2009/12/15 Tim Starling tstarling@wikimedia.org:
Aryeh Gregor wrote:
In contrast, by emitting carbon dioxide, you're contributing to an effect that won't be a big deal for at least a few more decades.
It's a big deal already, and by the time it becomes an even bigger deal, it will be too late to act. The global climate takes decades to respond to changes in forcing factors. Even if we stopped all greenhouse gas emissions now, the earth would continue to warm for decades because the heat capacity of the ocean slows down the lower atmosphere's response to increased radiation.
I commend to you all John Birmingham's take:
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/blogs/blunt-instrument/the-sky-is-falling--...
(huh, so Blunt Instrument runs nationally? Good stuff!)
- d.