rock on
cant wait to see you

how can someone be pro-global warming??? i would ask chambers about the environmental book, though. p.s. can i borrow the rosetta stone after you? i'm taking spanish for health professionals next semester. i think i will need some help asking 'when was your last bowel movement' in spanish...amongst many other akward phrases. i wonder if you can get 'em used on ebay or something???

It's interesting that you're looking for a balanced perspective on global warming. Although I agree with the idea of knowing what both sides say, the truth is that scientifically, there isn't really another side. There are virtually no peer-reviewed scientific research papers giving evidence that global carbon emissions are not increasing at WAY above natural rates. You may find "scientists" represented in the media as nay-sayers, but these are more likely to be politicians or social scientists without much, if any, credibility in the scientific arena.

I'm sure you'll find books that claim to refute global warming, but I think its important to remember that just because the format of our media gives equal weight to both sides of an argument, doesn't mean that scientific evidence is equally weighted as well. The one thing I will say is uncertain is that we don't yet know the extent of the effects of global warming. However, if you've seen An Inconvenient Truth you know we're already seeing huge effects at the poles, where warming is hitting the hardest and fastest. (I realize Inconvenient Truth is propaganda at its finest, but I've seen the same scientific evidence presented in legitimate presentations by my own professors and mentors who work in the antarctic)

Wow did you get me going! :) Glad to hear married life is treating you guys well! Hope to see you in March if the mini reunion works out.

Upon second reading of your post, I may have misunderstood what you were looking for. Are you looking for a book that agrees GW is happening and is happy about it? That's an interesting idea...I guess we might be able to grow tropical crops in Canada eventually?

Meggers! Um. The book I referred to isn't arguing global warming isn't happening- it is arguing that certain proposed policies that address global warming are not the best applications of money in light of other current crises facing our world (e.g. poverty, AIDS, etc). As to pro global warming- I know very little about it other than the fact that things are heating up. I would like to know more about the proposed causes and some of the weight behind those arguments. However, Canada as a tropical vacation is intriguing.. :)

Nate! It was good to get an update. So...wanna drive down to Wheaton with NJ the weekend of Chambers' christmas party? Yes you do. It would be awesome and we could double date while you're there. If you need additional specific reasons WHY it would be awesome, feel free to call me. :)

Interesting - I'd like to hear the arguments about AIDS and poverty being more financially important or urgent than GW. I can see them as being more acute at the moment, but many scientists believe that GW is an exponential problem - starting out relatively benign until it hits a certain threshold and then exploding. Trying to fix a problem is always more costly than first preventing it. I think the thing that resonates with me is our culture's desire to ignore this problem and hope nothing happens. Also, in terms of poverty, there are a lot of links between environmental degradation and the poor. Due to warming, Malaria is working its way to higher altitudes where the biggest cities in Africa are located, the desertification of the Sahara is expanding at alarming rates, leading to famine and civil war in that region of the world. I think we may be trying to take care of a lot of symptoms (terrible though they may be) while ignoring a big part of what causes the disease. Granted, this argument is largely materialistic and doesn't take into account the impact of our nature as humans...even if we had plenty of fertile land, fresh water and health ecosystems, we'd still find something to go to war over and weaker people to take advantage of.

For a broad explanation of what is known by the scientific community, I recommend the EPA site: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/science/stateofknowledge.html, which can link you to the IPCC site (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), which has more detailed info in pdf format.

Ok I gotta go study for my evolution exam...speaking of which - I just recently had my pastor equate believing in evolution and worrying about the environment with being an abortionist. Awesome right? Too bad I've only known the guy for a few weeks or he would've gotten an ear full. :)

So this will teach you to bring up anything environmental within my earshot, eh? Haha.

wow, way to go Megan, she saved me a lot of work so I don't have to type anything....but I can defintely confirm that Malaria is on the rise in African cities in Mauritania, and desertification is completely ravishing. Ex. most native animals have been forced out of the country, sand dunes are out of control, and agriculture is becoming more and more difficult in spite of technilogical advances.
In other news, Joel and I have beenthinking about you a lot recently! Marriage is awesome--I knew it would suit you! Hope we can talk with you soon :o)