Global Warming
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A forum member writes: The earths climate is changing – the average temperature measured on the earth is rising. The consensus of the peer-reviewed literature regarding the primary driver of this effect is the accumulation of (primarily) carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The source of the carbon dioxide is primarily the human initiated burning of fossil fuel. The higher concentration of carbon dioxide is changing the earths heat transfer balance so that more heat is retained than radiated, compared to lower levels of carbon dioxide. This effect can be readily demonstrated by the action of a greenhouse. Thus, the Greenhouse Effect.
The result is, that since human societies have been developed, particularly over the last century, based on a particular climate, those societies will have to adjust to a changing climate. This adjustment will be traumatic for many: lives will be lost, economies altered, etc.
I agree that this issue is contentious, and there are doomsayers on one side and deniers on the other. So what. The data shows that the climate is changing. You can accept this or not. You can accept the explanation for this or not. Me, I accept the fact of global climate change. The signs are there, and I am adjusting my future plans accordingly, in particular my investment strategy. I plan to survive and thrive, no matter what happens.
The issue is that global climate change is what is known in systems thinking as a Tragedy of the Commons: the misuse of shared resource is reinforced because individuals use more of the resource for personal gain. It may be too late, but the trade-offs are clear. We can either invest in changing our behavior now, or we can invest in sea walls for New York City to keep out an Atlantic Ocean that is suddenly 7 meters higher.
The question of global warming is one that seems immune