what are possible non-human causes for global warming?

Answer 1

The globe was slightly warming before the industrial revolution, but the amout and rate that it is warming now dwarf any non-human causes for global warming. It has to be us; there is NO other logical explination when you look at the data.

The US must ratify the Kyoto protocal, being the first step toward doing something about this global problem which we are cheifly to blame.

CO2 is 30% higher than it has been for 650,000 years. Methane is 130% greater. These are two of the main pollutants humans put into the atmosphere in excess, and they are two of the primary greenhouse gases.

Look at the 'hockeystick', which shows a dramatic warming since 1950 after a fairly stable climate for 1000 years. In fact, the 10 hottest years in recorded history have all happened since 1990, with 2005 being the hottest, and 2006 is shaping up to maybe break that record.
(see links below)

How's that for proof of man's fault in this? There is ample proof, any real scientist will tell you that.

There has NEVER been an article doubting man's influence on global warming published in a peer-reviewed journal. A recent study of almost 1000 proved that.

Yes, the earth naturally heats and cools, but the rate and amount we are warming now is unprecedented in the recent geologic past. We are doing this, and we must stop it. This is not some political statement or rhetoric. This is science trying to educate a crass, ignorant public of the damage they are doing. The magnitude of temperature increase ALREADY is about 10x that of the 'little ice age' of the middle ages, and rate and amount are only going up.

Just to be clear, glacial and interglacial cycles are mainly controlled by astronomical fluctuations, but we have a detailed record of the last 7 cycles, and what the climate and CO2 is doing now is way different and extreme. The rate of increase is much higher than in the past AND the value itself is much higher.

HI CO2:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4467420.stm
HOCKEY STICK:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5109188.stm
General climate stuff:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3897061.stm

Answer 2

Take a look at the sea floor deposits of methane hydrates.These are extremely large deposits and as long as they stay below a certain temperature they, and a fair number of other trouble makers, Will remain there. If they warm up it is going to get warmer up above. These deposits have been released in the past and, since it's basically a loosely cyclic thing, they will again. The idea is that they are responsible for the Great (Great meaning up to 80+ per cent of life forms) Extinction between the Paleozoic and Mesozoic periods. A lot of people think we are more destructive than we are. Take a look at the volcano barely sleeping under Yellowstone National Park. Now consider what it means in potential power and how many nukes it would take to equal it. That is basically what is happening with GW. We can cause some degree of it but the big boys are still the same ones that caused it so many times before.

Answer 3

It could be because of the orbit of the Earth around the sun, some speculate the ocean's currents affect the temperature of the Earth because they distribute heat from different regions; some speculate that there are phenomena on the sun (like sun spots) that could affect the temperature of the Earth long-term. On the other side, many imagine that large dust clouds from volcanic eruptions or meteorites could inject dust into the atmosphere and cause cooling, so perhaps reducing these sorts of things can cause warming.

Answer 4

Believe it or not, only a small fraction of the "greenhouse effect" is caused by humans (depending on your calculation, the upper limit is about 5%, and the lower limit is less than 1%). Most of it is caused by something of natural origin, which is... brace yourself... water vapor.

Water vapor constitutes Earth's most significant greenhouse gas, accounting for about 95% of Earth's greenhouse effect. Interestingly, many "facts and figures' regarding global warming completely ignore the powerful effects of water vapor in the greenhouse system, carelessly (perhaps, deliberately) overstating human impacts as much as 20-fold.

Water vapor is 99.999% of natural origin. Other atmospheric greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and miscellaneous other gases (CFC's, etc.), are also mostly of natural origin (except for the latter, which is mostly anthropogenic).

Human activites contribute slightly to greenhouse gas concentrations through such things as farming, manufacturing, power generation, and transportation. However, these emissions are so dwarfed in comparison to emissions from natural sources we can do nothing about, that even the most costly efforts to limit human emissions would have a very small-- perhaps undetectable-- effect on global climate.

Granted, the amount of human activities that contribute to the greenhouse effect have increased exponentially, its contribution to the big picture is still smaller than claimed. This does not, however, give anyone the right to neglect their obligation to conserve natural resources. We must all do our part to help decrease these "human causes" of global warming.

So, to answer your question, there is a very significant non-human cause of global warming (>95%), which is water vapor.

I've included some references at the bottom (for some light reading).

Answer 5

1. Volcanic eruptions spewing CO2 and SOx's plus ash and particulate matter;
2. Naturally occurring forest fires;
3. Plankton blooms in the oceans;
4. Meteorite impacts which release gas hydrates when they hit the ocean;
5. Melting permafrost which releases the trapped CO2 and other greenhouse gases;
6. Animal flatulence;
7. Burning coal seams which start from lightning or forest fires (these can burn for decades);
8. Fluctuations in the ozone layer; and,
9. Flucutations in solar output.

Is that enough?

Answer 6

Some of the recent climate changes are likely due to natural processes, such as volcanic eruptions, changes in solar luminosity, and variations generated by natural interactions between parts of the climate system (for example, oceans and the atmosphere). There were significant climate changes before humans were around and there will be non-human causes of climate change in the future.

Answer 7

animals can cause global warming.. I don't know if this is some kind of joke, but cow waste made a hole or something.. methane gas.. hahahhashgksdlh'lsdfhjg

Answer 8

Here's one for you! How many cows, pigs and other animals on the earth? That's a lot of gas, isn't it. Methane.

Answer 9

VOLCANO ERUPTIONS SPEWING TONS OF ASH AND SMOKE INTO THE ATMOSPHERE. EL NINOS AND OTHER OCEAN PHENONEMA ARE KNOWN TO AFFECT OUR WEATHER PATTERNS. AND ACTUAL WEATHER CYCLES FOR OUR PLANET. EVEN INSECTS AND DISEASES DESTROYING FORESTS AND HURTING THE OXYGEN CREATION OF THEM. BUT STILL, IT IS MAN THAT IS THE GREATER CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM.

Answer 10

Bovine flatulence