There are many concerns that affect people around the world in different ways. What some people consider to be a major concern will be of little consequence to others, it depends very much on where you are.
Let me give you an example. In the western world we have a safe and reliable water supply, this is hardly going to be impacted upon by the consequences of global warming. Elsewhere in the world there are many millions of people who rely on meltwater from mountain glaciers for their water supply.
Outside of the Polar regions, half the glaciers in the world have already melted and as a result water supplies have dried up for many people, none more so than in the foothills of the Himalayas. Millions of people have already been affected and many have had to abandon their homes and relocate elsewhere.
Food shortages is another area of considerable concern. The last few years has seen extensive devastation of food crops in the Americas and Europe as a consequence of heatwaves and flooding, but it’s not really caused us any major problems. Some countries have suspended exports of food whilst others have had to rely on more imports than usual. As a result we’re paying more for some food products, but that’s about it. Contrast this to parts of Asian and Africa. Here there is no back-up in place, when a crop fails then people die.
It’s these impacts on food and water resources that are perhaps the biggest threat from global warming and it’s mainly because the people who are affected have no alternatives in place.
There are a great many other issues such as the spread of disease, rising sea-levels and acidification of the oceans but the impacts of these tend to be smaller or they’re more easily managed.
The major concern is if global warming stops and it starts getting cooler (which looks like it's going to happen) they will lose all funding, be out of a job and look stupid to boot.
If they are going to get paid.
Quote by Eduardo Tonni, paleontologist, Committee for Scientific Research, Argentina: “The [global warming] scaremongering has its justification in the fact that it is something that generates funds.”
Quote by George Kukla, climatologist, research scientist with the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University: "The only thing to worry about is the damage that can be done by worrying. Why are some scientists worried? Perhaps because they feel that to stop worrying may mean to stop being paid."
You have to come up with a big convincing lie to get paid.
Gringo:
The biggest concern is probably a general pattern of events which show that the Earth is responding to global warming and that that is changing the Earth in ways which are unfavorable to mankind.The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere is increasing, the temperature of the Earth is rising, the oceans are becoming more acidic, glaciers and polar ice caps are melting, sea levels are rising, the probability of severe weather events is increasing, and weather-related natural disasters are becoming more frequent and more costly. The largest concern probably is with the disappearance of water resources and the ensuing droughts and wildfires in the interior of continents, which are threatening our food supply.
The first article below shows how the Earth is changing in response to the rising temperatures, and a second shows how it is affecting our food supply.
Whether or not taxpayer handouts for 'Research' will continue.
They may be forced to find jobs in the private sector......where meaningful results are expected.
