Have humans really caused Global warming?

Question

I am not asking if the climate is changing. I already know that it is. I want to know what you think about Human contribution to it. I want to hear from people who have researched Different sides of the debate. (I dont want to hear from people who have only heard Al Gore's & popular media's version) And I would especially love to hear from people who know about science relating to climate, geography, etc... b/c they are either working on a degree in a related Science field or already have one. Thank you:)

I am not asking if the climate is changing. I already know that it is. I want to know what you think about Human contribution to it. I want to hear from people who have researched Different sides of the debate. (I dont want to hear from people who have only heard Al Gore's & popular media's version) And I would especially love to hear from people who know about science relating to climate, space, etc... b/c they are either working on a degree in a Science field or already have one.
And if you do believe Humans are causing it then how do you explain other planets in the solar system warming? There are no SUV's in Space, yet, lol:)

sorry i posted the details twice, I was tryin to edit:(

Answer 1

If humans cause Global Warming, there would have not been a warming trend as measured back in the dark ages (prior to the start of the industrial revolution). There would not have been global jungles that gave way to an Ice Age that followed the age of the Dinosaurs.

There would not be Global Warming on Mars.

Global Climate change may be occuring, but to say it is the fault of humanity gives a great deal of power and authority to a group of people that did not have the good sense to evacuate New Orleans during one of the most powerful hurricanes in the past 100 years.

We are not that smart.

Answer 2

Yes.

The reason is that a vast body of data supports the fact that it is (mostly) us. Other theories don't have such a strong basis in data. Some (the sun, volcanoes) have always been seriously considered by climatologists, but are directly contradicted by the data.

The best summary of the data is here;

http://www.ipcc.ch/spm2feb07.pdf

People above say it's the sun or volcanoes. But the data says those explanations are wrong.

"Personally I would say that NASA, NOAA, and other research institutions should try to figure out how much of the Earth's global warming is based on human activity and how much of it is based on solar activity."

Of course they should. And they have.

Increased solar radiation is 0.12 watts per meter squared. Increased warming due to man is 1.6 watts per meter squared, more than ten times as much. Page 4 of the report above.

Volcanoes emit a small fraction of the greenhouse gases produced by man. And that contribution is more than cancelled out by emissions of particulate matter which block the sun. So volcanoes actually cool the Earth.

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

The data, not some brilliant theory, is why the vast majority of climatologists believe it is mostly us causing it. Proof here:

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/fu...

And why this is true:

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

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

This is science. You can't decide about the truth by what argument sounds good to you. You have to look at the data. That's what the climatologists do. And the data clearly says it's a real change, it's significant, and it's (mostly) caused by us. More info here:

http://www.realclimate.org/

"climate science from climate scientists"

Answer 3

If there were no humans and no machines the earth would still be warming -- perhaps not as fast. Humans are not THE cause of global warming, we may be contributing to the warming. How much we're contributing is subject to debate.

Those of us who have been paying attention know that the debate on global warming is NOT over, regardless of what Mr Gore would have you believe.

Answer 4

No! Not unless prehistoric people caused the last Ice Age with their little campfires. It's a normal global climate change, just as it has changed periodically throughout time. If you research the "facts," you'll find that many of them are false, made up, off-base, alarmist, and self-serving in some way. Some people are fanatical about this hoax. Others make a lot of money making movies about it. There's nothing you nor I can do about normal, natural climate change. We have to adapt, as we always have.

Answer 5

This is controversial. A popular theory blames global warming on human emission of CO2, but another theory blames the increasing CO2 level on increasing temperature caused by changes in solar activity. A detailed examination of temperature changes vs. CO2 levels over the ages, with particular reference to the timing, would give the answer.

Answer 6

I saw the show on Discovery channel that correlates CO2 to rising temperatures; however, I also know that the earth tilts it's axis every 13,000 years and I believe that we are currently at 12,000 years since the last time this happened. In other words, how easy is it for scientists to prove that this CO2 comes from our current society's car emissions and other emissions related to human manufacturing? What if it also comes from some other source that has not yet been identified from within the oceans, ocean creatures, volcanoes, and so on? Can they prove this to support their hypothesis? Another thing I have thought of too is the recent findings to do with the earth's magnetic field and thunderstorms (Sprites). As the earth's axis tilts every 13,000 years, could this result in more thunderstorm activity and things like Sprits that could result in more gases like Ozone and maybe Carbon Dioxide too?

Answer 7

Yes. There's tons and I mean tons of scientific evidence that shows humans impact on global warming. I'm kinda curious to see what the earth will be like in 40 years. I predict some serious map redrawing as well as some cool new weather effects.

Answer 8

I would say yes, but not all of it. NASA has observed global warming on Mars. That tells you that at least some part of the global warming on Earth is also due to something other than non-human acitivity. How much? Nobody knows. Personally I would say that NASA, NOAA, and other research institutions should try to figure out how much of the Earth's global warming is based on human activity and how much of it is based on solar activity. In the meantime we should reduce hydrocarbon emissions based on factors we understand more like smog, acid rain, and energy consumption.

Answer 9

Nope. In fact Global Warming is a farce. I believe the liberals are now calling it "Climate Change Crisis" instead, due to all of the record low temperatures we encountered this past winter. Give it some time... it won't be long before they start calling for ways to produce mass heating due to the "Global Cooling Crisis" in a decade or two.

Answer 10

everyone says that humans caused global warming. and we kinda have caused it by driving cars and stuff. but i guess it isn't only us that caused it. i don't know anything about it. but i bet there are other things that humans have no control over that helped cause global warming too. i think it has something to do with the core starting to go in a different direction than it was moving before. so now some shield the earth has (i forget the name of it) is starting to become less strong and go from the north pole to the sounth pole to the south pole to the north pole. so now the earth is more vulnerable to the sun's rays and stuff. humans did do their part in causing global warming though. i hope that helped you.