Some quick questions for global warming skeptics?

Question

Do you agree with the following statements (one word answers are fine)...

1) The average global temperature is increasing

2) Any global temperature increase is due to natural cycles only

3) Mars is warming so any warming on Earth is due to the sun

4) In the 1970's the alarm was about global cooling

5) Volcanoes contribute as much, if not more, to global warming than humans do

6) Levels of the so called 'greenhouse gases' are increasing

Thank you for your time.

Answer 1

I don't give one word answers.

1. The average global temperature may not even be a relevant number, thermodynamically speaking. But to conform to the limits of the debate as set by the UN and the IPCC, I agree that global average temperature is increaing.

2. Any global temperature may or may not be due to any number of cycles and man, none of which are mutually exclusive of the others.

3. Mars is not the only planet that is warming. That warming may or may not be due to solar irradiation. It could also be due to magnetic changes in the sun allowing more cosmic rays into the solar system, among other potentials cuases.

4. Only a few scientists ever talked about global cooling. The media, however, was busy wearing their asshats on this one.

5. On the whole, volcanoes should be a net cooler (as demonstrated by small drops in temp after Mt St Helens and Pinatubo).

6. GHG's are increasing, but that could be due to natural factors (decreased gas solubility in liquids at increases temps), man (industrial growth), or some combination of both.

In summary, I think the interactions between the oceans, land, atmosphere, sun, galaxy, and man are still poorly understood. I also think that they are not mutually exclusive of each other, thus it can be a combination of any or all of the factors that are out there, % attribution is not yet possible. Therefore, imposing solutions to a problem that is NOT understood is folly of the most arrogant manner.

Answer 2

1) The average global temperature is increasing. Probably though the data is very much skewed to the northern hemisphere and especially N. America

2) Any global temperature increase is due to natural cycles only. Any significant global increase is probably due to natural cycles.

3) Mars is warming so any warming on Earth is due to the sun. Again any significant warming

4) In the 1970's the alarm was about global cooling. Irrelevant except that it shows the alarmist are always there and interestingly it is essentially the same group of people that are still alarmists.

5) Volcanoes contribute as much, if not more, to global warming than humans do. Probably true. There are also other natural sources that are little understood. For example, you cannot tell me how much methane migrates upward and is released through the soil. Don't even try, any numbers you give won't mean anything.

6) Levels of the so called 'greenhouse gases' are increasing. Yes. They have been for thousands of years. Some global warming hysteric tried to blame that on humans as well though I don't think it would explain previous cycles. Humans have probably added some, maybe 50 parts per million. Is this what has caused the earth to warm since the 70s then why did it cool in the 40s to 60s?

Thank you for your time.

Answer 3

1) The average global temperature is increasing

No, Satilite data has been consitent in showing that the earths average temperature is, well, consistent.

2) Any global temperature increase is due to natural cycles only

Yes. Technicly, humans do effect it, however, the effect is so miniscual, and nature counter acts even that, so it's as if Humans have done nothing.

3) Mars is warming so any warming on Earth is due to the sun

Yes. Global warming and green hous gasses are all about the sun. If there were no sun, It wouldn't matter how much green house gas we have, there would be nothing to radiate.

4) In the 1970's the alarm was about global cooling

I wasn't alive back then, however I'd say we have about the exact same chance of suffering either one.

5) Volcanoes contribute as much, if not more, to global warming than humans do

Defenantly.

6) Levels of the so called 'greenhouse gases' are increasing

No. Once again, technicly we are "adding" to it, but it's like spitting in the ocean, did you really increase the amount? And with nature's carbon cycle, It's counteracted easily.

Thank you for your time.

Your welcome.

Answer 4

1) The average global temperature is increasing.

At this point in time, yes. However, the climate is always changing.

2) Any global temperature increase is due to natural cycles only

Since the element of nature must also include any outside forces (solar condtions, sun flares, humans, etc.), yes.

3) Mars is warming so any warming on Earth is due to the sun

Mars' atmosphere is nothing like our own so this is totally irrelevent. However, the sun is pretty danged hot.

