Instigator / Pro
28
1554
rating
15
debates
73.33%
won
Topic
#1404

Modern climate change is driven by human activity.

Status
Finished

The debate is finished. The distribution of the voting points and the winner are presented below.

Winner & statistics
Better arguments
12
0
Better sources
8
8
Better legibility
4
4
Better conduct
4
0

After 4 votes and with 16 points ahead, the winner is...

Nemiroff
Parameters
Publication date
Last updated date
Type
Standard
Number of rounds
3
Time for argument
Three days
Max argument characters
1,470
Voting period
One month
Point system
Multiple criterions
Voting system
Open
Contender / Con
12
1447
rating
4
debates
0.0%
won
Description

No information

Round 1
Pro
#1
Proof of humanity's effect on climate:
CO2 is a greenhouse gas
CO2 is released by our industry and automobiles.
Therefore we release a greenhouse gas.



Carbon comes in 3 isotopes (or atoms with different numbers of neutrons, and therefore weights.
c-12 makes up 98.9% of our modern carbon. c-13 makes up most of the rest, and c-14 doesn't matter (1 in a trillion or so) 
our atmosphere had more c-13 in the past, and the carbon stored in old fossil fuels proves that.
The increase in c-13 in our atmosphere shows exactly how much carbon we are really responsible for. and it correlates exactly with the expected affect on climate.



to preempt a common false counter argument.
YES THE CLIMATE ALWAYS CHANGES NATURALLY... over the course of tens to hundreds of thousands of years... not a single century, not this much.
climate is a complex phenomena affected by many variables, most of which are rather stable. this does not mean we cannot become one of those variables, or even a dominant variable, as our industries grow.

Con
#2
This argument is invalid because as the co2 in the atmosphere rises plants grow better which sokes in more Co2 basic canceling itself. The earth has alway gone back to a moderate som we will have no long term effects. Even supervolcano eruptions have been recovered from. This is weather change not climate change. 
Round 2
Pro
#3
My opponent does not dispute the existence of climate change, nor its human cause. My points remain unchallenged.

Instead my opponent claims that evolution works like magic allowing all life to instantly adapt with no consequences. All life depends on a carefully balanced internal environment. Plants use CO2 in the production of sugar much like we use 02. Giving a person more 02 will not make him grow faster, reproduce more, or gain more energy, it will kill him (or her). 

Life will undoubtedly adapt and continue, but that is in a general sense. Most abrupt changes, including the supervolcanoes, lead to some of our most massive mass extinctions. 

Con
#4
I have disputed your point. plants grow best in a all co2 atmosphere. This means that the coo2 levels will return to normal
Round 3
Pro
#5
My points were that climate change is real and man made.
By saying plants will solve this, you are agreeing its real, and not disputing that its man made... thus my points remain unchallenged. 

As to your magic plants argument: you ignored my counter argument that life requires a balance and that evolution doesnt work that fast. These counter arguments were not addressed.

Furthermore, global warming is not new, why havent the plants been working so far? Carbon continues to increase. Even if your theory happened to be correct, it clearly isnt keeping pace with our emissions and isnt enough of a solution.

Do you dispute that humans are driving modern climate change? If yes, please explain and address my proofs from the first round. If no, thank you for conceeding.

Con
#6
Forfeited