Impassioned argument. Unfortunately nearly all of these "real world issues" can be traced directly back to climate change. Not to mention that it's not just about climate change. It's about every environmental issue that's plaguing this world here and now. We're getting better, but we have a long way to go.
"We have damns fucking up the ecology of rivers all across america."
Hate to break it to you, but these dams provide megawatts upon megawatts of clean, renewable energy. Hydroelectric power is clean, efficient, and fairly reliable. It is used as a major source of energy all across the country, but especially in the Northwest. While there are several arguments against hydroelectric power (dams in specifics), and each one has a right to be discussed, there are ways to construct dams without completely damaging the ecosystems of the lakes and rivers that they lie on. Fish routes, secondary routes, seasonal openings are a few notable ways that we can make hydropower even more environmentally friendly. Ironically, climate change poses a threat to hydropower production in the Northwest due to declining amounts of snowfall (and thus, declining spring runoff).
"shit tons of people are moving to arid regions with no water."
Simply put, more and more regions are at risk of this happening due to climate change. Areas in the middle East, middle Africa, the American West, Mexico, areas of South America, and areas of China and Asia, are especially at risk here. Seattle, WA gets most of its drinking water from mountain runoff. So does Salt Lake City, UT. With increased temperatures and lower overall average snowfall, decreased runoffs will cause massive water shortages and disputes.
"China is raping the shit out of mongolia (and regions to the southwest) via agriculture and its creating a dust bowl effect that sweeps dust across china picking up polluntants, such dust storms have reached the US."
This would not have happened 25 years ago, most likely. While China is definitely to blame for its abusive agricultural processes, in many ways the so-called "dust-bowl effect" would still be going on in that region even with more responsible methods of farming. Agrarian societies did it before us. So can we; we can create efficient and technologically-advanced agrarian practices that can do a lot to help. But this region of China is undergoing a massive change in climate right now. Desertification is to blame. Agriculture is one reason why this is occurring; climate change is the other.
"Invasive weeds such as leafy spurge, knapweed, phragmites, and tamarisk fuck up the drainage and the general ecology of the intermountain west."
Climate change plays a role here too. I'll take the pine beatle as an example as it affects ski resorts nationwide. As temperatures gradually warm (on average), these species need a place to go where they can maintain their life processes. Because adaptations can take hundreds of years to complete, these species instead move upward in elevation. Thus, the ski resorts are heavily at risk for an influx of invasive species that will overwhelm their own ecosystems.
Then there's the comparative environmental issue at ski resorts themselves. Has it ever occurred to you the great undertaking it is to build a ski resort and the resulting environmental consequences? This is one reason I prefer treeskiing--it takes less of a toll on the environment and is generally more fun anyway. Think about what your favorite resort must have looked like before it was deforested. Right now, Breckenridge is proposing a one-lift, 450-acre expansion onto Peak 6. The area has been known to be a prime habitat for lynx, a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. Unfortunately, the development will most likely go through, pushing the lynx into all of the non-existent habitat in the Front Range.
"Soybean farmers are STILL fucking up the amazon. The asian countries of the pacific are fishing the shit out of the pacific and Indian oceans. Fungal blight is fucking up rubber trees across sri lanka and indonesia; they produce most of the worlds natural rubber."
These are both huge issues that I agree should be handled swiftly and efficiently. But they are still related to climate change. For an answer to Quote #1, see Answer #3. For an answer to Quote #2, see Answer #4.
I can say that I do agree with you on the notion that these issues should be fixed, but the Earth is a vast and interconnected place--even where one may think there are no interdependencies, there are. So please consider what I have lain before you. Climate change is related to all of these problems--and then some.
With regards to the thread, I am pleased to see some lively discussion. I like seeing NS go at it respectfully over a topic. I hope that this can continue. But am I the only one confused about which side (Anthropogenic Climate Change vs. non-Anthropogenic Climate Change) that OhMyBosh is on?
