Anthropogenic global warming?

[AstusAleator]

Of course global warming is anthropogenic. There, the question is solved.

[alextemplet]

Good. So we can ramble aimlessly now?

[Jones]

It's always fun to make a point and then stray momentarily in a different direction... I agree though. It's more likely global warming is caused by humans.

[alextemplet]

I honestly don't know what else could be causing it, unless God is for some reason seriously pissed off and He's trying to fry us.

[canalon]

Alternative solutions that were proposed were:
- sun spots
- natural climate cycles
- and a few others hat I don't remember.
Not that I agree with those, eh

[MichaelXY]

The planet seems to have a homeostatic mechanism which is the Gulf Stream. That is to say, the warm air that circulates in the Atlantic is a function of the Gulf Stream, as global temps rise, the glaciers in Greenland melt, this causes the salt of the Atlantic to drop, and hence the Gulf Stream warm air loop is decreased. Since the Gulf Stream lowers, temps in the Atlantic drops, in turn the glaciers begin to reform.

Now the question is, can man create such an extreme as to break this loop. I dunno, and I am sure that no one can say for sure. My thinking is that homeostasis is a loop, thusly cyclic. It is clear that man has affected this naturally running loop. I would consider mans affect as a variable in the damping factor of the loop equation. Even a over or under damped loop will eventually reach equilibrium, but the oscillation within the loop is what should be of concern, and seems to correlate directly with mankind’s intervention.

[MichaelXY]

What! no response? Don't let my fancy hoo ha talk fool ya, I am full of crap.

[alextemplet]

I think that deserves to be quoted in the Member Quotes thread.

[AstusAleator]

Seriously? This is how this thread died? Well fear not Michael, I'll reply - almost a year later. (This was just before the big "crash" of January '08 so no surprise it's drifted off into oblivion)

What makes you think that the so-called homeostatic system is so reliable as to keep our climate relatively stable? If it is, then what were those ancient ice-ages all about?

[alextemplet]

I think the controversy is not so much that our climate should be stable but that humans are throwing it seriously out of whack from where it should be.

[AstusAleator]

It's the cows I tellz ya. All that methane.

[alextemplet]

And don't forget Mexico, with all of their re-fried beans.