Who here knows global warming is a scientific fact?

Question

Wow i just thought a 25 mile glacier broke off. You cant tell me thats not global warming?

Answer 1

i do

Answer 2

It's not a scientific fact, it's a conclusion based on scientific facts.

And that's the rub. Facts in and of themselves are pretty sterile things. What we do is lump them together to make patterns. This is where things get interesting. Because the earth is a one off experiment in the sense we can't really go around testing things on earth2 and earth3 we have to rely on historical records for our trend predictions.

Here is where the controversy arises. Which facts are the most important and predictive and what exactly to they predict? How accurate is the prediction? What are the sources of error and how confident can we be that we have addressed them?

All these things come into play in regular science, but they come to the fore in historically based science because we can't just do an experiment to narrow and focus towards consensus.

This is the same reason why some people still argue about historical events like the Kennedy assassination and if there was a Jesus or not. Some of the arguing is politically driven, agenda driven, and so on, but the reason there is space to argue in is that global warming is much softer science than your average chemistry experiment.

Answer 3

I copy / paste this from my previous response to global warming:
Events reported by the media/scientists as demonstrative of global warming do not PROVE the existence of global warming--there is nothing science can do to prove it. Likewise, just because the weather is getting cooler in some regions of the world or for a specific period of time does not constitute a proof against global warming (it's a fallacy of composition), as much as some people are excessively eager to disprove the theory, or wish to call the science of global warming garbage. However, these events can support/cast doubt to it, and it is up to you to decide whether they carry enough weight, or whether the warming/cooling trend merits that you do something about it.

So, scientific FACT--no; we'll never know for absolute certainty that global warming exists, even with all the glaciers melting and all the cities drowning. But should we believe in global warming and adjust our actions accordingly? It's up to you, but since many scientists are convinced about it, there might as well be some worth in the entire debate that you should consider carefully and judge for yourself.

Answer 4

The burden of "proof" has ong since been on the other foot - it's the obligation of those in the minority to prove it's not happening. Unfortunately US conservative politicians and oil folks can't really do that so it's time to cast FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) against global warming advocates and the scientific community.

For the lay person, somewhere after you consider all of the "anecdotal" evidence, you don't have to "believe" in global warming to realize there is something "strange" going on.

For instance (all of these observations and conclusions have been scientifically or otherwise verified)
- The rapid/intense southern expansion of Saharan desertification of Mali, Chad and Sudan (and the attendant Janjaweed and other militias)
- Australian desertification/salinization "issues"
- Monsoon failures of India and SE Asia
- Western US wildfires / La Nina El Nino intensification
- The simulataneous melting of nearly ALL temperate glaciers across the planet.
- Extremely large arctic and antarctic glaciers calvings and breakups.
- Almost 50 years of scientific data showing measurable inceases in overall atmospheric CO2 increases and corresponding atmospheric temperature increase which are FAR outside the expected temperatures for the planet and increasingly.
- Rampant use of fossil fuels by industrialized nations directly corresponding to CO2 emmissions and temperature increases.

Personally and politically speaking, the rather pathetic ostrich-like behavior of our elected officials and their corporate concerns have given me pause for some time.

To my mind at least - it seems somewhat reasonable to submit that perhaps, it's not just all liberal lies and tree-hugging deceptions.

Politically the issue going forward now is how we correct / deal with the situation - the generally complete failure of the current administrations in the West to address these issues in any effective ways means we're probably going to have to learn to deal with some unpleasant realities.

Of course those who don't want to acknowledge our problems, will ignore and fight as strenuously as they denied the problems were occuring in the first place - So even if we "acknowledge" it's occuring - we're still a long way from doing anything about it let alone fixing the problem.

Answer 5

Only idiots and a$$holes would deny global warming, the evidence is all around you.

Answer 6

It is all a matter of how you look at the numbers. We know that the earth has undergone heating and cooling cycles for millions of years. We know that there has been a slight heating over the past 100 or so years (probably more). If you look at the data over 100 years, yes, it looks like a global warming. If you look at the data over 10,000 years, it will look like another hump in a continuous cycle.

This is a separate discussion from greenhouse gases causing global warming. This is not a scientific fact.

Answer 7

it is. Im a marine biology major, and you learn about it in every class you attend. There is so much evidence to support it, that people are just blindly making excuses. We need to stop making these excuses and start figuring out a plan, because everyone says its natural, but yet it is natural, but we are super speeding it to the point where nothing (not even ourselves) can adapt to it.
fyi, the glacier broke off sometime in aug, but we havent been able to figure it out till now.
Watch 'an inconvient truth', its explains global warming to anyone who has no scientific background in the environment.

Answer 8

The only *fact* is that global temperature has increased by about 1 degree celsius (1.8 degrees fahrenheit) over the last century.

But it's also a *fact* that the Earth has gone through many cycles of warming and cooling over its history. It has done so independently of human activity.

The debate now raging is whether or not human activity is the cause of the current warming trend. There is no real concensus among scientists. There are so many factors involved in global climate besides human activity.

The problem is that the issue has become highly political. People like Al Gore and Leonardo di Caprio will point to evidence that supports their premise, while ignoring evidence which does not. That is not science. That is pushing an agenda.

"Global Warming" in popular culture, refers specifically to the much-hyped idea that:

a). Human activity, specifically cars and SUV's, are the cause of the current warming trend in global climate.
b). That it is absolutely going to cause a catastrophe.

Neither if these assuptions seem to be supported by actual science, but rather appear to be scare-mongering in order to further a political agenda.

Don't let them scare you. Read. Learn. Think for yourself.

Answer 9

A scientific fact in the science world means that you have tested your hypothesis and come to a conclusion..And when they talk about global warming they have theories and some basic information that they come to suspect the reason of global warming.

Answer 10

Well it's not quite a fact, in the strict sense of the word. But the evidence is pretty clear that humans are causing the current rapid rise in global warming. Any who looks long and hard at the empirical evidence knows that it is real and a threat.

Answer 11

Knows its a fact or can prove its a fact? I know it is a scientific fact, but the whole basis is that we may have troubles in the future. Technically things may not go as predicted, that's why it is overlooked by leaders and many others. Though, melting polar caps and abnormal weather are some signs of it happening NOW.