who thinks global warming is a scam?

Question

I mean really. there is money to be made in scearing the crap out of people.

Just look at religion.

also we are judging are research on 50 years of good record keeping. The earth is over 4.5 billion years old

Answer 1

At least two people; me, and hurricane expert Dr. William Gray.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0%2C23739%2C22579081-5003419%2C00.html

Answer 2

It's not a scam, it's science. If you think it's a scam, then you simply don't understand the science.

Basically we know it's warming, and we've measured how much:

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/img/climate/research/2005/ann/global-blended-temp-pg.gif

Scientists have a good idea how the Sun and the Earth's natural cycles and volcanoes and all those natural effects change the global climate, so they've gone back and checked to see if they could be responsible for the current global warming. What they found is:

Over the past 30 years, all solar effects on the global climate have been in the direction of (slight) cooling, not warming. This is during a very rapid period of global warming.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6290228.stm
http://www.pubs.royalsoc.ac.uk/media/proceedings_a/rspa20071880.pdf

So the Sun certainly isn't a large factor in the current warming. They've also looked at natural cycles, and found that we should be in the middle of a cooling period right now.

"An often-cited 1980 study by Imbrie and Imbrie determined that 'Ignoring anthropogenic and other possible sources of variation acting at frequencies higher than one cycle per 19,000 years, this model predicts that the long-term cooling trend which began some 6,000 years ago will continue for the next 23,000 years.'"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milankovich_cycle

So it's definitely not the Earth's natural cycles. They looked at volcanoes, and found that

a) volcanoes cause more global cooling than warming, because the particles they emit block sunlight

b) humans emit over 100 times more CO2 than volcanoes annually

http://www.gaspig.com/volcano.htm

So it's certainly not due to volcanoes. Then they looked at human greenhouse gas emissions. We know how much atmospheric CO2 concentrations have increased over the past 50 years:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Mauna_Loa_Carbon_Dioxide.png

And we know from isotope ratios that this increase is due entirely to human emissions from burning fossil fuels. We know how much of a greenhouse effect these gases like carbon dioxide have, and the increase we've seen is enough to have caused almost all of the warming we've seen over the past 30 years (about 80-90%). You can see a model of the various factors over the past century here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Climate_Change_Attribution.png

This is enough evidence to convince almost all climate scientists that humans are the primary cause of the current global warming.

Answer 3

lol
no. I think there are plenty of legit scientists that actually believe in global warming. There are also numerous who think it is utter rubbish but don't often speak out (for numerous reasons *as stated below*).

As far as I can tell, there is some evidence that the world is warming (but not conclusive evidence, just a possibly coincidental trend). Before everyone starts screaming and running around in mad little circles, I would like to say that the most likely cause of global warming is a natural climatic trend. No one blames the ice age on the mammoths, but it was a pretty major climatic change. Throughout the known history of the world there have been periods of cooler and warmer times (with the warmer ones being more prosperous). My theory is simply that we are headed into a warmer time period.

Undoubtedly pollution is a major problem in the world today and we should do everything possible to prevent adding to it, but in my opinion, it is unlikely to significantly add to global warming. I have also heard a theory that plants would simply absorb excess carbon dioxide, but from a science student point of view I would have to say I am skeptical.

*Reasons not to speak out if you think global warming is rubbish*
1) people will make fun of you
2) the media will make you look like a heartless oaf with no thoughts for the environment
3) there is no solid proof (that I can find) that global warming is not happening
4) IF somebody actually believed you, they may then decide that there is no real harm in polluting (which isn't true, even if it is not significantly contributing to global warming)
5) probably other reasons too (but these were enough for me!)

No harm in scaring the crap out of people if it is going to make them more environmentally aware :)
I do, however, doubt there is much money to be made from it (unless you are one of those enterprising companies offering to 'offset carbon emissions' - that is pretty cute. I want to know how they propose to do that. I doubt they are legit.).

Good question, by the way (but I do disagree with the comment about religion being about making money - In general most religions are not scary or expensive - with a few exceptions like scientology).

Answer 4

while you are very correct in your comment about there being tons of money in scaring people, no, global warming is no scam.

one only has to look to one of earth's close celestial neighbors to see what gases such as methane and Co2 can do to the tempature of a planet. i speak, of course, of venus, which has insane temperatures, worse than mercury, which is closer to the sun, in some cases.

now, thats not to say i think that pretty soon the earth will have temeratures of 800 celisus... but it actually doesn't take much change in temperture to really screw up a ecosystem.

here's a little test you can do on yourself to see what i mean:

ok, you know if you go outside in the summer, it feels hot, right?

well, try this out: turn your thermostat up 3 degrees farenheit.
you'll find that this temperature change, while small, has made you unconfortable... but here's the best part. just as you get used to it, turn it back down 2 degrees- and you will feel better, or even cold.

now- do i think global warming will mess up the human race? nahhhhh we're like cockroaches- we've been around through bad temperature changes.

the rest of the animals and plants on the planet? weeeeeelllll... sorry folks.

oh, and global warming will probably flood the world, proof for that is in the fact that many areas that are very close to sea level have been found to in fact be under water (like florida, where i live, for example, parts are thought to have been under water as close back as 10k years)

sorry for the novel, but i felt a simple yes or no would not suffice here.

Answer 5

global warming is more of a reality and both sides are full of spin..... the worlds weather patterns have changed alot in the last 15 years, places that got alot of snow fall hardly get any while other places that hardly got any now get some.... the polar ice is melting.... its just natural changes, though...cycles .....towards warming.....
I do not think mankind really can contribute that much to make it be hot, but looking just that the solar flares, there is alot going on that we do not know about. So I think both sides of this media spin are just not taking it all in.

Answer 6

All the people who believed the 'ozone depletion' hoax do.

In about 10 years these same people will have forgotten about 'global warming' and will be 'true believers' in the next global catrastophe theory.

Answer 7

I agree with you that people are easier to controll when they are afraid, but i dont think it is a total scam, global warming.

Back in the 50s and 60s they knew about it, but now it is too late to start changing our habits because it's innevitable at this point. So i just say 'screw it, and live life while you can.' because sooner or later we all die anyway.

Answer 8

I do, and I think it is going to damage my party.
Not that the socialist party's use of the Democratic party as one of it's wings isn't already doing us damage.
Wish more Democrats spoke up against it.

The political bigotry by some people on both sides doesn't help anyone. We need to get past this, let the scientist do their jobs. When THEY reach consensus, THEN it is an issue for politics.

Answer 9

i think the earth is warming but not because of humans i think that its just a naturally cycle that the earth goes through becuase how do you explain the ice age becuase back then there werent any cars or fossil fuels or anything it was just part of a cycle.

Answer 10

I don't believe in global warming either. I believe it is a scam as well.