Are human beings responsible for Global Warming. Assuming that this phenomina exists.?
920100
One of the most hotly debated topics on Earth is the issue of climate change, and the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) data centers are central to answering some of the most pressing global change questions that remain unresolved. The National Climatic Data Center contains the instrumental records that can precisely define the nature of climatic fluctuations at time scales of a up to a century. Among the diverse kinds of data platforms whose data contribute to NCDC's armamentarium are: Ships, buoys, weather stations, balloons, satellites, and aircraft. The National Oceanographic Data Center contains the subsurface data which reveal the ways that heat is distributed and redistributed over the planet. Knowing how these systems are changing and how they have changed in the past is crucial to understanding how they will change in the future. And, for climate information that extends from hundreds to thousands of years, the paleoclimatology program, also at the National Climatic Data Center, helps to provide longer term perspectives.\n\nThe greenhouse effect is unquestionably real and helps to regulate the temperature of our planet. It is essential for life on Earth and is one of Earth's natural processes. It is the result of heat absorption by certain gases in the atmosphere (called greenhouse gases because they effectively 'trap' heat in the lower atmosphere) and re-radiation downward of some of that heat. Water vapor is the most abundant greenhouse gas, followed by carbon dioxide and other trace gases. Without a natural greenhouse effect, the temperature of the Earth would be about zero degrees F (-18°C) instead of its present 57°F (14°C). So, the concern is not with the fact that we have a greenhouse effect, but whether human activities are leading to an enhancement of the greenhouse effect. \nHuman activity has been increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (mostly carbon dioxide from combustion of coal, oil, and gas; plus a few other trace gases). There is no scientific debate on this point. Pre-industrial levels of carbon dioxide (prior to the start of the Industrial Revolution) were about 280 parts per million by volume (ppmv), and current levels are about 370 ppmv. The concentration of CO2 in our atmosphere today, has not been exceeded in the last 420,000 years, and likely not in the last 20 million years. According to the IPCC Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES), by the end of the 21st century, we could expect to see carbon dioxide concentrations of anywhere from 490 to 1260 ppm (75-350% above the pre-industrial concentration).\n\nYes. Global surface temperatures have increased about 0.6°C (plus or minus 0.2°C) since the late-19th century, and about 0.4°F (0.2 to 0.3°C) over the past 25 years (the period with the most credible data). The warming has not been globally uniform. Some areas (including parts of the southeastern U.S.) have, in fact, cooled over the last century. The recent warmth has been greatest over North America and Eurasia between 40 and 70°N. Warming, assisted by the record El Niño of 1997-1998, has continued right up to the present, with 2001 being the second warmest year on record after 1998.\nLinear trends can vary greatly depending on the period over which they are computed. Temperature trends in the lower troposphere (between about 2,500 and 26,000 ft.) from 1979 to the present, the period for which Satellite Microwave Sounding Unit data exist, are small and may be unrepresentative of longer term trends and trends closer to the surface. Furthermore, there are small unresolved differences between radiosonde and satellite observations of tropospheric temperatures, though both data sources show slight warming trends. If one calculates trends beginning with the commencement of radiosonde data in the 1950s, there is a slight greater warming in the record due to increases in the 1970s. There are statistical an
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.
514782
Anthropogenic impact means human impact. Even without human interference, the earth goes through natural warming and cooling cycles. Most recently there was an ice age (with glaciers that melted to form the great lakes), and that's why the earth is warming now. "Global warming," though significantly sped up by humans, is a natural process that's been happening since life first began on this planet.
1111576
The Earth is a balanced system. Changes within certain parameters may sway the system this way or that, but won't throw it out of balance completely. \nSo yes, the Earth can compensate for changes caused by global warming, but only to a certain extent.
544753
it's really interesting.. the 12% answer is correct as a close approximation.\nThe interesting thing to note is that we are supposed to be causing globabl warming. This figure puts makind really into a good global perspective.\nThe next thing to do is see how much smoke and gas volcanos and thermal springs pump into the world every year. \nThen add in all the gases caused by animal excrement (include human in the numbers), and all the plantlife on the planet (including photosynthesising plants and animals in the oceans) and you start to build a very good picture that mankind is not causing global warmnig.
842533
No.\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
49797
There is a lot of conflicting science in this area.  I do not believe it is the fault of people, and our day to day lives.  I believe it has more to do with the natural cycles that nature goes through.  I also believe that it has more to do with what the sun is doing, than what we are doing.  I just read an article that said Mars is also experiencing global warming.  Which lends to the theory that it has to do with the sun, and the cycles that it is going through.\nI love it when I hear the reason that we are having such a bad winter is because of global warming...lol.
803494
Yes.  Global Warming is occuring.  It will just keep getting worse if we don't take measures to try and prevent things from getting worse.
