[jambutty]

The planet has always had warming and cooling cycles.

Exactly right bullseyebarb.

It's utter hubris to think that we mere mortals can do anything to prevent that.

However no one is suggesting that we try to prevent the natural course of events. What we are suggesting is that earthly activities can and is exacerbating the situation by accelerating the warming part.

The green house gasses are not just CO2 but methane as well, not forgetting pfc’s that destroy the ozone layer. And as we all now the ozone layer plays a major part in keeping harmful UV rays out. Without the ozone layer the surface temperature of this planet would not allow any form of life to survive. It would be too HOT. Science has established that the ozone layer is not as thick as it was decades ago and at the poles there are large holes in the layer, thus more UV rays get through to the surface, making it warmer.

60 years ago there was no such thing as suncream yet apart from a few individuals no one got badly burned from being out in the bright sunshine. Today anyone can get burned unless they have sunblock on. And the factor value has increased during the last 10 years or so to compensate for the severity of sunlight.

I have no doubt that some of the information about global warming is spun to favour a particular view point on the issue. But that applies to both sides. The oil companies have a vested interest in perpetuating the myth that global warming is not happening. So do the countries that rely on fossil fuels to provide their energy needs. Governments see the global warming issue as an excuse to raise taxes. The ‘greens’ also see the global warming issue as a means of promoting their view.

It is an established fact that more than half the rain forest has been hacked down to provide timber and to provide land for either grazing or farming. The bottom line here is that half the vegetation that absorbed CO2 is no longer able to because it is not there. A plant will only absorb a certain amount of CO2 in its lifetime and will not absorb more just because it is available. In any case many plants give up some of the absorbed CO2 at night.

Our depleted flora doesn’t absorb as much CO2 than in years gone by and man and volcanoes constantly pour more muck into the atmosphere. Now how many volcanoes became active during 2006 or indeed these last ten years? So the bulk of the pollution is down to man’s activities with fossil fuels and animals belching and farting.

The earth’s atmosphere is a vast but finite resource and even a vast resource will get choked up with polluting gasses in time. Try putting some water in a glass and then adding a few drops each day. Some of the water in the glass will evaporate but if you just put in one drop more than evaporates, then sooner or later the glass will overflow.

Any half competent schoolboy/girl will know that when you put an ice cube into a tumbler of water it raises the water level but when it melts the level does not increase further. The problem with polar ice is that it is mainly fresh water and this melt will disturb the seas eco system. Of course the snow and ice on mountain ranges is also melting and that water has to go somewhere – the sea and it is this water that will raise sea levels over time and not the polar sea ice. Just a reminder - the south pole ice and snow is mainly on land so that too will add to the sea levels when it melts.

But it’s not just the increase of sea levels that is the problem. Higher average tides will also affect the land and when it comes to spring and summer extra high tides the devastation would be catastrophic.

Just another small thought – the warmer the atmosphere the greater the water absorption into the atmosphere. The greater the absorption the more rain there is to fall. The more rain the more flooding rivers.

You anti-global warming brigade can believe what you like but time will tell. Fortunately me and people of my age group will not be around to feel the full effects but our offspring will and it is they who will bear the brunt of our folly.

I prefer to err on the side of caution.