Global Warming Is Real and Happening When

¶ … Global Warming is real and happening

When it comes to the environment, one of the major topics for concern revolves around the issue of global warming. While there has been much debate on global warming, the fact of the matter stands, that numerous items if scientific research demonstrate the global warming is in fact real and happening. Those who oppose the idea that global warming is real and happening, do so often seeking refuge in the assertion that the climate of planet earth has changed continually through time, and that the climate changes that some attribute to global warming are actually just changes that are typical to the fluctuations of the earth. At this day and age, scientists have high technological tools such as satellites which orbit above the earth and which are able to show scientists snapshots of the "bigger picture" of this issue and preventing any further denial from happening.

The following pieces of evidence demonstrate that global warming is very real and truly happening: sea level rise, global temperature rise, warming oceans, shrinking ice sheets, declining Arctic sea ice, glacial retreat, extreme events, and ocean acidification (nasa.gov, 2013). Sea levels have rises 6.7 inches in the last 100 years which is double that of previous centuries; furthermore, consistent evidence persists that the earth has warmed since 1880 (nasa.gov, 2013). "Most of this warming has occurred since the 1970s, with the 20 warmest years having occurred since 1981 and with all 10 of the warmest years occurring in the past 12 years" (nasa.gov, 2013). Much of the risen temperatures have been absorbed by the oceans and their temperatures have been found to have increased by .3 degrees since 1969 (nasa.gov, 2013). Ice sheets in Greenland and Antartica have minimized in size; the Artic sea ice has also minimized significantly over time and glaciers have withdrawn all over the world (nasa.gov, 2013). Acidity in the world's oceans have increased by one -- third and the number of intense or erratic weather events have gotten tremendously worse, raising in number in the last 100 years (nasa.gov, 2013).

As one scientists illuminates, "there is scientific consensus about the basic tenets relating to global climate change. Scientists agree that human activity is influencing global temperatures. They disagree only in how quickly it is happening" (Markman, 2013). In spite of this consensus, there is still a tremendous amount of criticism and doubt about whether global warming is actually happening and very vocally expressed doubt that global warming is a phenomenon at all. These critics are engaging in what is referred to as motivated reasoning (Markman, 2013). They simply don't want to believe in climate change and global warming and so they seek out evidence which actively refutes it (Markman, 2013). Moreover, one needs to bear in mind that people who engage in pronounced skepticism of global warming often have ulterior motives to do so: "For example, those who believe strongly in unregulated free market economies would be opposed to regulations that would limit CO2 emissions, and so they might have reason to want to be skeptical of evidence for global warming" (Markman, 2013). This is indeed a motivation to bear in mind when it comes to examining the often bizarre reluctance of certain critics and dissenters of global warming.

Debate Two: Tax Cuts for the Upper Income

Too many citizens see tax cuts for the wealthy as something that would be damaging to the all around economy. However, this viewpoint is inaccurate and also misleading. Has many economists have demonstrates, tax cuts for those with a higher level of income would have almost no noticeable impact on the economy.

For instance, in regards to the fiscal cliff, economists have found that Bush-era tax cuts for the very wealthy would have a very minimal impact on the economy as well. "Letting the high-income Bush tax cuts lapse, for example, generates $42 billion in 2013 but hardly hurts GDP at all. By contrast, the defense cuts amount to $24 billion but hurts growth by 0.4% -- quadruple the high-income cuts' impact" (Matthews, 2012). This type of data may surprise many, but it showcases some truly counter-intuitive findings which, while they may be surprising, can only be used as leverage to strategically revitalize the economy at large.