What are the issues in ‘climate change’?

Updated 20 January, 2010

The summary below was written on 22 December, 2009. It is still valid, but beginning 16 January through to the 20 January 2010, I have more thoroughly reviewed the data, the analyses, the issues, the outcomes and the debates. This review is in the main weblog. My earlier doubts have been replaced; action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is critical. The skeptics have many a valid point in disputing the data, and the anthropogenic global warming proponents have presented shoddy results but Earth and its inhabitants will benefit from lessening our negative environmental impact. And in the evolution of our species, we have faced change many times and have improved our life. There are those who protest about the cost and the impact on their lifestyle and have always protested yet they have, overall, benefited from the progress.

Updated 22 December, 2009

• The world climate is getting hotter?
• Aircraft flights are major contributors to the ‘greenhouse’ effect.
• Coal fired power plants are the devil in the mix of emitting activities.
• The polar ice is melting and Pacific Islanders will become climate change refugees.
• We must cut our CO2 emissions drastically to avoid the extinction of ourselves and other species.
• Overpopulation

That we recognise we need a much gentler footprint is readily acknowledged by all. What is also required is co-operative analysis and thinking to replace the violence and malevolence.

Here is my primitive ‘carbon emissions’ table:

Updated 16 December 2009

See 16 December posting on Al Gore’s exaggeration.

And see the 13 December posting for an earlier summary of the issues.

Ken sent me this comment:

World population 6.2B – (4.2B live in Asia Pacific Region and over 1B people have no electricity – sun and dung)

• 80 per cent of the world population live on less then $US10 per day
• 20 per cent of world population have 75 per cent of the wealth
• It follows that the 80 per cent poor have the other 25 per cent of “wealth” and these are the people who will “save” the world from global warming?

Almost 25 per cent of world population has crap water supply – 2/3 of these people are amongst the poorest on the globe and earn less than $2 per day with 1/3 on less than $1 per day – and these are the people who will “save” the world from global warming?

The Aviation Industry is one of the few global Industries to set ambitious carbon reduction targets. The industry aims to have carbon neutral growth by 2020. This means that the effects of expansion of aviation will be offset by carbon reduction strategies. Consider this in the context of growing economies and perhaps 2 or 3 per cent a year move into the air travel affordability bracket? Three per cent of 4.2B in our area is a big number of aircraft. Between now and 2020 the industry aims for 1.5 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions year on year.

And from “List of countries by carbon dioxide emissions per capita”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_dioxide_emissions_per_capita,  which supports Ken’s observations.

Post-Copenhagen, blame for a non-binding treaty has been laid upon China, India, Sudan and Tuvulu which in view of these emissions seems unfair.