Here is the way the Associated Press describes global warming:
Slowing the buildup of greenhouse gases responsible for warming the planet is one of the biggest challenges the United States and President Barack Obama face. The effects of rising global temperatures are widespread and costly: more severe storms, rising seas, species extinctions, and changes in weather patterns that will alter food production and the spread of disease.
The truly sad thing is that this summary is nonsense; it is phony.
First of all, there is a serious issue whether or not the planet is "warming". According to the scientific data which records atmospheric temperatures across the globe, the temperature average has not risen over the last thirteen years. There was an increase in average temperature during the 1980s and 1990s following a period of cooling of the average temperature during the period from the mid 1940s to the late 1970s. Other data which comes from surface temperatures rather than air temperatures does show some warming in the last thirteen years, but there are questions about the effect of urbanization on the data. In other words, temperatures in cities are generally higher than those ini the surrounding countryside. As cities grow, more and more of the temperature data points are in cities, so the average temperature rises even though the world temperature does not.
Second, the article just assumes that a buildup of greenhouse gases is responsible for warming. This is far from proven. Even if there is warming, it may well be the result of the cycles of the sun or the prevalence of cosmic radiation. Basically, the computer models on which the global warming theory is based first assume that greenhouse gases are the culprits and then goes on from there. The AP just buys into this assumption which has never been proven.
Third, the AP says that global warming is causing more severe storms and rising seas among other things. Sure, there have been storms in the last decade that were severe. The truth, however, is that the prevalence of hurricanes in the last ten years is less than it was during earlier decades. There are fewer storms, not more storms. All that happened in the last few years is the the track of certain storms happened to bring them to land in very inconvenient places. Katrina came right up the Mississippi and ravaged New Orleans. Sandy (which was not even a hurricane when it hit land -- that is why it goes renamed into "superstorm" Sandy) scored a direct hit on the New York/New Jersey Connecticut area which had been spared such a hit for almost fifty years.
Fourth, AP says that the global warming causes species extinction and changes in weather patterns. Again, there is no proof of this. We know of no species that is now extinct due to warming. Weather patterns have changed, but they always do. Ever hear the expression "changeable as the weather"? It is just a confirmation that weather patterns always change.
So here we have the AP putting out misinformation but portraying it as fact. Most people who read it do not even realize just how flawed it all is.
Slowing the buildup of greenhouse gases responsible for warming the planet is one of the biggest challenges the United States and President Barack Obama face. The effects of rising global temperatures are widespread and costly: more severe storms, rising seas, species extinctions, and changes in weather patterns that will alter food production and the spread of disease.
The truly sad thing is that this summary is nonsense; it is phony.
First of all, there is a serious issue whether or not the planet is "warming". According to the scientific data which records atmospheric temperatures across the globe, the temperature average has not risen over the last thirteen years. There was an increase in average temperature during the 1980s and 1990s following a period of cooling of the average temperature during the period from the mid 1940s to the late 1970s. Other data which comes from surface temperatures rather than air temperatures does show some warming in the last thirteen years, but there are questions about the effect of urbanization on the data. In other words, temperatures in cities are generally higher than those ini the surrounding countryside. As cities grow, more and more of the temperature data points are in cities, so the average temperature rises even though the world temperature does not.
Second, the article just assumes that a buildup of greenhouse gases is responsible for warming. This is far from proven. Even if there is warming, it may well be the result of the cycles of the sun or the prevalence of cosmic radiation. Basically, the computer models on which the global warming theory is based first assume that greenhouse gases are the culprits and then goes on from there. The AP just buys into this assumption which has never been proven.
Third, the AP says that global warming is causing more severe storms and rising seas among other things. Sure, there have been storms in the last decade that were severe. The truth, however, is that the prevalence of hurricanes in the last ten years is less than it was during earlier decades. There are fewer storms, not more storms. All that happened in the last few years is the the track of certain storms happened to bring them to land in very inconvenient places. Katrina came right up the Mississippi and ravaged New Orleans. Sandy (which was not even a hurricane when it hit land -- that is why it goes renamed into "superstorm" Sandy) scored a direct hit on the New York/New Jersey Connecticut area which had been spared such a hit for almost fifty years.
Fourth, AP says that the global warming causes species extinction and changes in weather patterns. Again, there is no proof of this. We know of no species that is now extinct due to warming. Weather patterns have changed, but they always do. Ever hear the expression "changeable as the weather"? It is just a confirmation that weather patterns always change.
So here we have the AP putting out misinformation but portraying it as fact. Most people who read it do not even realize just how flawed it all is.
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