Do you believe in climate change?

[Tim the plumber]

It's not caused starvation to the point of famine but in countries such as Haiti rising prices have caused food riots where people can not afford to eat.

It's not causing famine that looks dramatic on the TV. It is causing slow cronic undernorishment which is killing the poor. If you live on a very desperate diet and you get sick then you will lose the fight for life.

The additional effect of having no resources for anything other than food will stop you getting medicine or decent shelter. The prospect of having any capitol to improve the ecconomy also disapear.

[CSgt]

So if as you say "we're all just ******* in the wind regarding what might happen" then what would the climate look like in the future if we were to turn off all the engines and power plants in the world. The truth is we have no idea.

So we have the choice do we enter an uncertain future with the ability to produce cheap energy and a economy that makes it possible in an uncertain future to quickly adapt to and where we could allocate funds where they are needed, or do we enter an uncertain future deprived of cheap energy and a hampered economy making it hard to adapt to future uncertainty with limited resources spare to take care of those hit by the unknown?
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I think this is a good question, but a little too severe; surely the point is to make a gradual transition away from carbon fuels (which are getting ever more expensive by the way) to wards renewable energy. Otherwise, rather than as you suggest, we reach a cliff edge as we race to replace technology that depends on natural resources at a point where the global population is at its most reliant upon that technology.

[Roland]

I think this is a good question, but a little too severe; surely the point is to make a gradual transition away from carbon fuels (which are getting ever more expensive by the way) to wards renewable energy. Otherwise, rather than as you suggest, we reach a cliff edge as we race to replace technology that depends on natural resources at a point where the global population is at its most reliant upon that technology.

I'd start to challenge your post on the price of carbon fuels they have not become more expensive, taxes have pushed prices up, so has the reduced value of the fiat currencies and then obviously total instability in the middle east has not helped. Where I'd take issue is with the idea we're running out because this really is not going to happen for hundreds of years.

With renewable energy it is nothing but a flop, it just can not even come close to producing the energy needed. If horrible ugly wind turbines did what they say they will then I'd lump them but they don't. They are running at a loss, they are detrimental to the economy and the most stupid part is even when they are working they destabilise the grid and coal fire stations have to run at a constant speed so they are pumping out CO2 at exactly the same rate they were any way.

Assuming it is correct that man made CO2 emissions are the main driver of climate change then the solution is shale gas. It's cheap the world is full of it and it produces 50% less CO2. Cars can run on it and so can power stations.