Why does everyone seem to think that global warming is a bad thing?

Question

It seems like everyone has been programmed to think that global warming is bad. If it weren't for global warming we'd still be in the Ice Age. Why do people think that a natural process of the earth can be controlled by man?

Answer 1

It is always a problem when people pretend to know more than they do. For example to suggest that the earth is warming "now" more than anytime in the last 600,000 years is a nonscientific and unverifiable statement. What does now mean; the last 10 minutes, the last 10 days, the last 100 days, the last 100 years, or the last thousand years? When superlatives come out of the mouths of politicians, you can almost guarantee an exaggeration. Clearly, IMO, some people are eager for global warming to be proved true to verify their view of the world and man's destructive contribution too it. Clearly those people are overwhelmingly on the political left.

Answer 2

Wow, where to start?

1. It's the RATE of global warming that is bad. It's true that the climate of the earth has changed quite a lot, back and forth, for millions of years. But the rate at which it's changing now, is much faster than it's changed in at least the last 600,000 years or so. When the climate changes slowly, life can adapt. The worry, and the prediction, is that these recent FAST changes will cause major disruptions in systems that are important to species' well being (including us!)

2. There is increasingly strong evidence that most of the current huge increase in global warming (over the last 200 years or so) has been caused by human activity. There is an awful lot of correlation between the amount of CO2 we pump into the air, and the rise in global temperature. Since human activity apparently caused it, there's hope that (more responsible) human activity can bring it under control.

For those who blame "the media" for "feeding" us stuff -- Dudes, you don't have to eat it. If you are skeptical of the media (and you should be), do what I did--go do some research; look up some real numbers; read science journals; get some real facts. That is how I came to the conclusion that global warming is real serious business. The media are not responsible for your lack of knowledge.

Answer 3

Sorry, the ice age ended due to natural reasons, not because of things done by man.

Global warming is a Bad Thing because the change in temperatures that we've detected through ice cores, tree ring samples, and other methods show that the recent jump in temperatures is absolutely unprecedented before the industrial revolution. In other words, nothing has changed the world's temp. like man. And if it continues, it could disrupt weather patterns, crop growing seasons, and more. Fertile areas could become deserts. Areas that used to get lots of rain could dry up. Polar ice could melt, and raise sea levels.

Think about those - if you live in the great plains, what happens if that suddenly can't grow crops? That area feeds a lot of North America. If you live near the ocean, what happens if water levels rise? Parts of Florida would be underwater permanently. That would mean more than just losing some party spots like Key West or New Orleans.

Answer 4

global warming did not end the ice age, a climatic up and down process that occurs every few million years did. The ice age would in theory happen again because it is a natural thing that the climate spikes and plumits. However, global warming will prevent another ice age and do the opposite: FLOOD THE EARTH!

Answer 5

Global warming is bad for a number of reasons: 1) because many plants and animals can't shift their range as the climate shifts (because we're using the adjacent land for other things), so they'll go extinct; 2) because it will lead to stronger hurricanes; 3) because it will cause sea level to rise, and a whole lot of our buildings and roads and so on are on the coastlines. Activists are also concerned that it will cause tropical diseases to spread to the temperate regions; I'm dubious about that one. The problem of the global south is poverty, caused by getting almost nothing in return for the raw materials they send to the industrialized countries. If they could just afford window screens malaria would be half beaten right there.

There are past climate changes as dramatic as the current one is projected to be. Some of them caused mass extinctions.

Answer 6

Toolate: You ARE aware that global warming is defined by the earth's average temperature rising by only 5 or 6 degrees right?

Answer 7

Global warming is a natural phenomenon. Man isn't the sole cause of it. Man IS depleting our natural resources, and throwing stuff into the environment that isn't good, and we DO need to stop that. It may slow down the problem, but it won't stop it altogether.
God gave us the job of being stewards of the earth.....we are suppose to learn to take care of it and protect it, through science and the use of our brains.

Answer 8

because soon even global warming will be out of hand and the heat will rise and rise and rise. most people are just trying to to stop us from speeding the process. ice age is bad but so is global warming

watch the documentary that the one Al Gore did. it explains the consequences of global warming then you'll see what will happen when its in high gear

Answer 9

It's probably a good thing now, looking at how we are destroying our globe, a good thing for the globe itself, and the people who respect our earth, and know enough to survive with it. You get to sleep in the bed you make, so to speak. The earth will be doing me a favour!!!Most of the ignorant people will be gone. The only victims that don't deserve it, is the wild life. If only THEY could talk!!!

Answer 10

Watch "The Day After Tomorrow" then tell us that global warming isn't a bad thing.