Global Warming?

Question

I've got a sincere question, so no insults please!

Why do people refuse to believe in global warming?

i am a kind of a science nerd, and truly believe in gloabal warming. It puzzles me when people argue against something that has a lot of circumstantial evidence. So I just want to know why

im not asking for the reasons why global warming is happening, but why you DON'T believe in it.

Answer 1

I don't think, in a lot of people's minds, it's a question of whether the planet is warming - there is evidence to suggest that (just as there is evidence to the contrary, as other answers have indicated). The real problem has been the politicization of the issue. There are several global warming alarmists who claim that we (humans) are the cause of global warming. Al Gore is one of the foremost. Yet they persist in ignoring evidence that points toward natural causes:

1) The earth has been warmer in the past, and goes through cycles of warming and cooling. 1000 years ago, the Vikings farmed along the coast of Greenland, where it's snow-covered today, for example. It's also been cooler - we've actually been emerging from a 'mini ice-age' for over a hundred years now.
2) The polar ice caps on Mars are melting, too. This is likely due to increased solar output, and the logical conclusion is that is happening on Earth as well.

I think it's important to note a couple of additional things:

1) How can we be sure that global warming is bad? The human race and the planet have been through much warmer periods in the past, and civilization continued to progress. The computer models have been woefully inadequate in providing any kind of effective predictive capability as to what will happen in the future.
2) There are a group of environmental alarmists that are primarily interested in screaming that the sky is falling, and forcing the rest of us to knuckle under to their dire predictions and beliefs. Interestingly enough, the very same people that are so vocal about the negative effects of global warming are the exact same people that, in the 1970's, were screaming that global COOLING was going to spell the end of civilization. The bottom line is - the direction of the temperature change is unimportant to them; the change itself, whatever it is, must be bad. Unfortunately, they don't have any science to back their predictions.
3) Contrary to what many would lead you to believe, the scientific community is not all in agreement surrounding the issue of global warming. There are very prominent climatoligists that dispute the warnings, and dispute the conclusions reached by the IPCC's report on climate change. The global warming crowd will argue that these climatoligists are paid by the energy companies, so you can't trust their judgement. But you should know - the climatoligists who are global warming alarmists are paid by the radical environmental organizations (Earth First, for example). So the argument could go both ways.

All that said, I'm for conservation efforts whenever possible - finding alternative fuel sources, etc. But I don't believe that we are killing the planet. I believe the living planet is simply doing what it's done for millenia - continually changing, and that'll keep right on happening no matter what man does.

Answer 2

Nobody questions that global warming is happening. The question is the cause, and how much affect humans have. The ice age ended 10,000 years ago because the Earth warmed. However, there were barely any humans around then, and certainsly no industrial revolution. History shows a cycle of warming and cooling. Just because it is warming now, does not mean humans are the cause.

If you take a statistics class, your teacher will teach you about the flaw of correlation. For example: let's say the number of bananas picked in Brazil goes up 20% in 1 year, and the number of pregnancies in Germany goes up 20% in 1 year. There is a correlation between the increase, but that does NOT mean that they are related in any way. Likewise, with global warming. People try to link the increase in human population, or the increase in CO2, or other factors to global warming, when they may not be related at all.

The fact is, we don't have any proof that we are the cause of global warming. We can't even prove we have good measurements. People use measurements from the 1800s, but at that time, we could only measure 1 or 2 places on earth with thermometers that were far less accurate than today. How can you compare that data with the data we get with modern instruments?

If you want to believe we are the cause of global warming based on evidence that is circumstantial at best, that is your choice. However, all we ask is that you don't use that belief to force governmental policy changes on the rest of us.

Answer 3

There are actually several questions here, which I will address in turn.
- Is the global temperature rising? Yes, the evidence for this is persuasive.
- Is this a new phenomenon? No; the earth's temperature has been changing throughout its history.
- Is the atmospheric CO2 content increasing? Yes, the numbers are conclusive.
- Is the CO2 concentration now the highest it has ever been? No; it was four times as high during the dinosaur era, and has fluctuated markedly throughout history. [Reference.]
- Is the CO2 concentration a cause of global warming? Possibly, but it is not proven, and cannot be; the evidence is based on computer simulations, which anyone who has tried to do weather prediction via computer will view with some skepticism.
- Assuming that man-made CO2 is a cause of global warming, is it economically sensible to spend significant resourses trying to deal with it? No, it is not: the prospective benefits are indefinite and future; the costs are substantial and now. The time value of money suggests great caution in attempting to spend great resources trying to control CO2 -- a significant lowering of living standards would ensue, and as a result people would die.

Answer 4

Recently, I find myself pondering the same question. It's frustrating to see that so many people are deceiving themselves about the current state of the world. When it comes down to it, I think that most people are just scared...scared to believe that something so huge, so threatening to the world as we know it, is actually happening. It brings up the inevitable question of, "What can I do to make a difference?" Many people would rather deny that there is a problem than take the steps to fight it.

Don't worry. The truth can't be ignored for much longer. And as long as you are concerned about global warming, you are making a difference already ;)

Answer 5

One thing I would like to clarify is, what the poster "lighthearted" had said. She said there is decrease in temperature where she has been living, and is not very normal. Everyone needs to understand that "global warming" is not the correct term. It is actually called "global climate change" by scientists. It consists of all different weather changes, such as very hot and humid weathers, very cold climates, higher level of precipation in certain areas, massive tsunamis and flood, etc etc. So in order to answer the original poster's question. Many people refuse to believe it, because most of them don't even about that it is actually called "global climate change" and consist of different climates changes not only global warming. Global warming is a small variable of the bigger equation.

Answer 6

Global warming is real, that is no longer a question, but a fact. I feel and worry for people who are to ignorant to see what's happening before there very eyes. Is mankind causing it? I'm not sure, and I know its happened before and will happen again.

Answer 7

I believe the lastest polls indicate that 70% of Americans believe global warming is happening. It's the cause of it that is in doubt.

Answer 8

I don't believe because I live in Colorado and it has been unbelievably cold in recent months. I have lived here for 15 years and never known this kind of cold. If there is true global warming why is there not uniform warmer temps around the globe. Does not make sense.

Answer 9

Because it is lies.
There has been Global Warming since the Ice Age ended.
The Global Warming Freaks want us to all ride bicycles and shut all the factories down.
The Global Warming Scare is all about Money & Power.

Answer 10

Cause if you believe it you will feel guilty for being part of it. It's easier just not to care and leave it to scientists or people with enough power to do something about it.
thats what i think
regards