Why do a lot of people still believe global warming is caused by man?

Question

It seems like there are a lot of people out there who feel strongly about this issue but refuse to do their homework, are they really content getting their science from celebrities and Al Gore?

Answer 1

The global warming scare is a smokescreen to hide the REAL environment killer: the military industrial complex, otherwise known as war profiteering. Funny that Gore and all the lefties who are so heated up about global warming are also in the pocket of the MIC, whose right hand is Israel and left hand is the American government. War is huge money. Gore is a fake - he is a war monger in disguise, and so is Hilary and Obama.

Answer 2

Let's suppose for a moment, that folks like Al Gore, who only delivered the message(s) not create them, didn't deliver any messages. Our scientists and governments never uttered a word about global warming and just let it happen.
After awhile, when things got really bad, people started asking what was happening. Our Scientists & governments finally said: "Global Warming and if you think this is bad, give it a few more years."
The people would cry out: "How long have you known about this and why didn't you tell us about it?"
The Ss & Gs would say: Since the 1960's and it started getting very noticeable in the early 2000's. Why didn't we tell you? Why! When you wouldn't have listened anyway!"
Is Global warming real? Is it going to get worse? Can we change the course of it?
Check out the real facts from real scientists, and draw your own conclusions. In other words do a little research.

Answer 3

You've pretty much got it backwards, Kevin. If you spend any time in the Y!A Environment section you'll see that the people who have done their homework are those who realize that humans are the primary cause of the current global warming. This is because the scientific experts on global climate have concluded that humans are the primary cause, and those of us who have done our homework and read their research have come to the same conclusion.

Personally I watched Gore's movie, but I've also read a number of scientific papers including the IPCC report summary, read several books on the issue, and in general done quite a bit of homework. This homework has brought me to the conclusion that any reasonable person who does his homework on the issue will realize that humans are the primary cause of the current global warming.

On the contrary, people who don't think humans are causing global warming clearly have not done their homework. They conclude that it's due to natural causes like the sun (no more than 10% the radiative forcing of greenhouse gases [GHG]), volcanoes (1% the GHG emissions of humans annually), water vapor (an indicator and amplifier of global warming, not a cause), or soda pop (no joke, somebody claimed that carbonation in soda and beer were the cause of global warming).

How much research have you done, kevin?

Answer 4

Before you read my post below I want you to know that I don't agree with Al Gore and I think he does not present all the facts to the public. I think he's a fear-monger. However, I have my own reasons for thinking global climate change is real.

The short, global climate change (global warming) is real. I want to explain below the difference between "natural processes" and "human influence" to give you a better picture of why global warming is so important. Here's my long version below:

Over the geologic timescale, the Earth has gone through natural variations in the amount of carbon dioxide. The long-term inorganic carbon-silicate weathering cycle accounts for these discrepancies. First, carbon dioxide is dissolved in rainwater which reacts to form carbonic acid. From there, the rainwater falls on land or ocean. On land, carbonic acid reacts with rocks and combines to form a bicarbonate ion through the process of weathering. These weathered carbonate materials are then carried to the ocean and form minerals on the ocean floor. The rocks that form the ocean floor are gradually carried toward the continental boundaries by plate tectonics, where the carbonate rock is subducted under the continental crust. The rock is then heated as it descends into the mantle, releasing the carbon dioxide and allowing it to escape and return to the atmosphere through volcanic eruptions. This ongoing cycle regulates the carbon dioxide content of the Earth’s atmosphere and acts as a thermostat to keep the Earth’s climate fairly stable. The cycle also ensures that most of the Earth’s carbon dioxide resides in carbonate minerals on the ocean floor rather than in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide gas.

This natural process on Earth has been a large factor to keep the planet’s climate conducive to life. The carbon-silicate weathering cycle is a “negative feedback” process. Although the word “negative” has an ominous connotation, it actually describes a feedback loop which allows the temperature of Earth to remain fairly constant over time. For example, there was a period known as “Snowball Earth” where the Earth was completely frozen. When the Earth was frozen, weathering of rocks ceased to exist because it was too cold for precipitation, the beginning of the weathering process. Because there was no weathering, carbon dioxide was not taken out of the air and placed into rocks. This led to a build-up of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere. The increased carbon dioxide triggered a stronger greenhouse effect that caused the Earth to warm bringing it out of the Snowball Earth period.

The last paragraph described Earth’s feedback mechanism to manage natural sources of carbon dioxide over geologic time. However, carbon dioxide input in the past century has increased rapidly due to anthropogenic sources. Global Warming or Global Climate Change postulates that a net increase in greenhouse gases will lead to increased warming of the planet. This theory is based on observations from ice core records and forecasted trends from global climate models. Global mean surface temperatures have increased 0.5-1.0°F since the late 19th century from the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Also, the 20th century's 10 warmest years all occurred in the last 15 years of the century. Of these, 1998 was the warmest year on record. Records at Mauna Loa, Hawaii have kept these records since 1960, prior to that year; ice core data has shown the same increase in carbon dioxide.

How can we know how much global warming will impact the Earth? Well, the computer models are getting better but there is still a lot of uncertainty. However, models that I have worked with have shown the temperature increase becoming much more significant over the next 10-30 years.

Here's a good link with graphics to help put it into perspective:
http://www.carleton.edu/departments/geol...

Answer 5

We could cheaply and easily switch to geothermal power generation, this would solve our problem - particularly if we switched to cars run off geothermally generated electricity.

For some reason the geothermal option isn't being pushed when given the constraints and limits of current technology it is the only pratical solution that wouldn't require massive cuts to power usage for both industry and domestic usage. This would give cheaper electricity than "clean" coal or nuclear power and without the environmental costs. It's also the most land efficient method of power generation and is water efficient (coal and nuclear use vast amounts of water, further adding to their inherent unsustainability).

Answer 6

If you accept the fact that without the greenhouse effect on this planet, we would have an average temperature of -18 degrees Celsius, despite the solar radiation, instead of +14 which is the case now. How can you NOT believe that adding to the greenhouse effect doesn't increase the average temperature???

Or doesn't you "educated people" believe in the greenhouse effect at all???

Answer 7

Let me ask you this Kevin, do you get your information about global warming from Rush Limbaugh? Or have you done your own research into the issue? Now, are you honestly naive enough to think proponents of the theory have done any differently? We no more get all our information from celebrities than you do. So stop being silly please.

Answer 8

I wouldn't have the slightest idea what any celebrity says about global warming, and I haven't read "An Inconvenient Truth," but I've looked at what the REAL scientists are saying and their evidence and both the consensus and the evidence are overwhelming - global warming is real and caused by human activity, especially burning fossil fuels. There is room for legitimate debate about some points, especially the proper action to take, but global warming is caused by man.

The only "scientists" who are saying otherwise are a few fruitcakes and professional liars for the oil industry. They get a lot of press because the media likes to pretend that there are two sides to every story and because it's politically convenient for brain-damaged right-wingers.

And if you saw it on Fox News, it's probably a lie. If you heard it on right-wing talk radio, it's definitely a lie.

Answer 9

Have you done your homework? Have you visited the site in the source below. No celebrities or politicians there. Just real climate scientists. They seem to think people are causing it, or at least contributing to it.

Answer 10

I've never seen an al gore movie or read an al gore book, as al gore is not a scientist. I am, and yes global warming is almost certainly caused by human activity.

start educating yourself


http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/index.html

Answer 11

am i to believe that you think that we have nothing to do with global warming? I agree that global warming and cooling are natural processes but due to our greed and waste we have speed up global warming. At least people like Al gore are highlighting the point, if we dont do anything there wont be anything left for future generations.