What evidence besides temperature do scientists use in order to claim that global warming is real?

Question

Rather than just a normal cyclic variation in the Earth's temperature?

Answer 1

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.
(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

They use ice cores and estimate temperatures based on the amount of carbon dioxide present in the ice.

Global warming is real in the sense that the temperatures are in a warming trend. However, there is no conclusive proof that it isn't a normal cyclic variation in the Earth's temperature. Unfortunately, the temperatures taken from the 1800's on are far more accurate than the "estimates" and without having the precise measurements for past temperatures, conclusive evidence is not likely to be obtained.

Oh, and just to let you know in answer to some people's claims, there are scientific articles and plenty of people that *do* challenge the assertions that humans have a big influence on this. There are mutliple factors involved in global warming, and more and more it looks like water vapor from the ocean plays a MUCH bigger role than carbon dioxide, as it is the amplifying effect. Having said that, none of this is proven, and it still theory. Unfortunately we'd either need to cool off, or face the predicted catastrophic effects of warming to really know which is correct. Bear in mind, that these same scientists that claim to "know" about global warming, also predicted a busy hurricane season this year. Below are some citations, some need to be looked up on pubmed in order to read them. It certainly bucks the idea that no peer-reviewed scientific article has questioned human forcings as a cause of global warming, several have, it's just that they get pushed aside because they aren't part of the clean-air agenda. Sad because I think most of them would still recommend lower emissions.

Answer 3

With local weather as with global weather it tends to run in cycles. Such as this past Hurricane Season was suppose to be the worst ever and it ended up being the calmest. It is said that man is causing all of this Global warming and in some cases it is somewhat possible. However Nature, Wind Currents, Sun and sunspots and droughts - rainy spots etc Volcano's Have probably the most cause in our Global Warming

The Inconvenient Truth About Those Like the Inventor of the Internet "Al Gore" are just spouting agendas.

In the 1970's we were in a spell when it was said that Global Cooling was the thing. Not a Human, Animal or Plant would survive the Cold On-slot of Global Cooling...

Answer 4

POWERFUL evidence for global warming has been discovered by US Government funded scientists.

A new analysis of satellite data has revealed that temperatures in a critical part of the atmosphere are rising much faster than previously thought, strengthening the scientific consensus that the world is warming at an unnatural rate.

The findings provide one of the final pieces of proof that global warming is taking place, and that it is a human-induced phenomenon.

Sceptics have often argued that if temperatures are rising at all, this is down to natural variation in the climate. The tropospheric trend, however, is precisely what scientists would expect to see if man-made emissions of greenhouse gases were causing it to heat up.

“I think this could convince not just scientists but the public as well,” Dr Fu said.

Answer 5

The glaciers are melting at an increasing rate.
The ice caps on mountains are melting.

Also, the rising temperatures are WAY off the chart compared to the cyclical variations that we've seen before.

See Al Gore's movie, "An Inconvenient Truth," for more evidence and photos of places on the planet that show the effects of global warming.

Answer 6

i argue this element daily.. this isn't any longer genuine.. the earth is 3 billion years previous.. we've been analyzing climate traits for hundreds of years.. 1000's of years isn't something while in comparison with 3 billion... how do we in all likelihood make assumptions in accordance with our learn.. the earth grow to be dynamic formerly human beings got here alongside.. in fact motives why human beings roam the earth is by using the fact the earth grow to be so dynamic in the 1st place... there grow to be ice a while and atmospheric differences long formerly human beings..i can bypass into the entire political conspiracy of world warming yet then i might only appear as if a weirdo

Answer 7

1) Polar Ice caps melting.
2) de-salinization of oceans due to melting caps
3) Dying Coral reefs
4) Increase in storm activity every raise in mean temp of oceans leading to the big hurricanes we have seen lately
5) Amount of gases in atmosphere increasing that are creating a greenhouse effect which could duplicate Venus

Answer 8

they only guess about these things. It's sort of like the astronomers telling us whats at the center of our galaxy. They don't know. It's 30,000 light years to the center,and they tell you what is there,when they don't even know lots of things about the outer planets. That's like our back yard in distance. I would like to have a job like that where you get payed to guess,and no one can prove them wrong.I hope it keeps getting warmer. I live in Va.,and we have about 7 months of cold weather. Also,who would believe anything Al Gore says?

Answer 9

Well the critic weather changing in some areas like really hooootttt weather on summer, really heavy winters, dry seasons, hard rain and heavy snows where they shouldn't be.

Answer 10

there are many other warning signs water temps rising fish and other life moving farther north