Those of you who think that nuclear electricity generation might save us, haven't been paying attention. Both Fukushima and Chernobyl are disasters of unknowable magnitude because the human hubris that built them can't figure out how to see what's in them now that both are violently radioactive wreckage. Everything is best guess. I suspect that there isn't enough money in the entire world to fix either one of them. Japan's fault is plate-tectonic and its tsunamis will be washing Fukushima across its countryside for millennia.

Thanks to all the contributors here, I've enjoyed this topic. SOme have addressed me personally, thanks. So much information, and mis-information, it's hard to really know. I'm coming up to retirement. I don't really worry for my children, as I have none, but for humanity as a whole. Predicted in a few years, maybe 20, there will be one worker supporting one retiree. Give or take but the facts are along that line. The solution, is more young people. Yet that is the opulation explosion, and in a way that is what is screwing us. Save the planet? I believe sincerely the demise of humanity is in the planets' best interest and it will be better off without us and wil soon heal over. Soon, may be 200 years or 2 million years, either is acceptable to the planet whose real threat is the decay of the sun, not us humans. It's all in the grand scheme of things we are little more that temporary..... A facinating subject. Best wishes all. Andrew.

You guys on here are supposed to be smart people. I'm disappointed in you all that you don't care one whit about your children and their children. When years of overwhelming scientific evidence and the vast majority of climate scientists' analysis of that evidence points to a significant man-caused impact on changing the climate and you continue to ignore, denigrate, and scoff at taking any steps proposed or being implemented to alleviate the damage, one has to conclude that you aren't very bright at all.

What is the harm in reducing our carbon emissions and moving to renewable sources of energy? The long range benefits to the environment and our and our children's health and well-being make it worth it.

Whether we have 20, 50, or 200 years of oil, or thousands of years of coal reserves shouldn't mean that we can keep barreling along using those resources for ourselves, and leaving nothing for subsequent generations. We can reduce our use of those non-renewables for energy production, and save some of those resources for our progeny to use for vital non-energy producing purposes.

As the Earth's population expands, we have to find ways to stop raping this planet of its resources to exhaustion and make use of materials that are renewable, recyclable, and non-polluting. It's only common sense.

Stan

You are right Stan......."overwhelming concensus between all the worlds scientists"about man made climate change is still being ignored.
You dont even need scientists....common sense should tell everybody what the truth is....co2 traps heat which is a FACT.Humans have increased the level of co2 in the atmosphere by massive amounts while removing a valuable resource for reducing co2....trees.... and this is also a fact.We keep increasing co2 levels and keep deforesting large areas while arguing about global warming,it's ridiculous.
Rising tempratures,air pollution,overpopulation etc,etc is affecting the planet now and if things carry on the way they are we are heading for big problems.As the most intelligent species on the planet,we are not doing a very good job are we.