[News] Global Warming: Media Hype ?

[Fondueset]

I think up there in Canadia y'all have a different definition of right wing

My other post was intended to criticize an argument - but it came too close to criticizing a person - so I deleted it.

 

[Mr. X]

I think up there in Canadia y'all have a different definition of right wing

Yeah that whole "Wing-thing" is getting pretty confusing in the UK right now. A Labour MP ("left wing"?) wanted to abolish Inheritance tax this weekend (good idea, rich people use trust funds & charities to avoid paying it). They are also talking about "managing immigration" and chose to invade Iraq. This week the shiney new Conservative ("right wing"?)Leader, David Cameron forced constituencies to draw up shortlists with at least 2 women candidates in a list of 4. They are also talking about not lowering taxes in order to maintain services. The Liberals ("centre"/"more left-wing than Labour"?) recently announced they would lower taxes, having previously campaigned on bringing in a 50% top income tax rate (not including the additional National Insurance tax). We live in a topsy turvey country at the moment. [Although, if you assume that they are all lying, it kind of makes sense again...funny how that works.]

Back to Global warming. Seems to me things are getting warmer. I spoke with a British mountain guide in his late 50's in the alps a few years ago, he said the glaciers have been consistently receeding over the last 30 years that he had been guiding. Where ladders once reached the glaciers, it is now necessary to rappel from the end of the ladder to reach the glaciers. He no longer guides in Scotland because conditions are not reliably cold enough for him anymore (ice climbing). This seems consistent with my own observations and those of others I have spoken to. There are three questions that occur to me:
(1) is it caused by or accelerated my mans activities?
(2) will it continue unabated?
(3) is the government using it as a convenient excuse to hike already extortionate taxes on UK motorists & fuel even higher (without an excuse, it would be unthinkable)?

I suppose these are the things we are already discussing but I have gradually changed my opinions on this (I was originally cynical, now I am just sceptical), my conclusions so far to the above questions are:

1. Still controversial & debatable but it seems like there is an increasing body of evidence that suggests that we are, or may be, accelerating a natural warming cycle (the warming after the last "mini ice age"). Or perhaps it is just all the research money that is getting pumped into Global Warming research -- seems like a convenient bandwagon to jump on if you need to get a research grant at the moment?

2. Nobody knows the answer to this one - only time will tell. This seems to be the important question. Scientists apparently are not usually taught Control theory, as Engineers are. The earth seems to be a big control system (the Gaia Principle) which reacts & adapts to changes to find an equilibrium. The father of that principle already thinks we have pushed the earth beyond its ability to restore itself -- but he could be wrong. Seems to me nature is more likely to fix this, one way or another (he says ominously), than any politicians. Although the politicians will be keen to take credit for any improvement. The huge & growing human population & its destruction of natural areas (e.g. Amazon rain forest, rural areas, polution) and increasing use of energy probably will not help matters though.

3. Yes, of course they are!:head

Just my 2 cents.

 

[naiad]

Pete's (Laminar) comments about not buying crap is right on!

So, in conclusion to an overly long post, tell me what you're doing to make the world a better place! You'll more than likely inspire someone else. Attacking others for what they're doing or not doing however, is almost entirely counter-productive. It usually only entrenches their beliefs.

I, for one, don't use air-conditioning, and I try to minimise my use of plastic bags. Tiny actions really. Do they make a difference? Maybe a little.

What I am doing is not buying crap. I don't use fabric conditioners, air fresheners, hair sprays or any of the other things that advertising companies make us think we need, but we can manage perfectly well without. There are whole shops full of plastic junk such as ornaments and giftware which will probably all end up in the bin in a few months. Apart from the health benefits of less exposure to chemicals, this must be a considerable saving of CO2 emissions, plastic packaging and chemical pollution.

Lucia

 

[Cliff Etzel]

Came across this news piece and for those right wing Calif-types - this is in your own back yard.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/09/01/business/emissions.php

 

[roy_nexus_6]

Bypassing the "Global Warming" hysteria - When the "Right" and the "Left" join forces.

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2005/04/12/036035.html

 

[Jon]

I didn't want to drag up an old thread, that just wouldn't die, but it seemed like the best place to post.

Here's a shot of my new "ride". I've been using it to drag the kids around to go back and forth to preschool/work. I just got it so I haven't gotten a chance to grocery shopping on it just yet, but that's next on the agenda. I should also be able to hit the local lakes with it as it fits my monofin. :inlove

Jon

 

[pkotik]

Maybe there's a way to mount the monofin on top of the stroller so it acts as a spoiler, keeping the stroller wheels firmly planted on the pavement as you hit those triple-digit speeds. My kid's got a spoiler on his Mustang and swears it really works.

 

[Fondueset]

Outstanding! How's that Casio treating you?

 

[Jon]

Casio has been great, I should really do a write up on it. The whole thing is so darn small I can carry it in a spare-mask bag on my weight belt and leave it in there if the vis sucks.

Last thing I want my sweet ride to look like is a Mustang- aren't those for old guys going through a mid-life crisis? rofl


Jon

 

[land shark]

ok You guys!

ya Scared me. What with the price of gas and all. Well Im not takin any chances. Check out my new rides! The bigger one is my foul weather machine The little one is my MEAN LEAN Commuting Machine. I can get home just as fast as the big one too. (Via the bike trails) Jon have you checked out the new trail from Monona bay to Regent st. Awsome stress free ride during commuting hours even busy now to. Madsion is so bike friendly the Trails are getting busier by the day. Hell! we nearly clogged the causeway intersection the other day Ill try for a pic If it happens again!

