Global Warming?

[Dreamwoven]

It seems the gulf stream, with it warmer waters from the Caribbean, may be slowing down by the melting of the ice in Greenland. See this: http://mashable.com/2015/03/24/gulf-stream-slowdown-study-tipping-point. Scandinavia's climate may become like Alaska. This in a way is the opposite of global warming: global cooling. But it could take a couple of centuries before it makes a decisive difference to climates. And if the Gulf Stream does slow down significantly, it will affect all the ocean currents round the world, as these are all part of the same system.

Right now our part of Sweden is not affected, we have had several inches of snow since Christmas. We will just have to see how things develop.

[Dreamwoven]

There is reason to doubt that global warming is taking place at all. But see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_global_warming

[Dreamwoven]

Another way of looking at it is that if the polar ice is melting then the meltwater will act as a means of warming up the oceans. The icd does not just sit on the surface of the sea, most of the ice is under the surface. All surface ice we see has nine-tenths of its ice hidden in the form of gigantic mountains of ice - icebergs. By melting it keeps the oceans cool, at least until has as all melted. How long will it take to melt all the ice in Antarctica and the Arctic Ocean? It must take very long time.

[Dreamwoven]

Yet the land warms up faster than the oceans. In Australia the Great Barrier Reef is made of coral and extends for some 2,400 miles. Yet it is deteriorating from the heat, coral dying. Its one of the wonders of the world: http://www.greatbarrierreef.org/about-the-reef/great-barrier-reef-facts/. For how long I wonder? At the poles it is most evident. Reindeer in Sweden's far north can't graze the vegetation because it is all frozen, before melting.

Despite having a world government the United Nations, the big powerful countries have the veto they can exercise whenever they want, and it is used frequently...

[NikolaiI]

More than 50% of the Great Coral Reef has been bleached . . . coral reefs are important because they are home to many creatures and other life forms.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/apr/10/great-barrier-reef-terminal-stage-australia-scientists-despair-latest-coral-bleaching-data

There's not much that is more important than understanding the seriousness of ecological collapse, and changing before it gets worse.

[Dreamwoven]

Thanks, NikolaiI, it seems much worse when spelled out like that.

[Magnocrat]

The best way to deal with global warming is to take the advice of 'Limits to Growth' and wind down the global obsession with continuous growth. The problem is twofold
many do not believe global warming due to human activity is a fact, and many businesses don't want the expense.

[Dreamwoven]

You have put it in a nutshell, Magnocrat. Limits to growth is all fine and dandy, but there are still many countries that are poor and they won't be interested in stopping ore even slowing down their economic growth. The UN is paralysed by this with large countries like China using their veto to stop world-wide cutbacks.

[Magnocrat]

True but the rich nations citizens have enormous carbon footprints and the wealthier they are the bigger the footprint. I expect you know the joke about the green party representative flying to conferences, the trouble is the truth is often stranger than fiction. So the world's poor are saving us an awful lot of greenhouse gas. Perhaps we need to pay them for such a helpful lifestyle!
The poor nations can point the finger of selfishness at us saying we had our industrialization free of charge.

[Dreamwoven]

True but the rich nations citizens have enormous carbon footprints and the wealthier they are the bigger the footprint. I expect you know the joke about the green party representative flying to conferences, the trouble is the truth is often stranger than fiction. So the world's poor are saving us an awful lot of greenhouse gas. Perhaps we need to pay them for such a helpful lifestyle!
The poor nations can point the finger of selfishness at us saying we had our industrialization free of charge.

Yes, that was really my point. We have industrialised and so now we can afford to wave our moral fingers at poor countries feeling so selfish and wanting to follow in our footsteps!