A friend, who leans Ron Paul libertarian, was recently trying to convince me that anthropogenic global warming is largely a myth. A central part of his argument was his claiming that there was recently a petition signed by 40,000 independent climate scientists saying that, in his words, "so-called global warming is bullshit." More inside. [more inside]
posted by Ash3000 on Nov 17, 2009 - 38 answers

Is there a website that would show the world sorted by elevation? I recently enjoyed reading Plague Year, a post-apocalyptic thriller. The main conceit of this science-fiction novel is that a nanotechnology plague that kills any warm blooded animal (including humans), but the disease self-destructs at altitudes above 10,000 feet. How much territory would this be across the whole planet? [more inside]
posted by seasparrow on Oct 30, 2009 - 6 answers

What are some smaller-scale global warming tipping points that would radically alter everyday life? [more inside]
posted by jefficator on Oct 28, 2009 - 14 answers

The seas are rising. Climate change has made it inevitable. I have a strange question... Assuming that world sea-level rises by 1 metre over the next hundred years - Would it be possible to cordon off a section of land, somewhere in the centre of a continent, and flood it to create an artificial ocean, thus reducing the consequences of the sea rise? [more inside]
posted by 0bvious on Sep 18, 2009 - 30 answers

How have landscapes transformed by drought in Australia (esp. Brisbane or Melbourne) impacted people's perceptions of climate change? [more inside]
posted by GIMG on Jul 7, 2009 - 11 answers

I need a good collection of readings identifying major issues associated with energy production using biomass. [more inside]
posted by greekphilosophy on Apr 21, 2009 - 3 answers

What are some social media sites that have an environmental tilt? [more inside]
posted by GIMG on Mar 29, 2009 - 6 answers

In high school, I remember a teacher who taped some news show and showed it to us in class and it said that we had like, ten years to turn the planet around or global warming and our First World lifestyle where ten percent of the planet caused fifty percent of the emissions or something would push us past the point of no return. Anyway, my question is, have we passed it yet? When can I stop caring about the Environment? [more inside]
posted by Sully on Mar 23, 2009 - 33 answers

What effect does respiration have on global C02 levels? [more inside]
posted by zeoslap on Mar 17, 2009 - 13 answers

Could activists for social causes (e.g. global warming) learn something from the Obama campaign in how to effectively engage and mobilize people?
posted by GIMG on Jan 22, 2009 - 13 answers

I'm arguing with a conservative friend about global warming. Specifically, the idea that changes in the Gulf Stream have lead to Britain getting colder as a result of climate change. I don't know how valid this theory still is, but my question is: where can I find some scientific journal articles on the subject?
posted by teraspawn on Jan 7, 2009 - 11 answers

Will China's efforts to go green for the Olympics be instituted for the longer-term or for a broader geographic range?
posted by GIMG on Dec 5, 2008 - 3 answers

How does the Chinese media handle climate change, and what (if any) difference did the Beijing Olympics have in this? [more inside]
posted by GIMG on Nov 26, 2008 - 1 answer

What are some popular evangelical periodicals in the U.S. about current events? Bonus points if they have an online archive; super-extra bonus points if the archive goes back before 2006. [more inside]
posted by lilac girl on Nov 19, 2008 - 9 answers

I want to travel, but I think doing so by airplane is unethical because of the associated carbon emissions and the inadequacy of 'offset' schemes. Is it still possible to travel by sea from North America to Europe or Asia? If so, how long does it take, and what are the associated costs?
posted by sindark on Sep 29, 2008 - 32 answers

How big a part of the global warming solution might come from land-use changes, how much from no-till farming and so forth? [more inside]
posted by teracloth on Jul 21, 2008 - 5 answers

Why are "NASCAR", "peak oil", "global warming" and "gas prices" never mentioned in the same sentence? Are there statistics on how much gas / oil / petroleum products that are used for a typical race? What about practice races?
posted by yoga on May 8, 2008 - 12 answers

How are the role of scientists and the relationship between them and society changing as the climate questions has become (and will continue to become) more and more acute? [more inside]
posted by pica on Feb 19, 2008 - 7 answers

I'm researching scientists who dispute / are skeptics of man-made climate change (a la the UN IPCC's findings.) Which peer reviewed, scholarly science journals should I be searching through?
posted by damnthesehumanhands on Feb 12, 2008 - 8 answers

In the inevitability of global warming (bias disclosed) where should I move to? I'm a 20-something getting close to that home-owner stage, but from some of the stuff I'm reading a lot of great places to live won't be great much longer! [more inside]
posted by 53B3L1U5 on Jan 28, 2008 - 24 answers

If you believe climate change is real, bad, and man-made: does that mean it's wrong to take a flight or drive a car? Are there any reasonable excuses?
posted by MetaMonkey on Jan 28, 2008 - 24 answers

A question about Presidential power -- specifically, for the implementation of carbon reduction initiatives including a cap-and-trade system. [more inside]
posted by dondiego87 on Nov 18, 2007 - 12 answers

Why is Mont Blanc's height so stable? The pen company has been marking 4810 on their nibs since at least the 1930s. Just this year, it measured 4810m tall.
posted by b1tr0t on Nov 12, 2007 - 9 answers

Does anyone know of a good online resource that explains in detail the exact series of events that is predicted to occur as a result of climate change if it continues on its current path? [more inside]
posted by textilephile on Oct 25, 2007 - 3 answers

Is it better for the environment to drive or fly a long distance? [more inside]
posted by JPDD on Oct 12, 2007 - 16 answers

Help save my friend and the atmosphere from unwanted air travel! He works at home, for a company in another state; they fly him in several times a month for meetings. How can he persuade them that he doesn't need to go, that there's a teleconferencing app that'll work just as well? [more inside]
posted by niloticus on Sep 6, 2007 - 10 answers

