- Global warming is bulls**t because it snowed a lot this winter, and even last winter. If it's snowing more and more, it can't possibly be getting warmer. I get a lot of that. However, remember that regardless of how much it's snowing evidence still shows that the air has been getting warmer recently. Warmer air absorbs moisture more readily. With more moisture in the air on average, you are likely to get more snow in the winter.
- So, are you going to fix global warming? Environmental science IS NOT the same as studying climate change. That's called climatology. Environmental science is the study of the different forces in the environment, of which climate is only one.
- I'm not going to switch to the new fluorescent bulbs because they have dangerous stuff in them. So, it's true that compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) have mercury in them, which incandescent light bulbs do not. However, CFLs actually reduce the amount of mercury that's released into the atmosphere through coal power plant emissions by 79%. You can look at the EPA's factsheet for the original graph here.
- Yeah, but if you throw CFLs out, there are all sorts of toxic chemicals that could poison the environment. That's also true, which is why you're not supposed to throw them out in regular trash. Click on that link in the previous paragraph for recommendations for disposal and steps to take if you break a CFL. If you're argument is that we shouldn't use them because people won't dispose of them properly, there are already plenty of things that we use that people don't dispose of properly on a regular basis: printer cartridges, turpentine, paint thinners, industrial/drain cleaners, certain types of paint, motor oil, oil filters, car batteries, elderly relatives, antifreeze, computers, computer monitors, roofing tar, transmission fluid, countless older appliances using now-banned substances such as freon, etc. You get the idea.
- I read that things like switching from plastic bags to using cloth bags don't really help the environment that much. Why do you still take actions like that? It's all in how you view it. It's true that switching from plastic to cloth doesn't lower the amount of energy consumed drastically, but it's still a step. If you're the kind of person who believes that no progress is better than some progress, then it's a valid action. Plus, it's mildly appalling just how many bags the average family goes through. My roommates and I only use cloth bags for grocery store trips, and yet we still have a surplus of plastic bags that continues to grow.
This addresses some of the more common questions I get. Seeing as I didn't even get to cover half of my intended topics, there will probably be a part 2 in the near future. Feel free to comment below with other questions.
