Global Warming

Do people cause Global Warming?

The % I have seen of humans contribution to CO2 emissions is between 3-5%

Here is what I mean and a reference to one of the studies-
"Carbon dioxide is referred to as a "greenhouse" gas because, together with water vapour, methane, nitrous oxides and ozone, it has the effect of absorbing, and then re-emitting, Earth's spacebound infra-red radiation, thereby producing atmospheric warming. The combined effect of these greenhouse gases is to warm Earth's atmosphere by about 33 degrees, from a chilly -18 degrees in their absence to a pleasant +15 degrees in their presence. 95% (31.35 degrees) of this warming is produced by water vapour, which is far and away the most important greenhouse gas. The other trace gases contribute 5% (1.65 degrees) of the greenhouse warming, amongst which carbon dioxide corresponds to 3.65% (1.19 degrees). The human-caused contribution corresponds to about 3% of the total carbon dioxide in the present atmosphere, the great majority of which is derived from natural sources. Therefore, the probable effect of human-injected carbon dioxide is a miniscule 0.12% of the greenhouse warming, that is a temperature rise of 0.036 degrees. Put another way, 99.88% of the greenhouse effect has nothing to do with carbon dioxide emissions from human activity8." Houghton, J.T. et al. 2001 Climate Change 2001: the Scientific Basis.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change, Working Group 3, Third Assessment
Report, Cambridge University Press, 881 pp.

The biggest contributor to global carbon emissions is actually the ocean.

Also since 98 or so there has actually been a global cooling not a warming - here is jsut an article about it
http://acuf.org/issues/issue62/060624cul.asp
Note what the scientist says here
"Bob Carter, a paleoclimatologist from Australia, notes that the earth also had strong global warming between 1918 and 1940. Then there was a long cooling period from 1940 to 1965. He points out that the current warming started 50 years before cars and industries began spewing consequential amounts of CO2. Then the planet cooled for 35 years just after the CO2 levels really began to surge. In fact, says Carter, there doesn’t seem to be much correlation between temperatures and man-made CO2."

So Global warming has very little if nothing to do with humans Co2 emissions. Does this mean we shouldn't limit it? I do think we should limit it just to keep our air quality better. Air Quality does not equal global warming, but does mean it would be easier for asthmatics to breathe in congested areas . How we should limit it is debatable. I am all for more fuel efficient cars. And would rather be less dependent on forgien products for enegry so we could control the emissions better. Though this may mean drilling in ANWAR and oil riggs off the coast till we get hydro/wind and solar power more economically feasible. I am all for it. We won't be putting the environmentally consciousness onto 3rd world or developing countries. We would take it on ourselves, and could control it better. Developed countries have more reason and means to be environmentally friendly than developing countries.
I am also for making hwys larger, so less congestion it is the sitting in traffic that produces the most. So if the car isn't sitting at idle then less emissions.

As for mass transit I don't necessarily agree or disagree with it but it should be after the aforementioned changes. In my area mass transit is a joke, they spend tons of money with little return. In fact the building of it - energy used to manufacturer the product, build it, and blocking the traffic causing more emissions may have actually been a very poor choice and more detrimental to the environment. As now people that are in cars are taking longer to get to work, so that is more emissions that the mass transit is actually causing to be added to the environment.

I do agree in personally limiting my environmental impact. By recycling, buying recycled, or used and less packaged. Limit driving during rush hours when going into the city etc. Limit energy usage in my home, not only a monetary benefit but limits the impact of producers of the energy. I do plan when I build my own home to be off-grid, but not because of the worry of global warming but to be self-sufficient and it is cost efficient.

If you want to read something interesting read about Al Gore's home and energy usage versus George Bush's Texas ranch.

Al Gore
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion...re-green_x.htm

George Bush
http://www.off-grid.net/index.php?p=680#more-680

From truth busting websites
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors...ush-houses.htm
http://www.snopes.com/politics/bush/house.asp