Take Action On Something real

No, not deaf ears at all. But you get comments like "anonymous"' occasionally and they rarely stand up to good scientific scrutiny, sorry.

Determination, yes, but you'll literally need good luck building the movement to solve this. I feel it's too small. e.g. 30 people outside court in Nottingham, mere hundreds deciding where to site the climate camp, hundreds of stunts in solidarity, less than 50,000 Londoners marching before the continued international negotiations.

Climate change is very real. I wonder how many consumers actually realise this, and will spring into action suggested by this website?
Cheers
Sen
Eco Justice "Activist"

There are two main variables contributing to climate change, those that are natural and those that are man-made. While it is true that naturally occurring phenomenon like volcanic eruptions and the earth's slow-changing position of its axis (precession) contribute to climate change, the enormous time scale associated with these forces (and any hypothesised global climatic change) makes empirical confirmation of this premise exceedingly imprecise (Mitchell, J.M., 1976. 'An Overview of Climatic Variability and Its Causal Mechanisms' in Quaternary Research, 6(4), pp. 481-494.). It is not only natural causes of climate change that we should be concerned about, since the ultimate time scale is unimaginable and incalculable. The effect of our own use or abuse of the planet cannot be denied as a factor which feeds into the naturally occurring phenomenon and produces effects which have been scientifically observed and varified: that man-made contributors feed into the greater system that is our physical environment, essentially appearing to 'speed up' what would otherwise be accomplished by natural processes.

It is not sufficient or accurate to claim 'bad science' for something which has been observed and seen to correct itself over the last 30 years due to government regulatory bodies like the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). While I agree that some people will jump on the climate change band wagon without knowing enough about the cause they support, our contributions to polluting the environment can be controlled, and while I can't keep the ocean's currents under wraps or stop a volcano from erupting, I sure can protest the use of CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons as used in aerosols) and British Airways flying empty jet planes across the Atlantic just to avoid losing 'valuable take-off and landing slots at Heathrow Airport' (see http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2007-11-14-ba-phantom-flights_N.htm for more on that).

If anything, let's be more well-informed advocates! I don't want to get sucked into a wayward political agenda. But I know earth science, and I care deeply about the environment and its inhabitants. And if I can help make a difference, even if it's linked in with local train fares and politics, then it's a small step in the right direction and a step away from complacently handing over my responsibility to governmental officials who don't have to care about anything besides ensuring a cozy financial future for themselves and their corporate connections.

Do the research. Be informed. Act wisely.

Peace and Love
Nadia

(see below for a few tid bits, and please don't fly domestically when you can take the train. And don't fly BA! It's NOT all the same. Where you spend your pound makes a difference.)

'The Earth's natural greenhouse effect (involving an increase in the downward energy flux) plays an important role in the regulation of the global climate. Obviously, then, changes in the atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases will modify the natural greenhouse effect, and consequently affect global climate.
Changes in the greenhouse gas content of the atmosphere can occur as a result of both natural and anthropogenic factors, the latter which has received considerable attention in the last 20 years. Mankind, through the burning of fossil fuels, forest clearing and other industrial processes, has increased the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases since the eighteenth century.
Natural changes in greenhouse gas concentrations can occur in numerous ways, most often in response to other primary forcing factors. In this sense, as with ocean circulation changes, such forcing should be more strictly regarded as secondary forcing or feedback.' (from http://www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/Resources/gcc/2-6-5.html)

'The Earth's ozone layer is on track to heal, thanks to the work of dozens of countries that signed a landmark international environmental agreement initiated 20 years ago. Known as the "Montreal Protocol," this ambitious treaty requires countries to phase out production and use of compounds that deplete ozone in the stratosphere. Initially signed by 24 countries Sept.16, 1987 in Montreal, this treaty today covers 191 countries and is widely hailed as the most successful international environmental agreement to date.' (from http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/e51aa292bac25b0b85257359003d925f/9e21bfeaeca4db06852573550061cc37!OpenDocument)