Global warming: In your opinion, do you think we are being told the truth?

Not really.

When many people speak of Global Warming, they are actually talking about AGW - Anthropogenic Global Warming, which recognizes global climate changes as being human induced (man-made greenhouse gas emissions including CO2). The AGW hypothesis states that human activities are the main cause of the increase in the average measured temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans, thus increasing the intensity of extreme weather events. The same hypothesis uses forecast models based on assumptions to predict dramatic increases in average world temperatures over the next 92 years and serious harm as a result of it.

We can choose to be responsible by caring about our own finances (consuming less gas, for example), we can also choose to be responsible by caring about the environment (by recycling and promoting the use of environmentally preferable products), but it is foolish to do it in the name of "stopping global warming".

To implement public policies being proposed at international, national and state levels in the name of “stopping global warming”, governments must raise energy costs directly, with taxes, or indirectly, with mandates and subsidies. Worst of all: the results would show little or no impact on the weather, a major effect on our freedoms and our pocketbooks in the coming years!

I totally agree with Abi

What gets me on so many of the comments made so far is the huge amount of very bad information so many people seem to have on this subject. First it was hotter in the 1930s than it is now and there is no current sign it is going to get even close to previous optimums during the current interglacial. Because solar cycles can vary from 11 years to 50 years we can have huge normal climate shifts when several solar and earth cycles come together inconveniently. Point being the little ice age where there were 4 solar minimums, two of them extreme over a period of 500 years that led to a much colder than average climate through that period.

Then we have the Skandic/MWP warm cycle where for over 600 years it was a much warmer climate average noticeably higher than the two short peaks we have experienced during the current warming cycle. These two peaks lasted only about 10 years instead of the normal 50 or more! So all climates need to be evaluated not just against recent 30-year spans, but also against previous spans. For instance for the last two years here in Los Angeles they have had to go back to the 1920s to find equivalent low temperature records. In the 90s they had to go back to the 30s to find equivalent highs.

So the 30 year cycle is not a good comparison point for climate average and because of earthquakes and other geological events natural climate conditions can change radically. An example is the enhanced southwest monsoon in the spring and summer months has radically changed the general climate of southern California over the last 60 years from dry near desert to muggy sub tropical because of geologic changes in a ocean ridge extending from Baja California almost to Panama off the west coast. This ridge as it grows from earthquake activity and coral reef growth is altering some minor ocean currents altering the climate of large parts of North America!

There is currently no evidence that man has made any significant contribution to climate change.

Some interesting facts.

1. During most of the past 2,000 years, the temp has been about the same or higher. Currently, we are barely over the average for the last 2,000 years.

http://www.worldclimatereport.com/index.php/2008/0...

2. During the medieval warm period (820 – 1040 AD), Greenland supported farming. Those areas previously farmed are now covered in glaciers. Obviously the melting and reformation of glaciers is a cyclical occurrence.

3. The earth experienced a little ice age which ended around the late 1860's or so. This is about the time man started recording temperatures. This would be like measuring a lake depth after a severe drought, then worrying about it flooding as it rose to normal levels.

4. The earth has been warming for the last 18,000 years, since the last major glacier time period. During this time frame, the glaciers have been melting at a fairly consistent rate. Also, for most of the last 1 billion years, the earth had NO glaciers or ice coverage.

http://www.museum.state.il.us/exhibits/ice_ages/in...

5. The AGW theory states that CO2 is the primary driver of temperature. They arrived at this idea because they did not know of anything else which could cause it. But during the 70's and during the current decade, temperatures dropped while CO2 continued to rise. This means that natural occurrences are driving temp, not CO2.

6. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation and sun spots provides a much better correlation to earths' temperature than CO2 levels ever have.

http://wattsupwiththat.wordpress.com/2008/01/25/wa...

http://strata-sphere.com/blog/index.php/archives/5...

7. Polar Bears are experiencing a population boom. Coke sales in the arctics are through the roof. Polar Bears have been around for thousands of years, and remember, we are only at the average for the last 2,000 years. They lived through all the previously warmer climates. The original picture of 2 bears on a floating ice block was a complete scam. The photographer explained that the bears were in no danger and close to shore. The picture was lifted from a public PC by another passenger and sent around the world.

8. Many glaciers are expanding. Even Antarctica is growing on 98% of is land mass. Only 2% is melting.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1577399/Chr...

9. There is no consensus on AGW. This was a lie that has been propagated by the media.

http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/monckton_papers/...