Do reasonable arguments for or against global warming actually exist for regular people like me to read? Or must I be stuck with the annoying rhetoric of both sides? [more inside]
posted by donmak on Aug 9, 2007 - 38 answers

How do I make my destination wedding enviro-friendly? [more inside]
posted by changeling on Jul 10, 2007 - 13 answers

Lets just say that the U.S. decided to stop burning hydrocarbons (oil, coal, natural gas) completely for environmental reasons. Lets say that everything went electric. Cars, Power Plants, factories, everything. How many nuclear plants (using current technology) would we need to produce? Would there be one in every moderate sized town? Also, how long would the raw materials last before another energy crisis was imminent (peak uranium, I guess)?
posted by DarkForest on Jun 6, 2007 - 52 answers

I'm looking for a dynamic map (of the USA, or of the world) that will graphically display various trends relating to climate change and the effects of global warming in the next century. [more inside]
posted by greggish on May 21, 2007 - 7 answers

It's December 14th and 56 degrees here in Boston. Everyone is walking around saying, "this is global warming." Is this actually a direct effect of global warming or just part of an abnormal but not potentially life-as-we-know-it ending weather pattern?
posted by jk252b on Dec 14, 2006 - 41 answers

Where can I learn about the possible consequences of future global warming, sea-level-rise, etc on the climate of the continental US? [more inside]
posted by Alterscape on Nov 19, 2006 - 5 answers

We would like to contribute to an organization that is dedicated to alleviating global warming. Ideally a nonprofit but any organization that takes action in this direction would be fine. I'd prefer that it be something I could research online or find a rating such as those available on charitynavigator.com. Any ideas? Thank you!
posted by walla on Nov 16, 2006 - 8 answers

A delicate Yorkshire Riesling, robust Canadian Cabernet? If global warming raises temperatures, an often mentioned consequence is the growing of wine grapes in the far North (for example the article in Slate today). Does this really follow? [more inside]
posted by grahamwell on Sep 22, 2006 - 13 answers

Let's assume (no soapbox rants, please!) global warming is a reality, the ice covering Greenland is melting, and the ocean's levels are rising. If I own a home and land which, according to this map, would be underwater, what--if anything--would the government do? I live near a major (federal) interstate, two major shipping ports, and a rail corridor linking the two. San Francisco and Oakland International Airports would also be underwater. What happens? Would they build a gigantic dike, like New Orleans and Holland? Is my home and the land on which it's built a total loss? If so, insurance-wise, is this considered an "Act of God"? If I was to put my home on the market tomorrow, must I declare global warming and the rising ocean levels as a possibility for flooding?
posted by fandango_matt on Jun 27, 2006 - 11 answers

What are some reasonable, readable books which are skeptical about the dire threat of global warning? [more inside]
posted by dbarefoot on Jun 27, 2006 - 35 answers

I want to flood the Earth! [more inside]
posted by jefgodesky on May 8, 2006 - 8 answers

Is living in New York City more environmentally sensitive than living in the suburbs? [more inside]
posted by logovisual on Apr 24, 2006 - 18 answers

How can I hear this radio show that won a Peabody yesterday? [more inside]
posted by jrb223 on Apr 6, 2006 - 5 answers

What are the Big Ideas for combating global warming? Who is proposing them? Which do you find most plausible? [more inside]
posted by Galvatron on Apr 3, 2006 - 15 answers

Are there reputable projections for global warming's impact on the inland United States? [more inside]
posted by danny boy on Apr 2, 2006 - 9 answers

What's the most convincing response (provide a link, that is) to This Crichton speech about global warming. I'm looking for arguments other than "scientific concensus".
posted by Tlogmer on Mar 13, 2006 - 11 answers

Why will the ice caps melting cause the sea level to rise? [more inside]
posted by Mwongozi on Mar 4, 2006 - 21 answers

Is there a simple proof to demonstrate the human impact on global climate change? A common argument made by American conservatives is that humans can't possibly have a great enough impact to make a difference. Surely there's some relatively simple bit of logic that can prove our impact. Perhaps something along the lines of: "Global emissions of greenhouse gases amount of X billion tons each year, or Y trillion in the past century. Every Z billion tons of greenhouse gases increase the earth's radiative forcing by A%, each percent of which warms the earth by B degrees."
posted by waldo on Sep 29, 2005 - 29 answers

I've been reading the ongoing series of articles in the New Yorker about global warming, and quite frankly, I'm freaked out. Further reading on the web only confirms this. So here's my question: is there any good news? [more inside]
posted by danny boy on Apr 28, 2005 - 19 answers

I'm looking for recent, reliable statistics on exactly what percentage of climatologists think global warming is (1) occuring, (2) human-caused, and (3) dangerous.
posted by Tlogmer on Oct 20, 2004 - 3 answers

Which country will cope best with Global Warming over the next 50 years? As an Australian (living abroad), I used to think that Australia would endure the effects of Global Warming better than some more populous countries. But after reading about growing salinity problems, soil degradation and deforestation back home, now I'm not so sure. Are there any sources of information that detail the predicted effects over the course of the next 50 - 100 years for different areas of the world? And even better, I'd be very interested in detailed info focused on Australia, on a state-by-state basis.
posted by Meridian on Aug 28, 2004 - 11 answers

What is triggering these odd Google ads? The CMS question below is 3/4ths right-wing ads, the LiveJournal question is employment misconduct ads, the 55-65 yo question is all global warming. Any thoughts what words are triggering each of those?
posted by davebug on Aug 16, 2004 - 2 answers