Thursday, January 29, 2009

Climate change

In a recent survey of more than 3,000 scientists in the US, 97 percent of climatologists believed that humans play a role in climate change. However, only 47 percent of petroleum geologists and 64 percent of meteorologists believe humans contributed to climate change. It figures. Petroleum geologists look at things on a geologic timescale and are probably biased to the oil and gas industry, while meteorologists study short-term weather and not long-term climate.

Al Gore is pushing the US to do more to combat climate change. He says the US needs to join international talks on a climate change treaty. He says we will soon reach a point of irreversible damage to the climate if we don't do anything now. It might already be too late anyway. The global climate is going bonkers just like the financial system.

I just drove to Ipoh and back for the CNY celebration and burned over 30 litres of petrol for the return trip. I haven't calculated how many kilos of carbon dioxide I generated. Oh well, family time takes precedence over saving the planet, no? Besides, our dependence on fossil fuels is simply all-pervasive. What do you expect me to do? Cycle to Ipoh?

Don't buy any property near sea level unless you want a waterfront. Imagine, places like Penang, Klang, Melaka, Johor Baru, Kota Baru and even Shah Alam could be underwater if the sea level rises.

3 comments:

colin said...

According to the US National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration's recent study, the effects of climate change are already largely irreversible even if all human carbon emissions are completely stopped.

Paul Long said...

I wonder what will happen to parts of NZ as many roads are next to the water. I was in Wellington last year and when there was a strong breeze, water splashed onto the road. Pretty scary ...

HL said...

NaCl: We're doomed huh? Good thing there's a new heaven and new earth coming.

Paul: Get a boat? :P