Current Status
Scientific debate is one of the backbones of research. In fact, one of the main ideas behind any scientific inquiry is a question...and then more questions...and then experimentation...and then more questions. It is a fundamental part of any investigation.Skip any step, and the process fails. Ignore data, and the process fails. This seems to be the argument of the scientific community in terms of the so-called global warming debate. Scientists have been repeatedly warning the public that there is truly no debate. Global warming is a fact that is here to stay.
On the other hand, there are those scientists that feel global warming is not as big of a deal as is professed. Since the early part of this century, many factors have added to the debate. Some graphs show warming, some show the earth is cooling. Which is correct?
One problem is the array of graphical data available for analysis. Two people looking at two different graphs may interpret the data differently. An example is in the two pictures on this page.
Click the picture and you will see two valid graphs. One shows cooling and the other shows warming. Which is correct? The truth is, both are correct in the right context. Temperatures in the stratosphere are decreasing due to a loss of ozone while temperatures in the troposphere are increasing due to global warming.
Background
Part of the problem with the global warming debate also seems to be semantics. You say toe-may-toe, I say toe-mahhh-toe. The gray area here is - Do humans increase global warming or not?One part scientists agree on is that the earth is warming. Data sets show the increases in temperatures over years. Temperatures will always fluctuate, but the general trend in data is a warming.
Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have also increased. Scientists agree that data from multiple sources indicates that CO2 levels have risen steadily since the start of the Industrial Revolution.
Humans, especially Americans, use more fossil fuels than any other country in the world. Fossil fuels contain carbon and are therefore one of the main culprits in carbon emission into the atmosphere. But carbon isn't the only greenhouse gas...Just the most famous.
Other greenhouse gasses are
- Water vapor
- Methane
- Nitrous oxide
- Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
- perfluorocarbons (PFCs)
- sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)
