Global warming *a product of 100 years of industrialization?* or more of a natural cycle ?

Question

2 schools of thought (1) changes in the climate are caused by man? (2) These changes have occured for millions of years.
I invite your opinion ,and any suuporting data.

If you believe the cause to be industrialization,what was the cause the other millions and millions of years?

Answer 1

Just as the question, "How did we have many cycles of warming and cooling that were even more pronounced and abrubt throught earth's history before man and industrialization"?

Answer 2

Global cooling and warming is a natural phenomenon normally, however thanks to things like greenhouse gases being pumped into the atmosphere, the process has sped up.

unfortuately it'll be another 30-50k years before the next ice age, and we wont know how it really turns out. What will ultimately happen is that as the IceCaps keep melting it will cool (and raise the levels of) the Ocean, the end result is that (even though right now our annual avg temperature is increasing) the global temperature will begin cooling again thus setting on another ice age.

Although I doubt any of our children will be around for such an occurrence.

BUT...we can work now to reduce the effects that we are causing. Working w/ 1st (and 3rd) world nations on keeping the green house gases to a minimum. Global Warming is one thing that regardless of political, or religious or financial view, everyone needs to work together on this, because we are aLL affected.

Answer 3

Scientists have examined pockets of air trapped in ice core samples and measured the amounts of Carbon Dioxide, getting a good indication of climate much the way one examines tree rings. The findings: The CO2 levels we currently have are higher than any other time in the 600,000 years they measured. We currently have 380 ppm compared to 280 ppm just 100 years ago. By the way, the content of CO2 in the atmosphere is directly proportionate to the rise and fall of the earth's temperature. More CO2=increase temperature.

There simply is no doubt. The industrial revolution is devastating the planet. Yes, we are also in a current natural cycle of warming. But mankind is causing the dramatic and dangerous acceleration.

Answer 4

Yes, there are two schools of thought. However, the naysayers' research is usually being funded by industries whose products lead to the problem (manufacturing, oil industries). I for one think that global warming is caused by mankind's activities. It's true that there are natural cycles in the temperature of the planet, but right now carbons in the atmosphere are higher than they've ever been, and these do have an impact. If you look at the pattern of carbons that are in the atmosphere versus temperature, the more carbon there is, the higher the temperature. Therefore, I think we are the cause.

Answer 5

Not natural.

Lots of data here. For example, changes in solar radiation are 0.12 watts per meter squared, while changes due to man are 1.6 watts per meter squared, more than ten times as much.

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

And this graph of CO2 is very enlightening.

http://scrippsco2.ucsd.edu/graphics_gallery/mauna_loa_record/mlo_record.html

The little teeth are the natural "carbon cycle". doing its' thing. CO2 goes down a bit in the summer and up a bit in the winter, consistent with plant activity. The large trend upward is us. We're digging up carbon the natural cycle buried over many many years, and burning it real fast.

Volcanoes are insignificant compared to the effects of man:

http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/how_volcanoes_work/climate_effects.html

Which is why most all scientists agree that global warming is real and caused by us.

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/306/5702/1686

"there is a scientific consensus on the reality of anthropogenic climate change. Climate scientists have repeatedly tried to make this clear. It is time for the rest of us to listen."

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/nation/16620307.htm

"the question of global warming was settled years ago for all but a few holdouts in the scientific community"

Unfortunately, we're kicking nature's butt on this one.

Answer 6

Hi. Both share a role. But consider that the last decade has seen an ever increasing average temperature, the highest ever recorded, and you will see that human activities may, at the very least, be speeding the process up.

Answer 7

maximum settle for the two. guy led to differences are working over shorter time spans. typical differences in climate have operated on the geologic time scale because of the fact the earth wobbles and different activities have taken place. a good intro geography e book will clarify organic differences and the time scale over which they function.

