Originally posted by: hellod9
Originally posted by: JS80
Originally posted by: hellod9
Originally posted by: Cuda1447
Its to easy to fool me with trickery if I only hear one side of the argument.
What argument?
There are facts. A lot of facts. Facts gained from careful scientific observation. As far as I know, the facts support the theory that an increase in global temperature is happening, and is happening because the CO2 levels in the atmosphere have increased.
OK, so there are facts, and then there are interpretations of facts.
Fact: The global temperature has increased.
Fact: The polar ice caps melted more this year than in recent recorded history.
Fact: The greenhouse effect is real. Greenhouse gases trap heat.
Fact: C02 is a greenhouse gas. THe amount of C02 in our atmosphere has increased at the same time that the global temperature has increased.
Interpretation: Something funny is going on. C02 is causing it.
Possible question: Can C02 really have that much effect on the atmosphere? How do we know?
Answer: Actually, this is pretty cool. In college, my geology teacher spent his summers taking ice cores from glaciers. These were huge. And what was cool is that these ice cores had 'trapped' the atmosphere from thousands of years ago. They recorded the atmosphere kind of like the way a tree's rings record the weather. Not only that, from these ice cores they could discern the temperature, and the C02 levels of the time periods they were look at.
Guess what? C02 levels were very strongly correlated with the temperature. C02 rises, temperature rises. Makes sense if you think about the Carbon Cycle.
If you want to ask a really interesting question, as about how the effects of global warming will actually make it colder in some places.
There is an answer.
Fact: The global temperature has increased.
Full Fact: Global temperature has increased and decreased significantly before modern man.
Fact: The polar ice caps melted more this year than in recent recorded history.
Full Fact: Note your use of words "in recent recorded history"
Fact: The greenhouse effect is real. Greenhouse gases trap heat.
Full Fact: Greenhouse gases also deflect sunlight.
Fact: C02 is a greenhouse gas. THe amount of C02 in our atmosphere has increased at the same time that the global temperature has increased.
Full Fact: Correlation does not equal causation.
Fact: The global temperature has increased.
Full Fact: Global temperature has increased and decreased significantly before modern man.
Fact: Temperature fluctuation throughout hundreds of thousands of years has been documented. So has changes in the level of C02 during those years. Also temperature. The same correlation exists then as it does now: C02 rises at the same time temperature rises.
Fact: The polar ice caps melted more this year than in recent recorded history.
Full Fact: Note your use of words "in recent recorded history"
Fact: Ice ages happen. So do periods of warmth. The earth has been hotter than it is now and it has been colder. This is a proven fact.
Fact: The greenhouse effect is real. Greenhouse gases trap heat.
Full Fact: Greenhouse gases also deflect sunlight.
Fact: Increased greenhouse gases cause an increase in temperature.
Fact: C02 is a greenhouse gas. THe amount of C02 in our atmosphere has increased at the same time that the global temperature has increased.
Full Fact: Correlation does not equal causation.
---And that's why science has theories. Theories attempt to explain why the facts are the way they are. But if you want to get down to it...there are some really damn cool climate models that show some rather nifty things "caused" by increases in C02.
I understand your point: For every fact, there is another one you can pull out that seemingly contradicts it.
If things were simple, global warming wouldn't be an issue.
The greenhouse effect is real. The things we do on this planet releases greenhouse gases. No one knows what the exact consequences will be. But with at least 600,000,000 cars out there on the road, you have to wonder. If you parked them all right next to eachother, how many square miles would they fill?
Wow.