Ok, so this may or may not fit in the hot top forum, so anyone feel free to move it... It is just a reply I made to someone on another forum who referenced several articles against global warming. sorry, but its a bit long...
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The first few links are about the authors of the first three articles. The last two are articles about global warming.


http://www.realclimate.org/index.php...4/gray-on-agw/

http://timlambert.org/category/science/bobcarter/

http://www.realclimate.org/index.php?p=222

http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/

http://www.nrdc.org/globalWarming/depth.asp

In reality, either side can say as much as they want to about whether or not global warming exists. They can throw out a lot of scientific jargon to make their side seem like the correct one and they can make statements that place doubt in the other side of the argument. And we the laymen and laywoman of the world will have no idea who is right because we are not scientists and we have busy lives that prevent us from throughly analyzing all the raw data. Besides that, most of us don't have access to the raw data anyway. All we can do is listen to the scientists interpretation of that data, the politicians and media advocating those interpretations, and the opponents arguing their side. We have no clear truth to follow, for every article that suggest global warming is a hoax, there exist an article saying it is a very real threat. (note I said article not journal article, I'm talking about media and politics),

What it really comes down to is this. All of the data suggests that there could be a very real danger to the way we are living. Not only with global warming, but with the many different hazardous chemicals we are pumping into the air, lacing into our products and treating our food. In general, the very way we make things is still based on archaic ideas founded over 150 years ago. When much of the dangers were unknown and modern science was in its infancy. Considering the possible consequences, is it really worth continuing down our current road?

There are other ways, more efficient, healthy ways that would not only break us away from the destructive course we are on, but help repair some of the damage we have done. Along with this, trying to shift the infrastructure of the world, although daunting and seemingly risky, is also invigorating to the economy. It opens new doors and drives us forward towards new technologies, instead of keeping us locked in the technologies of the past. The only down side, the only part of the economy that ends up taking a hit, are the companies that control these old technologies (fossil fuel companies, car companies, etc.) and they are primarily the driving force for resisting change, sowing doubt, and generally undermining the our safety for their bottom line. If nothing else, for us here in the US such a shift would be most advantages because it would distinguish us from the rest of the world and put us in the position of being a powerful and positive force for the future. I can sight the sagging American automobile market as evidence that we are not currently in such a position.

As far as global warming is concerned, many people have already made up there mind what side they want to be on. And like most things, arrogance leads to ignorance on either side. We often like to believe we have everything figured out, all we need do is look to history to see evidence of this. It is this arrogance that blinds us and makes us reject change even when it is in our best interests. Who knows how the next 50 to 100 years will play out, who knows which side is really being blinded by arrogance. In the end, I'd choose not to risk my children's future trying to defend a system that is inefficient and protected by those whose interests are not invested in the good of humanity and the world, but in keeping the status quo so they can life in their ivory towers. There are better ways, the technologies exist, all we need is the foresight, will and faith the exercise conscious change.