[Eau Claire]

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.

Actually a lot of proof on a lot of issues is not hard to find, if you look that is. It should be much easier for find, of course, because it should be all over the mainstream media, but it’s not. Melting ice is an issue with respect to the possible melting of the polar ice caps, which would lead to sea rise, but that is decades way. The causes of the forest fire issue, in north American at least, are known and climate change is not a major factor. See the previous discussion and links in this thread. Climate change is also not a major factor in the extinction issue, at least not today. Overfishing, deforestation, human encroachment on wild areas, invasive species brought to new places by man, and plastics and other chemicals being released into the environment are some of the major causes.

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.

I think you’re being selective with your interpretation here. You will have noticed that everything is being blamed on climate change these days – to the point where it has become a farce, in fact – and one of the issues there is that there generally ISN’T any kind of explanation for why a given incident is related to climate change. Or if there is it’s some kind of generic statement like “hotter and dryer, therefore more fires” which often isn’t even true. Especially on this issue it’s very important to demand facts and logic. And with respect to the attacks, it’s the fear industry that’s doing the most egregious forms of that. I know that David Keith has been attacked mercilessly by “environmental groups” that don’t favour the solutions he’s working on. I read another one of these articles on a fairly prominent website just a few weeks ago.

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.

I’m curious who you’ve been reading these days who says that climate change isn’t happening.

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...

The point of the media barrage by the fear industry is exactly to overwhelm and to manipulate you through emotion, without facts. But the facts are out there, so when you’re feeling overwhelmed do some digging, and you’re feel a lot better. We’re not at a point where I’d say it’s problem solved, but we’re making great progress, and we have been for 10 years at least in various ways. But you won’t have read about that in the mainstream media, and that’s a problem.