Global Warming: Fact or Fiction?

Both supporting and contradictory evidence exists as to whether global warming is impacted by humans, nature, or inaccurate data. The opposing viewpoints about the impacts of global warming are: (1) naturally occurring temperature variation (humans have no control over it) (2) a product of human influence and (3) a product of contaminated data. Global warming’s potential impacts are environmentally devastating “including higher ocean levels (and)… increased hurricane activity” (Burnett, 1997) however; can be justified as natural occurrences. Added awareness of the global warming has developed from an upsurge in the frequency of extreme weather events attributed to climate change.  The research showing increased average temperature over time has been the catalyst of an ongoing debate as to whether or not people are causing this temperature change to occur and how much worse we can expect it to get.

The theory of “human-caused global warming is often called anthropogenic climate change” (National Geographic News, 2007) and is one of the opposing viewpoints on global warming.  Anthropogenic climate change is thought to be a result of increasing deforestation coupled with the emissions produced by the burning of fossil fuels. Because we are producing more carbon dioxide and decreasing the amount of trees that remove carbon dioxide from the air, excess carbon dioxide accumulates in the Earth’s atmosphere.   It is also widely believed that “methane, which flows from landfills, livestock and oil and gas facilities, is a close second to carbon dioxide in impact on the atmosphere” (The New York Times, 2011). Humans largely contribute to the carbon dioxide levels on Earth and higher carbon dioxide levels lead to higher temperatures. Humans’ being the cause of global warming is a logical conclusion to reach after analyzing this information.

Another one of the opposing viewpoints on global warming is that natural occurrences cause it.  An increase in sea levels over time is a natural occurrence. Evidence supporting this reveals a rise of  “more than 300 feet over the last 18,000 years - far predating any possible human impact” (Burnett, 1997). In any case, Earth has hundreds of million people living within one meter of sea level and countless heavily populated coastal cities that will reap negative effects of rising water levels, and efforts to slow the rise are ideal. An increase in the average global temperature would trigger the melting ice shelves in Greenland and Antarctica so massive, the entire world would substantial increase in sea level. Studies suggest the ice sheets in Greenland will begin to melt with a rise in average temperature of 3 degrees Celsius.   In 2005, “the number of Category 4 and Category 5 hurricanes … almost doubled” (Lovgren, 2006).  Many claim that it is one of the direct results of global warming. Hurricane activity has a tendency to follow a multi-decadal cycle, which makes determining temperatures affect on the number of hurricanes per year difficult. Research shows overall numbers over time have remained constant and unchanged, regardless of data that shows “tropical ocean temperatures have risen by about 0.5 degree C since 1970” (Walsh, 2008). Experts have strongly emphasized “that neither Hurricane Katrina nor any other single event can be linked to global warming” (Lovgren, 2006).

The third opposing viewpoint on global warming is that it isn’t actually happening. The Earth’s average climate temperature has risen “1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.8 degree Celsius) around the world since 1880” (National Geographic News, 2007) according to research done by NASA.  Global satellite data is the most reliable method of tracking this change today. “These readings are accurate to within 0.01ºC, and are consistent with data from weather balloons” (Bast, 2003). The technology began recording temperature data nearly 30 years ago. Before satellites, land-based methods were relied on and were often less reliable due to heat contamination generated by nearby urban developments. Satellites have provided scientists with evidence that “show no warming since readings began” (Bast, 2003) in the lower troposphere, which is an area scientists claim immediate impacts of global warming would be reflected.

Global warming has been a topic of debate for over a decade. Some people believe that it is a story built from inaccurate temperature reading. Others debate whether it is cause by humans or nature. Both supporting and contradictory evidence exists as to whether global warming is impacted by humans, nature, or inaccurate data. The most important thing we can do is to stand united in the effort to continue to research and record data that will give us more insight into the cause and impacts of global warming. Is global warming a fact or fiction? You decide. The only certainty is that the topic will continue to be a matter of great debate for years to come.

Works Cited

Bast, J. (2003, February 1). The Heartland Institute. Retrieved October 7, 2011, from February 2003: Eight Reasons Why 'Global Warming' Is a Scam: http://heartland.org/policy-documents/february-2003-eight-reasons-why-‘global-warming’-scam

Burnett, H. S. (1997, May 23). NCPA. Retrieved October 7, 2011, from Myths of Global Warming: http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba230

Lovgren, S. (2006, May 25). Al Gore's "Inconvenient Truth" Movie: Fact or Hype? Retrieved October 8, 2011, from National Geographic: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/05/060524-global-warming.html

National Geographic News. (2007, June 14). National Geographic. Retrieved October 4, 2011, from Global Warming Fast Facts: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1206_041206_global_warming.html

The New York Times. (2011, September 30). The New York Times. Retrieved October 7, 2011, from Global Warming: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/science/topics/globalwarming/index.html

Walsh, B. (2008, September 8). TIME Science. Retrieved October 7, 2011, from Is Global Warming Worsening Hurricanes?: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1839281,00.html