Do those who blame Global Warming on humans forget about the Ice Ages?

Question

If humans are responsible for the current warming trend, who's responsible for the warming since the Ice Ages?

Answer 1

Yes they forget anything that does not support their political agenda. Global warming is being used as a means to repress industrialized countries. The people who are shouting about global warming do not want you to look at the cars they drive, etc.

What can be measured about global warming. So many answers here refer to the rapid rise in temperatures. What? 1 degree in the last 100 years.

The media is a willing participant. While they are reporting a warm day in New York as a result of global warming, they ignore the blizzards and record snowfall in the west. No wonder the minions are ready to drink the Kool-aid.

Answer 2

What does one have to do with the other? If Sadam killed Kurds in the 90's, who's killing black moslems in Darfur? Whaaa?
There are a couple of points about this "media/political" controversy. 1) There is no doubt that recent temperatures are higher than they have been in the recent past. 2) Most troubling is the speed they are rising. 3) Scientists do NOT have a complete understanding of how "the machine" (our planet) works.
There are questions about all sorts of things - ocean mud, artic bogs, soil bacteria, thousands more - all will effect the global warming, but how?. 4) Science is not about the "final" truth, it is a process to get better and better understanding of the world around us. Any scientist who claims he/she is unquestionably right is not practicing science. Politicians and business leaders have no such responsiblities. So Science is at a disadvantage when "arguing" with the "true believers" (both tree huggers and capitalists/industrialists). They should not proclaim that they know what will happen in the future, nor should they make any absolute claims about what the truth IS. This makes them seem weak, like their argument isn't solid. 5) Scientists are in this argument, not because this is required by Science, nor as an experiment. They are in the argument because they live here too and are morally and ethically obligated to speak out. We don't just let people drive down a road when the bridge is out, we put up warnings.
These are the scientific questions:
1. Is warming occuring?
2. Are human activities contributing to the warming?
3. Are there other contributions?
4. What can we do about it?
5. What SHOULD we do about it?
6. What happens if we do nothing?
7. What happens if we do all we, practically, can?
My (non-expert) answers
1. Yes - and we expect it to continue
2. Yes - to what extent has not been pinned down well, yet.
3. Yes.
4. Reduce CO2 emissions. Other things to ameliorate the effects should be considered, but we have minimal understanding about what is most critical and how to "fix" it.
5. This is a policy question, not science.
6. Possibilities range from slightly more crop production all the way to hundreds of millions dead or starving.
7. We have a very limited ability to slow this down, and no ability (yet) to stop it.
So, if I told you that if you keep doing something nothing might happen, but probably millions will die, what would you do?

Answer 3

Forget about blame, if it is a problem, do you suggest nothing be done...that we continue to pour more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. And if man is influencing nature, even a small amount, we should recognize that impact.....and if we find in 20 years that man has made a significant negative impact, that people who advocated doing nothing would be responsible for it....

Even if you have reservations about how much an impact you are having, it seems logical that you would want to know more and try to curb the emissions. But your question and several answers here tell me that there are many many people who would rather not know they are wrecking things by their actions and continue till it is too late. If nearly all scientists agree that man would be at least partially responsible for a future calamity, you are not being scientific or logical to refute it...I read many non-scientists on this forum spouting a political tone with their anti-global warming statements, and they aren't experts or even listening to experts.

The Earth has indeed experiences many climatic changes...but there is real evidence that the current issues are at least partially caused by man...What happened 1000,000 years ago isn't irrelevant to science, but it is irrelevant to the current levels of man-made emissions...If you want the Earth to be a wonderful place to live, at least err to the side of our survival. Don't cite scientific fact and then turn around and ignore other scientific fact

Answer 4

That's kind of like having a neighbor tell you that your house is getting on fire, and you reply, "No worries, we've known that it's been getting hotter since the beginning of summer". Climatologists are fully aware of the warming trend since the last ice age, but CO2 global warming adds an acceleration to the trend far greater than anything we've been able to discern in the past through paleoclimatology.

One reason why USA is the most resistent among industrialized nations to the warnings of global warming is because the science behind it flies in the face of creationism. The majority of Americans do not want to believe that science has any ability to accurately infer events of the distant past, which is crucial to understanding global warming today.

Answer 5

Where are you living? It could not be on earth. Because if it were you would have noticed the major impact we have created on the planet. The natural heating of the planet would not have proceeded at such an unprecedented rate. Our contribution to global warming is enormous and detrimental to life in all forms. So what about the natural heating up of the planet?
It has been a reality for centuries, but not enough to deny the impact of our emissions in the atmosphere.
Major companies that refuse to swallow the truth about global warming have a stake in doing so; what do you have to gain not seeing the reality of it?

Answer 6

Ice Ages were caused by massive meteor strikes. We weren't even around then. I'd hope there had been some warming since the ice-age., haven't seen any 10 mile wide meteors lately. Simple fact is that since man has been around, and most especially since the start of the industrial age ( large populations/large fuel consumption....gas/coal/oil a burning.).
It doesn't require a large leap of thought. If we have a meteor
spew tons of soot in the atmosphere we cool. IF we spew tons of CO into the air the temp. rises

Answer 7

that question is proof the education system in the US is inferior to much of the developed world