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What's causing global warming?
Ramifications of global warming, climate change extensive; experts say individuals must act now
Nicole Strittmater
Issue date: 3/12/07 Section: Money/Health
It's in the news constantly, and it's no secret the Earth is heating up. Glaciers are melting. The sea level is rising.
Look at the shrinking of the Greenland ice cap and the Antarctic ice shell.
Look at the expansion of tropical diseases that are no longer limited to tropical places.
Look at how far polar bears have to go to find ice.
And the list continues.
It's happening, but the reason for this global warming is a little bit more of a mystery.
The debate is not about whether it is happening, but rather why it is happening and how rapid and severe warming is occurring, said Garry Running, geography and anthropology professor and department chair.
"The Earth's climate has been changing for 4.9 billion years," he said. "It's been warmer. It's been colder. It's been this. It's been that. There's no debate about that."
But what the scientific community is debating is whether the evidence of global warming is pointing to humans as the cause, to some natural variation in climate or some combination of the two, he said.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, global warming is defined as "an average increase in the temperature of the atmosphere near the Earth's surface and in the troposphere, which can contribute to changes in global climate patterns.
"It can occur from a variety of causes, both natural and human-induced," according to the agency, and it is often associated with increased emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities.
Running said there are more of these gases in the atmosphere than 100 years ago, so it's not a surprise the temperatures are rising.
And policy makers are trying to figure out what to do about this, he said.
A major change in global weather and climate that would result in real problems for people could happen in the lifetimes of people alive today, which is what prompted talk of policy, he said.
"We're not at the point where we can say with 100 percent certainty that we can predict exactly what's going to happen," Running said, but "we are in the position to say that there is a good chance that one of the things that could happen is really bad."
Look at the shrinking of the Greenland ice cap and the Antarctic ice shell.
Look at the expansion of tropical diseases that are no longer limited to tropical places.
Look at how far polar bears have to go to find ice.
And the list continues.
It's happening, but the reason for this global warming is a little bit more of a mystery.
The debate is not about whether it is happening, but rather why it is happening and how rapid and severe warming is occurring, said Garry Running, geography and anthropology professor and department chair.
"The Earth's climate has been changing for 4.9 billion years," he said. "It's been warmer. It's been colder. It's been this. It's been that. There's no debate about that."
But what the scientific community is debating is whether the evidence of global warming is pointing to humans as the cause, to some natural variation in climate or some combination of the two, he said.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, global warming is defined as "an average increase in the temperature of the atmosphere near the Earth's surface and in the troposphere, which can contribute to changes in global climate patterns.
"It can occur from a variety of causes, both natural and human-induced," according to the agency, and it is often associated with increased emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities.
Running said there are more of these gases in the atmosphere than 100 years ago, so it's not a surprise the temperatures are rising.
And policy makers are trying to figure out what to do about this, he said.
A major change in global weather and climate that would result in real problems for people could happen in the lifetimes of people alive today, which is what prompted talk of policy, he said.
"We're not at the point where we can say with 100 percent certainty that we can predict exactly what's going to happen," Running said, but "we are in the position to say that there is a good chance that one of the things that could happen is really bad."
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 5
alumni jim
posted 3/12/07 @ 12:52 AM CST
We should all do our best not to waste natural resources and encourage the use of fewer fossil fuels. I just don't understand why the Hollywood crowd all drive up to the Oscars in Limos and Hummer Limos, and most of them fly in private jets. (Continued…)
Gil
posted 3/12/07 @ 6:56 AM CST
Watch this documentary
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9005566792811497638&q=The+Great+Global+Warming+Swindle
Eric
posted 3/12/07 @ 7:54 AM CST
This article has the feeling that it should have been written a few years ago. I thought people would feel a lot more confident in coming out and saying we were causing global warming ever since the UN report on climate change was issued in February in which it was said that there was 90% certainty that global warming was caused by humans. (Continued…)
earck
Eric
posted 3/12/07 @ 10:43 AM CST
This story lost any credibility it might have had when she stars it with falsehoods. The greenland ice shelf has in fact been growing and certain areas of the antarctic cap have also been growing. (Continued…)
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