Clive Hamilton - Facing up to Climate Change

Professor of Public Ethics Clive Hamilton considers the frailties of the human species and the consequences of ignoring climate change.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• royal society of arts
• australia
• requiem for a species
• civilisation
• civilization
• ethics
• environment
• species
• human
• humanity

[stinkles1112]

Even if the amount of carbon being released into the atmosphere now is negligible, which is debatable, the point of this video is that in the very near future, it probably won't be unless we stop polluting.

Even if you don't think that people are literally causing global warming, surely we can all agree that industrial pollution is not good for the environment and should probably be addressed in a meaningful way, and soon.

[stinkles1112]

I'm confused by the vitriol on this comments page.

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. Nobody disputes this.

As such, it is possible to calculate the amount of warming, in degrees, that one ppm of CO2 in the atmosphere creates, even if that number is very small. This is also not in dispute.

Human industrial activity creates a very large output of carbon dioxide. This is also a verifiable claim, and indeed has been verified.

So, why exactly is AGW such a ridiculous claim?

[Impulse725]

@mcamelyne The largest greenhouse gas is water? In what sense? Largest molecules? Seems irrelevant.

If orbits were all that mattered, Mercury (closest to sun) would be hotter than Venus (2nd from sun). But Venus is warmer, because it has an atmosphere almost entirely composed of CO2.

And citing a regional chart for North America on a worldwide trend is idiotic.

[mcamelyne]

@peteface24 - I know all about the greenhouse effect. The largest greenhouse gas is water. If you look at the regional temperature chart for North America, you have your answer. Climate can be regionally affected by man through desertification and urbanization but man is nothing more than a bit player when it comes to the sun. Climate change is a natural process but unless you can change the wobble of the Earth, the globe will follow its own path regardless of man,

[peteface24]

@mcamelyne You're wrong. Climate science started in the early 19th century with the discovery of the greenhouse effect. Data confirming the hypothesis that the greenhouse effect was warming the Earth has grown steadily since first being found in the 1950s. The fact that we must have ongoing discussion as to the scope of climate change in no way precludes taking action in the direction in which it has being pointing so far.

[peteface24]

@ST0N3R420X420 That's called weather, not climate.

[670Kiester]

Good lecture. I'm preparing to accept a much shittier future.

The slight silver lining in the short term is that i might get to witness all the deniers of the world suffer too, and they're gonna be more upset than me.

[tjhull1]

Nutter

[ST0N3R420X420]

where i live its just getting colder i wish the planet was warming up im tired of cryogenic winters and chilly summers

[numnunums]

@mcamelyne Haha whats this psychobabble horseshit you're spouting?