Brain differences - Liberal vs Conservative

[Yanoda]

Concerning the main topic, I don't think that brain structure or genes are solely responsible for how a person thinks or acts. The environment in which we grew up is the main driving force on our views. Statistically, children who grow up in conservative/liberal family/community will very likely have similar views. Calling each other evil, using insults etc... just worsens the partisanship.

Now, here is my opinion/knowledge on the Global Warming/Climate Change debate.
Global Warming is not the correct scientific term due to the fact that some regions register a decrease in temperatures. Climate Change include other factors such as shifts, variables etc... Global Warming is a sub category of Climate Change, it can be used to describe the average global temperature increase over several decades and explain the greenhouse effect.
To those who say Climate Change is a hoax/lie (or used for fear mongering) are uninformed.
The Climate Change process has been going on the entire history of our home Planet. Disclaiming Climate Change would be like disclaiming Gravity. Geological evidence show that the global climate has undergone strong changes, Earth being covered by ice in the Northern and Southern hemisphere except in the tropics by the equator. The opposite is true that Earth has experienced very warm periods where ice caps did not exist and global average temperatures were at least 5'C higher in the past than today.
CO2 concentration increases in the past 1.5 centuries correlate to the beginning of the industrial revolution. With todays CO2 concentrations at higher levels than the past 600,000 years. Longer than we, as a species, lived on the Earth so far. Concentrations of CO2 also correlate to atmospheric temperatures due to the studies of the absorption spectra of CO2. Yes, H2O has a much bigger absorption spectra but due to the fact that H2O levels have not changed and due to precipitation, water vapor is not a significant factor to the current global average temperature increase. But water vapor does contribute to the initial green house effect (about 60%), enabling the planet to sustain a comfortable temperature for life. CO2 contributes about 20%, while other gases like ozone, nitrous oxide, methane and several other gases contribute the other 20%.
Climate Change also encompasses Climate (Tropical Wet, Semiarid, etc...) shifts, biological effects (migration, deaths, etc...) effects of pollution (acid rain, ground level ozone etc...) material transport (ground, water and atmosphere). It is a very large and difficult subject to fully understand, some subcategories are fairly new concepts (material transport is a fairly young subject ~25 years). With current understanding, it will be difficult to fully understand the full effects of Climate Change but the principles can give us an idea. We know much more than we did 20 years ago and we will know more in the near future.
That doesn't mean we should just wait and do nothing to reduce our effects on the environment because 'we do not fully know the science of it.' Why not work ahead on improving lifestyle and health? The environmental movement in the 70s has lead to the 'Water Pollution Control Act', 'Clean Air Act', Endangered Species Act' etc... improving water quality, regulation of toxic substances, pesticides, ocean dumping and more. Increasing the quality of drinking water and living environment.

Just my 2 cents.

Cheers

Yanoda

[Corpse]

Concentrations of CO2 also correlate to atmospheric temperatures due to the studies of the absorption spectra of CO2.

Yeah. UV/visible light from the Sun --> Earth. CO2 doesn't absorb such high frequency radiation so it passes through the atmosphere unabsorbed. The Earth then absorbs that radiation and is caused to re-emit its own in the form of infrared. When this travels outwards towards space again, some of it is absorbed by CO2 molecules. This increases the vibrational energy of their bonds, which is translated into an increase in kinetic energy (which is what temperature measures). The CO2 molecules may also be induced to re-emit their own infrared radiation in all directions, which would decrease the loss of it to space if some is redirected back at the Earth.

With this taken into account, I don't see how people can deny that an increase in atmospheric CO2 concentrations will lead to an increase in atmospheric temperatures. Increased CO2 concentration = increased absorption = increased temperatures.

[Yanoda]

Yeah. UV/visible light from the Sun --> Earth. CO2 doesn't absorb such high frequency radiation so it passes through the atmosphere unabsorbed. The Earth then absorbs that radiation and is caused to re-emit its own in the form of infrared. When this travels outwards towards space again, some of it is absorbed by CO2 molecules. This increases the vibrational energy of their bonds, which is translated into an increase in kinetic energy (which is what temperature measures). The CO2 molecules may also be induced to re-emit their own infrared radiation in all directions, which would decrease the loss of it to space if some is redirected back at the Earth.

