Global warming may be a gigantic threat to our earth and to humankind. Or, it may be overblown hysteria by people labeled "tree hugging environmentalists."
Scientists are split on the issue. Or, as some would suggest, the oil and coal producers of the world have purchased scientific opinion. Who knows? Who can tell?
If the danger is real, then we don't have a lot of time to begin doing something to protect against the possible outcomes. Some say the ice caps will melt and raise the seas so that seaports will be flooded and island nations will disappear under water. Some say the added heat will lead to being overrun by insects. Some say the warmth will make deserts of some of our arable lands.
The nations of the world are frozen into inaction by the severity of the existing proposals. The damage to the US economy would be so severe that it may be politically impossible to agree to take the steps urged by Island States. Third-world countries won't reduce their development until the US does its part. You can read for days about the issues and the various threats with opinions on every side.
I am relatively well read on the subject, but still feel uninformed. I don't know whether global warming is real or not. I don't know whether it will threaten our future or not.
But, I do know that if global warming is real, the present list of proposed solutions stands little chance of being implemented. So, if global warming is real, future generations are in deep trouble. I don’t think our present generations can leave the problem untouched.
Global warming is another of the dangers facing earth that could be resolved by taking control of the earth with thrusters. We might be able to speed up the rotation, giving us less sunlight each day. Or, if that is a zero sum game, we might change the orientation so more of the sunlight hits water and less on land, or vice versa.
Or, if we find ways to speed up or extend earth's orbit around the Sun, we might make compensating moves that would extinguish the global warming effects.
Who knows? I don't know? If you know, tell us. I think it's worth a try to put earth's best minds to work on ways to solve global warming that are practical, realistic, and politically possible.
U.S. EPA site:
http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/
U.S. NOAA site:
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/paleo/globalwarming/home.html
The Skeptics:
http://www.skepticism.net/global_warming/index.html
International:
These are just the start of the sites you could explore.