually very far sighted - that's the problem. However, what I am saying is that this situation calls for a far sighted entity, such as a government to be able to move a step at a time over the next 10 or so years. Realize we're dealing with a bunch of folks (I won't use the R********n word here) who're barely this side of the stone age, so getting them on board is going to take patience. We need to start from somewhere and the current W-M bill is as good as we'll get in the current climateOn ‘No compromise’ faction attacks climate bill posted 1 month, 2 weeks ago 104 Responses

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  There was a reply earlier (Time Dechristopher) saying that the failure of the Climate Change Bill in the Senate would be a good thing because it would then galvanize young people into action. This is a mistaken belief. Generally, people are only galvanized into action when something affects them negatively *right now* (hence the student protests in the 60's were over themselves and their friends being killed in Vietnam, the racial protests were from blacks being mistreated, bread riots in other countries over lack of food, etc). Climate change, sadly, is not something that the majority of the population can see happening to them in a way that affects their well-being *right now*. Hence it is very unlikely there will be any kind of agitation over the failure of congress to pass anything. Instead we will be paying the price 5-25 years down the road. When it comes to long term action, only a far sighted entity can take action - this is usually a government. Since there is no major interest from the publinc at large the only way to proceed is in baby steps. This is how other major changes in society were accomplished. Hence the Waxman-Markey bill is the kind of start we need.On ‘No compromise’ faction attacks climate bill posted 1 month, 2 weeks ago 104 Responses

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  What, no Exxon-Mobilers or loonies posting about how 350 ppm is just a liberal scheme to take over the world and we have nothing to worry about b/c its all just sunspots??

  On Pachauri's call for 350 ppm is breakthrough moment for climate movement posted 2 months, 2 weeks ago 13 Responses