I'm both reasonable & skeptical about climate change. I'm sure there are great facts & websites both supporting and refuting climate change.
What I really want to know is.....CAN we make a change?
1. We've had electric/hybrid cars out there for years, but has it made a dent?.
2. Manufacturers (of most everything/anything it seems) have developed more effecient, less polluting ways to make products, but it's still not enough
3. We push solar as a way of powering our homes, but it doesn't seem to have made a dent.

Is it the increase in new coal plants in China that's cancelling out the good 'ol USA's efforts? Why is it when steps are taken to reduce one's carbon footprint, it's never enough? Why hasn't the climate stopped warming? I'm sure some smartypants online will let us know.
My point is while I'm OK with doing my part (the reasonable side of me), I wonder why all the steps "we've" doesn't seem to make a dent in reversing the climate trend (the skeptical side of me).
Global warmers want more, more, more done. But will it reverse things or do they just want ppl to be good stewards of the environment?
"Anti warmers" are many times accused of being greedy,selfish and anti earth/environment. But many are looking for the proof that a change in their behavior would result in a reversal of climate.

If only the solution were as easy as driving a few electric cars and a few solar panels. I bought an outdoor clothes drying line, butcarbon dioxide levels are still rising. Unfortunately, greenhouse gas levels rise quickly and fall slowly. Even if the whole world stopped burning fossil fuels overnight, it would take more than 50 years to cool the planet in any significant way. To make it worse, the third world is catching up with the first world in standard of living, and these people want to buy cars and use more electricity for TVs and fridges and washing machines. This overturns any gains we make in cutting emissions. I was disappointed to learn the other day that the Chinese are buying gas-driven cars rather than fuel cell and electric ones, and the bigger the better. (Didn't Hummer get bought up by China?).

I'm pessimistic there's much the US can do to cut greenhouse gases when the measures are unpopular and politicians are just looking toward the next election for votes. Are humans simply not far-thinking enough to do what's necessary to keep the planet inhabitable for future generations?

One last thing: we have to stop using fossil fuels that give out carbon dioxide, but there's hope. If Arizona and Libya gave up most of their land for solar farms, they could supply clean, remewable energy for the whole of North America and Europe.

Very apt illustration, Karen. It makes the point.

Don't want to waste my time , even just discussing a stupid no sense issue

Interesting observation, Karin. I and most Americans agree with you. I suspect what confuses some people is the use of the term "global warming" as opposed to "climate change." A recent (3/11) Gallup poll found Americans (accurately) believe global warming is due more to human activities than natural changes by 52% to 43%, up from 50 to 46 last year. Only 36% of Republicans acknowledge this. Thank heavens, there seems to be a growing firewall against anti-science ignorance (or stupidity.)

Mr. Altadena, you won’t get an argument from me. Leaving something as huge as global warming to a small and voluntary change in personal habits won’t make a lick of difference.

I don’t believe carrying a canvas bag to Trader Joe’s will make one iota of difference, any more than I believe a few hybrid cars will turn the huge tide of unexpected weather-related disasters heading in our direction.

Willy-nilly, well-intentioned responses can be as dangerous as doing nothing. Witness the environmental mess we’re making by believing corn should be directed to vehicle rather than people fuel.

If we don’t gather all the best and brightest from all areas of the globe to give us the lay of the land and sea – where we are now, what we can expect in the short-term, and long-term, and international cooperation for an over-arching strategy -- I think we’re sunk.

And to this point, it is worse than irresponsible for some members of the media to claim either that there is no clear and present danger, or that if there is, there is absolutely nothing we can do about it.

There's an effect of climate change that we're seeing it already - erratic weather patterns, more extreme. The costs of all the natural disasters will affect a country's economy. The hurricanes, floods, and droughts of the past few years are just the beginning. OK, so humans will survive, but our lifestyles will not, and there may be food shortages, fighting over water, and unrest. The drought in Russia that decimated the wheat harvest last year had quite an impact on food prices in Europe.

I can recommend something to read that's not complicated, but I'm sure most skeptics won't want to make the effort. I hope someone surprises me.

http://www.withouthotair.com/

Read from the bottom of page 5, about Climate Change. Many of the figures are from the UK, but the arguments apply to the US as well. The author was a grad student at Caltech.

Here's a good quote from the book:
"Climate modelling is difficult and is dogged by uncertainties. But un-
certainty about exactly how the climate will respond to extra greenhouse
gases is no justification for inaction. If you were riding a fast-moving mo-
torcycle in fog near a cliff-edge, and you didn’t have a good map of the
cliff, would the lack of a map justify not slowing the bike down?"

mister altadena, look at the article in AltadenaPatch concerning the exotic mosquitos that are vectors for dengue fever. This is just one indicator and just one consequence of global warming as these mosquitos and dengue fever were previously confined to the tropical areas of the world.

I moved to Los Angeles in 1988. It was two weeks before I realized I had a view of the mountains outside my bedroom window.
Since 1988, California has instituted some strong anti-air pollution legislature. California has been a leader in that area.
Now I can see the mountains almost every day.
Yes, we can make a difference. We won't see it in twenty minutes but we might see it in twenty years. It took a whole lot longer than that to create the problem.

Wise or not, I think we are astoundingly adept at ignoring the obvious. It's called denial.

mister altadena, do your research and stop trying to argue with people. The facts are all out there on the internet. And let your conscience be your guide about what you should do.

I love how your rendezvous with the rattle snake became a lesson about larger environmental challenges. Nature is a great teacher, if we'd only watch and listen.

One day, we'll all be forced to make changes. Or rather, we'll be forced to react to changes outside of our control. The exact consequences and the exact timing can't be precisely predicted. It may take a few generations, but the trend is clear. I don't know what we can do about it, but if I had kids I'd certainly be working to figure out.

If women would only react to the other snakes in their lives just as promptly as you did to this particular species.