Talk:Chem395:February 1 discussion

+ is this working?

I'm hereMurphy44 16:38, 1 February 2008 (EST)

I'm not sure if we still have class today with classes after 2pm being canceled. I thought that with no "classroom" that we were probably still still responsible for being hereMurphy44 16:41, 1 February 2008 (EST)

Yes we are. Walkerma 16:41, 1 February 2008 (EST)

• How should we respond to the threat of global warming? (We = humanity, and also we = the people in this class) Remember that we have limited money to spend! So where should we put the bulk of our money - into climate change prevention, or into preparing for the inevitable change. Should we hunker down for the hot weather, and buy a holiday home on high ground near Hudson Bay? Or should we spend our money trying to curb greenhouse gas emissions in order to make the change more controllable?

Discussion

Excellent, I feel that using all of the worlds resources to prepare for what seems to be the inevitable heat wave is foolish. It is like throwing in the towel, we have created this problem, isn't it our obligation to try to fix as much as we can?Murphy44 16:45, 1 February 2008 (EST)

Furthermore, we have some wonderful technologies that can help to combat things like greenhouse gases, why not use them to our fullest and try to save what we can wile we canMurphy44 16:47, 1 February 2008 (EST)

I guess my last entry didnt go through....I was saying that if immediate prevention and preparation methods are put in place now it will foster economic opportunities. J-Fed 16:48, 1 February 2008 (EST)

This all sounds good but can we really hold off the "inevitable?" Tell us some of the "wonderful technologies." Walkerma 16:49, 1 February 2008 (EST)

I agree, new economic opportunities are out there in the area of developing and implanting green technology. Murphy44 16:51, 1 February 2008 (EST)

Can you give some specific weblinks to specific technologies you could use? Walkerma 16:52, 1 February 2008 (EST)

Technologies such as alternative fuel sources. Fossil fuels are running out rapidly and our dependency upon them will need to as well. The development of these alternative fuel sources such as solar, and wind power will need to be improved and this could result in new economic opportunities. Murphy44 16:55, 1 February 2008 (EST)

You mean like this and this? Walkerma 16:57, 1 February 2008 (EST)

Exactly, or on a residential level something like this - [1] Murphy44 17:00, 1 February 2008 (EST)

Any steps we can take to curb our use of nonrenewable energy sources is a step in the right direction. Murphy44 17:00, 1 February 2008 (EST)

But why bother? Wouldn't Potsdam be a lot nicer with a climate like North Carolina? All this business of trying to stop global warming seems silly to me. It sounds like a big improvement to me. DevilsAdvocate 17:02, 1 February 2008 (EST)

Well hello devils advocate, This is an interesting view you have, what would you tell the people that live in western Europe when their climate changes dramatically in the colder direction? Due to the north Atlantic current shutting down. Murphy44 17:06, 1 February 2008 (EST)

This is GLOBAL warming, not just Potsdam warming. Thus the whole globe will feel the results, what may be good for us here will be devastating to other regions. Murphy44 17:08, 1 February 2008 (EST)

What about portions of the globe that will end up under water, many of them our cities where large populations of people live? Murphy44 17:09, 1 February 2008 (EST)

Well I know a guy from northern England, actually, and some predictions say that that area could have a climate like the French Riviera. Sounds good to me! Better than that dreary weather they used to have. OK, some will win, some will lose, that's just the way Nature works. DevilsAdvocate 17:12, 1 February 2008 (EST)

Ahh I see, so a survival of the fittest situation. Won't that bring about wars for resources, one main reason wars have been fought historically? Seems to me that if we try to fix what we can now all of this could be avoided. Murphy44 17:13, 1 February 2008 (EST)

Good point! It could cost us much more to do nothing, than it costs us to do something (both financial and human costs), IMHO. Walkerma 17:16, 1 February 2008 (EST)

Exactly, a stitch in time saves nine Murphy44 17:18, 1 February 2008 (EST)