[OldDartmouthMark]

The key point I keep picking up in this thread and other climate change debates on the internet is that people seem quick to either confirm or deny that any particular weather/environment event or trend is related to 'climate change' based on opinion rather than fact.

So, while it is difficult to find absolute proof that any particular phenomenon is a symptom of climate change, it's hard to deny that there seems to be a lot of unusual things going on with such things as the weather, ice melting patterns, forest fires, global average temperatures, species of animals going extinct, etc.

From a layman's perspective, it appears that there has been 'more stuff' going on related to weather and environment in the last decade or so. While we could possibly attribute some of it to increased awareness, or 'media frenzy', it seems that most of us can pick out some things from our everyday experiences that seem to have changed in recent times.

It seems to me that every time some weather/environment phenomena is reported or discussed online, there is some speculation that it is related to climate change, which is typically followed up by some explanation on why this particular phenomena has suddenly changed, or some general statement that nothing has changed because somewhere in history it has happened before. Then of course it is often accompanied by attempt to denigrate the poster who suggested that climate change has come into play.

From where I stand, I haven't seen any clear evidence-based proof that climate change isn't happening, just numerous convenient explanations for particular phenomena. IMHO, some of those reasons given could absolutely be factors in each occurrence, but don't appear to be proof that they are actually the only cause.

Lately I have become overwhelmed by the sheer number of different occurrences that seem to have ballooned in recent times and have to ask myself how we can conclude that these occurrences are not due to some overall change that is occurring on our planet? Or, how can having a population of over 7.5 billion people on the planet, each of us having access to some form of technology that adds something to the atmosphere, not have some effect on the environment?

I don't have any easy answers to these questions, and from what I've read it doesn't seem like anybody else does either...