How come it took so long to catch on to global warming?

Answer 1

Because just a few years ago the same "scientist" were warning about the coming ice age.

And remember the fiasco over y2k? Global warming is the same hype of fear.

Answer 2

It took so long because politicians found how to use a new platform to get re-elected. The world leaders caught on because they found ways to make money at it. This is a made up problem just like Global Cooling in the 1970's. Wake up people. I agree we need to be more efficient with our resources, and we should fine and jail companies who are dumping into our rivers maliciously. I want to stop the raiforest destruction, but to say that global warming is a serious issue and we need to destroy the American economy and bow down to the rest of the world certainly does not float my boat. Follow the money on this one and you will see that it is all for political gain and grant money for those scientists who profit off of the government if global warming stays at the front of the issues. Look deep into the Keoto (sp?) Treaty, first of all they took jets to a non-central resort location. Not very environmentally concious. THen in the parameters of the treaty they have a clause that makes it so you can buy or sell polution credits. This is all about shifting wealth and breaking down the United States. This is painfully obvious, just look at peoples agenda. The earth's mean temperature has risen .6 degrees C in the past 125 years. Greenland's icecaps have gotten colder in the past 10 years. The Scientists who do not gain anything on their posisition will tell you that the earth has a natural progression and this is what we are seeing. WAKE UP AMERICA, IT IS TIME TO BE AMERICANS. FOR THE PEOPLE BY THE PEOPLE. STOP THE LIES

Answer 3

For three reasons. First, the effects didn't become large enough to be noticable until the last 20 years or so. Second, we didn't have the insturments and analytical tools 30-40 years ago we have now. Bear in mind the effects are subtle--they involve long-term trends and averages, not day-to-day or even year-to-rear weather patterns.

But the biggest factor is scientific caution. Scientists began to suspect global warming a couple of decades ago. However, they did not jump to conclusions. Instead they undertook a long and exhaustive series of research efforts--announcing provisional hypotheses and findings as they went along, but refraining from drawing definitive conclusions until they had enough data to be sure of what they were saying. And that takes a lot if time--if you are going to do the job right in scientific work of this type. So they did just that.

BTW--anyonewho looks at the history of the research on global warming will see that--its a model of top-notch scientific methodology that gives the lie to all these "conspirracy theorists"--as well as the misinformation and propaganda pput out by special interests like the oil companies.

Answer 4

Global warming was first suggested as real at least 20 years ago. Before that it was considered a theoretical possibility.

As time goes on, it's getting more noticeable and more data has been collected. The scientific community was very conservative about saying that such a major problem existed, until the hard data became overwhelming..

The reason it's in the news now is that the acceleration of global warming, and the piles of data, have become clear and convincing to most all scientists.

Look at the graphs on page 10 in this report. They didn't turn upwards big time until around 1970. That upturn needed to be sustained before the scientists agreed it was real, not a temporary fluctuation.

http://www.ipcc.ch/SPM2feb07.pdf

Now most all scientists agree. Global warming is real and caused by us. And it's not for any political reasons, it's because of hard scientific data. The political and hand waving arguments are the ones made by the global warming deniers, since the hard scientific data does not support their position.

And it's not for money either. The global warming deniers offered $10,000 bribes to scientists to dispute the above report. Not research grants, a straight bribe. They got no takers. Scientists were not willing to take such an unscientific position.

http://environment.guardian.co.uk/climatechange/story/0,,2004397,00.html

Answer 5

The United Nation's IPCC document (Global Warming) is just a summary of a forthcoming report—and it was authored by U.N. bureaucrats, not scientists. The full report, with accompanying scientific assessment and detailed assumptions, will not be released for several months. Al Gore, with the help of Prof. Chicken Little, decided not to wait for the full report. It's not that it "took so long", but that it's moving much too fast!

Answer 6

I don't know. Just coming off the coldest January in 10 years its a little hard to tell.

Vikings farmed Greenland 1000 years ago. Its still too cold to do that now. I guess when the Vikings move back to Greenland and start farming I'll buy into the global warming stuff. Until then I'll wait and see.

Answer 7

Some folks have been trying to make us understand that for decades now. However we as Americans historically are a gullable lot when we are told by those we elect that the problem is usually magnified my the media and is not really anything to worry about. When we stop allowing the big industries to dictate what happens and buying politicians for protection, then maybe we can make sure our planet stays around for a few more generations.

Answer 8

Actually scientists started warning people about the threat of global warming 20 years ago. Just that no one would listen...kinda like today...some people STILL won't listen!


Here are pictures of global warming on this site:

Answer 9

Denial, and fear of having to change our spoiled, easy, convenient and fast lifestyle.
Look how long it took to convince most people that smoking is bad for mammals.
There still working on how consuming fat and/or extra calories makes a person fat.

Most of us are guilty of instant gratification and to change that... well, most are willing to fight that.

We have developed bad habits through generations and decades...now, to some people it seems like GW just broad sided them... "what?" "pollution?" "we did this?" "no NO!.. the um mm, aah... the volcanoes are doing it to us, yes that's it the volcanoes...we're innocent." "Oh yeah, the plants will save us from CO2 excess..." Did these same people forget about the massive deforestation that took place in North America over a century ago for farmland...and what about the current clearing in the Amazon? The lungs of the earth are meek, minimizing and sick.
Humans are creatures of habit and the discussion of GW threatens those habits....(Denial and fear)

Whew! Didn't realize I had a venting moment!
Just my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading!

Answer 10

It remains a theory, but recently Senator Biden referred to it as 'the science of global warming'.

There's political and financial gain to be made from it, which is why it's catching on.