Climate Change
Thursday, 15. October 2009, 01:57:31
I don't think anyone is denying the fact of climate change, the issue has always been the impact humans have on effecting climate change. At the same time, it must be conceded that human beings have had a profound impact on the planet - building cities and damming rivers, farming the land and either introducing non-indigenous animals or significantly increasing the numbers of animals in a given area, and of course, pollution.
The debate around climate change, as far as I see it, centres on the connection between these two givens. It is easy to jump to the conclusion that they are linked, but logic dictates that we do not leap to such conclusions: if A and if B, it does not necessarily follow that A caused B.
Climate change in South East Australia, where I live, has taken the form of severe drought for over a decade, and a recent article caught my eyes. The article (link here) suggests that "SCIENTISTS studying Victoria's crippling drought have, for the first time, proved the link between rising levels of greenhouse gases and the state's dramatic decline in rainfall."
It seems the science is supporting that (not entirely) common sense view that humanity cannot have such a profound impact on the surface and atmosphere of the earth without affecting interconnected systems such as climate.
www.blogactionday.org
The debate around climate change, as far as I see it, centres on the connection between these two givens. It is easy to jump to the conclusion that they are linked, but logic dictates that we do not leap to such conclusions: if A and if B, it does not necessarily follow that A caused B.
Climate change in South East Australia, where I live, has taken the form of severe drought for over a decade, and a recent article caught my eyes. The article (link here) suggests that "SCIENTISTS studying Victoria's crippling drought have, for the first time, proved the link between rising levels of greenhouse gases and the state's dramatic decline in rainfall."
It seems the science is supporting that (not entirely) common sense view that humanity cannot have such a profound impact on the surface and atmosphere of the earth without affecting interconnected systems such as climate.
www.blogactionday.org
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