Does climate change worry you?

Following on from the ecological footprint thread, and having watched "An Inconvenient Truth" yesterday, I'm kind of interested to see what other people make of the threat of global-warming.

Do people with kids worry about it more?
Do you think there are more urgent things to worry about?
Is it up to the government or the individual to do something about it?
Do you even believe that it's happening?
Do you not know enough about it to really care?

Dang, missed that. I am interested in this.

I have two adult kids (early 20s). I don't worry for their safety but possibly for their children and grandchildren as by that time, we may be starting to see the real effects as fresh water becomes a finite commodity and a resource that may trigger global war.

Yes, terrorism is one.

I do think the governments will eventually have to bow to pressure from the electorate which will be powered by the media and the worst offending countries will surely join the Kyoto.

Oh yes, but I do understand about the Milankovitch effect and that it may not be totally anthropogenic.

Yes I think so. I understand the theory that if we reach the point where the methane sink starts to melt, global warming will spiral out of control and Earth will become a planet unsuitable for mammalian life at least. I do wonder why we have heard no more about the dumbing effects of global dimming and think maybe there is more startling research that we haven't yet been told about.

I don't see this as wrong or bad for the planet as such, just part of the ever changing evolution of the universe. And Earth seemingly did manage very well until mammals (esp humans) evolved, which was just in the very latest chapter of it's history so far.

Purely from a selfish point of view, I would prefer if global warming was effectively halted but of course the Earth has a finite lifespan anyway.

Don't panic! It's in cinemas at the moment

It seriously worries me, but we don't have any kids. I just worry for the fact that this beautiful planet of ours has survived for millions of years, and yet we are ruining it in decades through greed and ignorance. If things happen like they think it will, and it might be sooner than we think (possibly 10 years!!!) we're gonna be in big trouble. It so saddens me what we are doing to this beautiful earth of ours, not for the sake of our children, if that's not bad enough, but purely for the sake of the planet itself! But little ole me hasn't got a hope in h*ll of changing any of it!

No, it's nature being nature and whatever we do won't make any difference. The earth has always been changing, a long time ago the moon was a lot closer and the earth was spinning much faster with constant hurricane winds, a day was only 6 hours long. As the moon moved away, the earth slowed down and the 3,000 foot tides calmed, so life could develop.
Nature never stands still. Weather is a fascinating topic, one which I studied for a while and it answered some of those "two o'clock in the morning" questions like - how does a wind start from a flat calm? Why does the tide go in and out? Why ......
Sorry I'm banging on.
And no, I am not burying my head in the sand - I try to be as in tune with nature as possible - a bit of a tree hugger on the quiet...

You're not banging on in my eyes Deccy I could sit and chat to you all night about the climate, I find it a fascinating subject to, but you seem to have gone the whole hog with it then in the past! I watch every single programme on this climate change situation, I'm in awe of nature in every respect - could be something to do with me being an "earth" gal, I'm a virgo! and my favourite word as a young child was "why"? I always remember my Grandma telling me "why, why, why do the ships go by"!

im terrified about the future, my grand kids havent got a future. and ppl just carry on consuming stuff they dont need stuff they will throw away. u spend a day down a local tip, u will see the amount of stuff that just gets thrown away because its not the right coulor or it dont suit any more. i used to sort out the clothes bins for a friend who ran a tip. the amount of clothes that still had the labels on.there was 2 huge bag fulls off baby clothes that where still in their wrappers. they had belonged to a clothes stall. we took them to a shop that sold nearly new clothes and made a fortune that day. i re-cycle as much as i can we live in an up-stairs flat so no garden so i cant have a compost bin.
my electric is supplied by green energy. ok bit more dear to use, but better for the enviroment, i turn off lights if im not in the room. i go onto freecycle (check out their site its great) i will give away stuff other than throw it away. my tv and washer came from freecycle. i want my grandkids to have a future not have nothing, but we have got to change, get rid of those gas guzzling cars walk more, buy a push bike.if u get a car get a small one, our cars a 750 panda. ok nothing to look at but cheap for petrol/ins. and better for the enviroment. i turn off all my electricals saves money as well.
so yes im doing my bit.
sorry got carried away

my OH is a Virgo...(sorry felt I just had to mention)!!!!

I worry about climate change and whilst I think that yes, the earth will eventually be unable to sustain us, I do think we can all, as individuals, do our bit to help. The world is overcroweded by people who live in a quick fix and throw away society...we can all change that.
As for worrying about my son...gosh yes...but have to admit it's not in an environment, climate change sort of way...that's more for his kids, no, I worry more about whether he's going to cry each morning and if he's happy...

I do try to do my bit, I am an aging hippy at heart, things are also changing, more people are recycling and thinking about the food they eat...perhaps it's all too little too late though...

Mine too

Climate change scares the pants off me, and I don't think people realise just what a crisis point we're hitting. Current research suggests that we've hit a tipping-point in the climate system, so our best efforts may simply slow the descent into climatic chaos that we've already started. And too many people assume that this is a problem our grandchildren will have to worry about, when the effects of global warming on weather systems are likely to be evident over a timescale more like 10 years.

Latest news on atmospheric methane levels is not too good -

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releas...-etm092606.php

There a TV prog on climate change on Learning Zone BBC2 Saturday morning 2am if anyone's interested.