Originally Posted by aceventura3

Here is where I begin to have a problem - "If it is not happening and we do something..." - I think this could prove to more costly in many to be dismissive of those costs and consequences. I think history has clearly shown that there are many instances when man tries, with good intention, to manage the environment the unexpected consequences are often greater than the benefit. And, I find the level of arrogance disturbing to think that human activity will have a meaningful and lasting impact on this planet, given the known history of the planet. To think that about 50 to 100 years of human activity will permanently damage the planet almost makes me laugh. When people like Gore and others use the word "irreversible" does anyone take them seriously? This planet has the ability to "self-regulate" or compensate for internal and some external calamities. I don't doubt that man can have localized impact and short-term impact just as a forest fire or volcanic eruption can have that kind of an impact - but there is far too much that we don't know to come to the conclusions reached by many on this issue.