Do you think the huricanes that struck the USA last year are a result of global warming?
103387
There is no way we can prove that they weren't, but there is absolutely no evidence that they were.\n\nThis is what is called an "Argument from Ignorance", and it is completely logically invalid. We could apply the same argument to show that the huricanes that struck the USA last year were caused by dragons or leprechauns.\n\nAlthough there is no evidence to suggest that leprechauns or dragons did cause the hurricanes there is no way that we can prove that they did not.\n\nWhat science does in these cases is apply Occam's razor. We can invoke the idea the global wamring of less than 1oC has increased the incidence of hurricanes, or we can go with the far simpler idea that it is simply random variation. Science demands that we go with random variation until we have some evidence to the contrary.\n\nBy applying Occam's razor we also get to rule out dragons, leprechaun's, pixies and the wrath of God as explanations. It is by the rigorous applictaions of these logical principles that science has allowed us to learn so much about the world. We can't just discard them when we want to see evidence of the effecst of global warming.
373595
no. if people think hurricanes are because of global warming, what about the unnamed hurricane that racked new england in 1923?\nor Camille in 1969?\nthe word itself came from an old incan word for the god of war. so apparently they've been around for hundreds of years. they are not avoidable, unless you avoid the state they hit.
782745
"Are we destroying the earth with technology or is the earth doing business as usual"\nI suggest you track the changes scientists have found in the entire history of the earth, warming, freezing, wet and even effects of smoke from Krakatoa. Then compare what is happening now with pollution and the depletion of the ozone layer and ask the readers to make their own conclusion.
539325
In our current case; Yes they are at least somewhat related. They are not by definition, however, related. Global Warming can occur due to a wide range of factors as the Oil companies are so fond of pointing out. They are right to say that Global warming can occur without a change in the Greenhouse gases. It can occur due to fluctuations in the ocean currents, it can occur as a result of an increased solar output from the Sun, or a host of other causes.  In our case when all of the science is reviewed it overwhelmingly supports the model of Global warming being caused directly from mans effect on the levels of Greenhouse Gases. All other natural variations are minor compared to mans influence on Global Warming.\n\nThe science behind Greenhouse Gases; \n\nGreenhouse gases are rather transparent to visible light, but they absorb and scatter IR Light, which is the frequency range of Earths blackbody heat radiation. The Sun shines down through the atmosphere and heats the Earth. The Earth at the same time is always radiating IR blackbody radiation back into space creating a heat balance. Some of the IR light, however, is absorbed and scattered by the organic greenhouse gases. Therefore, some of the heat that would have escaped into space doesn't. This continuous action over a long period of time very gradually adds up until a different new and hotter heat balance is achieved. \n\nSource(s):\n\nHere are some additional websites; \n\nhttp://www.pewclimate.org/global-warming...\n\nhttp://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/sci
1121149
Many scientists believe that we are actually heading toward a global ice-age as opposed to a global warming.  \n\nAlthough a work of FICTION Michael Crichton's "State of Fear" provides evidence to support this.\n\nI suggest reading it (it's FIRST AND FOREMOST a good FICTION book, but is supported by genuine theories and statistics that ARE IN FACT from "Science" and "Nature" magazines, the worlds fore-most scientific mags)\n\nTo be honest I don't think we're experiencing anything unnatural about our environment right now.
881026
Actually, global warming would lead to stronger storms which make larger hail. I think this idea you have said about hail decreasing in size over time is wrong because it doesn't make much sense.
702213
honestly global warming is a big f'n lie. If anyone knew anything about meterological weather history, they would know this "overall world warm up" happens all the time, along with the "overall world cool down" if you knew anything about science in that area, you probably wouldnt be a crazy liberal. PS, driving a enviornlementaly friendly car isnt going to do squat.
