What convinced you?

[davidari]

I have been having a mini-debate over in another thread regarding this, and would hopefully like to discuss this with more members here -- hence the new thread.

What information -- and please be specific -- won you over to the concept of anthropogenic global warming? Was it the IPCC report(s), or had you made up your mind earlier? Was it the media reports regarding the IPCC releases, if not the releases themselves? Was it your circle of friends, or related interests? Was it a gut feeling?

[Hydrotopia]

There's a large amount of CO2 in the atmosphere with the signature isotope from burning. In other words, burned CO2 is most likely from human sources.

The question should really be "What possibly convinced you it wasn't man-caused???

[davidari]

Perhaps I need to restate what I had meant -- I am not looking to debate anthropogenic global warming in this thread, though I would gladly continue a discussion in a separate one.

I am just looking to see if we can define the specific documents, studies, or information that individuals identify as being their personal tipping point.

Best,
David

[Wai]

Hi,

I haven't been convinced.

I have the reports but it didn't hit me when I read them. I am not saying there is anything wrong with the reports, just that I feel detached.


I am being green not because I believe it is how I want to live.

It has nothing to do with global warming. I also want to know of a single document that is convincing.

[Sambo]

For starters, Genesis 1:26

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

As for the IPCC documents, it's about the most boring read ever. I've browsed them. But to summarize, a whole lot of really smart people say so.

I do enjoy when people quote these scientists that anthropogenic global warming is only a 'theory.' While very true, according to scientific method even gravity is still theory.

[jcoffman]

For starters, Genesis 1:26

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

.

Wow... we are starting to get onto tricky grounds with that quote! What convinces me EVERY day is my drive to work. I remember as a kid being able to see the downtown skyline... You cant do that anymore. So SOMETHING changed... what was it? Smog doesn't just flock to cities by itself.

[hillsidedigger]

I've been convinced since I was 14 in 1968 that peoplekind are altering the natural world for the worse.

No one needs to show me about a changing climate. Here where I live it has been evident for over 10 years

or at least

'The climate may not be changing but the weather sure is different than it used to be!'

[Deathridesahorse]

National Geographic told me years ago that Glacier parks were disappearing at alarming rates, but I must admit that that cannot tell me if it's mans fault or not.

I would have to say that IPCC reports that it is 90% certain that man in responsible have convinved me we have to decide to act and act decisively...not half-heartedly.

I am heartend by the fact that GM is bringing electric cars into production in 2010, but it still seems too long away off.

Hopefully such a major company playing the game so conservatively means revolution is afoot!

Huzzah, I think!

[davidari]

Thanks everyone, for your responses.


So far, we've got:

1. "I haven't been convinced."
2. "A whole lot of really smart people say so. "
3. "I remember as a kid being able to see the downtown skyline... You cant do that anymore. So SOMETHING changed... what was it?"
4. "No one needs to show me about a changing climate. Here where I live it has been evident for over 10 years"
5. "National Geographic told me years ago that Glacier parks were disappearing at alarming rates, but I must admit that that cannot tell me if it's mans fault or not. I would have to say that IPCC reports that it is 90% certain that man in responsible have convinved me we have to decide to act and act decisively...not half-heartedly"

Though we've got an admittedly small sample size here, here's what we have so far regarding everyone's personal tipping point:

A. Living green feels right, whether or not man is causing global warming.
B. There is a large number of scientists who believe man is causing global warming.
C. I can see it with my own eyes, in the form of new smog.
D. The climate seems to be changing where I live over the past decade.
E. The IPCC report finds it to be 90% likely that man is the cause.

I would love to hear more regarding what convinced anyone else here. Anyone have a different response, or want to add a vote to one of the existing responses?

Best,
David

[stevenchen18]

I try to approach the environment issue at resource level. Future generations also need the natural resources. We just don’t have the right to take them all.

[jake3988]

I don't believe in it 100% yet. Too many conflicting reports.

HOWEVER, unlike conservatives and anti-environmentalists, I know that even if global warming isn't happening now it will inevitably happen.

I also will not not do anything until that time comes. We have to /prevent/ it from occuring.

You don't have to do a whole lot (though you are certainly welcome to), just do a little bit at a time. A little bit goes a long way.

Not to mention that are even worse things going on. Pollution of other forms, acid rain, smog, pollution of rivers, toxins, deforestation... we can't ignore those either. In fact, they're probably worse.

We need to care that we're not only destroying this planet but ourselves as well. The Earth will self-heal over time, we cannot.

[fred333]

That is a great point. It is all about self preservation and finding the causes of the environment damage.

[davidari]

Thanks again to everyone.


An updated list:

A. Living green feels right, whether or not man is causing global warming.
B. There is a large number of scientists who believe man is causing global warming.
C. I can see it with my own eyes, in the form of new smog.
D. The climate seems to be changing where I live over the past decade.
E. The IPCC report finds it to be 90% likely that man is the cause.
F. I am green because I support conservation, global warming is not the issue for me.
G. It may not be happening now, but I am convinced it will happen (no accompanying explanation as to why)

The general response so far regarding people's acceptance of anthropogenic global warming seems to be unattributable to actual climate studies, or a non-issue entirely -- as people either do not believe in anthropogenic global warming or do not include anthropogenic global warming as a factor in their decisions.

To be honest, I expected some more vigorous supporting reasons to be submitted in favor of AGW here. Anyone else have a personal "tipping point" they would like to share?

Best,
David

[Mason Whitaker]

Well, To be honest I thought that Global Warming was just a hoax. I started getting tired of my peers saying that I knew nothing of Global Warming to even argue about it.
So I started getting books from my library, learning about Climatology and books on Global Warming. The more I read, and the more I did the math, the more I realized that Global Warming is a threat to the Planet and us. It may not be to the degree that some people claim it is, but even in the lowest scale you can put it, its still a major problem.

However I'm still not convinced its caused by man, but I'm not saying that we are contributing to it. The Earth has gone through fluxes in the Climate ever since its creation. 20 years ago there was talk of the next Ice Age, but again the Earth fluxes in temperature.

At least Humanity can stop contributing to Global Warming.

[rockmom]

I had initially done work in clean water activism. Later I studied earth science and did field work involving groundwater contamination. Other people at the university and a couple in the same lab worked on paleoclimate records. They were convinced enough to start making changes in lifestyle so I started looking up papers about climate change. The evidence seemed to be pointing more and more consistently toward global warming with a strong anthropogenic component. The research since has followed the same trend.