[almostnormal]

okay...sorry i'm a bit new to this thread...but the original thing was about the steps we can take to prevent global warming right? I'm presuming what we're actually all talking (or sneering/bickering) about is climate change yes?

right, so the evidence isn't conclusive BUT when you read a lot of the journal articles out there - science direct have lots of freebie abstracts and you can get a good range of eclogical/climmate change articles and peer reviewed papers on google academic - most of them will agree that although global warming (ie the phases of tropical to ice age and back again) are a natural process, the levels of methane and CO2 are rising at a much much quicker rate than they ever have before (and there are a number of glacier studies available online for those who want to dig them out) causing the warming phase to happen at a more accelerated rate than eco-systems are used to.

there are probably loads of reasons for this, but the fact remains, that even if (and i'm with matt on this one, i know where my money is) we aren't to blaim (which we probably are) we should have a lot more respect for our environment than we currently do. so...the addage is reduce, reuse, recycle. think about where the resources you use everyday are coming from and how to reduce your carbon footprint. its all going to save natural resources and money in the long term. switching to led spots for exmaple, getting more efficient appliances, driving small cars, walking or cycling more, switching appliances of at the plug, not the standby button, properly insulating your house, growing your own veg, buying local produce (helping farmers and the environment) and seasonal goods, using sustainable bags not carriers, getting milk from the milkman in glass bottles which are reused...the list is endless...and it all helps in the long run.