Further to my comments on the Kyoto Protocol ("053. Perspiring already") and Bjorn Lomborg's article attached, a geologist member of this list, Chris Smith, writes

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From a geological perspective we know that the world thoughout its life has usually been far far hotter than it is today. The only times it hasn't been much hotter are during the very rare ice ages. We happen to be still within an interglacial of the current ice age. Whether we will go back into another short glacial advance or whether this ice age is now finished is uncertain.

What is certain is that climate change has always been going on throughout the world's existence. Mankind isn't yet clever enough to stop it, and likely never will be able to do so. To stop such climate changes one would have to interfere with the earth's orbit and wobbles, alter the sun's activity, stop volcanoes erupting, stop the plate motions (continental drift) that (i) change positions of continents and so alter the ocean current flow and (ii) cause plate collisions thrusting mountains into the air and altering the flow of air currents etc.

Kyoto is therefore a King Canute act. We are far better off learning how to adapt to inevitable climate change and its consequences. And in the short term of a few hundred years it might even change by getting colder.

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