Is there really a problem with global warming?

Question

Or is this some way for governments to control us? Why are some scientists saying we are actually cooling down and then there are others who say the globe is warming and we are to blame? Do WE really know how to fix the problem?

http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110008597

http://www.oism.org/oism/s32p686.htm

http://www.denverpost.com/harsanyi/ci_3899807

http://newsbusters.org/node/12324

http://www.oism.org/pproject/

Answer 1

The climate is a complex system that can barely be predicted a week in advance, much less decades....

Answer 2

Is there really a problem - well lets see, the great majority of all scientists worldwide agree there is a problem. The world has broken all temperature records the last two years, and this year it looks to do it again.

As for cooling, oh yes - there will be cooling. Just like every ice age before it, it was preceded by a heat wave and global warming. This a naturally occuring phenomenon, well documented, and is induced by the amount of CO2 in the air. We have just vastly accelerated the rate by pooring more CO2 in the air than the world was ever able to make on its own within the last 100,000 years.

Do we know how to fix the problem - first we all have to agree there is a problem before we can actually circle the wagons and find a solution.

Ponder this: Decades ago our government was made up of a lot of people who were rich from tobacco. It took decades for the facts about the health impacts of smoking to become common knowledge. 30-40 years ago, it was not commonly known that smoking was hazardous to your health. It took mass amounts of people to die of lung cancer before the truth came out. We have the same situation today, except instead of tobacco rich politicians, we have oil rich politicians. They are financially indebted to the success of the oil industry - the one industry that would be impacted the greatest if global warming became a globally accepted theory. Is it anywonder that our government has sat on its hands about this? It is any wonder that there are articles (just like there were about tobacco back in the day) that cast doubt about global warming???

Answer 3

Please indicate the scientists that claim the world is actually cooling down.
There is no doubt the world is warming. What is debated is whether this is part of a natural cycle or if human behaviour is partially to blame.
If the diagnosis and predictions are correct the result will be dire. Unstable weather patterns related to the warming are already evident, as is the spread of some tropical diseases to sub tropical zones.
Why would governments want to control us with respect to CO2 output other than for these reasons. Remember it is governments such as the Bush administration that have fought against this claim of climate change - not for it.

Answer 4

Yes, global warming is real. Increases in greenhouse gases, most notably carbon dioxide, are causing the atmosphere to retain more heat. And it is only going to get worse as the human population grows and more of the world becomes developed.

The good news is that the changes necessary to reduce greenhouse gases are also good things to do for other reasons:

It will reduce other forms of pollution, including things that cause respiratory diseases and cancer.

It will alleviate dependence on foreign oil.

It will give us a headstart on energy alternatives that we will need as our fossil fuel reserves are depleted.

We will likely develop energy alternatives that are significantly less expensive than our current energy sources.

Answer 5

You are smart to question what you hear. It is my opinion that global warming is a fictitious emergency made up by certain groups/individuals who stand to make a bundle. More and more scientists are coming out against this theory. I believe the earth is in a cyclical pattern. In the 70's they were teaching us about the coming ice age. Man's impact on the earth's atmosphere can only be minimal at best.
Add*** Why would the government want to control us in regards to CO2 emissions? It's called power and the ever popular $$$!

Answer 6

Very few scientists disagree, and their disagreements are usually with how confident we are about global warming or it's cause, not that its actually cooling. Thermometers don't lie.

As for governments controlling us, they already do that. They don't need some elaborate whacko conspiracy to do it.

Answer 7

Please provide references showing one single scientist claiming that we are currently undergoing global cooling. I have yet to see one, and strongly suspect you were ill informed when told that there were some.

The science is in, anthropogenic climate change is both very real and potentially very dangerous. If you'd like to understand the science behind the theory you can check out the latest IPCC report for free here:

http://ipcc-wg1.ucar.edu/wg1/wg1-report.html

Answer 8

All we know is that the only thing constant is change & that includes climate. Anyone who claims to be able to predict the global climate decades into the future is either a fool or a fraud.