So, global warming? I'm not a scientist and I only have one geography class under my belt to do with the weather and climate from university, but can I just say, brrr.
It's definitely cold out there, but I guess the fear mongers haven't been calling it global warming lately, climate change is now more than ever deemed to be the acceptable term. This is because despite increased CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gasses in general the past few years have seen a temperature trending downwards. Will this trend continue or is a simple blip in the upward trend?
So the truth of ten years ago about the warming of Earth in general is no longer truth they had tried to say was fact. As with many things in the world, it's just a theory.
Now the professor I had at school seemed rather doubtful of the so called facts. Yes, Earth was warming but looking into the past there have continually been glacial and inter-glacial periods, with each of these having temperature ups and downs throughout. Yes, this science is also a theory, one that says the world simply goes through cycles throughout the years based on a wide range of factors as is evidenced in ice core samples scientists have pulled out of Antarctica. Based on the amount of greenhouse gasses trapped in the ice they determined this cyclical nature of the climate.
Though it's difficult to prove anything from so long ago we do have a number of dinosaur fossils which indicate the world was once warm, then the theory of the Ice Age, and the world then warms up.
So could we simply be in an inter-glacial period with the climate changing? Temperatures will continue to rise and fall, but how hot will it become before the world cools off again?
Yes, fossil fuels probably aren't the best thing for the environment and I really couldn't say if climate change is anthropomorphic or not, I'm not a scientist; but, I do think the warming trend is just one way to read the data presented as it is with any science trying to predict the future in my opinion.
There's always factors left out or not adjusted for and these typically make for tailored answers to if the world has been propelled into climate change by humans or not.
One of these factors is the sun. Some scientists link sun spot cycles to climate cycles and with the polarity of the sun changing this year, is it true that they are linked? Was this taken into consideration when people began saying the Earth was warming? Not by all accounts, no.
However, the scientists were able to instill fear amongst many. Fear enough to change their habits? Not necessarily, but fear the world will continue to change and that humans control it.
I personally feel as though humans can't control everything, though they like to think they can a lot of the time. The entire climate is maybe one of these things out of our control. Scientists have shown there are glacial and inter-glacial periods in time, so if greenhouse gases have increased because of us maybe we're accelerating climate change; but, from my small knowledge of the weather and from walking outside it simply seems unlikely that change is out of control.
My dad mentioned that decades ago it was just as cold and the snow was piled even higher than last year's snow fall. This to me also indicates the cyclical nature of the climate, even though it's a small time frame.
Maybe I'm a skeptic and maybe I'm wrong about this entire thought process; but, it does seem odd to me that humans could be the controlling factor of the world. Is it possible the environment has built in fail safes? For example I've been reading lately that many of the world's large volcanoes have been somewhat active, they haven't erupted, but could be on the verge of doing so. History shows that once a volcano goes off the thick layer of dust and smoke released actually cools the earth as the sun's rays are unable to penetrate through it.
So, yes becoming more environmentally conscious is definitely a good thing; but, when I hear radio advertisements saying not to let your vehicle idle to save the world I laugh. How do you not let your vehicle idle when it's -50C outside?
