Do you think Global warming (climate change) is a real problem that the world needs to address ,or just a hoax as Trump claims?

Yes.

I don’t think we really know but it’s not a “hoax” just very political. There is a bandwagon that exaggerates and another that attempts to debunk or deny. So much so that it forces people to take sides and misinformation about it is just rampant. There is so much bullshit obfuscating the issue that people without any real scientific training simply will not get the real picture. People show their hard wired susceptibility to sensationalism, conspiracy theories and either blind trust or unfounded mistrust. I’m agnostic to the idea of human caused warming. I know that co2 rise is our fault and that it will cause at least in theory some warming but the significance of it I have yet to be convinced either way. I have done at least a cursory review on some of the deeper data sets and have not seen enough to even think we have got such a cut and dry answer. I don’t think we are getting reliable information from the media outlets either, too much political pollution.
The case be or not my position on what we should do is the same, find cleaner energy sources, reduce consumption and inefficiency. I actually don’t give two shits if we are doing it or not, we need to be living much cleaner and more sustainably. People who exaggerate or try to present alternative facts are making things worse.

Let’s say there was a terrorist who may or may not have the detonation codes to the US nuclear arsenal and could theoretically blow up the US. Wouldn’t we, as a nation, operate under the assumption that the experts who say he may have them are correct? With so much on the line, wouldn’t we do everything possible to solve that problem?

How the fuck is climate change any different?

Always relevant.

But to actually answer the question: I don’t just think it’s real, it is real. We demean ourselves to treat this like a matter of opinion, and those who do not want to face the facts actually undermine themselves by insisting on staging their argument in the realm of science rather than challenging the common assumptions about what ought to be done about climate change (which is where their actual worries lie).

I have no idea if it’s real but, if it is real, have we begun to notice it yet or are they talking about fifty years from now?

^ I don’t remember the exact details, but Wiki states the global warming issue has been noticed and researched since fifty years ago, or at the very least, since the second half of the XX century. It’s not a recent thing, that’s for sure.
Someone fell free to correct me, I can’t link to Wiki at the moment, but I have a memory like that.

Thank you, @Sneki95 .

It is a real and extremely serious problem.

So is the ridiculous level of corruption and denial in US politics.

The scientists of the world (not just US politicians) have been warning us about this for a very long time, long before Al Gore was even VP. The other governments of the world also agree. The US government is just corrupt as sin to the point that the corporate-bought media and politicians have managed to muddy people’s opinions here enough that this is still being questioned.

I don’t have the slightest doubt we are experiencing some type of global climate change and that mankind if contributing some if not much of it. There’s abundant scientific research that support this.

It’s real. But that’s really beside the point. We will soon run out of fossil fuels. Then we won’t have to worry about it any more.

@Aster Well, yes we’ve noticed it! ”When President Taft created Glacier National Park in 1910, it was home to an estimated 150 glaciers. Since then the number has decreased to fewer than 30, and most of those remaining have shrunk in area by two-thirds. Fagre predicts that within 30 years most if not all of the park’s namesake glaciers will disappear.” Source

Global warming is real and Trump is a hoax.

You don’t believe in evolution, you understand it.

Climate change is the same. It’s measurement, not belief.

I agree. It’s not a belief. It’s either happening or it isn’t. I don’t think there’s much denying that the global climate is changing. The question is: how much? To what extent are humans causing it? To what extent can we remedy it?

It is an observed fact.

Why risk it? If humans are making global warming increase at a more rapid rate than it would have happened in nature, then everything that the scientists are advising also reduces pollution and it’s less raping of the Earth. Let’s just err on the side of caution and do the right thing for the planet, the air we breath, our bodies, and climate.

I too believe it is an observed fact.
And really should start addressing it or we will be in big trouble down the road.

Many places are it big trouble already. Polar bears are losing their habitat.

@JLeslie Agreed. Even if it were proven that humans were not causing a rise in global temperature, that doesn’t mean that we should suddenly stop all these practices that benefit the environment in other ways. It’s more than just “the sea levels will rise and everyone will die”, it’s also about not decimating forests, not creating air quality so terrible it leads to rising asthma rates, and seeking alternative fuels since fossil fuels will not last forever. All these have important benefits other than potentially slowing global warming.

^^I think if the conversation was turned more to health more republicans might jump on board. The science of the environment is too abstract I guess. It’s been made too much of a political wedge. Plus, I would use the religious card and say if you believe God created the earth, and all of its splendor, then I think He would want us to take care of it.

It’s a real threat and one that should be taken seriously. It would be better to do something and lessen the possible impact rather than doing nothing and making the possible problem even greater. (Of course, we humans could also address the problem of overpopulation, but heaven forbid!)

But @kritiper The wealthy don’t want to admit there is a problem with global warming it would cost them money to have to deal with it, anymore than they want the poor to slow down with breeding after all they need wage slaves they can exploit.

I think that people are hoping to sell as much of their oil before it gets banned. Then they will stop.

@SQUEEKY2 You are correct. It is a death spiral, is it not?

It’s an issue which should be dealt with. Seriously? Trump? Are we meant to actually consider all his free thinking bullshit? Him and his buddies at Fox News make me so glad I don’t live in the States.

I as well @Berserker , some days I do think Canada is a little too close to the states.

Well we’re nothing but snow Mexicans, anyway.

To most Rep/con Americans that is probably most true.

CO2 rise is an observed fact that cannot be argued. Global temp is an estimate based on lots of other measurements and future impacts are based on models that are both rather immature and not entirely reliable yet. The amount and severity of human contribution to warming is still very much in debate. There is also political influence. This is not the same as evolution where we have unmistakable, concrete and irrefutable proof. Those are apples and oranges but at least still come from fruit trees. I hate to see the two be compared like this.

Ignoring for the moment placing blame for it, it is happening and needs to be addressed. The smart thing to do would be to begin planning for it now and not wait until it is a full blown crisis. Act. don’t react.

Pretty sure that’s what we’ve been doing, with the advances in wind and solar. Just trying to perfect it.

We are nowhere near where we need to be with wind and solar yet.

You are totally right @ARE_you_kidding_me but don’t you think with more funding and advances in technology we could be close to our needs in just a few short years ,leaving the earth cleaner for our younger generations?

I know. But we’re working on it. Well, we were until the idiot Trump came along.

Yes of course but there are many people who are under the mistaken assumption that we can do this effectively right now. There are also environmental costs to solar especially since it requires essentially the same industrial processes that are used in electronics.
Many people can’t afford for their utility bills to quadruple so it’ll have to be phased in. Tesla is doing some groundbreaking work on residential solar that has promise and if they succeed we’ll see big changes in 10–20 years. However they also are working on the hyperloop which is going to flop big for obvious reasons. I hope they focus on the solar stuff. It’s going to be revolutionary.