TMonter, you are being very candid when you admit, 8 paragraphs from the bottom of your second posting, that "Bottom line here is that although climate change is happening (nobody says it’s not), it’s causes are far from certain."
None of the cites I provided stated that CO2 is the only cause. They did indicate that the vast majority of scientific thought is that CO2 is a contributor to the current climate change.
We both, and all, agree that climate change is happening. Possibilities include: 1) set in motion by a natural cause which we do not understand, 2) set in motion by human activity, or 3) set in motion by a combination of natural cause, whether or not understood, and human action.
The question then becomes what, if anything, should humans do?
For me, although I am a rational person as well as I am able, I also am a moral person.
As a rational person, I assess the weight of scientific knowledge, as it exists today, in favor of the probability that human activity is a contributor to the climate change the world is experiencing. As a rational person I am far more secure in the climate as I now know it instead of an unknown climate outcome in the future. Therefore, in my rational judgment humans should take action to mitigate and reverse the effects of their activity contributing to climate change. That clearly means reduction in the use of fossil fuels as well as other actions.
As a moral person, the well-being of other humans, indeed of all of Nature, is my concern. Fossil fuels represent a world wealth accumulated over millions of years. I personally find it morally reprehensible that the current few generations of the "have nations" should appropriate that world wealth for themselves without making provision for the well being of the "have not nations" as well as future generations. I also find it morally reprehensible for the "have humans" to squander that wealth on the frivolities of pleasure while the "have not humans" starve and suffer without clean water, healthy food, or primary medical care.
As a rational and a moral person, I am asserting only that the basic needs of humans world-wide should be met by using the world's wealth of fossil fuels and other resources, something which none of us can take any credit for creating.
Thank you for contributing to this discourse.
None of the cites I provided stated that CO2 is the only cause. They did indicate that the vast majority of scientific thought is that CO2 is a contributor to the current climate change.
We both, and all, agree that climate change is happening. Possibilities include: 1) set in motion by a natural cause which we do not understand, 2) set in motion by human activity, or 3) set in motion by a combination of natural cause, whether or not understood, and human action.
The question then becomes what, if anything, should humans do?
For me, although I am a rational person as well as I am able, I also am a moral person.
As a rational person, I assess the weight of scientific knowledge, as it exists today, in favor of the probability that human activity is a contributor to the climate change the world is experiencing. As a rational person I am far more secure in the climate as I now know it instead of an unknown climate outcome in the future. Therefore, in my rational judgment humans should take action to mitigate and reverse the effects of their activity contributing to climate change. That clearly means reduction in the use of fossil fuels as well as other actions.
As a moral person, the well-being of other humans, indeed of all of Nature, is my concern. Fossil fuels represent a world wealth accumulated over millions of years. I personally find it morally reprehensible that the current few generations of the "have nations" should appropriate that world wealth for themselves without making provision for the well being of the "have not nations" as well as future generations. I also find it morally reprehensible for the "have humans" to squander that wealth on the frivolities of pleasure while the "have not humans" starve and suffer without clean water, healthy food, or primary medical care.
As a rational and a moral person, I am asserting only that the basic needs of humans world-wide should be met by using the world's wealth of fossil fuels and other resources, something which none of us can take any credit for creating.
Thank you for contributing to this discourse.