With this taken into account, I don't see how people can deny that an increase in atmospheric CO2 concentrations will lead to an increase in atmospheric temperatures. Increased CO2 concentration = increased absorption = increased temperatures.

Thank you Corpse for giving the more detailed explanation of the spectra and IR absorption phenomenon.

Cheers

Yanoda

[MATTHEW'S_DAD]

Yanny is a scientist.

[Yanoda]

Yanny is a scientist.

I am currently studying Environmental Science, focusing on the physics of the atmosphere, material transport and meteorology (with some astronomy), I was also interested in the geological processes & history before I moved on to major Environmental Science. Then planning on a Master Degree.
No, I'm not a 'Green' fanatic as some (friends/family) already assumed Just interested in the subject and hope to get a better understanding about it.

Cheers

Yanoda

[mrjamwin]

there is probably 0% chance anyone's mind is going to be changed in this thread.

You said it Matt, it's pointless and that's why I would never debate anything like this with American Conservatives. They simply don't like any idea, proposal or law that might in some why change their life style even in the smallest way. And solely relay on a blame culture, if it's not a liberal it's anther bogey man that's out to get them.

Saywer your own hyporcrisy is evident. You could never debate anything with an American Consverative because you couldn't answer the factual truths to a debate and would rely totally on emotion. I'm sorry Matt, but not all peers in the scientifice communtiy agree only those peers who want to believe in global warming because with faking it. These scientist would never have a paycheck and I'm not going to spend my time using Wikipedia which is not a true factual based informative website. You still didn't answer the question though as to why you still base on all your decision on fear?

[NiteRunner81]

Are you kidding me with this global warming hogwash???? Its April 17 and we're expecting SNOW.... This last summer was barely warm enough for my mom's farm ... lost a hella lotta crops... which meant less food to go around for our family because my mom cans her veggies, makes her own salsa. The mass amount of rain last year also prevented our cattle from feeding on farmland which meant they had artificial means of nutrition which doesn't fatten them up enough for butchering. My mom only buys beef from stores when it comes to holiday prime ribs.

And don't get me started on this Organic nonsense as well. I'm proud that my mom gardens without the use of chemicals, however, is a little "safer soap" to kill aphids really gonna hurt you??? I think not!!

I do participate in a little "green" living, but without the plastic sacks from grocery stores what am I gonna use to line the waste-basket I throw my son's feces filled diapers in?

[burzerker]

If you look at the so called UN group on climate change you can see that the "scientists" that are involved in it for the most part aren't even climate scientists. Try looking at what Richard Lintzen has to say on the subject, his credentials are hard to argue with, unlike the guy that headed the UN panel (from India I believe) who has NO background at all. CO2 is a following factor of temperature increases, not a cause. As the temp rises more CO2 is emmited from natural sources, nothing to do with what little we humans add to it. It accounts for .03% of the atmosphere, to lower that a tiny fraction would require us to live like cavemen. Everytime a volcano erupts there is more carbon emmitted than is put out by a country in a year.

As for controlling our lives thru government intervention I'm sure you are totally against the government stopping abortions, or anti-homosexual laws, how about we put some stronger laws against those activiities and see how much you scream about that. When you start to control the tiniest details of our lives like what kind of damn lightbulb we're allowed to use (especially when the replacement is toxic and generally sucks) then it is going way too far. They are already trying to get people into these "smart-meters" which is going to allow them to control what temperature you keep your house at. What else are they going to try to help us control since we are too stupid to do it ourselves? I'm sure sitting in front of hte computer is bad for us so we'd better limit internet usage, too much TV as well, oh how about banning sugary drinks and fatty/salty snacks or just tax the crap out of them. I also find it funny how smoking is so evil, yet they want to legalize pot. If you like the government being in cotrol of your everyday life then try moving to north korea, I'm sure Kim Jong Il would be happy to control your daily life, from what I can see his subjects just love him for it.

[burzerker]

Oh ya another thing, peer reviews are pointless, they are a little circle-jerk of liberals that refuse to look at anything that disagrees with their points. And as for the money, PLEEEAAASSE!! there is WAYYYY more money doled out to the supporters of global warming nonsese than to the opponents.

[Corpse]