The trailer is a sweet deal Jon. I was thinking of one for diving too. The Trail to Sayner is suppose to be done next year. A trailer might be a sweet deal up there. BTW how many Acres does it take to turn that rig around

 

[Jon]

He started it dad!:ko

I rode the new trail last weekend- there's quite a bit of nice "scenery" these days at you get closer to the University. :inlove

The Xtraycycle itself isn't too bad to turn around, certainly a LOT shorter than a tandem, but with the trailer it does add a bit to the turning radius.

There's a 200 pound load capacity to the xtracle and there are attachments to carry kayaks on it if you wish- just the short white water type and not the longer dive kayaks that we use.

My family and I rode the trail from Boulder junction down past Trout Lake and stopped for a lunch/picnic along the lake. I understand that it goes down to St. Germain now and they will be adding onto it soon. My wife called it the "single best" bike trail she's ever been on. It sure is nice how it keeps you off the highway and right along such a beautiful set of lakes for so long.

Jon

 

[wet]

I didn't want to drag up an old thread, that just wouldn't die, but it seemed like the best place to post.

Here's a shot of my new "ride". I've been using it to drag the kids around to go back and forth to preschool/work. I just got it so I haven't gotten a chance to grocery shopping on it just yet, but that's next on the agenda. I should also be able to hit the local lakes with it as it fits my monofin. :inlove

Jon

Is that a skateboard in the back?
DDeden

 

[Jon]

It's called a snap deck and some people surf their bikes with them. It is mainly and extra place to strap down gear or carry an extra rider. If you flip it over you can use it as a cutting board as well.

Here's some shots of what other's ave done with their's. It can be used to get all your gear to those out of the way surf spots or back up some hiking path to hit the top of some wild river with your boat. I can certainly seeing myself use it to drag all my gear back out to some hard to reach spots where car's aren't allowed- like to dive the Habitat off of the end of Picnic point without trying to use a boat to get there.

Jon

 

[pkotik]

Last thing I want my sweet ride to look like is a Mustang- aren't those for old guys going through a mid-life crisis? rofl


Jon

I guess. My son's 25. I hope his mid-life crisis lasts decades !

 

[Fondueset]

Paul, In that case he's just stylishly retro

 

[Oldsarge]

I've been staying out of this because I just a big coward but having had a pint of Dutch courage with my lunch, I'll allow as:

1. I would love for the air, water, and roadsides to be cleaner.
2. By all means, let's come up with a way to avoid enegy dependence on unstable parts of the world (even though I sometimes swear that I live in one!) and therefore recommend a new book just out http://www.thenewatlantis.com/archive/13/zubrin.htm
3. My dive buddy's parents just drove to Montana in a rented new GMC Suburban. With the recently introduced variable valve engine, they averaged between 28 and 29 mpg . . . IN A SUBURBAN!!! I guess there's something to be said for the Free Market system, maybe?
4. However, climate change is a normal planetary occurance and I have a sneaking suspician that even if we do all the good things that would result in the above, the place will still get warmer. It has been a lot warmer in the past just as it has been a lot colder in the past and for either condition, it will again.

p.s. for those of you who would like to replace your gas-guzzler with something more correct, I have a couple of bicycles that I will happily sell as I am now seriously into power-walking. It's sort of essential as my current dog is too short-legged to keep up with a bike. sigh!

:friday :martial

 

[Jon]

I had no intention of flogging a dead horse, but was just looking for somewhere to post a picture of my new SUB, sport utility bike, for diving.

Of course the usual suspects jump in with their "spin" and it starts up all over again. This wasn't about global warming so much as a way to get to hard to reach dive spots with gear in tow. There's simply no way your going to get some rear wheel drive sport car back into some of the places I want to dive- and power walking isn't going to bring all the crap with me as fast as I want.

Part of the love I have for freedivng is for doing more with less. Some of the comments I've read in this thread would be more at home on a tech diving forum than one for freediving- where people need to strap on $10,000 worth of gear just to jump in 10' of water because it's all about looking cool.:head

A lecture I heard yesterday mentioned that 85% of Americans recognize that global warming is happening. It's a pity that part of that very vocal 15% is in charge of the newsbot on this forum. I've seen a few news stories on the wire the last week that somehow never reached our DB newsbot- even though they were front page. Seems to me the "filter" on this site is a little out of whack.

I would, strongly, suggest the newsbot feature on this site be limited to FREEDIVING news and leave the other neo-political stuff to another site. I would also like to see a lot of the Scuba items deleted from the newsbot as they are nothing more than blatant commercials and not very newsworthy at all. If the "filter" would like to keep adding in all of this stuff they should at least pretend to be fair and balanced and adding all stories that come up on the wire.

Here's a few more pictures of what you can do with out dropping $50 in the gas tank- money which could be put to much better use buying a decent steak and a good beer to wash it down with at the end of the day.

Jon

 

[Stephan Whelan]

OK folks - i'm closing this topic now as we've allowed a non-diving related topic to be discussed to death.

I am a conservationalist and support numerous conservation funds personally - however we are not going to tollerate any more political orientated topics any more.