Global Warming debate gives me Headaches!

A really active place to get info about the environment and talk about it is my favorite forum, Imaginative Worlds, in the Environmental - Geological - Nature - Weather Worlds section.  There are good friends of mine there who say Global Warming is not man caused, that it's a natural cycle.  If that is true, then aren't we at least contributing negatively to the environment in general, and the global energy balance specifically?

The other day some friends of mine on Facebook who believe it IS man caused really pounded me into the floor with their arguments and facts, until I finally decided that I guess it probably is man caused.  Then a very good friend of mine who I see once in a while who constantly rails against man made global warming sent me some other stuff that seems to refute the claims extremely well.  And there is this scientist, who wrote a book, who says that we are about to head into a new Ice Age!  He backs up this crazy claim with all sorts of facts showing global cooling effects.

And it's all making my head hurt!  It hurts!  Stop making my head hurt, please!  Please?!  Look, why does it matter so freaking much whether I believe it is man caused, or not?  I can't do anything to stop what ever is going on, even if the human race is solely responsible for it.  All of the electricity I use at home comes from hydroelectric dams, and maybe a couple of nuclear power plants, so it doesn't matter what kind of bulbs I use, or whether I use any electricity at all, not one watt contributes negatively to the environment!  And I can't quit using gasoline to power the mini-van, that's the only fuel I can use, unless someone wants to pay for an Air Car and give it to me for free, I would LOVE that.  The USA is not the only country that is totally addicted to Oil, most of our economy would absolutely implode if Oil stopped, totally, instantly, Today.

I do think it is a good idea to develop alternative energy technologies of all sorts.  I do want us to stop using oil and coal, and stop polluting and stuff.  But I don't think CO2 should be considered a toxic pollutant.  All life on Earth is carbon based.  All animal life breaths out CO2, and all plant life breaths it in.  Instead of blaming humanity for CO2, which is Not the only source of CO2, how about grow more plants?  We can run CO2 through plastic pipes filled with water and algae, which suck it up and grow like crazy, then convert the algae into fuel and lubricant.  It's already being done.  We can capture carbon and bury it, that's already being done.  There are really amazing technologies being developed, let's support them.

I feel like I'm in the middle of a Tug Of War between two sides.  I don't want to be on either side.  I don't have the ability to change the world one way or the other.  It's not important to change My mind on this issue.  How about you all duke it out and don't drag me into it anymore, ok?  So, I suggest continuing the debate on Imaginative Worlds, but you can post comments here on my blog.  Just, please, no more arguing with me on Facebook, it hurts my head.  I'm not strictly on one side or the other on this, I just don't Want to be.  What I really want, desperately, is to escape this planet full of incomprehensible beings.  I feel like an alien visitor trying to make sense of the human race much of the time.

Here are the links my man caused Global Warming friends sent me:

Is there a scientific consensus on global warming?

Global Warming

And this is what my very good friend, who disagrees with man caused global warming, sent me:

"Considering only James Hansen is in the camp of "people are causing global warming" and all the research proving otherwise I'd say anyone who supports it is full of it.

http://news.yahoo.com/nasa-data-blow-gaping-hold-global-warming-alarmism-192334971.html

http://www.gizmag.com/climate-change-predictions/20769/

http://theresilientearth.com/?q=content/where-did-all-co2-go

http://www.climatedepot.com/a/17329/Analysis-Where-Did-All-The-CO2-Go--As-humans-have-emitted-more-carbon-dioxide-Earth-has-stepped-up-its-carbon-capture

http://www.infiniteunknown.net/2012/06/06/eco-fascist-james-hansen-admits-global-warming-is-not-man-made/

http://www.moonbattery.com/archives/2009/01/global_warming_88.html

http://www.moonbattery.com/archives/2009/01/hoaxer_james_ha.html

http://www.moonbattery.com/archives/2008/11/global_warming_78.html

mensnewsdaily.com/2009/12/04/global-warming-survival-of-a-junk-scientist-james-hansen/

http://www.examiner.com/article/global-warming-from-humans-is-a-hoax

 - (not sure about this one)
http://www.globalwarminghoax.com/news.php

http://english.pravda.ru/science/earth/30-11-2009/110832-climategate-0/

http://newresearchfindingstwo.blogspot.com/2010/05/james-hansen-and-climate-change-nasas.html

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/01/12/quote-of-the-week-dr-james-hansen-of-nasa-giss-unhinged/

http://sci.tech-archive.net/Archive/sci.anthropology.paleo/2008-01/msg00601.html

http://lonelyconservative.com/2011/06/nasa-climate-change-alarmist-james-hansen-caught-profiting-off-of-climate-change-advocacy/

http://amlibpub.blogspot.com/2009/01/nasa-rigs-data-reports-false-global.html

http://www.rightwingnews.com/climate-change/dying-cult-69-believe-globull-warming-data-likely-falsified/

http://84rules.wordpress.com/2009/01/07/dr-james-hansen-unethically-manipulating-the-data-global-warming-junk-science/

This is just the tip of the ice burg, use it as you see fit."

Ticked off at Church!

I really don't enjoy going to Church and feeling really ticked off!  I went to Stake Conference, and the Stake President made some remarks about The Church's stance on marriage and the family.  He said that it doesn't matter what other people think.  It doesn't even matter what the Constitution says.  All that matters is what the scriptures say.  Really?  So we should stone people for working on the sabbath?  And we should not only have slaves, we should circumcise them too?  I can show you dozens of nasty things in the Old Testament especially.  I do Not appreciate being told at Church to oppose Liberty by supporting anti-gay legislation.  I've explained on my blog, Facebook, and elsewhere, that I am a Libertarian first!  I believe in Liberty above all else!  The Stake President was going on and on about how the Church stands for religious Liberty, and yet they support the religious Oppression of an entire group of people!

If marriage is a religious issue, then people have the right to believe differently than you, and marry differently than you, so gay marriage is a Religious Liberty!  If it is a civil issue, just a contractual arrangement, then it is a Civil Liberty!  You can not claim to defend Liberty while in the same sentence attack another's Liberty!

If you think gays have no rights because there is no specific provision in the Constitution, then you have no right to eat hot dogs and play football either!  The Constitution was never intended to limit Our rights and powers, it was written to limit the Government, and give Us all the power!

My core belief system is simple, and absolutely everything else grows from it.  I believe in Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, in that order!  Life is like the soil, Liberty is the seed or roots, and the Pursuit of Happiness is the tree trunk.  All of my religious and political beliefs are leaves on the branches of that tree.  Prop 8 and similar legislation is an evil shovel attacking the roots of my tree!  The hatred or misguided beliefs wielding that shovel are wrong!

If you are against Liberty, you are my enemy.  I don't care how you choose to live your life.  I don't care who or what you marry, you can marry a tree for all I care.

If you think your marriage or your family are somehow threatened by gay people exercising their Liberty to live their lives as they choose, you are seriously deluded!  To a child all that matters is life, health, and love.  The sex of their parents or guardians has no effect at all on them.  Ask any kid with a gay mother or father.  Stop making stupid assumptions about the supposed harm of homosexuality.  They are not harming you in any way!

First do no harm is a pretty darn good start on how to decide what to do, every single time, every single day.  Stop trampling all over the Constitution!