Global Warming... what do you believe?

Question

Some think it's a hoax, others believe it's real.

Why do you believe it is a hoax or real?

Answer 1

Global warming is not natural. Here's why I say that.

The problem with analyzing climate is that there's only one way to do it. You must look at a lot of data and do methodical analysis.

When you do that, all the ideas for it being natural are completely destroyed. But it takes data, not intuition. Here goes.

Solar variation. Carefully measured data on solar radiation (done repeatedly by many people in many places) shows the increase in solar radiation is 0.12 watts per meter squared. The increase in heat due to man's activities is 1.6 watts per meter squared, more than ten times as much.

http://www.ipcc.ch/SPM2feb07.pdf Page 4.

Volcanoes. They create about 1% as much greenhouse gas as man does, and they create dust, which cancels that out.

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

The natural world is incapable of absorbing the excess CO2 that man creates by digging up carbon buried naturally over many many years, and burning it real fast. The small teeth are nature (seasonal variation), we're the big surge upwards. We're "winning" big time.

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

Serious people know that just arguing generalities doesn't work here, you actually need to look at the data, or check with someone you trust who has.

The people below have done that. They are mostly not liberals, or environmentalists. They didn't get their information from Al Gore (mostly they're mostly no fans of his, and they know Gore has absolutely nothing to do with the science). They're serious people and they got their information from the best scientists in the world. They also know about people who thinks it's natural, and they have listened to them also. They're not buying it. They think humans are the cause. You may not respect all of them, but surely you respect some.

"The science of global warming is clear. We know enough to act now. We must act now."

James Rogers, CEO of Charlotte-based Duke Energy.

"The overwhelming majority of atmospheric scientists around the world and our own National Academy of Sciences are in essential agreement on the facts of global warming and the significant contribution of human activity to that trend."

Russell E. Train, former environmental official under Presidents Nixon and Ford

"Global warming is already starting, and there's going to be more of it. I think there is still time to deal with global warming, but we need to act soon. Humans now control global climate, for better or worse."

James Hansen, PhD, climate scientist, NASA

"By mid-century, millions more poor children around the world are likely to face displacement, malnourishment, disease and even starvation unless all countries take action now to slow global warming."

Michael Oppenheimer, professor of geosciences and international affairs at Princeton University

"We simply must do everything we can in our power to slow down global warming before it is too late. The science is clear. The global warming debate is over."

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Republican, Governor, California

"Our nation has both an obligation and self-interest in facing head-on the serious environmental, economic and national security threat posed by global warming."

John McCain, Republican, Senator, Arizona

"These technologies will help us become better stewards of the environment - and they will help us to confront the serious challenge of global climate change."

President George Bush

And the data is why the vast majority of scientists think it's not natural, but us.

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

People can trot out all the "logical" arguments they want. They can attack Al Gore's personal life. But the scientific data is completely overwhelming. This is the best summary of it right now. Thousands of scientists created it, and it underwent massive peer review. It's solid, and actually very conservative, as anything created by a large group of people is.

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

Global warming is real and it's us. Denying it is not scientific, it's right up there with denying we went to the moon or saying someone has a perpetual motion machine.

Answer 2

In response to Bob's post I'd point out that it's possible to use data and statistics to support any agenda. And let's not pretend that the global warming frenzy is not a political agenda. When you award grants for scientific research the researchers have a conflict of interest -- if they don't support the "correct" conclusion their grants will likely dry up.

Let me give an example of highly questionable "data". You quote a statistic that volcanoes emit about 1% as much greenhouse gas as man. Who could know that? That can only be a guesstimate. Consider that most of the earth, and most of the volcanoes, are covered by oceans. The submarine volcanoes almost certainly emit more gasses because they're at lower elevations. Very few of these are monitored or even can be. Hot material from submarine volcanoes can significantly warm the ocean water, which in turn can warm the air and change the climate. This could very well be a more important cause of warming than anything humans are doing.

Answer 3

I accept the physical evidence that glaciers are melting, temperatures are higher than the background would indicate, and that species have migrated to areas that they didn't use to live in. The earth is warming and the burning of fossil fuels is the root cause.

Answer 4

99% of scientists agree with global warming.Dont listen to the crackpots who try to confuse people. They are being paid off by Big Oil to try to confuse you!

Answer 5

how i envey the bliss of ignorence enjoyed by so many ,
but for how long can one have his head in the sand ,before noticing that your a**s is on fire

politicians and scientists who work for politicians have downplayed the facts because solutions are expensive and means change and change effects many people income,and most of the world is kept in the dark of the real things that are going on.

is not a invented story to control humanity like religion is

to all the people that are dead already its very real

Is global warming a man-made menace?

not all there are natural cycles in the planets life
but a lot is influenced by mans existance ,and this is increasing with overpopulation,putting strains on Natural resources and increasing contaminations as well as destructions of essential componants that ensure living conditions for all life forms

in Mexico right now thousands of people lost their homes and many are dead because of floods caused by Global warming

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.