If humans cause global warming, how is Mars warming as fast as we are?

Question

A claim has been made by the proponents of global warming that the clamate has never changed faster in the history of the earth, and has only started doing this since man has been around. Yet Mars has no humans, so how do you explain Mars heating up as fast, if not faster, if the Sun is not responsible?

According to NASA, using the same technology used to measure the tempurature of earth, Mars is heating up as fast or faster than the earth is.

Answer 1

Neptune is warming up too. Most scientists speculate that the actions of this current warming trend is due to solar activity.

The earth is in a warming trend that's been going on since 1979. Before that is was in a cooling spell starting in the 1940's. No one really knows what causes all these climatic changes.

If it's CO2, humans only cause about 3%, so it just proves that humans have no effect on the climate at all.

Historically the earth is more prosperous during the warming periods and that increases the CO2 levels. So global warming is a good thing no matter what causes it.

Latest measurements actually show that in the US we are decreasing the CO2 levels because of the vast number of trees being planted every year. We have more trees today than we had 220 years ago. Amazing, but it makes since because plants live off of CO2.

Oh, one final note, the "global" warming is actually only happening in the northern hemisphere, so it's not really global after all.

As for Gore, he just wants people to like him. He's done well to get a lot of ignorant people to believe him and that makes him happy. He's made a fortune misleading people, so you gotta hand it to him.

Answer 2

It's a little too early yet to say for certain what's causing the warming on Mars or if indeed, it actually is warming. We have very little data from Mars - not enough to draw definite conclusions. In recent years some parts have experienced melting, particularly around the southern ice cap but conversely some areas have been freezing (the northern ice cap). This is unlike on Earth where all parts have been warming. Mars, like Earth, has seasons and on a yearly basis we can observe freezing and thawing. The theory put forward by NASA and other scientists is that warming on Mars could be the result of global dust storms. We know these occur and are violent winds engulfing the whole planet and whipping up huge amounts of dust. This would affect temperatures, if Earth experienced similar storms we'd also see temperature changes here. What we do know is that it's not the result of changes in the amount of heat from the sun (solar variation). This is something that we can and do measure with extreme accuracy and since the 1970's there has been a slight decline in solar heat output. Further, if Martian warming were the result of an increase in energy from the sun then all planets and moons in the solar system should be warming. This isn't what we're seeing and in fact, of the 172 planets and moons only 5 show signs of warming. Whatever the causes are they're unique to each planet and moon. I'd love to be able to give you an answer but at this point in time there isn't one. Perhaps ask the question in another 10 years time when we know more about Mars.

Answer 3

This is a popular myth that is doing the rounds and is losely based on NASA reports but has been grossly distorted and exaggerated by some global warming skeptics. It would be a good idea to read the original NASA reports so you can put things into context.

In short - there is evidence to suggest that the south polar ice cap is melting, there is also evidence to suggest the north polar ice cap is expanding. Therefore whatever warming is happening on Mars is only affecting parts of it. The probable reason for any warming on Mars are the global duststorms that sweep across the planet for days on end, such an event on earth (were it possible) would also lead to significant changes in our climate.

Further, Mars is very, very different to our own planet thus making any comparisons very unreliable. It has no breathable atmosphere, is not largely vegetated, isn't predominantly water, experiences extreme temperature changes, is so cold that the ice caps aren't frozen water but frozen gas (carbon dioxide) and it's not inhabited by humans.

It would be a very conveneint solution to say that the Sun is to blame for warming on Mars and on Earth, if that were the case then the other planets and moons in our solar system would also be warming - they're not. There's 172 of them all told and on 165 of them no warming has been observed.

We have extremely accurate instruments for measuring changes in the output from the sun and we know that the difrerence between the highest and lowest outputs (insolation maxima and insolation minima) is very small - enough to cause global warming or cooling over thousands and millions of years but nowhere near enough to bring about the changes we've witnessed in the last few decades. The actual difference between maximum and minimum output is a variation of a little less than one thousandth (a variation of 1.3 Watts per square metre per year against a mean of 1366 W/m2/yr).

Again, please refer to the original NASA reports, the skeptics are trying to fool you by concealing facts and distorting others.

Answer 4

Because humans DO NOT cause global warming, at least not as much as some people claim. More of the warming is from the sun.

By the way... whoever said that Mars was closer to the sun to look at a map or get some help or something...

Answer 5

Mars isn't warming as fast as we are (1). I have no idea where you got this idea. And even if it were it wouldn't be relevant to the current trend here on Earth. The only connecting thread between Mars and the Earth is the Sun, and according to research done by the Max Plank Institute there has been no increase in solar irradiance sine the 1940's (2), so the the sun couldn't possibly be responsible.

Edit: I'm afraid I'll need to see these NASA studies please. Because I don't think they show anything of the kind. Also note that I have provided references to everything I've said. You've provided none.

Answer 6

ummm...that big yellow or red ball up in the sky is what 'causes' global warming. We aren't helping it with the pollution but these cycles of 'warming of the climate' have been going on for centuries. Back in the 70's the 'scientific community' proclaimed we were heading for a new ice age...until the climate recycled to another warming stage. All one needs to do is to research ALL the information, not just listen to one particular group. After all, according to some 'scientists' the bumblebee cannot fly, right? Get informed, knowing all the argument is the only way to form your own opinion.

Nice touch with the question by the way. Interesting isn't it?

Answer 7

that was one thought I had as well. what if global warming is the result of the sun...either it is expanding like scientist said it would start doing to go super nova or we have move closer in orbit to the sun.. If the temperature on Mars and the other planets are rising as well... then it has to be the sun. have u ever noticed how much brighter Venus is now to what it was 30 years ago.

Answer 8

And, according to NASA, it's because of dust storms on Mars.

The sun is measured routinely by many people. On Earth it's about 10% of the problem. Peer reviewed data here.

http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Climate_Change_Attribution.png

More details here:

http://solar-center.stanford.edu/sun-on-earth/FAQ2.html

Bottom line (note the source):

"While evidence suggests fluctuations in solar activity can affect climate on Earth, and that it has done so in the past, the majority of climate scientists and astrophysicists agree that the sun is not to blame for the current and historically sudden uptick in global temperatures on Earth, which seems to be mostly a mess created by our own species."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,258342,00.html

Answer 9

The Earth is closer to the Sun than Mars is, so in theory we should be getting hotter faster than Mars which proves that global warming is not caused by humans. Humans may actually be cooling the Earth by emitting carbon monoxide, however I haven't done sufficient research yet to give you a conclusive answer.

Answer 10

Mars is a different planet than cannot even be compared to earth. we are a developed earth with nations people and society the atmosphere and other factors of mars contribute to its temperature. i would not compare other planets with clear differences to the situations currently occuring on earth,.