Is global warming a fact or is it just a random myth?

Question

I have to make a debate on this topic. Any help would be appreciated
What facts prove that G.W. is a fact?

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

Global warming is a fact. When the suns energy enters the earth atmosphere most of it reflects back. The atmosphere keeps some from escaping and that warms the earth. Life would not exist here without.

Really the question is has man's activity created enough CO2 to hold in more of the suns energy and raise the temperature of the planet and start causing serious consequences here on Earth.

I believe the answer is yes. The average temperature on the earth has been rising over the 100+ years and the CO2 concentrations in the earths atmosphere have gone above 300 parts per million for the first time in at least the last 650,000 years.

The consensus of scientist agree that it is a fact, and every country except the US and Australia have attended and signed the Kyoto agreement (that is upwards of 150 nations).

Some of the immediate impacts are: 997 out of the top 1,000 glaciers are melting or have melted. The extinction rate is approaching the high level since the dinosaurs. Greenland lost 52 miles of ice that melted and will not freeze back this winter. The Atlantic last year and the Pacific this year saw a HUGE spike in category 4 or 5 Hurricanes / Typhoons. That is a partial list.

Here is the link to the New York Times section about the results

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/science/topics/globalwarming/index.html?8qa

Answer 3

Yikes, looks like a lot of people answer questions without knowing anything about the question, I'm sorry you had to read those people's responses... Global warming is a not something that can be called fact or fiction, it is simply a natural change that humans have rapidly accelerated by pumping CO2 and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Yes, it is natural for the planet to have warm and cool cycles, but not when we start warming up because of an industrial revolution... Since humans began using fossil fuels we started putting unnatural amounts of carbon dioxide into the air and because of this we are changing the planet. Temperatures are rising, weather patterns will begin to change, sea levels will slowly rise as ice continues to melt. All the naysayers out there who yell LIES like that response above are just brainwashed to disbelieve. They think that by ignoring a problem it will go away, and this is foolish. If you want to have grandchildren someday, you should start worrying about global warming. Check out the Union of Concerned Scientists for some great info on the projected changes that global warming will bring us. The only counter argument for global warming that isn't a complete fallacy is the argument that the earth has natural warming/cooling cycles. We know this because of the fossil record, ice cores, etc., but the thing is that normal temperature changes occur on a time scale that is much greater than humans can fathom. The earth has been here for 4.5 BILLION YEARS!!! Over long periods of time the earth naturally heated and cooled many times, but now we have a SHARP INCREASE in temperature that is completely unnatural. We've increased CO2 concentration in the atmosphere almost to the point of 400 parts per million (ppm), more than double the amount before we used fossil fuels. This is bad, this is not fake, and it is vital that everyone pay attention rather than just scream lies and hide in fear.

Answer 4

There was an interesting subject brought up about that recently. About 200 scientists are studying global dimming right now. Apparently they have discovered that more sunlight is being blocked causing all sorts of things like cooling and droughts, which actually makes a lot more sense than droughts being caused by warming. Warming releases water into the atmosphere which would cause increased rainfall. Cooling would do the opposite. Also, the reduction of antarctic ice would be accounted for by cooling where warming would not account for it. Under the warming theory the ice would build up for many years yet.

Global warming is a lie and a farce. That's why 18,000 environmental scientists in the US signed a petition asking George Bush not to sign the Kyoto protocols. The climate models have been proven to be wrong time and again but they still use them to claim global warming is real. Don't believe it!!!

Answer 5

Global warming is a myth. (Pretty much something politicians use.) When satellites measure the Earth's temperature, they get the same temperature. Remember, most people only observe a small area, and say that the whole world is warming up. Also, studies show that the world was significantly hotter 200 years ago!

While we may have an especially hot summer, someone else might be having an especially cold winter. So you have to measure the whole Earth's temperature.

Lastly, while some polar ice caps are melting, others are steadily growing! (They never mention that, do they? =)

I hope this helps!

Answer 6

Global warming is "JUNK SCIENCE"....Al Gore does not know his *ss from apple butter!! There are no "facts" proving the theory, there are facts proving that the earth has gone through cycles of warming and cooling for eons!
Check out this site:
www.junkscience.com/news/robinson.htm

Answer 7

Global warming is definitely for real. So far I am not sure of any negative affects, but there are countries who are now growing crops never before been able to grow in that region. The crops are larger, have a longer growing season, and are a common factor in produce boom.

Answer 8

Look at global temperature over decades and hundreds and thousands of years and see the distinct pattern of hot and cold. A lot of respected scientists not including Al Gore think it is just the cycle.

Answer 9

I don't think it is either. I think it is a 'theory' trying to explain something unknown previously. There was a PBS special on a theory that it is natural, a natural cycle of the planet, a switching of North and South poles thousands of years ago and late in arrival this time, found in rock formations, I think (geology?). I imagine you can get a copy to use for your debate statistics at PBS.org.

Answer 10

fact.. nicely specifically fact.. slightly fable? the parable is because.. how can gases stop the suns warmth from escaping? it is bloody invisible! If the nice and cozy temperature might want to get with the help of the gases at the same time as entering the ambience then why the hell won't be able to it get out!?