Added to that the rapid rise in the use of fossil fuels; first wood in the 18th century in response to an increasing population, then coal burning starting in the early 19th century, and the rapid rise in the use of oil starting in the late 19th century has increased the CO2 index from 286ppm prior to the Industrial Revolution..1820-1830...to close to 400ppm today and rising at the rate of 15ppm per decade...at least. This increase in heat trapping CO2 and methane gas has never happened over such a short period of time and that accumulation of greenhouse gases has negated any possible 'cooling trend'.
While the atmosphere itself hasn't warmed more than a degree or two is 'true', most of the additional retained atmospheric heat has gone to melt ice and warm seawater. Even at that even an extra degree of atmospheric heat leads to billions more tons of heat trapping water vapor....adding to a feedback loop that at 450ppm of CO2 leaves us ot the border of a run-a-way greenhouse effect. In nature this doesn't happen....it just doesn't. Short answer: Human actions are the cause.....the data, the science and the physics of heat and atmosphere confirm that.
Global warming is a naturally occurring process. It heats our planet (and Venus as an extreme case) to higher levels than what solar radiation would account for. This process is very well understood.
Humans are amplifying that natural process with the burning of fossil fuels. We are very quickly creating a surplus of atmospheric CO2, more than what the natural processes or "sinks" can accommodate (and even overworking those natural absorption routes create other planetary problems). That CO2 surplus is creating warmer overall temperatures and adversely affecting the climate, and that trend will continue for hundreds of years due to the longer time frame of atmospheric CO2 depletion.
When most people talk about global warming, they mean the human caused variety, although it is also a completely natural process of planetary science.
Global warming is a natural process that has some help from humans. If it were not for fossil fuels we would be in a brief cooling period where the temperature might be compatable to the 1700s during the little ice age. Global arming saved us from this but there is a real danger if we continue to double, triple or quadrouple our co2 input life would become hard to live in. I highly doubt humans would be able to cope with 0.2% co2 levels without some help with science modifications to the human body to speed up the evolutionary process by changing our DNA to tolerate hotter conditions. Yes this technology is possible.
No it is natural cycles, mainly solar cycles and planetary orbits.
The last big rise in temperatures that set off the global warming scare is due to recent increases in solar activity (even though AGW scientist say the increase in heat is only 0.1%, what about UV and magnetic fluctuations) however the solar cycles are now entering a very quiet stage, so we can expect cooling for the next few decades.
But don't write off CO2 it does have a warming effect, but how much is not known (in my opinion very small) and whether it is bad or beneficial also unknown.
If you do a little reasearch into the earths history you'll find that we've had several ice ages with warm periods in between. The earth has been going through cycles like this from the very begining. Why in the world would people believe that it wouldn't continue? If you actually compare our present cycle to others you'll also see that it's running on about the same time frame as they were & SHOULD be on a warming trend.
Humans might have a slight affect but we can't be responsable for a cycle that's been going on long before man ever existed.
Natural, and I am not alone.
Quote by John Takeuchi, meteorologist: “The atmosphere has periodic warming and cooling cycles. The sun is the primary source of energy impacting the earth's surface. That energy heats the land and the seas, which then warm the air above them. Water vapor and other gases in the atmosphere also affect temperature....Oceans are the main repository for CO2. They release CO2 as their temperature rises - just like your beer. This strongly suggests that warming oceans - heated by the sun - are a major contributor to CO2 in the atmosphere.”
Quote by Will Harper, Princeton University physicist, former Director of Energy Research at the Department of Energy: “I had the privilege of being fired by Al Gore, since I refused to go along with his alarmism....I have spent a long research career studying physics that is closely related to the greenhouse effect....Fears about man-made global warming are unwarranted and are not based on good science. The earth's climate is changing now, as it always has. There is no evidence that the changes differ in any qualitative way from those of the past.”
Perfectly natural. The Earth was a lot warmer than this about 2000 years ago.
People in favour of the Global warming hype use a small slice of history to back up their theory.
Science is looking at the data and drawing your conclusions from the finding, not creating a theory and dismissing any evidence that contradicts it
Both. There are components that occur naturally and components from humans. See the latest report from real scientists below:
