Is the United States to blame for global warming, or is it oher countries, is it a natural cycle?

Question

or could it be all of the above

Answer 1

I think "Sara" needs to go check her textbooks. I'm a geologist who studies this stuff, so let me give the short-n-sweet version of it without all the complicated details.

First, the U.S. is NOT to blame for "global warming"-which is a bad term. Scientists prefer to say "climate change" since the other term is misleading and suggests that everywhere is uniformly getting hotter, which is NOT correct.

Second, and this is the "big deal", the current warming trend is most likely the result of a combination of natural cycles. The "Ice Age", you see, never really ended--we're still in the Ice Age. We've been living through what's called an "interglacial warm period" which typically lasts about 20,000 years. There have been several interglacials since the Ice Age began around 3 million years ago. The current one began, sadly for us, about 18-20,000 years ago.

Each interglacial ended with a dramatic RISE in temperatures just before plummeting back into the deep freeze. Here's the kicker though: it is also VERY likey that we HAVE altered this predicatble warming trend. And that's the big question that we cannot yet fully answer: HOW have we changed this natural cycle?

Will we continue to warm faster than usual and end up in a runaway greenhouse? Will we have minimal impact and warm up "according to nature's plan"? Or, will our impact cause the cycle to collapse and we end up in a deep freeze sooner than we should? No one really knows yet, and we're working feverishly to figure it out.

The smart move, for now, is to assume we have had an impact and do all that we can to minimize it as quickly as we can.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

Twenty years ago the fear was global cooling. Considering that teh scientist who initally proposed global warming has since rescinded his position on hte matter, you should develop some good healthy skepticism regarding pop science, especially in the area of global warming. The best data to date shows a variance that is well within the data's margin of error. So there may actually be no real global warming occuring. Assuming that the data is correct for a minute, the data more closely matches changes in solar output than it does carbon dioxide levels or levels of any other greenhouse gas. Additionally, when mt. pinatubo erupted in the philippines in 1991, it released more greenhouse gasses in one year than the entirety of mankind has since the start of the industrial revolution. While this caused short term weather changes on a regional scale, there were no measurable climate effects beyond 5 years. While I suspect that there most likely is some global warming occuring, i suspect it is a natural occurance which is minimally impacted by man. However, I still advocate being a good steward of resources and protecting our environment. Not because someone wants to scare you into it, but because we only have one planet to live on and we dont want to turn it into a cesspool.

Answer 3

There has been a gradual warming since the Cryogenian period, and many are currently freaking out since the advent of our worldwide statistic keeping. People have been blaming it on "global warming" recently, but in years past it was caused by CFCs. That theory stated that there was a hole over Antartica. Later, it was considered a "moving hole" and now nearly no one talks about it. In the 1960's there was a movement which said we were verging on global cooling. Now no one talks about that theory. Prior to the ice age, the world had much warmer average temperatures than what we have today, and there were no combustion engines at the time. If we look at the history of the world, you can be calm and confident in saying that the world has been warming back up for at least 630 million years.

Answer 4

allow's be uncomplicated, few issues are extra American than questioning we are the most efficient usa interior the international at some thing (there is, for sure, some reality to this at situations, even if no longer to the quantity we take it). For some human beings this makes america a astonishing usa which has executed good issues for the international. For others this suggests america has used its means to do evil and undesirable issues and is the most evil usa interior the international, or possibly that has ever existed. there are for sure exceptions yet, of those who pass to extremes (which i don't believe of is maximum folk at any price) those who're conservative tend to be interior the "the U. S. is large" class and individuals that're liberal are extra in all probability to slot interior the "the U. S. is evil" class. those who're liberal are truly extra in all probability to believe human beings are individuals to global warming. combine that with the actual truth the U. S. fairly does placed off extra toxins than maximum international places and it is not any longer fairly staggering a lot of human beings favor to blame the U. S. for the meant plight of the international at the same time as it includes global warming. i'd be taken aback if no man or woman accessible became blaming the U. S. frequently for global warming. Hell, we get blamed for another damn element lower than the solar, why no longer this one too?

Answer 5

well, i don't think US is the ONLY country that is blamed for global warming, but also China and India for their populous population and heavy industries. But you know, the more successful the economy the country is, the more the country has to do something to keep the economy that way, and to do that, US has to use gasoline, an important resource, to continue their needs of improving the economy. so US can't get rid of that but to use other safe resources.
i also think it is a natural cycle, since ice age can happen many times due to an extreme pollution in one period of time. so i think ice age might happen one day (like the one in "the day after tomorrow".

Answer 6

I'd say all of the above, and since you don't specify what proportion is to be assigned to each cause, it would be hard to disprove my assertion. If one wanted to get specific percentages, then it would be very difficult to give an answer.

Of course there are those who say global warming is a hoax, but in another breath they'll say it's a natural cycle, so I don't pay too much attention to them.

Answer 7

It's all the countries but the most pollution is created by 1st world countries like U.S., England, Canada [now under kyoto protocol], Austrailia[now under kyoto protocol] etc. There is also a natural Greenhouse Effect, or else the Earth would be too cold for many organisms to live!

Answer 8

Yes along with other industry countries. Any country that contributes to the emissions of CO2/ freon.

Answer 9

People think the USA should take the lead because we are the leader in greenhouse emissions

Answer 10

This year, China is set to overtake the USA in greenhouse emissions.