Isn't global warming a natural process?

"Global warming" is a terminology label given to a theoretical increase in overall temperature due to a hole in our o-zone layer that is being attributed to our use to fossil fuels and other chemicals that eat away at said layer.
It is not a natural process, but climate shifts are, and the debate over whether this is one or the other will be ongoing, and there's science to support each.

who -  1144 pts -  (3 years ago)

Not really anything to do with the ozone layer though that is also a worry but actually the man-made increase in CO2. Yes, the earth has been in many phases and will continue to evolve over time. The big question is will we survive the next phase shift. We have developed over a particularly stable period in earths history and we have no precident for what the changes we are inducing will have on our ability to survive.

	Iscariot -  1043 pts -  (3 years ago)
	I guess I always learned that the ozone hole was a contributing factor to the buildup, but that was ages ago, and I haven't done a lot of followup since, sadly enough.

The general scientific consensus is that we're in a warming trend and we're likely driving the warming process. I have to remain skeptical, however, because there are so many political implications with all this Global Warming business that I find it hard to trust either side.

One thing I am sure of, though, is that I would like to see humankind attempt to minimize and eventually eliminate its influence on the warming process. From my understanding, the surest way to do this is by growing hemp for biodiesel (and other stuff) and developing Enhanced Geothermal Systems. One thing is for sure: we don't need fossil fuels, and politicians that tell us otherwise are just lying to protect their corporate interests.

One important thing to note is that the models climatologists use to predict warming trends are worthless. Prediction is the most important job of science. Current models have been proven to have no predictive value. If they worked like they're supposed to, then we should be able to use old data to retrodict weather patterns that have already happened (retrodicting is like predicting in reverse). In other words, if we take all the meteorological data collected up until 1969 and use it to "predict" what the weather would be like in 1970, then compare that with what *actually* happened with the weather in 1970, the model ends up being incredibly wrong. Using current models to predict climate patterns is essentially like seeing a massage therapist for a second opinion on your lung cancer-- stupid and not applicable.

Wow that's a really interesting point. I haven't heard the weather pattern example before and that makes a good point. Thank you.

Global warming is generally seen by the scientific community to be real,but it's causes are questionable. There are trends from way back when..I'm talking thousands of years that show that the planet goes through stages of cooling and heating....for example, the last ice age ended 12000 years ago(which is like a little blip in geologic time) So it could just be a natural cycle. However, it's always better to be safe than sorry, and be cautious when it comes to human impact.

For the ozone layer, there is a definite hole,but once again we are unsure of how long it's been there. And if it effects global warming.

Pretty much the only thing we know for sure is that our planet is heating up. So we should be very careful and not try to speed the process along.

Global warming is true if your talking about the aspect of the earth going through a phase where its average temperature increases. As for the point that humans are making a detrimental impact on the earths ozone layer, sad to say that this statement is incorrect. It has been shown that volcanoes produce more than 90% of the carbon dioxide that is deteriorating our ozone. As far as the heating and cooling phases go... this is correct... there have been glacial ice studies that have determined that the earth does go through these heating and cooling phases do occur.

	Peep Bunnies -  1248 pts -  (2 years ago)
	My points exactly. =] One volcano eruption releases much more carbon dioxide than from all the carbon emissions from the Industrial Revolution to present day.

I think it is natural because of the time we're in within earths natural cycle.

From what I have come to understand is that it is not only Earth which is increasing in temperature but we've detected it on all the planets in our solar system. I believe it might have something to do with the pole shift & the Dark Rift through the center of our galaxy.

Some scientists, who have studied core samples, suggest that there is evidence that the earth goes through cycles of cooling and warming. They believe it is a natural process that we are having a warming period right now. The reason some environmentalists are making it a big deal right now is because of the accelerated speed the warming is occurring. They believe that the exacerbated rate of warming is caused by humans and we should take better care of the earth.

I would probably feel more concerned, but humans are part of evolution just as much as anything else. If we cause things to die, or force ourselves into extinction, then that is what happens. All organisms either go extinct from evolving beyond their past natures, or they simply die off. It is how it works. No real reason to be concerned.

	LiteStyle0o -  635 pts -  (2 years ago)
	About the core samples, they have also discovered that every 26,000 years like clockwork the magnetic north & south swap or flip causing many many global changes.

	who -  1144 pts -  (2 years ago)
	The earth has been shown to flip it's poles around every 250,000 years, not 26,000. However the last time it happened was 750,000 years ago!!

Global Warming is pretty much the polar bears fault since they crap all over in the water and pollute the environment by evaporating and it is a high contributor of global emmisions....this is TRUE and Al Gore is totally wrong about everything....so maybe we should like cull the polar bears.

	Kenbo -  6965 pts -  (2 years ago)
	Seriously, I have heard that animals farting/pooping is a cause in global warming. LOL I don't know if its true or not.

	IamJesues -  253 pts -  (2 years ago)
	Yeah I have heard it's true.

	LiteStyle0o -  635 pts -  (2 years ago)
	This is a fact & the idea comes from the amount of methane that is released from bile breaking down (& gas that comes right from the o ring) but mainly at dairies. But this still doesn't EVEN compare to natural emissions from volcano's.

	HippyChild -  601 pts -  (2 years ago)
	Yeah IamJesues is right. In my opinion it isnt the only contributor to it but its certainly a major problem... chyeahh 'so maybe we should like cull the polar bears' LOL hahaha thats so cruel.

That's bullbutt. How many volcanoes erupt? Not that many that would actually contribute and be harmful to Global Warming.

	HippyChild -  601 pts -  (2 years ago)
	again, i totally agree. there wouldnt be enough erupting to actually contribute all that much to be that harmful.

Also worth noting that when our atmosphere has been high in CO2 in the past it was sucked up by a much larger mass of plants and trees. Something we are doing our best to eradicate while at the same time burning and releasing all the millions year old, safely stored carbon.

	LiteStyle0o -  635 pts -  (2 years ago)
	I've heard this too. & on the BBC's Planet Earth series they mention that the decrease of trees & increase in temp will eventually cause all the trees in massive forests to naturally dump more CO2 into the atmosphere instead of absorbing it.