This reminds me of a meeting that took place several years ago, of "experts" who debated what could be done if a super massive asteroid/meterorite was found heading straight for earth, threatening instant annihilation of all life. These "experts" concluded that nothing could be done since the only practical solutions would cost too much money. To save the economy, they reasoned, we would all (all 7+ billions of us + all other life forms) have to perish, in other words....Here I refer to Catfish above and his post about our inability to think very far ahead. It appears to me this debate is going down the same path.
Give Me Convenience Or Give Me Death was the title of an album released in the 80's. Sound track of this debate it seems to me.
Catfish is also correct in that climate change is not about whether it will snow this year. It's about long term trends. It's about the frequency and severity of extreme weather over a time frame of decades or more. It is also about scientists not wanting to see the temperature reaching that unknown threshold of no return where Earth will go down the same path Venus did.
As for humans effecting Earth, just look at the ozone layer. There were big holes up there then in the 1980's there was the Montreal Protocol. Now the ozone layer is healthier than ever. We absolutely can make a difference.
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