Climate change- Real or an urban myth?

Answer 1

Real.

The increased amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) are the primary causes of the human-induced component of warming. They are released by the burning of fossil fuels, land clearing and agriculture, etc. and lead to an increase in the greenhouse effect.

The greenhouse effect, first discovered by Joseph Fourier in 1824, and first investigated quantitatively by Svante Arrhenius in 1896, is the process in which the absorption of infrared radiation by an atmosphere warms a planet. Without these greenhouse gases, the Earth's surface would be up to 30 °C cooler. The name comes from an incorrect analogy with the way in which greenhouses are heated by the sun in order to facilitate plant growth. In addition to the Earth, Mars, Venus and other celestial bodies with atmospheres (such as Titan) have greenhouse effects.

CO2 production from increased industrial activity (fossil fuel burning) and other human activities such as cement production and tropical deforestation has increased the CO2concentrations in the atmosphere. Measurements of carbon dioxide amounts from Mauna Loa observatory show that CO2 has increased from about 313 ppm (parts per million) in 1960 to about 375 ppm in 2005. The current observed amount of CO2 exceeds the geological record of CO2 maxima (~300 ppm) from ice core data (Hansen, J., Climatic Change, 68, 269, 2005 ISSN 0165-0009).

Because it is a greenhouse gas, elevated CO2 levels will increase global mean temperature. There has been an observed global average temperature increase of about 0.5oC since 1960 (Science 308, 1431, 2005). Quantitative understanding of climate sensitivity to CO2 concentration remains elusive due to uncertainties in a variety of feedbacks, especially those related to clouds, but there is little doubt that a substantial portion of the warming in the last half century was caused by the increase in CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere.

Answer 2

Urban Myth? Pah! It's real.

I've noticed how much hotter the summers are and how mild the winters are over even the last 5-10 years! I grew up in the south of the UK and we used to get snow regularly. We hardly see it now. My hometown is regularly the hottest place on record in the summer!. I have no stats here, but I know for a fact it's real.

Answer 3

I think Mark G has it right:
1. The earth has been getting warmer over a period of decades.
2. Human activity has made some contribution to the warming, but it's not clear how much.
3. We may be able to reduce the human effect, but it's not clear how much we can affect the warming.

The effect over the last century has been a temperature increase of less than 1 degree Celsius (less than 2 degrees Fahrenheit). It may be possible to detect a 1- or 2-degree temperature difference, but when people blame a 90-degree day on global warming, they probably aren't considering that it would be an 88- or 89-degree day in the absence of the current warming trend.

Let's not allow an occasional hot day to confuse us about what is (or is not) going on with global warming.

Answer 4

I thing that is the wrong question. There is no doubt whatsoever that climate is happening the question is are we the cause. I think that the planet would be getting hotter anyway but now we are making it a lot worse. We need to do something now in order to avoid a social and economic disaster.

Answer 5

Real.

If people aren't convinced by the scientific evidence presented by folks with a lot more credibility than an anonymous person on the internet, I don't see any point regurgitating the research here, but I'm sure it's real.

Answer 6

Real at least for now
UNKNOWNS 1 Source ( humans or nature ) 2 Duration 3 Solution or if even solvable

History will tell you that humans love predicting disasters of all types from plague to Armageddon so far ALL OF THEM HAVE BEEN FALSE ( we had a bunch of ICE AGE predictions from 1975-1985 ! )

Answer 7

It is a little of both.

The Earth goes through normal seasonal changes in which temperatures cool (i.e. ice age) and warm up. We may very well be in a period of normal rising temperatures.

Unfortunately, our actions (as others have mentioned) only serve to exacerbate the Earth's normal weather and seasonal pattern.

Answer 8

Are you serious??, or just tryin to stirr up a debate.
Personally i think the Earth has a natural cycle of climate change but we are definately affecting and accelerating that change

Answer 9

I think there are enough scientists getting alarmed now that we should all worry.

This is an issue which is being downplayed in the USA, which contributes 25% of the world's emissions of carbon dioxide.

Answer 10

Why don't you look at the responses tiffani got?