Answer 8

it started way before that with desertification
the phoenicians ,deforrested Lebanon to build their fleet ,so did spain to build the Armada .in the sahara fosilized and petrified trees have been found ,
Ghengas Kah burned all the forrests and filled the well with sand
a dessert is like a fire ,the Sahara grows by 8 miles a year
and now Ariculture has turned vast teritories in to dessert because of iresponsible farming and fertilizers
here are some more details and some solutions .industry has done the least but its harmfull by products are more fuel on the fire

in North Africa,India,Mexico ,millions of people are effected by land loss and desertification


in recent times thousands of people have died because of exessive heat,usually old people.in India ,Mexico and France,
deforestation causing desertification,the desert conditions causing very cold nights and scorching hot days

in china, thousands of what used to be farmers are running for their lives from the dust storms that have burried their towns and turned their lands into dessert,the globe where they were got to hot for them .
and instead of producing food they are now needing it from some where else,and they will drastically effect the world food prices when they start buying water in the form of grains ,at any cost destabalising governments, in some countries ,could be the result
(are you seeing more Chinese around interested in agricultural lands ,we do here in Mexico)

,the Sahara is growing by 7 kilometers a year
and all of the desserts we know are a results of mans actions ,and they are increasing ,not getting less ,in the dinosaurs days ,there were no desserts.

collectively this planet is drying up because of bad farming practices like,over grazing and fertilizers,

as far as the food production is concerned, Global warming or some of its effects are serious,rising seas result in landloss

each degree rise in temperature means 10%crop loss

more landloss because of desertification every year,we have less areble land to produce food ,for an extra 70 million people ,

and there is less and less water (because of deforestation),to irrigate this production ,
and there are less and less farmers to do it..
who are overpumping deep carbon aquifiers
who are plowing more and more unstable lands because they have lost so many million hectares to desertification ,
because of bad farming practises ,such as using fertilizers and heavy machinary or over grazing

RISING SEAS
The northpole is melting ,and we will know it without ice in our life times.
this does not affect the sea level because it is ice that is already in the water.but the melting ice from Green land and the south pole ,are another matter.

Global warming is in theory reversable,but it will mean global co operation between all countries ,and taking into account human nature and the world politics ,it is unlikely that this will happen,

At least not untill we are all in the middle of planetary disastres and it becomes a battle for the survival of humanity every where.

SOLUTIONS
if you want to help the planet ,plant a tree every week ,if everyone on the planet did we we would be able to reverse the destructive processes

reduce carbon emisions,and they are already working on that by alternative forms of energy and regulations on carbon producing materials,aerosol cans,burning rubbish,industrial chimneys,powerplants etc.

the capture of carbon and the production of water and assist the aquiferous manta.

the world bank pays large subsidies for reforrestation to capture carbon and the best tree for this is the Pawlonia

Waterharvesting projects ,such as millions of small dams.to redirect over ground waterflows from the rains into the ground to supply subteranian water supplies.

the protection of existing forrests.

stop building more highways,urban planning to include vegetation stop building cities encourage people to return to the land to conduct their business from there which now has become possible thanks to the internet.

education to motivate people to auto sufficiency by building more home food gardens.

education on environmental awareness
education on family planning to curb over´populaion

Agricultural education and improvements to follow the principals or sustainability and soil management.

more environmental or land ,design to prevent bush fires,such as--fire breaks

,more dams.regulations and control for public behaviour

alternative effeciant public transport to discourage the use of the internal conbustion engine

recicling wastes,limit water use

i am a Permaculture Consultant for the department of Ecology for the regional government in Guerrero Mexico
http://spaces.msn.com/byderule

Source(s) Lester E Brown is the director and founder of the global institute of Environment in the United states .he has compiled a report based on all the satalite information available from NASA,and all the information that has
come from Universities and American embassies WORLD WIDE ,
his little book--a planet under stress , Plan B has been trans lated into 50 languages and won the best book award in 2003.

Answer 9

Look at the Ice Plugs, they say humankind is the accelerant.

Answer 10

no opinion neccessary it is a natural process that was helped long by man