843194
No, temperatures are going up due to Global Warming.\n\nCO2 is 30% higher than it has been for 650,000 years. Methane is 130% greater. These are two of the main pollutants humans put into the atmosphere in excess, and they are two of the primary greenhouse gases.\n\nLook at the 'hockeystick', which shows a dramatic warming since 1950 after a fairly stable climate for 1000 years. In fact, the 10 hottest years in recorded history have all happened since 1990, with 2005 being the hottest, and 2006 is shaping up to maybe break that record.\n(see links below)\n\nHow's that for proof of man's fault in this? There is ample proof, any real scientist will tell you that.\n\nThere has NEVER been an article doubting man's influence on global warming published in a peer-reviewed journal. A recent study of almost 1000 proved that.\n\nYes, the earth naturally heats and cools, but the rate and amount we are warming now is unprecedented in the recent geologic past. We are doing this, and we must stop it. This is not some political statement or rhetoric. This is science trying to educate a crass, ignorant public of the damage they are doing. The magnitude of temperature increase ALREADY is about 10x that of the 'little ice age' of the middle ages, and rate and amount are only going up. \n\nJust to be clear, glacial and interglacial cycles are mainly controlled by astronomical fluctuations, but we have a detailed record of the last 7 cycles, and what the climate and CO2 is doing now is way different and extreme. The rate of increase is much higher than in the past AND the value itself is much higher.\n\nHI CO2: \nhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4467420.stm\nHOCKEY STICK: \nhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5109188.stm\nGeneral climate stuff: \nhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3897061.stm
35095
Probably not. In my humble opinion, humans ultimately play a very insignificant role in the processes that shape this planet, when viewed from a geologic time-scale. After all, more than 90% of all species on this planet were extinct long before hominids evolved. The planet has experienced global warming much more extreme than the present warming trend, and forces such as plate tectonics and isostatic rebound are contributing to problems like the subsidence of the Louisiana coastline probably more so than man's changes in the drainage of the Mississippi River. There is evidence that the modern coastal subsidence of the US Gulf Coast is related to isostatic rebound from the glaciers melting in North America over 10,000 years ago. That is how slow many of these processes work. The climate of this planet has never been static, nor has the shape of the continents. Natural events like climate-changing volcanic eruptions, earthquakes (which build mountains that ultimately change weather patterns), catastrophic tsunamis, meteorite impacts, erosion, catastrophic floods, landslides, glaciation, all have much more impact on a geologic scale than man has done. Even catastrophic oil-spills occurred as a result of natural processes long before man built a supertanker. This planet might not even be habitable by humans if not for the warming effect of radioactive decay within the earth, and over geologic time, that will gradually decline. Light and heat from the sun is something we have no control over that will certainly change over time. Of course, none of this excuses man for damaging the planet with deforestation, greenhouse gases, habitat destruction, etc., but we all need to recognize that even our best efforts may not affect the long-term changes that are taking place around us almost unseen due to the slow progress of these changes. We are going to have to work at not becoming just another part of the fossil record and our ability to adapt to climate change is probably the only thing that will allow the human race to survive long-term. This is just the opinion of this geologist.
130620
here in san antonio we have had like one or two cold days this whole year.i know that in san antonio we have pretty warm weather anyway but when i was younger we used to have a ton of ice storms and at least one snow storm a year but now the temp rarely climb out of the 60s in the winter.right now the high is in the upper 70s and its feb.come on people lets get with it.global warming is not a theory it is observable fact
368747
yeah I heard all the crap about the new ice age what a crock same thing about human activity causing global warming bunch of nonsense read the astronomy reports the sun is burning a little hotter it does this ever so often like during the middle ages and think about it haven't we been coming out of an ice age for the past ten thousand or so years does this not mean it has been getting warmer
392109
yes.  Hurricanes redistribute the heat of the planet.  The planet is trying to rebalance itself.
145826
It really sucks.  I just watched a report on 60 Minutes about this subject and we are in deep trouble.  They showed a picture of the arctic in 1979 and one just taken six months ago.  It is unbelievable how much ice has melted in just 26 years.  The most noted authority on this catastrophe said that even if we were to stop putting greenhouse gases into our atmosphere, it wouldn't change the fact that our global temperature will still rise.  It probably wouldn't rise quite as fast, but it will still happen because of all the gases we have already emitted.  We can only sove this problem collectively as a human race and not separately as nations.
1103551
Here is the problem with global warming.\n1.  We do not know that it is occurring.\n2.  Even if it is occurring, we do not know if the sun is to blame, like with the melting of Martian polar caps, or if it is planet caused.\n3.  Even if it is planet caused, we do not know if it is nature, like when Krakatoa and Helens blew, or man caused.\n4.  Even if it is man caused, we do not know if the overall effects of an increased growing season and farmland increase is a bad thing.\n5.  Even if it is bad, we do not know if we can reverse it.\n6.  Even if we can reverse it, we do not know if it is more economically efficient to adapt or to try to reverse it.\n\nBut think instead of wack a mole at chucky cheese you could play club a seal in alaska.  Could be fun.
984253
I'm very skeptical of global warming. When I was a kid back in the seventies the conventional wisdom was there would be a new ice age sometime around the year 2000. It was even a front page story in Time magazine. Fool me once...
814186
the yes or no ones and the easy ones...\nglobal warming is causing glaciers to melt which sucks..
1050462
Well, the weather changes very quickly, however global warming has been happening for a while. It is in the past while predicting the weather is in the future. There is data that shows a warming trend on Earth. So, you can trust it, at least as fact that is IS happening. Most people agree on that. However nobody is sure whether or not this heating is natural or caused by humans.