I don't really see a problem here. I mean honestly, I have already begun planning for my coffee, bannana, and coconut plantation here in the center of Ohio. Going by the pronouncements of the AGW crowd, planting should begin very, very soon. Soon everyone will know that the best coffee is grown on the banks of the Scioto River and the surrounding floodplains. Say, anyone know where you get those cool looking burlap bags that they hold the beans in?

Maybe, though, I should wait since it's supposed to snow again this weekend.

As trivial as it may seem on the surface, it's going to take the punch of hitting folks in those little everyday necessities (cup-o-joe) to get a considerable populus to wake up and smell the global warming. 50% of Americans drinking coffee are substantial numbers!

Then there are those who continue to argue that the warming trend is merely a cycle being repeated as evidenced throughout world history. Hey that's a great concept, except they quickly discard the fact that even 100 years ago the planet were not populated or industrialized as it is today.

Yep, we really did it this time.

Honestly, do we really need coffee(or caffeine)? Maybe no more coffee for the masses would mean less HYSTERIA...

I'm not worried about what "might" happen in the future, in fact I'm down right tired of these dire predictions. You can make up any apocolyptic predictions you want and link it to global warming. It means nothing to the majority of us level headed, logical thinking people. It is just more mind numbing stories that distances the denialists from their AGW views more and more. I really think they are hurting their own cause of AGW with these horror stories.

What does worry me though is the massive crop destruction from the weather that has happened in the last couple of months and is happening now. Crop destruction in California from the extreme cold in January and February and much of the South's crops detroyed including a predicted 95% of the Georgia peach crop from recent record breaking temps. I know, I know, you say it means nothing about the legitimacy of global warming ....climate is one thing, weather is another blah, blah, blah. I'll remember that the next time we have a record breaking heat wave and the AGW crowd carries it around like it is some kind of war hero.

As a side note, Laura, love your site and appreciate the opportunity to vent every once in a while. I really don't care whose side your own, I put you above either because you allow all views to be known and discussed in an open forum. Cheers!

Kev:

Did what this time? What other time did we do anything? I hate it when we do what.

Skeptics don't discount the industrialization of the planet, they feel, however, that the combined input is negligible when compared to the massiveness that is the global climate. Face it, most people, even some on this blog, have no realistic concept of the big numbers that are commonly thrown around here. Because of that, supposition takes the place of common sense analysis.

Everyone is getting into the AGW Act. Of course, these are projections made for worse case scenarios.

Climate does affect our habits in many ways. During the last major warm period, The MWP (800-1300 AD), grapes were grown in many places of Europe that in the past were impossible. That all came to an end with the LIA (1300-1850). Until the LIA, Bavarians and Austrians were, like most of Europe, wine drinkers. By the 16th Century, the climate cooled to such a degree that wine prices precluded most of the population of Austria, Bavaria, and Bohmeia from using wine as a daily drink.

These areas turned to Ale as the common drink; as the climate continued to cool, the Bavarians were able to culture a brewing yeast at fairly low temps (28-32 Deg F). Little did they realize, but they were culturing a Lager yeast. The famous beers styles we now enjoy (Pilsner, Bock, and Pale Lagers) came about due to changes in climate.

People's habits change with the climate. The disasters that accompany climate change can occur both in a cooling as well as a warming climate. The worst draught to hit North America in 1200 years occured during the coldest period of the LIA; few Hurricanes made landfall in North America during this period, but quite a few hit Northwest Europe and Great Britain. European Russia had quite a number of famines during the LIA due to either draught or early frosts. Most mountain passes between So California and the Rockies were closed year around during the LIA. Expanding glaciers in the Alps during the LIA destroyed farms, villages, and created summer flash floods.

JP

Not to mention... The Dark Ages. This time (400 to 1000 AD) was not considered a particularly good time for humans residing in Northern Europe.

Hey, but cold is a good thing, right? (Especially if you like skiing!!)

Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it.

I would urge you all to give up caffeine anyway. I had pain in my hip area & muscles pulling mid torso front & back. I attended several Drs. who prescribed more & more pills. If I had continued I'm conviced they would have killed me. I finally abstained from all caffeine due to desperation & once the migraines went away my other problems went away also. I'm convinced caffeine causes a host of ailments but that is not recognised by the medical community. Give it a try. You have nothing to lose but the pain.

Whether you believe in global warming or not and whether you believe humans can cause a change in the climate or not, it is all irrelevant. What I find most curious is that the AGW people only point out apocolyptic scenarios. Come on, surely there is are positives in a warming planet. I'm a former Minnesotan. I was born and raised there, and I can tell you I do not miss the winters there one bit. I now live in Florida and if the sea level rises I won't cry. I'll have beach front property! The majority of the people living on the Florida coasts are quite wealthy and will be able to afford to relocate WELL in advance in the rising tide. Come on! Quit scaring the heck out of people! We will adapt! IF the planet warms we will grow new food crops in new areas. Coffee will continue to grow somewhere on the planet. For heaven's sake it's able to grow very well in Florida right now. It just isn't economically beneficial. In the future maybe it will be the new cash crop in Georgia and peanuts and peaches will be grown in Ohio. Oh, I forgot about the droughts and floods. Again, the AGW crowd wants it both ways. A lack of water and an excess of water. I'm completely dumbfounded at the need to manufacture disaster scenarios. Is this because nobody would care otherwise???

If it just got warmer in some regions etc. I'm with you. Who cares. As long as your scenario develops fine. The trouble is mankind has a bad track record predicting future consequences of todays actions. Read up a little on the disasters created by man on the Australian continent & then ask yourself if we want to play Russian Roulette on a global scale. If we're smart the answer is no.

Palm Grower:

Actually, there are hundreds of studies done on a diverse range of plants and plant types in regards to the response of the plants to increases in carbon dioxide. These studies have found that nearly all plants actually do much better in the areas of drought resistance, biomass production, water utilization, and other areas. Basically, the earth is greening do the increase in carbon dioxide.

But now that we know that forests cause global warming, what the heck are we to do? Cut down all northern forests and bury the wood?

We're DOOMED!!!