In recent years, global warming has been the subject of a great deal of political controversy. The controversy concerns the public debate over whether global warming is occurring, how much has occurred in modern times, what has caused it, what its effects will be, whether any action should be taken to curb it, and if so what that action should be.
A lot of people say that human-induced global warming is only theory, that just as many scientists doubt it as believe it. So-called “global warming skeptics” are banding together to show their solidarity against the scientific consensus that has concluded that global warming is caused by emissions from human activities.
Scientists believe that the 20th-century warming was caused by human activity, primarily the burning of fossil fuels. That produces carbon dioxide—one of several "greenhouse gases." The argument is that their release into the atmosphere wraps the Earth in an invisible shroud. This makes the escape of heat into outer space slightly more difficult than its initial absorption from sunlight. This is the Greenhouse Effect. So the Earth warms up.
Skeptics debate whether man-made carbon-dioxide emissions have caused measurable temperature increases over the last 30 years. Carbon dioxide is itself a benign and essential substance, incidentally. Without it, plants would not grow, and without plant-life animals could not live. Any increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causes plants, trees, and forests to grow more abundantly. It should be a treehugger's delight.
They suggest that man-made carbon dioxide has not in fact increased global temperatures. From 1940 to 1975, coal-fired plants emitted fumes with great abandon and without restraint by Greens. Yet the Earth cooled slightly in that time. They say that if man-made global warming is real, atmospheric as well as surface temperatures should have increased steadily. But they haven't. There was merely that one-time increase, possibly caused by a solar anomaly. In addition, an "urban heat island effect" has been identified. Build a tarmac runway near a weather station, and the nearby temperature readings will go up.
A common skeptic argument is that climate has changed naturally in the past, long before SUVs and coal-fired power plants, and this somehow tells us that humans can't be the main cause of the current global warming. They say we have had ice ages and warmer periods when alligators were found in Spitzbergen. Ice ages have occurred in a hundred thousand year cycle for the last 700 thousand years, and there have been previous periods that appear to have been warmer than the present despite CO2 levels being lower than they are now. More recently, we have had the medieval warm period and the little ice age.It's important to know that there are a number of different forces acting on the Earth’s climate. When the sun gets brighter, the planet receives more energy and warms. When volcanoes erupt, they emit particles into the atmosphere which reflect sunlight, and the planet cools. When there are more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the planet warms. It's worth remembering that without some greenhouse gas the Earth would be a ball of ice.
Looking at the past gives us insight into how our climate responds to such forcings. Using ice cores, for instance, we can work out past temperature changes, the level of solar activity, and the amount of greenhouse gases and volcanic dust in the atmosphere. Looking at many different periods and timescales including many thousands of years ago we've learned that when the Earth gains heat, glaciers and sea ice melt resulting in a positive feedbacks that amplify the warming. There are other positive feedbacks as well and this is why the planet has experienced such dramatic changes in temperature in the past.
In summary the past reveals our climate is sensitive to small changes in heat.
What does that mean for scientists? They say that over the past 150 years greenhouse gas levels have increased 40 percent mainly from burning of fossil fuels, which is warming the planet more than it has in thousands of years. From Earth's history, we know that positive feedbacks will amplify this additional warming.
The Earth's climate has changed in the past and ice cores and other measures tell us why. Based on this knowledge, and other types of evidence scientists try do prove us that the human emissions of greenhouse gases are warming the climate.
Another skeptics' opinion about the reason of the world getting warmer is solar activity. They say that over the past few hundred years, there has been a steady increase in the numbers of sunspots, at the time when the Earth has been getting warmer.
Scientists proved that over the last 35 years the sun has shown a slight cooling trend. However global temperatures have been increasing. Since the sun and climate are going in opposite directions scientists conclude the sun cannot be the cause of recent global warming. In their opinion the only way to blame the sun for the current rise in temperatures is by cherry picking the data. This is done by showing only past periods when sun and climate move together and ignoring the last few decades when the two are moving in opposite directions.
(Figure 1: Annual global temperature change (thin light red) with 11 year moving average of temperature (thick dark red). Temperature from NASA GISS. Annual Total Solar Irradiance (thin light blue) with 11 year moving average of TSI (thick dark blue). TSI from 1880 to 1978 from Krivova et al 2007 (data). TSI from 1979 to 2009 from PMOD (see the PMOD index page for data updates).)
The most important matter in this fight is in my opinion an issue that concerns consequences of global warming.
"Two thousand years of published human histories say that warm periods were good for people. It was the harsh, unstable Dark Ages and Little Ice Age that brought bigger storms, untimely frost, widespread famine and plagues of disease." These are words of Dennis Avery, the director of the Center for Global Food Issues, who believed that the global warming is part of a natural cycle and therefore unstoppable.
