…everyone thinks they're an expert.

You wouldn't go cutting people open if you hadn't had the training, so what makes everyone an expert on climate change?

yeah ignorance is bliss!

I think it's a reasonable point, but the answer your looking for is investment.

We are all, uniformly and very deeply invested in the problem.

And it's all happened before!

Anyone watching that Tony Robinson thing? Man on Earth is it called?
Truly eye opening.

Basically, the temp could drop 10 degrees and cover most of the UK in ice in a decade, if the planet so decides.

And there ain't bugger all we can do about it

Annoying people find it a productive subject for trolling?

Deeply invested in the problem yes. Deeply knowledgable about it?

Its evolution. The human race is accelerating it but no matter what is done we will still have a world that is getting warmer! Delaying the inevitable.

Invest in an ark or build on high ground. I strongly beleive that there should be a minimum height from sea level set, for all new house builds.
(not trolling!)

Guilty of not caring too much about the whole subject having seen some of the documentaries from both sides of the fence. The meer prescence of us evolving and feeding off the planets resources and poisoning the planet with our by rpoducts will mean that in the future (a future that is that far away humans will adapt/evolve either physically of lifestyle/ or be on another similar planet devouring it or cease exisistence) it wont make an ounce of difference to me or the immediate generations ahead.
Its natures way same as some incurable diseases……….

Goan…. you're right on the money. It is the stock line I seem to regularly tout.

Why are we so prepared to unreservedly place our trust and belief in science on most other things (medicine, flying, driving ??) yet not on this one?

Would that be where the line 'an inconvenient truth' stems from?

The Earth is a **** ing massive place. I really have a problem with anyone who claims to understand all of it.
Unfortunately we understood it even less at the start of the Industrial Revolution.

Don't know if it's real personally, but I speak to a lot of people more knowledgeable than me who think it is. And professionally I'm charged with trying to do something about it – being part of an electricity company and all.
As an engineer (is Fruit in the building) working in the energy sector, I can't help feeling that some of the solutions to our energy needs are more elegant under a "green" scenario than they are at the moment. That said there's an awful lot of dingos kidneys (DAdams) talked about green energy too.

The other thing about climate change is that a lot of the doomsday theorists resort to personal insults when someone challenges them.

I'm surprised that more of them dont die from asphyxiation considering they all bury their heads in the sand.

…everyone thinks they're an expert.

You wouldn't go cutting people open if you hadn't had the training, so what makes everyone an expert on climate change?Maybe it's the perception that "climate change" as an issue is being hijacked by politicians to achieve their own ends?

Anyway, you don't have to be an expert to be unsure about something; to use your analogy, if you'd heard rumours that a certain surgeon had a higher complication rate than some, would you be perfectly happy to let them operate on you, or your family?

I'm surprised that more of them dont die from asphyxiation considering they all bury their heads in the sand.

well we can't argue with your experienced expert opinion there.

Its evolution. The human race is accelerating

How is it evolution?

Mrs Nezbo has a degree in Environmental earth science and has been working as a climate change education officer to educate the public about Climate Change. So she is a bit of an expert, but me, I haven’t got a clue but I have energy saving light bulbs. and i know it is very serious. hehe

Unfortunately the majority of people speak about climate change with a level of authority which is only possible if you're almost entirely ignorant on the subject. Take yesterday's Daily Express '100 reasons why climate change is natural' as a classical example of the majority of BS arguments which people refer back to time and time again.

I wouldn't presume to be able to argue with an phyisicist about science behind the LHC or a molecular biologist about cancer.

Having said that, I agree that the ignorance is widespread on both sides of the popular argument which doesn't help matters.

I can't help feeling that some of the solutions to our energy needs are more elegant under a "green" scenario than they are at the moment.

Very true. Most of what we have nowadays is brute-force engineering.

Basically, the temp could drop 10 degrees and cover most of the UK in ice in a decade, if the planet so decides.

Yep, we dodged a bullet with that one. If it wasn't for all the lovely co2 we pump out we'd be doomed.

I think the reason is it is such a highly debated subject is that no one can prove it either way.

Goan – Premier Member
…everyone thinks they're an expert.

You wouldn't go cutting people open if you hadn't had the training, so what makes everyone an expert on climate change?

I think you'll find that if you asked a medical question on here you'd get a few more 'experts' on here offering their opinion 😉

Was listening to a Russian journalist on the radio early this morning. He commented that in Russia, global warming was generally welcomed because they see it as a means to increase the range of food production as the ambient temperature increased in years to come 🙄

I agree with Hainey for once on this subject!

The nature of the problem is that you can't 'prove' either way which is why the IPCC goes with probabilities to describe the possible outcomes. All we have to go with is our current knowledge of the basic science behind and the available evidence. It's not something which we want to get wrong though and hindsight would be useful on this one 😉

I also agree with previous posters that other reason that people get so fussed about the subject is that it will require a change in behaviour. Some people will respond to scare stories, others to arguments based on equity and fairness. For most I think that the only way to get people to make the required changes is not to try and frighten into changing but to present them with a positive image of a future where we're not back into the caves but live using more resouce efficiently, less polluting and consumption based, and in my opinion, more pleasant lives. Yes, we can still keep our bikes!

midgebait – Member

I wouldn't presume to be able to argue with an phyisicist about science behind the LHC or a molecular biologist about cancer.

Or with a priest about the existence of God?

🙂

onion … which god?

I suspect I would 🙂

I wouldn't say i'm an expert but i guess i'm moderately clued up (i'm doing a PhD in palaeoclimatology). I try my best to avoid discussions of it in popular media/threads on here/etc. though, because they invariably make me angry & depressed.

finbar, pleased you've not got involved. The last thing we need is you coming around here with your fancy facts and knowledge 😉