Hello, did anyone else catch “The Great Global Warming Swindle” aired on Channel 4 on thurs (here’s a link…)

http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/G/great_global_warming_swindle/index.html

The basic premise was that the earth is heating up because of natural temperature variation, that it is happening without humanity’s help and that much of the hype is scare mongering by governments and environmental bodies who have a vested interest in keeping us all paranoid and in stifling the development of third world countries by not letting them use their natural resources for fear of increased carbon emissions. It suggested that CO2 levels in the atmosphere follow temperature rise not the other way around, that the biggest source of CO2 emissions are the oceans, and that human CO2 emissions are, excuse the pun, nothing more than a drop in the ‘atmospheric’ ocean. Therefore, we should stop feeling guity about our carbon footprints, get on with enjoying our ever sunnier planet and help rather than hinder economic development in the developing world. I'm interested to hear what you all thought...

I agree with everything apart from the final suggestions. I still think we should try to reduce or emissions, in particular the US and China. And more importantly prevent further destruction of the rainforest! That's so hypocritical, no newspaper talks about it although a direct connection with our world climate and temperature changes exists. If the rainforest is gone, we will all feel the irreversible consequences.

Anyway, the whole climate change debate in general is completely articical and over-hyped. Like some politicians now discussing rules and regulations for using private cars and stuff. We live in a period of increasing temperature, but this process started 10,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age and is completely NATURAL.

Again, we see how our minds get manipulated - like the whole bird flu exaggeration one year ago. Did we all die because medication ran out. NO

The producers managed to locate the tiny minority of scientists that are still refusing to open their eyes and give them a platform on which to spout their nonsense - big deal. In a democracy, every loony has the right to free speech.

We can all see global warming (evidence in my own garden - flora and fauna, as well as only having had to scrape ice off my windscreen ONCE this 'winter'). My vote's with the 90-something percent of scientists.

We don't own this world OR ANY PART OF IT - we're just visiting. As a custodian, I'm looking after the bit I'm temporarily occupying so my grandkids can enjoy it too.

BTW Otto - when responding, remember that we made friends

Insomniac, I remember that we are friends now. I didn't really understand what you were saying though but maybe that's because it's 4am in the morning..

I didn't see the programme but I'm not convinced that humans are the sole cause of global warming ( though I expect we're not helping). Global temperatures have been fluctuating since the earth began. It always makes me smile when weather reporters gloomily tell us that this or that is the hottest/wettest/coldest season "since records began". Since records only go back 150 years, that's not really impressive.

Well, we did use have to have extensive vineyards in this country 600 or so years ago. But then again, there was the mini ice age where the Thames would freeze over every winter.

Although the trend is upwards (given that we are still emerging from the last ice age), fluctuations are quite normal (like share prices).

Meteorological records may only go back say 150 years but we can use dating, tree rings and lichonometry to track historical tempearture changes. However, the RATE of increase in global over the last century and particularly in the last 30 years is unprecented.

Is it due to mankind? We don't know for sure. However, what we do know is that we are extremely wasteful and treat our planet very badly. Whatever your view on global warming, we have to treat our planet much better.

I agree with you there, Sylvster. Even if it we are not responsible for global warming, we're still crapping on the world in a lot of other ways. I can still get mad when I hear Bush's stupid bloody gob saying "The American way of life is non-negotiable."

... at Bush

We need an icon for pulling a mooney

I've been saying this for ages and Jeremy Clarkson agrees with me true so I must be right. The Earth will always moderate its own temperature/climate. It goes in cycles and we are due another ice age. We should all try to be more enviromentally friendly becuase it just makes sense but we should also be planning how best to survive the next ice age becuase there is nothing we can do to stop it.