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To: Mary Cluney who wrote (100391)	2/14/2005 1:38:41 PM
From: Ilaine	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793671

If you knew for a fact that global warming was caused by natural cycles of the sun, would you still panic? The ambient temperature of the earth has been much warmer in the past, and yet somehow life on earth survived. If olive trees grew again in central Germany, as Nadine reports that they did during the last warm period, that would not be such a disaster in my mind. I'd love to grow olive trees here in Northern VA. In fact, I shall plant some this year, but in pots, which will join the potted bay tree and the potted lime tree on my windowsill come autumn. Bay window, so the windowsill is wide enough for little trees in pots. But I wonder if perhaps Nadine got it a little bit wrong -- during the last "Little Optimum" (900 AD to 1300 AD) olive trees grew in Northern Italy and fig trees in Cologne, Germany. objectivescience.com At present time, olive trees are mainly found between 25° and 45° N. latitude, and prefer a Mediterranean climate.

To: Mary Cluney who wrote (100391)	2/14/2005 1:39:31 PM
From: Lane3	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 793671

Where do you stand on this? Where I stand on this I've stated before. I do not know if the the world is warming beyond its normal range. Given the uncertainty of our predictions and given the uncertainty of our knowledge of how to prevent and the cost of preventing, my position is that we should keep studying it, do some sensible things to mitigate the aggravation of the problem, if it is a problem, and plan to deal with it if it comes primarily through adaption rather than taking heroic steps to prevent it.

To: Mary Cluney who wrote (100391)	2/14/2005 1:50:43 PM
From: aladin	Respond to of 793671

Mary, Your statement The effects of human activity on the environment is akin to an ocean tanker heading toward a glacier implies that you truly believe in humans as the only or at least major factor in global warming. The funny part is that only a couple of lines later you take a pot shot at those who don't by linking them to the 'true believer' born again Christians. This is like the recent movie where global warming causes an ice age. All facts prove the positive no matter how contradictory. We recently went thru a 12 year period of increased solar flare activity that just ended in October. Astronomers and physicists expect a cycle of reduced solar activity for at least 4-6 years. Could this have anything to do with the 1/2 degree difference? The answer is actually unknown, but there have been warming and cooling trends over the past few centuries and modern CO2 counts are very recent. Some prior warming and coolings are tracked to volcanic activity, some are not. Rather than spend trillions foolishly, we should do some more science - and maybe see what happens these next few years. Oh yes, you will immediately respond that if you are right - it may/will be too late and doomsday will be inevitable. John