Why Some of Us Will Never Agree

[bu villain]

I came across an interesting article today which I think will ring true to most people. It discusses how peoples beliefs are based more on what supports their world view than facts. Of course this doesn't apply to any of us because here on IA we only deal with facts and logic despite how the outcome makes us feel.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...7&sc=YahooNews

This article deals mostly with global warming but the group doing the studies looks at all sorts of public policy issues. You can see more about what they do here:

http://www.culturalcognition.net/

I'm hoping to hear some good ideas on how we can get away from this partisan/worldview based dialog that trumps facts so often these days.

[David88vert]

If everyone agreed, we would not be as interesting. While we do not have to have extremist views, it is good to have opposing views.

Look at it this way, a President should look to bring in advisors that have different viewpoints from his own. He laready has his own bias, so what he should have is a balancing view that looks at it from the other side of the coin. I'm not talking about irrational, illogical viewpoints, but rather, people who can point out things that might not have been considered with only one ideology.

As for our current President, I do not think that he has fully done this by any means, but I do believe that he has done a better job of this than the last administration, or the other choice that we had in the last election.

[preferredduck]

global warming, we have got more snow in georgia in the last 2 years than the last 20!!!! 6 inches at my house last year and a good 4-5 this year. it never does that here. the earth goes through natural cycles and nobody will ever agree on anything, that's what makes individuality. but there is alot of misinformation out there these days for sure.

[David88vert]

the earth goes through natural cycles and nobody will ever agree on anything, that's what makes individuality. but there is alot of misinformation out there these days for sure.

On this we agree 100%.

[Total_Blender]

On this we agree 100%.

For the climate change detractors:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/2010021...08599196229400

I have been reading that the winter storms fit the model for climate change. The increased humidity from melting the polar ice caps means winter storms will hold more precipitation. This is still one of the warmest winters ever... it snows one weekend and its 65 or 70 degrees the next, doesn't that seem odd to you all?

[bu villain]

Yes having different view points is a good thing but not when it trumps facts. That was the main point of the article. 99% of people out there judge global warming based on politics, what the effects to the economy would be and even whether or not they like Al Gore. How many people actually read peer reviewed studies before making judgements. If you don't know just say so, but don't pretend to be an expert on something you really haven't studied.

The very fact that people think any amount of snow proves or disproves global warming is rediculous. It just shows a complete ignorance of the basics of global warming and of weather in general.

I actually hoped this wouldn't turn into a global warming debate but rather about using the facts to come to a conclusion even if you don't like the conclusion.

[David88vert]

This is still one of the warmest winters ever... it snows one weekend and its 65 or 70 degrees the next, doesn't that seem odd to you all?

Not at all - if you've lived in GA as long as I have. GA's winters have always been like this - warm one weekend, cold the next. It's not uncommon.

In my parents time, they weren't talking about global warming, they were talking about the impending ice age.

Here is a thought - do you really think that humans are powerful enough to effect such a massive change as a complete warming of the Earth? Look at the data, and it is not clear that humans are causing it. What if the Earth is naturally going through a warming that we are not the cause of? Then we are trying to fight something that probably is bigger than us. That does not mean that we should not try to do something about protecting our environment, but we shouldn't assume that it is something that we can easily change or reverse.

[Total_Blender]

Not at all - if you've lived in GA as long as I have. GA's winters have always been like this - warm one weekend, cold the next. It's not uncommon..

Its not winter in GA until it snows in March.

But climate and weather are different... weather is what is happening next weekend, and climate is the trend that happens over the next decade. A cold spell and a storm in DC does little to offset the long-term warming trend, and is even in congruence with the scientists claims that we will have storms that are greater in intensity.

What peer reviewed studies are you reading that show that global warming is not in fact caused by humans? Everything I have read suggests to the contrary.

[Destineal]

For the climate change detractors:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/2010021...08599196229400

I have been reading that the winter storms fit the model for climate change. The increased humidity from melting the polar ice caps means winter storms will hold more precipitation. This is still one of the warmest winters ever... it snows one weekend and its 65 or 70 degrees the next, doesn't that seem odd to you all?

Seems like normal GA weather to me. Crazy as hell.

[preferredduck]

i love the videos i saw tonight of so many people ripping on al gore about global warming with 36 in of snow!!! it's damn funny. it's also funny that el nino comes around with dems in office and it's all wet and when bush was in we had la nina and it was dry as a bone, WTF????? lolz

[preferredduck]

it's also funny that gore owns the company who sells carbon credits. WTF again????

[Destineal]

it's also funny that gore owns the company who sells carbon credits. WTF again????

Can't knock his hustle.

[TIGERJC]

I will say this

Anything in excess has consequences and thats my view on global warming and a lot of other stuff.

[bu villain]

Purpose of this thread failed. Oh well, continue debating global warming...

[preferredduck]

Purpose of this thread failed. Oh well, continue debating global warming...

no it did not, it proves we won't agree!!. i know my first comment stated that pretty clearly, it's just a fun topic and keeps the thread going. good starter man.

[bu villain]

yeah i guess I have to expect it on IA. I was just hoping for some discussion on how we can stop our ideologies from trumping facts or perhaps how we can get more people to think critically and independently.

[David88vert]

yeah i guess I have to expect it on IA. I was just hoping for some discussion on how we can stop our ideologies from trumping facts or perhaps how we can get more people to think critically and independently.

Just because people do not share the same viewpoint does not mean that they are not critically and independently.

People will read the same facts and still come to different conclusions.

Perhaps you would prefer to discuss how to get everyone to agree with you?

[preferredduck]

yeah i guess I have to expect it on IA. I was just hoping for some discussion on how we can stop our ideologies from trumping facts or perhaps how we can get more people to think critically and independently.

get them to stop watching MTV and pregnant at 16 etc, ans stop spreading so much dis-information. we will never fully agree but if some people will get the same core principals it may work. but everything is really dilluted nowadays too. i love a good discussion on any topic whether they agree or not agree. it's like some of the videos i post. i can only read into 20% and the rest is open and other posters with good points that may not agree fill me in on facts i don't know. i'm trying to help here but my foot can't agree with my brain on the speed limit. lol

also some facts are not proven facts, like say total blender gets his info from somewhere and his "facts" and "statistics" don't match mine, same concept really. but there really is alot of dis information out there for this very reason. he gets his facts from the puppy doggs, sunshine, and lillopop network!!!!