54428
Global warming is a plot devised by scientists of the world to dominate the planet !!!\n\nYou see if we accept this theory as fact from then on scientists will be able to control everything that we do based on the complex interactions, almost unfathomably complex, between consumption and global warming effects -- thus, scientists will be allow to make educated guesses if they like, which will almost always certainly result in politically correct and repressive conclusions that forward the goals of this neo-imperialism.\n\n\nThe bottom line for this question is that the LONGEST historical charts showing the temperatures on Earth show that we are currently quite COLD !!!  In fact we are currently tied for the coldest period ever on the long term charts, the entire period if life on Earth. Thus, odds are very good that temperatures will raise no matter what we do so over the very long term scientists will be found to be correct that the Earth is indeed warming up. And I am sure they will continue to blame the heating on human activity and they will continue to try to use this to gain control over the free peoples of the world. Although since this trend that shows the Earth being currently quite cold is a very long term trend, in the million of years, so this is a long term gamble for the scientists a lot can happen between now and when the longer term trend is likely to kick in.\n\nBut the idea that this heating is unnatural or some how damaging to the Earth is silly because the long term charts show that the Earth is usually much warmer, during the last 542 million years, the entire period of time that life has existed on Earth.\n\nEvery classroom and library show have a large poster on the wall to show the temperature record of the Phanerozoic period, the last 542 million years, to remind people of the absurd conclusions science can reach from time to time.\n\nIsn't it interesting that 542 million years shows that we are currently tied for the coldest temps EVER !!!\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Phanerozoic_Climate_Change.png\n\n"The Phanerozoic (occasionally Phaenerozoic) Eon is the period of geologic time during which abundant animal life has existed. It covers roughly 545 million years and goes back to the time when diverse hard-shelled animals first appeared. The Phanerozoic eon is still ongoing." \nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phanerozoic\n\nIf you look at the chart of Holocene temperature variation we are not hotter, on the average we are cooler -- notice the long term cooling trend or downward slope of the chart.\nHolocene Temperature Variations ...\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Holocene_Temperature_Variations.png\n\nFrom this chart it looks like we are currently on the top of an upward swing that started with the mini-ice-age in the 1600s and that we are currently topping out.\n\nThis is probably why scientist are currently predicting in the future, both, much HOTTER weather, and a new ice-age, it is because it is time for a new long term downward trend -- well, that is on the short term chart showing the thousands of years, yes in terms of millions of years we are still currently VERY cold !\n\nAnd 5 million years of temps changes shows we are cooler, but fluctuating ...\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Five_Myr_Climate_Change.png\n\nAnd 65 million years of temps changes shows we are\ncooler, but fluctuating ...\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:65_Myr_Climate_Change.png\n\nIsn't it interesting that 542 million years shows that\nwe are currently tied for the coldest EVER !!!\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Phanerozoic_Climate_Change.png\n\nSo I think the scientists that know about this LONG term temperature change believe we will get hotter no matter what, so they can't loose even if the current theories of Global Warming turn out to be BULL of planetary proportions !!!\n\nThe ice-age temps shows our current temps to be fairly typical, notice the other peaks were HIGHER and sh
949336
Global Warming is a natural phenomenon. The earth's temperature has gone through warming and cooling cycles naturally throughout history. The ice age was not caused by prehistoric humans and neither was the global warming that melted it. So basically, there is nothing we can do but adapt to it.
920692
Unfortunately, all sites I've managed to find that supposedly refute anthropogenic global warming contain scientific research that have not been peer revied by the scientific community.\n\nIn other words, they "could" be correct but the fact that they haven't been subjected to a review by their peers (or have been rjected by their peers) means that they don't have much in the way of legitimacy.\n\nOn the other hand, there have been many scientific research projects that have been subjected to peer review that support the theory of anthropgenic global warming. You can find these pretty quickly doing a google search.\n\nI am a supporter of human influenced global warming, as I've seen the data and it's pretty solid. But it would be quite interesting to see a counter-study that has been through peer-review. Such a study could be quite enlightening and give us a better idea of what the environment is actually doing.\n\nIt should be telling though that none have been found, or if they have been they have not withstood an extensive scientific review.\n\nHowever, if you don't need scientific work that has ben rigorously reviewed, there are scientists and sites online you can find. Do a google search on "global warming myth" or something similar and you'll get a few hits.\n\n~X~
822595
Everything on Earth affects the climate, including its human inhabitants. Just by breathing we add carbon dioxide to the air, which in turn affects climate patterns. And, of course, humans create machines that add pollutants to the atmosphere and we disrupt the climate every time we drain a swamp or otherwise make nature do something different.\n\nHowever, the Earth's climate has undergone many dramatic changes over its four-billion-year lifespan, and none of them had anything to do with humans. So, while humans are a part of the process, climate change is itself a natural occurrence.
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.
1166372
Aren't the developed countries ultimately responsible?  With our greedy consumption and our obsession with ME.  Global Warming?  The people who live in harmony with Mother Earth are not responsible; those that create the problem have a moral duty to respond.
1150778
It's not exactly a moral issue.  I don't think God's punishing us for our sins or something.  If the scientists are correct, and we assume that global warming is occurring, *and* it is due to pollution, etc., then I think it's our duty to protect the environment to help decrease the amount of toxins we constantly spew into the air and water.
1095625
There very well could be.  The earth has had many temperature cycles.  The crowd that is currently talking about global warming was touting the theory that we were headed into the next ice age  thirty years ago.
457897
No.  If the planet were on a cooling trend, and stayed that way for a while, it might be heading towards a periodic Ice Age, as it has done in the past.  We would consume a lot more of outr limited energy resources just to keep ourselves warm.  Also, don't worry so much about Global Warming.  As I said before, nature goes through these cycles of warming and cooling.  Yes. humans have an impact, but it is small.