Not a big believer in the hype of Friday the 13th, and I hate horror movies, so haven't seen the ones with that name. I want to talk about Iran, but ran out of time today, so I'll try to hit it Monday. In the meantime, enjoy a cartoon, and a link about the global warming of Northern Forests. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,265607,00.htmlFriday, April 13, 2007
Friday the 13th!!!!
Not a big believer in the hype of Friday the 13th, and I hate horror movies, so haven't seen the ones with that name. I want to talk about Iran, but ran out of time today, so I'll try to hit it Monday. In the meantime, enjoy a cartoon, and a link about the global warming of Northern Forests. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,265607,00.html
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7 comments:
I didn't understand the aim of the article you linked. It's been my prior understanding that conservatives believe that there is not enough evidence for anthropogenic warming, but it seems in this article that the writer is admitting the facts about global warming, but is instead attacking people who are trying to make money out of it? Am I right? If so, it's a truthful article and a shame that there are opportunists who are getting it wrong left and right with stuff like this.
It's also ironic, that such a cartoon was used to denounce Iran's human rights record when the US has Guantanamo bay...
I think the whole global warming thing needs a lot more research, not either side coming out and saying "this is conclusive". Especially with Al Gore's awful distortions in his movie, and those who claim that it’s a scientific fact. The real fact is that the jury is still out, with studies that would seem to support it and deny it.
And I'm sorry, but the prisoner's rights at Guantanamo Bay are not being abused. Unfortunately, we go way out of our way to make sure they are treated well. They are treated better than US citizens in US prisons and jails. There is no comparison between the US treatment of those prisoners and even Iran’s treatment of its own citizens, much less the British Marines/Sailors they took hostage in Iraqi waters.
Now, Now, Children....When you don't have anything good to say, you shouldn't say ANYTHING at all!
But the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay are being held indefinitely with no clear legal rights. Aren't they?
And as for global warming, perhaps you could be clearer, are you referring to whether or not the globe is warming, or whether or not there are anthropogenic influences. Regardless of the source of the warming, would you agree that there is evidence that the world is warming?
The prisoner's are being held indefinately because we haven't figured out what to do with them as a nation and because the confict isn't over yet. Take WW2 for example, we took prisoner's and held them until the end of the conflict. Then normal combatants were released to go home, those combatants that had committed war crimes were tried in a court. However, with these combatants since they don't fight for a nation but rather an ideology, we don't have a clear system in place for dealing with them. We certainly can't release them right now, but we also need to figure out what we will do with them. This doesn't violate their rights in any way because if they were fighting for a nation they would still be held until the end of the conflict. Also, the Gitmo detainees are of the variety that will require a war tribunal of some sort to decide their fate. And the ambiguity in their legal status lies in the way they chose to make war not our failings as a nation.
Global warming, you know at the turn of the century (1900) all the scientists were worried about global cooling. I'm not a genius when it comes to the science of this, but I do know that the geniuses of this science don't agree about global warming. Whether it comes from natural or man-made sources, or whether its happening at all. What I do know is that researchers need funding. How do you get funding? By having an important project. What's more important than the whole earth being destroyed by man-made global warming?! Also, I do know that the world goes through regular climatalogical changes that have nothing to do with man's influence. Take the mini ice age in the time of Napolean for example. Ultimately, I think the jury is still out on the whole subject and I personally tend to write off global warming as hysteria and junk science until they really can prove it.
OK, so you are naturally assuming that the prisoners in Gitmo are guilty. I mean, if you say "the ambiguity in their legal status lies in the way they chose to make war" then you are saying they are automatically terrorists. Are they? If so, how do you know? You can't until you've legally presented the evidence to a 12-strong jury.
Also, it seems that your issue with global warming is that its an illusionary issue that is created by scientists in order to get money and keep their job. My issue with conservative attitudes on global warming is that it seems like that they all want to hang on to their gas-guzzling SUVs and the value of their shares in companies like Exxon-Mobile...but then again, I'm prejudiced.
Well, I'm offended you believe there is such a thing as junk science. Granted, there is research that seems useless, tells us what we already know, or is abstract at best. There is even a journal for publishing clinical research that was unsuccessful. But the point of all this is that it adds up. Science is literally our interpretation of our world around us, and every little thing we do adds up. The only case where science could be considered junk, is when it isn't science, such as the recent stem cell debacle in S. Korea. The data was fabricated, it wasn't even science in the first place.
In the case of global warming, where science dictates that better controls must be used to get a clearer picture, since the 1980s researchers have been able to get a clearer picture with more data and more controlled statistical analysis. Yes, it is still a complex issue, whatever the results, and it is not right for alarmists to try to capitalize on the tentative conclusions that people are reaching. But consider this, as my perspective:
It is indisputable that there are gases which store heat. In a well-controlled environment that represents a greenhouse, increasing the concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane will increase the rate at which the 'greenhouse' warms up. This is actually chemistry, not junk science.
Moving on, lets say that the industrial development of the human race has led to an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but, hypothetically, that carbon dioxide has no effect on the weather, temperature and wildlife of the planet. So, as nations, we continue to develop and grow, rapidly in the case of places like India and China, and continue to produce carbon dioxide. Do you believe that this net output of carbon dioxide by the human species will never, ever have an effect on the planet? Lets say we spend the next 100 years not worrying about it, but then we find that we've reached a point where it does have an effect. How are we going to know? Why, through science of course.
Despite the hysteria surrounding the issue, the really good thing about global warming is that we now understand our planet better. I believe thats a good thing.
I never said they were terrorists, they are however illegal combatants, that can be determined without a jury by their methods, lack of uniform, etc; the way they chose to fight. They should be held there because they are combatants. They were caught fighting and in with other various offenses. Again the problem with a jury is that there have been no procedures developed for dealing with such a case yet.
My issue with global warming has nothing to do with my non-existent shares in any oil company. I think conservatives are often labeled as non-caring when it comes to the environment, that is not true. Rather we tend to be conservationists rather than environmentalists. And yes, I do have an SUV, but am looking forward to the introduction of hybrid models.
As for junk science, I think you hit the nail right on the head. Its farcical data cloaked in a scientific wrapping. Unfortunately, I think there is a lot more of it out there. I'm not familiar with the S. Korea stem cell issue.
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