How sure are scientists about the manmade global warming thing?

Question

Sounds like nonesense perpetuated by the media and gouverment to me.

http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/G/great_global_warming_swindle/index.html

Answer 1

All mainstream scientists agree that the earth IS going through a period of global warming that is no longer in argument. They still cannot agree though whether this is a result of man's polution or a natural cycle. Both sides are supported by research and evidence. As long as the issue remains polarised by the new political intirest in the issue it will be some time before the truth will become known.

As to the media and the government, the current US government is censoring its own scientists. The government scientists' research supports the man-caused global warming but the government's agenda does not. Therefore much of this research never makes it past the white house censors. The media is also in argument. Coservatives support the natural cycle model and leftists support the human-caused model

Answer 2

The figure given by the IPCC (the international scientific body convened on the subject) is that it's 90% certain that manmade CO2 is responsible for the observed warming. Read it for yourself, it includes a discussion of the details and evidence: http://www.ipcc.ch/SPM2feb07.pdf

Broadly speaking, though there's lots of media hype, it's also a pretty solid scientific result. The best understanding we have strongly indicates that humans are responsible for the warming we've seen. What's less clear is what the exact effects will be. The Summary above has some discussion of this.

Answer 3

The vast majority of climate scientists are highly confident that the current warmth is human caused. The Channel 4 documentary -- hypothesizing that the warmth is caused by an increase in solar radiation -- is highly dubious. The sun's irradiance has been declining since 1958, even as the earth is getting warmer.

Answer 4

According to the latest IPCC report, scientists are 96% certain that much of the recent warming trend is attributable to human activities.

Anyone who thinks this is a political issue seriously needs to research the *science* behind the theory. A good place to start is the IPCC report, my favorite little tour of Earth's climate history (link at the end of this post), or realclimate.org.

http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/temperature/

Answer 5

Very sure.

The "greenhouse effect" is mostly natural and caused mostly by water vapor. It's essential to our civilization.

"Global warming" is excessive greenhouse effect mostly caused by man's production of carbon dioxide. It's very dangerous to our civilization. Rich countries will spend a huge amount of money coping. In poor countries many people will die of starvation due to damage to agriculture. We need to reduce man's contribution to the greenhouse effect.

More info here:

http://www.pewclimate.org/global-warming-basics/

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

Skeptics cite individually the few scientists who disagree. But the above is the position of the vast majority of climatologists, because of the data in my second website citation. Proof:

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

Re the TV show you cited:

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2031455,00.html

Answer 6

Man is indeed a contributor...
The question is how much man has contributed...
Global warming is a tempest in a teapot..
Climate has been changing for 4 1/2 billion years..
The sky is not falling..
Man will adapt..

Answer 7

Sure.
You can stick your fingers in your ears and humm loudly.
Or you can do the math.

There are billions of tonnes of carbon beneath our feet, stored in oil and coal millions of years ago.
We burn it all.
Where does all the carbon go?
It doesn't go into space.
It doesn't go into the oceans.
It's not converted to trees (which we cut faster than they grow anyway).

So tell me: Where does all the carbon go?

It really is that simple.
From that follows: Burn ANYTHING containing carbon, the carbon ends up as CO2.
CO2 is known to keep warmth in, like a blanket. It's nothing magical, it just reflects infrared (warmth) radiation. It keeps warmth in.

Answer 8

A majority of scientist who receive gvmt funding to study global warming firmly believe that global warming is real.

Answer 9

the ones that believe it 100% - the rest somewhere between that and 0%

there is fact here the only debate is the source and the effect both long and short term - science HAS NEVER BEEN GOOD AT PREDICTING that hasn't changed !

Answer 10

It depends on which scientists you ask. There is a consensus of scientists who believe in global warming who believe in global warming.

There are many who don't.