[i]Never mind what you’ve heard about global warming as a slow-motion emergency that would take decades to play out. Suddenly and unexpectedly, the crisis is upon us.
From heat waves to storms to floods to fires to massive glacial melts, the global climate seems to be crashing around us.[/i]
discuss!
It isn’t sudden to the scientists who have been studying this for some time now.
It may be sudden to many folks who have had their head in the sand all the while.
I don’t see it as “sudden,” global warming has been going on for a very very long time. However, the possible consequences we could be facing very soon is what is surprising, and a little scary if you think about it.
It is extremely frightening.
At conferences that I have attended that address the climate change issues, the general feeling is overwhelmingly bleak.
Have you seen that one movie, The Day After Yesterday, or The Day Before Tomorrow, or something like that, where the world becomes all frozen because of a “major climatic shift”?
Thats a cool movie.
I’ve seen that movie!! yeah my sister is really enviromentle so that sort of gets passed on to me 
and aparently the average earth tempature at the last iceage is just 5 degrees C below what it is now! imagine what another 5 degrees could do?
Well if this graph is accurate, it appears that the average temperature is lower now than in the past. Note that present day is on the left side of the graph. I know nothing about the accuracy of the graph, but I did find it interesting.
I have felt for a long time that the idea of global warming is a load of crap that enviros try to feed us. I agree that we should be conscious of what we use and waste, and we should conserve what we have, but for me that’s more of just a moral or ethical issue than out of necessity for “saving the earth”. I absolutely don’t buy into this “global warming” crap. Fluctuations are gonna happen, we happen to be on the upward slope of it, get used to it.
I’ve never bought into global warming either…I am into conserving what can be conserved, and not being wasteful, however the world’s temperatures have been fluctuating for forever…now we’re just advanced enough to notice and care
It is not global warming so much as anthropogenically caused warming. That is worrisome. We have shifted the location of carbon, from underground stores to atmospheric which is affecting global temperatures, and that in turn is causing changes. Will the world end… no, but as a complex system, we will just shift into a new dynamic equilibrium, one that many find distasteful, and or problematic
I love talking about the global warming issue, especially when the weather out side is so nice.
The world as we know it will end in 2060. That’s what Isaac Newton said. 
I haven’t the time or patiance to read all that. will somone give me the just of it:D
Other than modern science, Newton devoted much time to studying theology. Within theology is a branch called ‘eschatology’ which is the study of the Second Coming of Christ. So, Newton used his eschatological interpretation of prophetic passages from the Bible to add up to the year of Christ’s return, and 2060 is that year.
Global warming…I’m ready, I believe my ark will be big enough to hold two of everything… well except boys of course…coz, what good are they… they just borrow your uni and bend the wheel…
Here’s some more fuel for the fire:
I think it’s a shame that people like me give listening to Simpsons voices (*) a higher priority to learning about these issues. I’ll get around to reading it soon enough…when work is a little less busy. I am interested.
[I]
Andrew
See…Told you build boats and quick!
I’ve heard that an effect known as global cooling is counteracting the effects of global warming but I can’t remember exactly where from (maybe Radio 4?) and I am prioritising warming up a cheese scone over doing the research just now.
I guess I’ll respond in the off-chance you are not a 13 yr old etc. Looking at the far left of the graph, you will see an arrow that says 2004. So you are quite incorrect in your interpretation, we are now warmer than we have been in 11000+ years, i.e. since the last glaciation. Moreover, if you were to expand the scale for the last 100 years you would see an unmistakable, increasing trend. Yes, flucuations happen, but when the trend is in only one direction and is as rapid as it is, there is a problem. These changes are happening faster than the ecosystem’s ability to adapt (to say nothing of OUR ability to adapt). This will cause huge economic and political changes for US, the earth will be fine. As for the term “enviros”, is that supposed to be some sort of slur? Not very moral, ethical or mature.
You’re right, I misread the graph, my bad.