Examining the Evidence Supporting the Theory of AGW (Anthropomorphic Global Warming)

From The Writer’s Almanac:

It was on this day in 1832 that the world’s first streetcar began operation in New York City, running between Prince and 14th Streets in Lower Manhattan.

By 1870, New Yorkers made 100 million trips a year in horse-drawn streetcars. By 1880, there were at least 150,000 horses in the city. But each of those 150,000 horses was producing 22 lbs. of manure each day, and soon the city was a mess. One citizen wrote: “In hot weather the city stank with the emanations of putrefying organic matter.” Another wrote that the streets were “literally carpeted with a warm, brown matting of comminuted horse droppings, smelling to heaven and destined in no inconsiderable part to be scattered in fine dust in all directions, laden with countless millions of disease breeding germs.” One writer guessed that by 1930, the manure would reach the third story of Manhattan’s buildings. But in just a few decades, cars took over as the primary form of transportation, and in 1917 horse-drawn streetcars ceased to operate in New York City.

One occasionally hears global warming deniers use this story as a reason not to take action to mitigate climate change.  It is true that, historically, people have made all kinds of incorrect assessments as to future calamity.  At this point, however the weight of evidence supporting the theory of AGW (anthropomorphic global warming) is so strong that trying to steer our civilization away from addressing it is some combination of folly and evil.

What saved the day in turn-of-the-century New York City was technology.  Is it possible that some as-yet unforeseen technology will turn our climate issues around?  Of course.  But a), hope is not a strategy, and b) such technology is far more likely to come along if it’s deemed to be an absolute requirement for our survival.