4) In the 1970's the alarm was about global cooling

Scientists got it wrong then, why are they right now?

5) Volcanoes contribute as much, if not more, to global warming than humans do

Since "Global Warming" hasn't been proven or disproven, this question is irrelevent.

6) Levels of the so called 'greenhouse gases' are increasing

Throughout history, they have ALWAYS fluctuated.

Thank you for your time.

Answer 5

1) There is a general upward trend in temperature, saying it is increasing implies that there is some ideal baseline from which the temperature is deviating.

2) Historically as well as now, yes the warming and cooling of the globe is caused by a variety of natural sources.

3) I'm not sure, I have read that storms have caused the planets surface to become darker thus increasing the absorption of light (like the dark asphalt on the earth's surface?) but I have not seen any definitive review yet on the topic since one article does not make it true, this issue will require further study to determine if it is storms or an increase in solar output. Although either way the sun is causing the planet to heat up.

4) Yes

5) No but they do contribute

6) Yes

Answer 6

I'm not a skeptic but I've talked to those who are and here is how they answer

1. Depends on whose data you are reading...some data indicates that we are experiencing a Global Cooling.

2. We have not measured temp long enough in the history of life to know

3. No. Warming can be due to H20 also. Or maybe the two are not related. Maybe we are experiencing a natural cycle that is not related to Mars and besides, the data on Mars is not reliable since we have not measured temp there for long to see the big picture.

4. True

5. Volcanoes: One good volcano belch, like Pinatubo, temp will go down 0.5-3 degrees...end of warming.

6. H2O is a more important greenhouse gas than CO2 and since we cannot propery measure CO2 levels, we dont' know if they levels are increasing or not.

Answer 7

1) Yes

2) Yes

3) Not knowing what Mars' atmosphere is made up of I cannot answer this question definitively.

4) Correct, In at least one widely published article.

5) If you are referring to the amount of greenhouse gasses produced that allegedly cause warming then yes. But there is an equality there with the amount of ash and dust that cause a cooling effect.

6) Water vapor contributes more to warming than any of the other gasses so whether or not they are increasing is irrelevant.

Answer 8

1) Yes - just like it has in prior periods.
2) No - it isn't necessarily due to natural causes only or even mostly - - it might be us, that just remains unproven.
3) No - there's some warming on Mars, that's strong indicia that we shouldn't rule out the Sun just because we aren't picking it up using our present measuring methods.
4) An alarm. Not the alarm. They were also talking about 'cancer clusters' - - the Union of Concerned Scientists would report that "the rate of" a rare type of cancer was "50% higher than average" within a given radius of a nuke plant, and then later you'd find out that that meant 6 out of 500,000 instead of 4 and that the standard deviation was 3.......
5) No - in the past they've contributed to cooling, e.g., 1816.
6) CO2 yes - - by 1/11,000th of the atmosphere in 200 years.

Bottom line, one of the AGW proponents on this board represented the issue as "if I fart in an elevator" and to continue his analogy, it's more like "if I fart in a gymnasium."

Answer 9

1) yes, but we only have reliable GLOBAL data over past 50-100 years.

2) Not enough information. We don't have statistically significant data to make any assumption.

3) Personally I don't know, i have not seen any data that shows a statistically significant correlation between the two.

4) So what, in the 1200's people thought the world was flat and the earth was the center of the solar systems.

5) not enough information, see question 2

6) Yes, but we have even less reliable data on this as question 1.

Answer 10

I feel like I'm being crossed examined with one word answers!
But anyways,

1. Yes, about .7 degrees in the last 100 years.
2. We have not yet determined this
3. Haven't looked at the data on this but it may be relevant in understanding how our sun influences our own climate cycles and should not be dismissed.
4. Bait and Switch Argument
5. Studies have not shown volcanoes contribute to global WARMING as much as they contribute to immediate short term cooling that is significant and observable. Google for year without a summer as an example, or Mount Pinatubo
6. We have measured an increase in several of the greenhouse gases, including CO2, but according to Chapter 2 of this IPCC report (link below), CH4 levels may be leveling off. Which greenhouse gas are you asking about?