Do you believe the theory of global warming is scientifically credible? Why or why not?

Question

In simpler terms, do you think global warming is happening? If so, what do you believe will come of it? Why do you believe this? What proof do you have that it is occuring?

Answer 1

There is just as much theory and proof that there isn't global warming. But the political community, and the media especially, has succeeded in silencing these opinions to a great extent. Plus the global warming promoters have exaggerated their claims due to the fact no one will get excited about a small problem. Only a large one. This issue of exaggerating the issue was first discussed in the Clinton White House.

Answer 2

● Is it scientifically credible? Yes, very much so it's been known about and documented for over 100 years now and has been tested to destruction.

● Is GW happening? It always has happened (either that or the world's been cooling, one or the other). In recent times we've accelerated that rate at which it's happening by adding to the levels of greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere.

● What will come of it? A great many things have happened, are happening and will happen. The effects manifest themselves in a number of ways. Here's a couple of webpages that look at current effects and futire effects...
http://profend.com/global-warming/pages/effects.html
http://profend.com/global-warming/pages/future.html
These pages explain what I think will come of it because they're based on something I wrote

● Why do I beleive it? Because I'm a scientist, I make decisions based on evidence, I look at all the different angles, look for causes, explanations, analyse the evidence and ignore anything that can't be reliably substantiated.

● What proof do I have? The proof is there for all to see, maybe not so much in America or Europe but go to Africa or Asia and it's pretty hard to escape the proof. There's also the scientific proof - knowing what causes the greenhouse effect and global warming, once this concept is grasped it's not hard to see why the planet is warming. Stripping it down to it's basics it's the equivalent of pouring hot water into a bath tub full of cold water, the more hot water goes into the bath the warmer the water becomes, a similar thing is happening in our atmosphere except it's heat from radiation and not heat from water and it's molecules of gas and not molecules of water.

Answer 3

In my own opinion there is no scientific proof that there is global warming going on, the research that I have seen that they say is credible are charts that can easy be manipulated by the numbers that they get. I believe that they are full of it because they have yet to give me a straight answer as well, and a lot of what they have can be supported to go against Global Warming.....So in the end its just another silly theory going around that makes some people rich, or feel important........ and maybe even both

Answer 4

Here is a statement from NASA:

"Global temperature correlates with the concentration of greenhouse gases. Both have increased during the 150 years or so that humans have been putting these gases into the atmosphere. However, both temperature and gas concentration have fluctuated together for thousands of years, before humans could have had much effect. Humans may be causing the present rise in temperature, but not all temperature changes are caused by human activity."

Yes, the climate is changing. It has changed as long as the earth has existed. Our activity is only a drop in the bucket. What is 150 years compared to the millions of years the earth has existed?

Answer 5

Any theory can be considered scientificly credible... until it is proven or disproven... its a theory.

Since "Global Warming" hasn't been proven or disproven... its a theory. Not a fact.

We have some evidence that average world temperature has gone up slightly... We have some data that says CO2 levels have gone up also. We also have data that says solar activity has gone up.

There's also data that says that if the earth heats up... NATURAL CO2 production increases.

The THEORY that man is the driving force behind the (very small...) increase in average global temperature is very far from proven.

But then... the only way to prove, or disprove it is to wipe out man from the face of the earth and see what happens to the global climate without man there to mess wth it...

Answer 6

The only credible info on the topic will come from unbiased observations by persons with no agenda.
Part of the issue is clouded by the fact that we (in some ways) have only recently developed the technology to see what is going on in our environment.
We see, some over- react, some panic; the only true credibility will come from those who dispassionately examine the evidence, over time, and then, draw careful, studied conclusions.

Answer 7

Climate changes, always has always will. The IPCC muzzles it's own reviewers and releases summaries prepared by PR spinners before the report is even finished. Add news reporters not skilled enough in math or science to detect the BS and the Algore types looking to make a buck or get grants and you suddenly have a crisis. Add to this the Hippie burnouts who are so spiritually barren they worship nature and you end up with solutions that always involve more control by the government. Progress extends life and reduces misery. The envirowhackos hate the Western World's success and hate individuality.

Answer 8

Global warming is an increase in mean temperature for the entire globe and is a naturally occuring process that is likely being accelerated by human activity, especially since the industrial revolution. Global warming is directly linked to the greenhouse effect, which is a naturally occuring process whereby radiation form the sun penetrates the earth's atmosphere and part of this heat energy is absorbed by the earth's surface while the rest of it is reflected back towards space but most gets trapped in earth's atmosphere by gases, called greenhouse gases. By emitting higher levels of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), into the atmosphere, humans are accelerating the greenhouse effect beyond naturally occuring rates. So yes it is happening.

Some potential negative impacts to marine ecosystems include: increased sea level impacts coastal communities, especially saltwater intrusion into freshwater sources; increased acidity of seawater impacts biota, especially calcium carbonate-forming organisms; increased incidence of marine diseases; bleaching of coral; slowing of thermohaline circulation; reduction of ice cover impacts life cycle and feeding for life at the poles; increased temperature affects developmental stages of biota.

I believe this because there are many pieces of evidence that collectively point to the THEORY that humans are accelerating the greenhouse effect..
1. humans emit greenhouse gases that would not normally enter the atmosphere.
2. greenhouse gases absorb infrared energy.
3. CO2 levels (atm) and methane (CH4) levels are increasing.
4. Geological observations:
a. retreat and thinning of continental glaciers in Arctic
b. retreat of edges of continental glaciers of Antarctic
c. earlier breakup of Arctic sea ice
d. melting of Alaskan permafrost
e. increse in sea level
f. slowing of thermohaline circulation
5. biological data
a. bleached coral
b. earlier migrations
c. pathogen range extended to northern latitudes and
higher altitudes.
6. Predictive climatic models
computer simulations that predict future temperature/sea
level increases, etc. based on algorithms and measured
variables.

The real question is if the current warming of the earths's temperature is a consequence of human action or just part of a natural long term trend.

Answer 9

Those of us who aren't climate scientists, to a large extent, have to defer to climate scientists with regard to issues of climate science, just like non-doctors have to defer to doctors with regard to medical issues.

Climate scientists are in near-unanimous agreement that global warming is real, so the rest of us have to accept that it is. The people who say global warming is scientifically unsound are generally (a) funded by the petroleum industry, or (b) the same people who say evolution is scientifically unsound.

So, yes, to the best of our knowledge, global warming is real.

Answer 10

It's all about money and funding NASA's Space program. Global warming also benefits the farmers entitlement programs.