I’ve tried to make your exact point to climate change deniers several times. I ask them, "OK, let’s assume for a moment that man-made atmospheric emissions are not causing climate change; what’s wrong with reducing them anyway, and finding cleaner ways to make and use energy?" The answer I usually get is, "It’s just a big conspiracy to get us to give up our cars and our freedom."

Which makes no sense whatsoever.

Peace.

Well said, I feel the same way. Of course, some are of the opinion that this ”going green” campaign is just a scam by politicians to weasel more money out of our wallets.

I honestly disagree. There is little reason to realistically think so. Eco-friendly lifestyle, appliances, green energy sources, hybrid cars, recycling etc. are all positive and many a time inexpensive ways to save the planet, conserve forests and wildlife as well.

Edit @ Galaxie Girl

- Just because one or two politicians may have a clandestine agenda to make money off this crisis doesn’t mean we should be dealing with this crisis at all.

Ultimately the consequences of such selfishness as to ”why should I change my lifestyle for the greater good” will be borne by the future generation, our kids and their kids.

And why shouldn’t the government in a democratic nation dictate what you can and cannot do for the common good? Aren’t laws and policies of such drafted through the consent of the masses? Or are we living in dictator or anarchist nations?

As a citizen, you have both some rights and some duties, and one of those duties is to live in a way that would minimize the negative impacts of your lifestyle to the current and future generations.

- Maybe you can show me some facts that prove Gore has made money unethically through his ”going green” agendas?

Less pollution and all that is fine, the problem comes in when the government starts telling me how to live my life under threat of punishment and/or fines. THAT’S the problem – they don’t have the right to tell me how to live my life.

Devilishly Sexy Mastermind (above): perhaps you should look into how much money Al Gore is making off his "eco-friendly" investments. I can’t think of a more obvious conflict of interest.

Climate change is an undisputed fact — what people are arguing about is AGW, because AGW is not a fact. It is a religion. Its proponents are fanatical believers and they get very angry and violent when the AGW doctrine is questioned.

AGW is also a political scam. It is every politician’s dream — at long last they have an excuse to put a tax on BREATHING.
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As for the argument "Well we ought to do something anyway just in case", there are two answers to that. Firstly, nothing we do (or don’t do) is going to have any but the most marginal effect, however many trillions we spend. Secondly, supposing the warmers are wrong and we are in fact headed for an ice age? Cold kills just as efficiently as heat.
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