If global warming is real, what is the temperature of the earth supposed to be normally?

There is no normal temperature, as the earth goes through cycles of warming/cooling.

However we are significantly above what would be expected for the current part of the earth cycle that we are in.

As for bravozulus ludicrous comment about the sea being able to absorb any CO2 increase in the air, it is already absorbing extra CO2, is acidifying, and killing marine life. But that's obviously a minor detail, and insignificant, when used to try to discredit AGW - Who cares if all the fish die, we can just breed more cattle - oops we don't have room for that do we.

The problem with global warming is not that we will reach a temperature that will destroy all life on this planet. There is, as you note, no "normal" temperature.

But the fact of the matter is, this is the temperature in which modern human civilization has evolved. It is the temperature in which we have laid our farmland, built our cities and defined our coastlines. Any change, up or down, would mean extremely expensive measures to mitigate and adapt to this change. The costs of such adaptations would be far higher than reducing emissions now by switching to another energy source--which, since fossil fuels are a finite resource, will need to be done in the next 100 or so years anyway.

And by the way, here is a link to a report that outlines 125 errors in the report that bravozulo referred you to:

http://altenergyaction.org/Monckton.html

Hi thud.fan,

The global warming is a fact. Recently a formidable Iceberg broken from "Antartida" and is a danger for the maritime transport. The level of sea water is increasing constantly. A respectful "vidente" man from Brazil told to the press two years ago that NZ and many Pacific Island and other countries close to Pacific Ocean will disappear around 2037 covered by water as result of global warming. I prefer not believe in this prediction because it is not a product of scientific study. But the effects of global warming is absolutely real. The normally temperature of the earth is normally less than the actual situation in all the earth. I don't know the exact number, but this is a fact not to difficult to know correctly with the specialist scientists in this area. I think is important that all the world citizens do an effort to create conscience in their leaders, to support all the necessary actions to stop the "attack" to the

atmosphere with pollution, etc.

We can support also, with important question like yours that permit to develop a dialog regarding this important subject.

Regards,

rony19.

Any climate scientist will tell you the Earth has no average best temperature it has been much cooler and much warmer in the past. Depending on a number of variables like orbit, solar output, and atmospheric greenhouse gases. We know the output of the Sun for the last thirty years, it is not responsible for the temperature rise over that period.

Learn some science before you make political remarks.

Consider this: the Moon and and the earth are both the same distance from the sun and get the same heat and light.

Yet on the moon the temperature varies from far below zero to above the boiling of water depending on if the surface is in sun or shadow.

Ever wonder why?

Mars is farther from the sun but very very cold. More than you would expect from its distance.

Venus is so hot lead on the surface melts. True it is closer to the sun, but not that much closer.

The temperature is set by the balance of heat and light in, and heat and light out.

Guess what sets that balance. The Atmosphere and the kinds of gases in it.

Global warming can cause rise in sea water dramatically.

It can have wide ranging effects on rainfall patterns, agriculture, birds, animals, plants.

The temperature may rise by more than 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, a level considered dangerous.

The rise in temperature by even as little as 0.5 degrees celsius can have dramatic dangerous changes.

The Gangotri glacier in the Himalayas has started melting due to global warming.

Global warming causes droughts, storms, floods.

Droughts, storms, floods cause food lackage and malnutrition. Thus, we can see the dramatic impacts of global warming.

According to the computer models, about a half degree C lower than whatever the current global average is. That kind of catastrophic warming sure makes me lose sleep at night. At that rate if they doubled the CO2 it would raise temperatures about 1.5 degrees and 3 degrees if they quadrupled it. Considering the ocean contains 50 times as much CO2 and is in equilibrium with the air, the ocean would absorb it faster if the concentration in the air increases. That makes even doubling it not such a certainty. The past interglacials have had reported CO2 levels of 1000 ppm so a significant warming of the ocean might increase the CO2 concentration..

http://brneurosci.org/co2.html

I suppose I should add that since global warming predicted in the models doesn't agree with observed data, even that observed warming is questionable as greenhouse warming .

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

It depends where you take the temperature, the time of day time of year, and prevailing weather conditions at that time. But, on average, the earth's temp is getting hotter.It may be from extra solar activity as well as co2 concentration as the martian ice caps are melting too.

It is real but will it continue warming ,or at a certain time in the future it began to cool. This is due to poor accuracies to predict the future climate.

the temperature of Earth naturally fluctuates, Earth has been a ball of liquid lava and also a ball of ice... during the majority of the ages of dinosaurs the Earth was much warmer than it is today