• PRO

    The site goes on to say that the climate change is about...

    The U. S. adopting Cap and Trade will have a significant effect on climate.

    >I thank my respected opponent for his response. It was extremely clever, but I can negate it. >Please note that for the purposes of the remainder of this debate my opponent has already claimed that we are "assuming the Obama plan even works." >Facts we both agree on: All of my opponent's sources and data derived from sources except for EPA on climate change in the last 50 years (I will touch on this right now). >EPA claims that global climate change has been a 1degree to 1.7 degree increase in the last 150 years. I will average these two numbers to get a 1.35 degree change. It goes on to say that (as my opponent neglects to tell you) the temperature has increased 1 degree since the mid 1970s (I will say 1975 for these purposes). I would now like to present figure 1: http://www.epa.gov... According to figure 1 (which came from my opponent's site) the increase in temperature has been linear since the 1970s. It has increased since 1975. The site goes on to say that the climate change is about 3.2 degrees of increase per century on this linear track. My opponent seems to be basing his information on 50 years so 3.2/2 = 1.6 degrees per 50 year period. Please note that all measures are Fahrenheit. >Due to my last remarks, my opponent's calculations of the following are moot: "1. In 150 years, the temperature has gone up 1 degree. The U.S. is responsible for about a quarter of this. 2. Even if the United States produced no carbon footprint, about three-quarters of global warming would still occur. 3. If the United States produced no carbon footprint, then there would not be a significant effect on climate. The basic calculations are as follows: 150 years=1 degree 50 years=one-third of a degree 50 years (just U. S.)=one-twelveth of a degree" Corrections: 1. In 150 years, the temperature has gone up 1.35 degrees. The U.S. is responsible for 27% of this. 2. If the United States produced no carbon footprint, 73% of global warming would still occur. 3. If the United States produced no carbon footprint, then there would not be a significant effect on climate. The Obama plan, however, is global. Calculations are as follows: 150 years = 1.35 degrees 50 years = 0.45 degrees New information: Barack Obama will take office in 2009 Again, my opponent and I are discussing the next 50 years. My opponent's measurement of a significant effect is a quarter if a degree. This is flexible and can be a quarter of a degree less than what would happen without the Obama plan, not a quarter of a degree colder than the previous years. More calculations: 2009 + 50 = 2059 2050 – 2009 = 41 50/41 = 1.22 1.22(80%) = 97.6% The next 50 years will linearly reduce 97.6% of carbon emissions. >Now the part of the Obama plan that my opponent neglects to mention: "Obama and Biden will re-engage with the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) -- the main international forum dedicated to addressing the climate problem. They will also create a Global Energy Forum of the world's largest emitters to focus exclusively on global energy and environmental issues." I will say for the purposes of this argument that the "world's largest emitters" are the top 10 emitters. These collectively emit 82.4% of the world's carbon emissions. >I will now make some more calculations: 0.45(0.27) = 0.1215 0.1215(0.976) = 0.118584 0.25 – 0.118584 = 0.131416 82.4 – 27 = 55.4(%) 0.45(0.554) = 0.2493 0.131416/0.2493 = 45.8(%) >Due to my above calculations, if Obama creates half of the effect he is making in the United States in the other 9 countries alone(it could be even more than this); he will have more than half of a percent effect on the climate in the next 50 years. >Thanks to my correct calculations, we can say that the Obama plan will have a significant effect on the climate. As my opponent said (though now applying to me), "the debate is already won… I thank my opponent for this debate."