10. Yes we emit CO2 into the atmosphere and it is a greenhouse gas, but, we only contribute about .28% of all the greenhouse effect. Water vapor makes up about 95% of the greenhouse effect. CO2 and other trace gases round out the greenhouse gases at about 5% for all of them. Of that 5%, only 3% is CO2, and most of that is natural. Again, our contribution to the greenhouse effect is a paltry .28%

http://www.geocraft.com/WVFossils/greenhouse_data....

11. The spread of disease is not attributed mainly to temperature. If this were the case, Florida would be a giant festering disease ridden cesspool. Economic standing is the primary determining factor in the spread of disease. Poor cultures can not fight the disease or eradicate the pests like more successful nations.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120778860618203531...

12. Natural climate disasters (hurricanes, cyclones, etc) have never been scientifically linked to global warming (whether natural or man made).

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2008/02...

http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=ae9b984d...

I believe Global warming is caused by both Man and the earth naturally doing it itself. We have proof of both theories, extreme climate change like the ice age could be classed as proof that the earths climate can randomly change. Also thought proof that man is making global warming is when the industrial revolution was brought in the amount of CO2 increased in the air. Also man created the whole in the Ozone layer with Chlorofluorocarbons, the whole was letting more and more heat in adding to global warming, deforestation also adds to global warming due to photosynthesis. Therefor i believe that it is both Man and Nature.

Abby

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I believe global warming is real and natural. I do not believe humans are the cause. If you look back through history it is evident that what we are experiencing now in terms of weather changes is cyclical and normal. However, global warming is a lucrative business and many scientists put the "global warming" spin on their research in order to gain more grant money in a timely manner. But I do think it is a good idea for humans to be conscious about the way we treat the environment so I let the big wigs use their farce of "global warming" to promote positive change.

Its a lie a hoax and a farce. Global Warming arose about 20 years ago when some environmentlists seized on some data provided by the National Weather Service. This data showed a slight rise in temperatures near urban centers. Problem was the data recorders were once located well outside city limits in the intervening years the cities slowly surrounded the recorders making the data seriously flawed. When this was pointed out to our friendly little eco warriors it was ignored.------------------Theres more the earth is not in circular orbit around the sun its an oval elllipitical orbit. Sometimes the Earth is closer to the Sun than normal and therefore temperatures naturally rise we are now entering a period of global cooling. If anything will be a threat it will be the threat of a glacier in your back yard.

There's not a shred of truth to any of this global warming scam. Absolutely nothing can be said, in honesty, that would show it to be real.

Junk science, from junk scientists looking for funding and led by a leftist politician who doesn't know a thermometer from a polar bears butt.

Global warming is natural, as is the global cooling that will follow. It's just the earths natural cycle orchestrated by the good old sun. As for Co2, the only incontrovertible evidence is the ice cores, and they clearly show high Co2 levels to be a consequence of global warming, and not a cause of.

It's all political!

the truth about global warming is that man has little to do with it. global climate change is natural and has been going on since this planet was formed 4.5 billion years ago. there are many factors that affect climate change, solar activity, water vapor in the atmosphere, the activity of the ocean conveyor system, etc.

man can affect local temperatures for a short period of time, but at some point mother nature will slap us down for our arrogance. man made global warming is about money and power. al gore wants you to buy carbon credits from him so he can increase his power. if man made global warming were a true reality, then al gore would be forced to give up his private jet, and substantially reduce the amount of electricity he uses at his home in tennessee.

We have been told the truth about Global Waming. But I think it's worse than what has been stated. Certainly warming comes in cycles and there have been cycles of warmth and cold in the past. However, CO2 levels will cause the warmth cycle to be much worse than in the past.

The reason that I believe it will be much worse than predicted is that Artic melting last year reached a level that had been projected for 40 years in the future. The results thus far are more severe than projected in any of the scientific models.

Even Bush has acknowledged Global Warming but stated that the economic cost to prevent it is cost prohibitive. I would certainly be interested in seeing a cost benefit analysis, because I think the cost of having our shorelines underwater and the other costs associated with warming will be huge...certainly much more than the cost of prevention and addressing the problem.

There are some folks who disagree with Global Warming and say it is a scam...usually attributed to Al Gore or government entities. However, if you look hard enough, you will also find people who claim the earth is flat and that we never really landed on the moon. The vast majority of scientist support the theory of Global Warming and we would do well to consider the threat to our future.

The Global Warming deniers remind me a lot of the tobacco company executives (and their supporters) who denied for years, even under oath, that tobacco use contributes to cancer and other diseases. The oil companies and their minions have economic self interest at heart in sewing doubt about global warming. The risks to our future are considerable and fortunately the majority of people have not bought into the denials.