Scientists explain that global warming isn't just about things getting hotter, melting glaciers and sea ice, it’s also about shifting precipitation patterns and setting animals on the move. They predict some very dangerous impacts from increasing temperatures, e.g.:
-Sea levels are expected to rise between 7 and 23 inches (18 and 59 centimeters) by the end of the century, and continued melting at the poles could add between 4 and 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters).-Hurricanes and other storms are likely to become stronger.
-Species that depend on one another may become out of sync. For example, plants could bloom earlier than their pollinating insects become active.
-Floods and droughts will become more common. Rainfall in Ethiopia, where droughts are already common, could decline by 10 percent over the next 50 years.
-Less fresh water will be available. If the Quelccaya ice cap in Peru continues to melt at its current rate, it will be gone by 2100, leaving thousands of people who rely on it for drinking water and electricity without a source of either.
-Some diseases will spread, such as malaria carried by mosquitoes.
-Ecosystems will change—some species will move farther north or become more successful; others won’t be able to move and could become extinct. Wildlife research scientist Martyn Obbard has found that since the mid-1980s, with less ice on which to live and fish for food, polar bears have gotten considerably skinnier. Polar bear biologist Ian Stirling has found a similar pattern in Hudson Bay. He fears that if sea ice disappears, the polar bears will as well.
What is your opinion about Global Warming and its consequences? Do you agree with scientists or skeptics?
sources:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-global-warming-a-myth/
http://spectator.org/articles/55208/false-alert-global-warming
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/climate-skeptic1.htm
http://www.globalwarminghysteria.com/ten-myths-of-global-warming/
We know that global warming is the increase of Earth's average surface temperature due to greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels or from deforestation, which trap heat that would otherwise escape from Earth. I have read the interesting article lately. There was written that there is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today than at any point in the last 800,000 years. What is more in total, the U.S. emits approximately 6 billion tons of carbon dioxide every year. 40% of that comes from power plant emissions alone. Global warming puts coral reefs in danger as warmer water increases the possibility of coral diseases and the rising sea levels makes it more difficult for coral to receive adequate sunlight.
ReplyDeleteThe most important fact which is connected with global warming is raising the avarage temperature around the world. It is cause mainly by our activity.Global warming is cause by carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion, cement production, and land use changes such as deforestation. That effect has bad influence especially on nature around us. One of the most important issue is that global warming make water and air warmer,which is connected with extintion of many animals
ReplyDeleteI don't belive, that there is Glabal Warming on the world. It's easy to find a few arguments, which confirm, that it's not true. Firstly, there are many places, where temperature is still the same or even lower. Secondly, the biggest greenhouse gas is not CO2, but ordinary water vapor, which is in 97% a part of all greenhouse gases. The hesitation of temperatures is just connected with different activation of Sun. Thirdly, scientists show graphs connected with retreat of the glaciers since the eighteenth century - but they never show how much they've grown in the thirteenth and eighteenth centuries. Additionally, some glaciers are decreasing, but also some glaciers are growing - however there is no one, who wnat to speak about them. In my opinion Global Warming is a topic, which is used to cause a fear in people to they pay more money for research centers. I agree with skeptics.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion it should not be called Global Warming. I think that climate is changing due to human activities, but some parts of the globe are getting cooler. As I am not scientis and I cannot research it, it is hard to judge who is telling the truth. Undobutedly, many scientists are getting grants from politicians and companies to say what they want them to say. I am not the appropriate person to judge wheather Global Warming exists or not, because I can rely on only the things which I read in the Internet.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion global warming is understand in many ways. So it leads to troubles in meaning. I think the main problem is human activity and they cause destructions which have bad influence for climate changing. For me global warming is only something what was invented by people. Everyone noticed climate change so scientists look for what is the cause. So maybe global warming? Why not. I don't believe in this theory.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, we have too little information to decide if global warming really exists. Nevertheless, possibility of such phenomenon made people more aware of harm to the environment that their actions may do. No matter if the global warming is real, it was noticed that we need big changes in civilised world or else soon we will cause some sort of ecological disaster. Scientists are working on new sources of energy, new reforestation programs are announced - those are for sure the positives of noticing the problem.
ReplyDeleteI hope that global warming is just a temporary change of climate. I don't like high temperatures - they make me feel sick. Furthermore, when it is warm there are more creepy-crawlies which I am scared of - this is why we need frosty winters. And don't forget about poor polar bears - global warming will kill them. We should care for our planet to avoid problems in the future.
As I see it, global warming is one of the episodes in climate changes that have happened in the history of the Earth many times before and will be happen again. Hance, it isn’t necessery to legitimize it as something unique, in particular prophesy about extreme weather or natural disasters. There are definitely people from every aspect of the political spectrum where that idea and that fear is so exploited and people just respond to it in the most insane ways.
ReplyDeleteI agree with two core points: carbon is a greenhouse and we’re producing more of it. Other then that, though, I’m sticking with skeptics rather than scientific consensus. Science is the data, as well as the error. If humans cause climate change, than they should know how to prevent them, knowing the mechanism behind that change. Unfortunately that is not the case, it’s a wide range of different causes, whereas ignorance, ill will or hyper optimism on the other side don't count.
I'm in a group of people who don't trust in Global Warming, but in ordinary changes of climate. I think that even if it's true that in some parts of the Earth temperature is growing, it's all about normal way of the Earth. As someone before said here, in the history there were many examples of atmospheric phenomenos and people didn't cause it.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I'm not sure that "Global Warming" really exists. Of course on the Earth there are a lot of changes and some climatic moves, but do we really have to worry about it? I think its normal, maybe there are some area where climate has changed, but I don't think it is because of people.
ReplyDeleteWhat I really think about global warming is that, of course, it's not something that we should treat as a much-desired state, but we have to have a look at many criterions when constructing an opinion. First, let's think about the past. Global warming is the same natural thing as extinction of animals. That's a part of nature and there's nothing unusual in climate changes. Secondly, if scientists don't see anything special in global warming, why do non-specialist should? That only shows how ignorant they are.
ReplyDeleteWell, I think that global warming thing is a bull***t. There are only some theories about this and I don't believe it. I've read that it is natural thing that some years are warmer and some are colder so I have nothing to say about this. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteI believe in global warming and I agree with the scientists. We should learn to take care of our planet and stop polluting it. Perhaps we won't feel the effects but few generations after us will blame us for the state of the planet. Besides, in the twentieth century so many wonderful species extinct because people so I don't want to witness the extinction of next species.
ReplyDeleteI have problem because I don't know what exactly think about global worming because two sides tell the oposites arguments. I don't know how big is influention of CO2 on our atmosphere. Some scientifist says that It doesn't realy make a change, that in long term the climat has chaned regulary. From the other hand more and more big industries are producing a lot of carbon. dioxide. I think that the most important is to not be so radical in neithe of this sides. To be more ecological where it's possible, but not be too crazy.
ReplyDeleteI totally do not agree with idea of Global Warming caused by humans’ activity. In my opinion all this noise around it, is just a way to earn easy money. For example European Union require high payment for CO2 emission but this entire smart legislator forget that we and our industry product only 10% of worlds CO2 emission. Remaining 90% is from natural sources like volcano eruption. We are rather a witness of natural circle (in the Middle Ages we grew vine in Poland so our climate have to be warmer) than real changing. There is a lot of more important and real threats like deforestation and deficit of water. In my opinion we should concentrate on that ones.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion global warming is a super topic for politician. It is always interesting and people in the dact don't know much about that so they usually belive in what others say. For me it is quite dangerous but not so much. We should take care about earth but about Poland too. So we should use coal as much as possible.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion Global Warming exist, and consequances are e.g.: much bigger corruption in EU, CO2 limits for countries such Poland, which energetic is based on coal, so more limits=bigger taxes for entrepreneurs in industry= our country is less competitive=companies goes to other countries e.g. Germany. As prove climat on the world is getting colder than earlier(it is related with glacial and inter-glacials).
ReplyDeleteIf I observe our climate it is hard to sa that we have global warming. I hink that climate is changinge and the parts of year and seasons are different we sometimes have warm winter and sometimes we have the ost cold winter so I don't know how it depends on global warming. I think that changing of climate are normal thing that was in the past bu we don't remember it.
ReplyDeleteI think that Global Warming is really serious case, but I don't completely with scientists or skeptics. This problem is so worrisome in some places of world. For example, poles are exposed for melting ice, what lead to raise the water level. That interacts to low-lying areas. But in fact, in Poland we can't see some real cause for concern.
ReplyDeleteI think that global warming is a really serious problem and we have to do everything we can to stop it. Honestly I don't think that in Poland we as worried as we should be just because it won't influent our country as much as it would others.
ReplyDeleteI think that the scientists are right. We are to blame for the global warming and the greenhouse effect. I know that ice ages have occured already in the past, but never have the temperature rised so fast. During couple of years we observe a significant climat change. Sometimes I'm really scared about what will happen next.
ReplyDeleteThey are two opinions about global warming. First says that problem of global warming is real and people must change a lot of things to reduce this effect. Second opinion says that this is only for make money for some people and big companies. I am supporter of second opinion, because more and more we know about scientist' examinations, which say that people have a little influence of a global warming. However, we should care about our environment.
ReplyDelete