Statement by NASA's top Administrator on NPR this morning.

[bassjones]

"I have no doubt that a trend of global warming exists," Griffin told Inskeep. "I am not sure that it is fair to say that it is a problem we must wrestle with."

"To assume that it is a problem is to assume that the state of Earth's climate today is the optimal climate, the best climate that we could have or ever have had and that we need to take steps to make sure that it doesn't change," Griffin said. "I guess I would ask which human beings — where and when — are to be accorded the privilege of deciding that this particular climate that we have right here today, right now is the best climate for all other human beings. I think that's a rather arrogant position for people to take."

[WBOB]

"I guess I would ask which human beings — where and when — are to be accorded the privilege of deciding that this particular climate that we have right here today, right now is the best climate for all other human beings

Well, that'd have to be Nancy.

[MrSpall]

I'll grant you that I'm not sure global warming is a big, life-threatening issue right now. There are actually MANY other issues that ought to take priority over it.

However, I'm gonna have to disagree with the idea that by hoping to end global warming, we are asserting that today's climate is the correct and best climate for all human beings. At no point has any environmentalist that I've heard ever said this. Most of them seem to think the environment was at it's peak sometime right before the industrial revolution (a whole other problem I'm not quite ready to deal with yet). The fact is that if global warming increases dramatically (which it hasn't yet done), the ice caps could be in danger of melting.

Whether or not it's the best 'climate', I do think the world (and humanity as a whole) is better off if 2/3s of the population isn't underwater.

[bassjones]

2/3 of the world under water sounds like an algore claim, not a scientific estimate.

[Oliver's Army]

...meanwhile we continue to spew noxious crap into our world.



"Is it getting warmer?"

"Not sure. It is getting deeper though"

[Morphine Child]

Whether or not it's the best 'climate', I do think the world (and humanity as a whole) is better off if 2/3s of the population isn't underwater.

2/3 = likely overestimate. Millions of people's settled ground underwater? Yeah, probably. Things change on earth, and mother nature could give a damn how it affects us. 200 million years ago we had Pangaea with all the continents as one (unless you don't believe in continental drift or that Africa appears to plug in to Asia like a puzzle piece...in which case, you're a fool). We also had land bridges connecting some of the continents, hence, the Natives of our own country.

So let's say, hypothetically of course, that humans existed 200 million years ago with the science to predict Pangaea. Everyone would be freaking out! "Oh my god! The continents are going to break apart and things are going to be different!" Yeah, that's very true. And 200 million years ago they would have adjusted to that natural event. Now, there is a chance that the polar ice caps may be melting and the sea levels will rise and take under a lot of land. (I don't know either way, and it's not the point). So what are we going to do? People will move inwards to higher land. Yeah, it sucks that NYC and other major cities will/could be underwater. I'm sure it's happened before in human history, and it wasn't the end of mankind. The end of a city, yes, but not the end of the world.

Nature will never adapt to humans. We will have to continue to adapt to nature. Whether it's warmer, colder or some of our land goes underwater we'll adapt in some way. And if it's too extreme for us to adapt we'll suffer the same fate of many a species before us, and we'll perish. Nature and the earth won't care either way.

[bassjones]

I think we're experiencing a climate shift, and more scientists seem to be backing that idea. While the ice in the Northern hemisphere appears to be shrinking, the ice in the Southern hemisphere is increasing (Antartica). While some areas are warmer than they have been, other areas are experiencing cooler temperatures than ever before.

[WBOB]

There is also a recent documented increase in solar activity
that just may be part of the real reason
for temp change(s).

(ob)noxious output into the atmosphere
(ie: China, India,... and most of the rest of the Pacific
Rim Countries) may not necessarily factor into this.

No wait! Kyoto fixed that.