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The Global Warming MythYou can?t turn on the TV or pick up a newspaper these days without seeing something about global warming. We?re told that if we leave the TV on standby and don?t use low energy lamps, buy a smaller car and stop flying, the world will end and it will aLet me make it clear, I?m not denying that global warming is happening at the moment. Since creation, the world has had cycles of getting warmer and then cooler. Even during the ice age, when Britain was still connected by land to the rest of Europe, there were periods when it was so warm that creatures like elephants and lions roamed the land. As recently as 1,000 years ago, it was warm enough in the north of England for vineyards to flourish. This is documented in the Doomsday book. As someone who lives in the north of England, that doesn?t seem like a bad thing, actually! But joking aside, what this shows is that the earth has been warmer before, and it hasn?t been the end of the world as the eco doom-mongers like to predict. Global warming will occur whatever we do. The question is whether Man?s current activities will make it unbearably worse. I don?t think we really know the answer to that. The pr What we do know is that Man?s contribution to so-called greenhouse gases is a small fraction of the greenhouse gases that occur naturally in the atmosphere. The proportion of greenhouse gases contributed by Britain is a small fraction of that. And the amount by which we can reduce that contribution if we adopt some quite stringent energy-saving measures is, according to the UK government, 60%. This is not going to stop global warming even if the rest of the world reduces its carbon emissions by the same amount. But as we all know, they won?t. So what?s the point? Developing economies like China, now the factory of the West, are not going to reduce their carbon emissions. Their increase will more than wipe out any reduction Britain makes. Third world countries are not going to halt development and stop trying to raise their living standards just because the first world has developed a conscience about the environment. Do we have a moral right to ask them to do so? I don?t think so. Will we reduce our living standards to their level instead? What do you think? One issue that never seems to be considered when suggesting how energy should be saved is the impact these measures will have on our lives. Are we going to switch off all street lighting (which would lead to an increase in road accidents and crime?) Are we going to ban gas-guzzling luxury cars and 4x4s, instead of just increasing taxes on them (which the users grumble about but still pay up?) Are we going to stop buying out-of season fruit and vegetables flown in from the other side of the world or grown in electrically-heated hot-houses? Are we going to stop flying for business or pleasure, and start using video-conferencing and going on camping vacations? Switching off the TV and using low energy bulbs are measures that won?t hurt too much, but let?s stop kidding ourselves, they won?t make a noticeable difference to the amount of carbon produced either. Returning to pre-industrial levels of energy consumption might have a real impact, but do you want to do that? I certainly don't. If we did adopt stringent measures to try to drastically reduce carbon emissions, what would be the effect on the global economy? Many poor countries are totally dependent on tourism and the export of fruit and vegetables. If we decide to holiday at home and buy only locally-grown produce, these countries will be thrown back into poverty once again. International trade is so well-established that if we reduce consumption, and stop buying goods made in China and elsewhere, we could trigger a global recession. Scientists are always changing their minds. One day, we?re told something is good or bad for you. The next, there?s a report that says the previous advice was wrong. Does it really make sense to adopt policies that will reduce our own standard of living, prevent those in less developed countries from improving theirs, and risk throwing the world into recession, on the strength of unproven theories that might be disproved in a few years time? Global warming is part of an eternal cycle that we are powerless to prevent. Man?s activities may or may not make it a bit worse, but wouldn?t it make more sense to focus on how to deal with the problems that global warming is going to cause, instead of acting like a latter day King Canute, and trying to prevent it? Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com Julian Moss is a director of Tech-Pro.net, an Internet marketing company based in the UK. He also enjoys writing. Visit The Parklands e-zine for more articles. Permalink: http://expert-talk.com/tips/587/the-global-warming-myth-113587.htm Related Tips and Advices
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