Global Warming: Myth and Reality, Part I
There's a lot of hype and misinformation out there about global warning. Since it's an issue that will certainly affect you, we thought you should know the facts.
Global warming myths are rampant these days. On the one hand, environmental activists are forecasting gloom and doom; on the other, conservative political pundits are arguing that those forecasts are politically motivated, and that we really have nothing to worry about.
With experts on all sides saying different things, it's hard to sort out what's real. In this two-part article, we'll cover a few of the most pervasive myths about the climate change we're currently experiencing, and offer you facts rather than supposition.
Myth 1: Global warming is just a political myth.
Not even President George W. Bush, one of our most steadfast deniers of climate change, believes that anymore. It's getting harder and harder to deny global warming without looking foolish. For example: as of this writing, in early January 2008 (ordinarily the heart of winter) many parts of the continental U.S. are experiencing spring-like temperatures.
No serious earth scientist or meteorologist denies that the Earth's climate is changing, and relatively rapidly at that. The real issue is whether it's all our fault, or if we're just accelerating an existing natural process. That's the next myth we'll address.
Myth 2: Even if global warming is occurring, humans didn't cause it.
That's debatable. What isn't is the fact that dumping large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere, which humans and our livestock do every day, can trigger global warming. CO2 is a greenhouse gas that very effectively traps heat, and we're emitting billions of tons of it each year.
On the other hand: the Earth goes through cycles of long-term climate change caused by various celestial factors, involving how the planet spins, its nearness to the sun, and the tilt of its axis. The planet has been much warmer in the past than it is now, and we may just be entering a natural warm spell. Nonetheless, it's possible we've accelerated this natural process. It's difficult to believe that dumping all that CO2 into the atmosphere hasn't had an effect.
Myth 3: The science is flawed, and scientists still don't agree about it.
Not really. While there are still some disagreements on the finer points, the major disputes about global warming have been resolved for years. In any case, any scientific conclusion is a matter of consensus rather than actual agreement by everyone in the field.
The overwhelming consensus on climate change is that it's occurring and that humans are causing it -- or at least significantly accelerating the process. In fact, the only truly skeptical scientists are those who aren't working actively in the field, or who have a political ax to grind.
In Part II, we'll shine some light on a few more global warming myths, and help dispel them with an inoculation of facts.
