| No matter where you live, I'm sure you've | | | | of the 20th century, the global temperature |
| been hearing the hype about global warming. | | | | has actually decreased. This does not |
| Promoters are predicting a huge temperature | | | | correlate with the constant increases in CO2 |
| increase over the next 50 years, one which | | | | levels as the century moved along, implying |
| could quite possible destroy the world as we | | | | that the temperature change is coming from |
| know it. Many people treat this as a fact, | | | | another source. In fact, the burning of |
| not a theory. But, is global warming all it's | | | | fossil fuels has little significance on even |
| cracked up to be? There's evidence on both | | | | the global CO2 level. Only around 14% of CO2 |
| sides, and I'm going to show you the myths | | | | levels is from burning fossil fuels, the rest |
| and facts about this theory. | | | | are from natural processes. But, if fossil |
| | | | fuels don't cause global warming, how come |
| The main concept of global warming is that | | | | the earth has heated up over the past |
| greenhouse gasses, such as CO2, act as a | | | | century? |
| global blanket. Since CO2 retains heat to a | | | | |
| greater extent than oxygen, it keeps a | | | | It's hard to find for certain what causes |
| greater percentage of solar heart on the | | | | global warming, since it generally happens |
| earth. One of the main arguments for this | | | | over a long time period. One theory though is |
| concept comes from Al Gore's An Inconvenient | | | | that solar activity is the main influence in |
| Truth. In the film, Gore shows an overlapping | | | | the global temperature. In the early 90's, |
| chart comparing global temperatures to CO2 | | | | Danish scientist Friis-Christensen suggested |
| levels. There appears to be a perfect match. | | | | that the changes in global temperatures can |
| This proves that an increase in CO2 warms the | | | | all be linked to solar activity, something |
| earth. Right? If you zoom in on the chart, a | | | | humans can not influence, especially with |
| different story is revealed. A temperature | | | | CO2. Another explanation for the warming of |
| increase actually precedes a rise in CO2 | | | | the earth over the past 100 years is the fact |
| levels. This means that as the earth heats up | | | | that the earth's temperature always returns |
| from some other cause, CO2 levels rise. So, | | | | to the mean. Around 300 years ago, the |
| this means that historical data can not tell | | | | "little ice age" ended. This was a period of |
| us whether or not CO2 increases the | | | | prolonged temperature cooling, though not |
| temperature. However, since global CO2 levels | | | | quite to the degree of causing another ice |
| have never been this high, we can't say for | | | | age. Since that time period, the earth has |
| certain that no temperature increase will | | | | been simply returning to the average global |
| occur. | | | | temperature. When analyzing the temperatures |
| | | | over the past few thousand years, one sees |
| Global Warming advocates often say that the | | | | that the earth is actually cooler now than on |
| earth is warmer than it was a century ago, | | | | average. So, this recent increase in |
| and, if this trend continues, a global crisis | | | | temperature is nothing to worry about. |
| is at hand. But, even during certain periods | | | | |