Hot, Well, Everywhere: The Reality

¶ … Hot, Well, Everywhere: The Reality of Global Warming Global warming is almost as close to a scientific fact as it is possible to have. The scientific community overwhelmingly supports the two scientific conclusions that form the backbone of global warming theories: 1) the earth is getting warmer more rapidly than it has in prior known periods of warming and 2) human behavior has contributed and is continuing to contribute to this acceleration in warming.

Despite the evidence and the strong support that the theory finds in various parts of the scientific community, there is real resistance to the idea of global warming. Not only do people refuse to accept the idea that human activity is causing an impact on the Earth, but many even go so far as to suggest that the world is not getting warmer.

Some people may acknowledge that global warming is occurring and that human activity is driving this change, but then suggest that global warming is not a bad thing. This paper examines the arguments for and against global warming and comes to the conclusion that global warming is a scientific fact, that human activity is contributing to global warming, and that climate change is already having and will continue to have a negative impact on humans.

In order to demonstrate that climate change is occurring, first it is important to show that there has, in fact, been climate change. The reality is that, on the whole, Earth is getting warmer. "Earth's average temperature has risen by 1.4°F over the past century, and is projected to rise another 2 to 11.5°F over the next hundred years. Small changes in the average temperature of the planet can translate to large and potentially dangerous shifts in climate and weather" (EPA).

However, demonstrating that the Earth is getting warmer is not enough to demonstrate climate change; there have been several well-documented warming and cooling periods since man has begun writing history. Furthermore, by examining things like tree rings and coral reefs, scientists are able to reconstruct historical temperatures and these reconstructions show variations in global temperatures. Because of these changes, skeptics of climate change suggest that global warming is simply an alarmist theory and that these temperature fluctuations are within the range of what has been experienced historically.

However, those arguments are not supported by the scientific evidence. The original "hockey stick" research demonstrated a sharp upturn in temperatures beginning in the 20th century, which was historically unprecedented and that global temperatures over the last few decades are the warmest in over 1000 years (Cook, "Hockey Stick").

Moreover, though there have been some valid criticism of the original research, independent researchers have verified the results; not only is the Earth warmer than it has been in over 1,000 years, it is warming at a rate that is much faster than in prior periods of warmth. Even those who acknowledge that the Earth's climate is changing may be reluctant to acknowledge that humans are changing the climate. The sharp increase in global temperatures in the 20th century was accompanied by a major shift in human activities.

"Over the past century, human activities have released large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The majority of greenhouse gases come from burning fossil fuels to produce energy, although deforestation, industrial processes, and some agricultural practices also emit gases into the atmosphere" (EPA). These greenhouse gases play a critical role in global warming; they trap energy in the atmosphere, acting like a blanket around the Earth.

From what is known about Earth's atmosphere at prior points in history, when these greenhouse gases were more abundant in the atmosphere from natural sources, there is no real argument that greenhouse gases do not trap heat. Moreover, science can prove that human activities produce those same greenhouse gases. However, the argument that climate change deniers make is that human activities are contributing only a nominal amount of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, and, therefore, that human activity cannot be causing climate change.

In fact, "that humans are causing global warming is the position of the Academies of Science from 19 countries plus many scientific organizations that study climate science. More specifically, around 95% of active climate researchers actively publishing climate papers endorse the consensus position" (Cook, "Scientific Consensus"). Finally, some people suggest that climate change may be occurring and that humans may be contributing to global warming, but suggest that climate change will not have a negative impact on human beings. However, these people are ignoring the basic relationship between human beings and climate.

"Human societies have adapted to the relatively stable climate we have enjoyed since the last ice age which ended several thousand years ago" (EPA). It is not a stretch to link human civilization to things like agriculture, which has depended upon climate stability. In addition, climate change is linked to several things that will negatively.