Birth of a new religion?

**Patar** · 5th June 2008, 17:04

In a vain attempt to not derail the global warming debate more than it already is, has anyone noticed that global warming has gotten to the point of religious fanaticism?

Some say it's man made global warming, some say it's natural, some say the earth is actually cooling down.

The only difference between global warming and any other religion is that global warming has 'hard science', funny that there is hard science for what ever stance you take on the subject

**Big Dave** · 5th June 2008, 17:07

I would say that is an empirically interesting observation.

**riffer** · 5th June 2008, 18:00

I want to know why all the other planets in the solar system are heating up too.

Surely our carbon emissions haven't reached that far have they?

**Edbear** · 5th June 2008, 18:30

Whether the "global warming" is entirely man-made can be argued, and there is evidence of natural cycles at work as well.

What cannot be argued against is that man is ruining the environment at a rate that cannot be matched by nature's ability to recover.

Hard facts are in the areas of aeroplanes affecting the upper atmosphere, and the figures are mind-boggling! Secondly, the world's rainforests are now over 90% gone due directly to indiscriminate clearing and the rate of destruction is said to be about 2-football-field sized areas each second! Thirdly is the pollution and rape of the oceans. Fish are running out faster than they can reproduce and the destruction of life by long-lining, bottom-trawling and sweep-netting is out of control. Pollution is far wider than you may expect.

The forests in Europe are dying and lakes and rivers are both being ruined by pollution and drying up. Wells are having to be abandoned or deepend. Drinking water is becoming scarce and polluted in many areas.

NZ is definitely sheltered from much of these problems, and we can be somewhat blase in our isolation.

**Flatcap** · 5th June 2008, 18:37

Originally Posted by Edbear

Whether the "global warming" is entirely man-made can be argued, and there is evidence of natural cycles at work as well.

What cannot be argued against is that man is ruining the environment at a rate that cannot be matched by nature's ability to recover.

Hard facts are in the areas of aeroplanes affecting the upper atmosphere, and the figures are mind-boggling! Secondly, the world's rainforests are now over 90% gone due directly to indiscriminate clearing and the rate of destruction is said to be about 2-football-field sized areas each second! Thirdly is the pollution and rape of the oceans. Fish are running out faster than they can reproduce and the destruction of life by long-lining, bottom-trawling and sweep-netting is out of control. Pollution is far wider than you may expect.

The forests in Europe are dying and lakes and rivers are both being ruined by pollution and drying up. Wells are having to be abandoned or deepend. Drinking water is becoming scarce and polluted in many areas.

NZ is definitely sheltered from much of these problems, and we can be somewhat blase in our isolation.

But if it all turns to shite, can't the Lord Intelligently Design another Earth?

....hmmmm -The Scottish thread....

**Big Dave** · 5th June 2008, 18:42

Originally Posted by riffer

I want to know why all the other planets in the solar system are heating up too.

Surely our carbon emissions haven't reached that far have they?

Uranus is hot?

**tri boy** · 5th June 2008, 18:51

Originally Posted by Big Dave

Uranus is hot?

Why, are you "on heat"?

**MisterD** · 5th June 2008, 21:10

Originally Posted by Flatcap

But if it all turns to shite, can't the Lord Intelligently Design another Earth?

....hmmmm -The Scottish thread....

He'll probably tell Ed to build a space-ark. Have you had the call yet Ed?

**Usarka** · 5th June 2008, 21:12

One could also draw a comparison with the flat-earth societies.....

**MisterD** · 5th June 2008, 21:19

Originally Posted by Usarka

One could also draw a comparison with the flat-earth societies.....

...or that scruffy bloke in the mac, with the "The End of the World is Nigh" sandwich board?

**Fatjim** · 5th June 2008, 21:23

Originally Posted by Edbear

Secondly, the world's rainforests are now over 90% gone due directly to indiscriminate clearing and the rate of destruction is said to be about 2-football-field sized areas each second!

Isn't a rain forest carbon neutral? A grown tree doesn't absorb much carbon does it?

Surely chopping down trees takes Carbon out of the cycle? After all they would just fail over and rot, letting all that hard fought for carbon back into the system?