What are the arguments on both sides of the global warming controversy?

Who supports the view that global warming is happening name some possible consequencs as:

• Flooding
• Drought in some countries
• Fires
• Many species of wildlife will be lost forever
• Glaziers are melting as we speak, Inuit people drowning from too thin ice and the Polar Bear will become extinct because it relies on the ice not to mention Penguins (they are few and far between) seals, etc.
• Fishing as we know it. Sports fishing will become a dream only! Fish farming at the present time is unsafe because of the parasites they carry and can pass onto wild Salmon, etc. There is a resolution to this problem, but it's expensive (above ground tanks for these farm fish.)
• Disease from smog, car emissions, factories pouring out waste, etc.
• Building too quickly without thought or good planning and mowing down trees (trees clean the air and keep the grounds foundation solid.) This is why you often see mud slides or loss of homes built on high ground.
• Tsunamis
• The world's food will become depleted.

Alternative view

Who supports the idea that global warming is not happening says instead:

• Tsunamis are huge waves caused by GEOLOGICAL processes, not climate processes. There is no possible link between climate and tsunamis
• Crops need HEAT to grow. More heat means more crops. Crops also need water. If sea levels rise due to ice melting, this will increase the surface area of the oceans. Combined with higher temperatures, this results in more evaporation. More evaporation means more water vapor in the atmosphere. More water vapor means more RAIN!

A review from who warns against Global Warming

Tsunamis might not occur more often, they would just be much more destructive. The food supply would become depleted because pollution kills crops. Too much heat kills crops. Heat evaporates water, which crops need to grow. Also, too much water from flooding would also kill crops. Rain will be polluted and also work to kill crops. The above answer did not state that the extinction and disease and all the other stuff wouldn't occur! Global warming could cause the earth to become a dead planet!

A review from who discards any danger from global warming

For tsunamis, global warming may not CAUSE tsunamis. Pollution may HARM crops, and in some extreme cases, may kill crops, but we're not talking about pollution. We're talking about Global Warming! The only kind of "pollution" that can be associated with global warming is carbon dioxide (if you can call that pollution, and I don't). But carbon dioxide is BENEFICIAL to crops!

"Too much heat", in and of itself, does not kill crops, UNLESS it is accompanied by too little rainfall. But under any reasonable global warming scenario, precipitation will INCREASE. The rain will not be polluted, and if it is, it won't be because of global warming. Too much water will not kill crops. It might make it harder to harvest them, but it won't kill them. But, the point is, whatever LOCALIZED negative impacts on agriculture that might manifest will be more than outweighed by the positive impacts, like a greatly expanded area that is warm enough to grow crops, and the increases in yield due to an abundance of carbon dioxide. IF global warming is really happening and IF it continues, it will likely be the best thing to happen to worldwide food production since the invention of man-made fertilizers. Worldwide food production will reach new record levels year after year after year.

IF global warming is real, and IF it continues, then, yes, a few coastal areas may be flooded . Talking about the kind of temporary flooding that comes with heavy rainfall, then that too will occur, on a LOCALIZED basis. Neither is a big deal, especially compared to the huge economic losses that will occur if society actually makes a serious effort to stop global warming.

It is quite possible that SOME areas will, in fact, receive less rainfall than they currently receive. But, on the other hand, other areas will receive MORE rainfall. In fact, this year, the Great Plains received a great deal more rain than normal. On average, however, it is clear that, worldwide, participation will increase. Higher temperatures -> more evaporation -> more rainfall!

Yes, there will be fires due to drought, but there will be more fires PREVENTED by a RELIEF of drought in those areas where rainfall will increase.

Global warming most certainly will NOT "cause the earth to become a dead planet". Even if the worst scenarios of the alarmists come true, global temperatures and CO₂ levels will still be well below what they were during the age of dinosaurs. Dinosaurs and plants THRIVED in that environment. Even if humans became extinct (which we won't), there will still be plenty of LIFE left on the planet.

Review by who supports that global warning is a real danger

Many people believe in Global Warming although some disagree it's caused only as a human act and not include other factors, but it is happening.

Scientists from all over the world are concentrating on this. Yes, some disagree, but most do not! The question that is disagreed on the most is whether humans are causing global warning. I feel some of it is, but mainly (if we look back on history re the earth and Ice Age) it's apparent that the earth is changing constantly and will continue to grow in changing as it should, but the human factor contributes to it.

According to IPCC and UNEP: (Scientists have been documenting changes in 100 physical and 450 biological processes).

• Russian Arctic, higher temps are melting the permafrost causing 5 story apartment buildings to slump. Rain is more intense; floods and storms are more severe and rivers freeze later in the season that usual.
• Scientists feel temps will rise by another 1.4 to 5.8C in the 21st century. Thus, it will change the earth systems including ocean circulation and hydrological carbon and nutrient cycles. In other words it will disrupt the natural ecosystems that provide us with water, food, etc., and cause environmental stresses such as declining water quality, ozone depletion, urban air pollution (take a good look at L.A. and Toronto) and deforestation. Already the U.S. is cutting deals with Canada for water. Yes, the U.S. is running out of water sources. Without water there are no crops! Without forests there are no sources to help keep our air clean and it also depletes some species of animals along with lakes, rivers and oceans.
• The Arctic and the Antarctic are warming far more quickly than scientists expected (also on the news this past week.) Although the melting of ice will open up more expanses of ocean for ships there is a price to pay. When the ice flows melt walruses, polar bears, seals and other marine mammals that rely on this ice floe for resting and feeding will be threatened and most likely become close to extinction. The Indigenous people are already being affected by the lack of ice for hunting, fishing and gathering plants and birds, fish.
• In large parts of Eastern Europe, Russia, Central Canada and California, peak stream flows have advanced from spring to winter creating more rain rather than snow, thus reaching rivers more rapidly than before and ... floods. I live in British Columbia and we had a severe flood warning this past spring which we've never had to take more seriously than ever before. You can see the change!
• Africa; large basins of Niger, Lake Chad and Senegal have a decrease in water by 40 - 60%. Increased summer drying and a high risk of drought including Central Asia and Sahel.
• 25% of mammals and 12% of birds are closing in rapidly to extinction. 89% of these are at high risk because the food chain will change.
• CO2 levels will affect plants in many ways and diminish the protein content of wheat and rice. Because of the negative impact on plant growth the spread of pests and diseases are more at risk.
• Mid-continental areas IE: U.S. grain belt and areas of Asia and Australia will dry. Warmer temps and greater evapotranspiration can reduce agricultural yields by a third plus. In the tropic many crops are at the max temp tolerance and farmers are unable to irrigate because of lack of water.
• Health effects on humans will be greater because of heat waves, cold snaps, floods and droughts, pollution and allergens (it's already happening!) Increased frequency and intensity of storms, floods, cyclones will also harm be a danger to humans (IE: New Orleans.) