Is climate change really that bad?

I've wanted to blog about this for a while. First, the disclaimer. I'm not an environmentalist. So, my knowledge in this field may be sketchy. However, I have been inundated with the propoganda from various groups about the adverse effects of global warming since I was a child. But after reading "State of Fear" by Michael Crichton, it started me thinking. Granted, it's a work of fiction, but it's entire premise is based on fact (and the author lists the various peer reviewed papers for those who're interested to research it).

Okay, I'm not goung to argue that global warming is not happening. All the science seems to conclude that there is a recent rise in global temperature. However, things get very sketchy when someone tries to say that global warming is bad and that we're all going to die from it. Now, that sounds to me like FUD and that got me into thinking. Is it actually that bad?

The only thing that is constant in our environment is constant change. Our environment has never been operating in a "steady state" (pardon the engineering parlance). It is constantly changing, going through both warming and cooling periods at different times (watch Ice Age 1 and 2). So, is it so bad that our environment is changing?

This is the point at which, the science starts to approach fiction. No one can predict the future, especially for a turbulent system that is neither well characterised nor understood. So, all that any researcher can say about where things are headed, is based on pure conjecture. The honest truth is, no one really knows what is going to happen.

So, I'm not too convinced that global warming is a bad thing. Who knows, it might be something that our planet actually needs and is part of it's natural temperature cycle. What started me on this blog? This article in TheStar.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/12/25/nation/16409939&sec=nation

It's another slow news day. Public holidays tend to have that affect.

* Image from wikipedia *