How much time do we have before the Global warming is irreversible?

Answer 1

In a few billion years, our sun will turn into a red giant star and eventually swallow the Earth. That's the only "irreversible global warming" scenario I can foresee.

People make far too much fuss over global warming; most of the research in that area is highly questionable and politically motivated. The earth has frequently been hotter than it is now; as recently as 1000 years ago - when the vikings colonized Greenland - temperatures were about a degree above what they are now. That period was referred to as the "medieval climate optimum". Since then we had a colder period called the "little ice age" which ended a little over a hundred years ago.

It's true that the planet has warmed by about a degree in the past hundred years. However, most of the warming took place prior to 1940, i.e. before the vast majority of man-made greenhouse gas emissions. Since 1940, the planet hasn't warmed appreciably. Indeed, back in the 1970's, the big fuss was over global *cooling*. Go figure.

All in all, it seems that manmade greenhouse gas emissions have very little impact on the earth's temperatures. Much of the variation in temperatures may be explained by variations in the sun, which cycles through hotter and colder periods.

Answer 2

No one knows. The data clearly shows for a fact that global warming is real, man made, and dangerous. But there is much we still don't know.

In particular, "feedback mechanisms" are very important to the speed with which it will progress.

Increased heat will cause increased clouds and slow it down. That's a "negative feedback mechanism". It will also cause more CO2 to be forced out of the ocean and speed it up. Another "positive feedback mechanism" is reflective ice being replaced by less reflective soil.

How all that will play together is not known. The majority scientific guess is that positive feedback will dominate and we'll have less time than the IPCC report predicts. That majority position had too little data basis to go into the very conservative report.

Answer 3

It may be now. I say that because the world's climate has gone through many changes over the years that last for centuries. Back in the 9th century, the world went through a warmup that lasted to the 13th century. Imagine a warmer world that last for four centuries. After this warm period, the Northern Hemisphere went through the "little ice age" that lasted from the 13th century to the 1850's. This seems to be a consequence of the warm period causing freshwater from glacier melt to slow down the Gulf stream. The Gulf stream slow down caused temperatures in the Northern hemisphere to dip causing cooler temperatures and wild weather. This could be the start of a new warming period like in the 9th century or something new. The time could already be too late. On a side note there's already a slowing down now due to the glaciers breaking into the ocean.

Answer 4

dont worry about global warming
the impending global nuclear war will get us first

and i think that global warming is irresversible already

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.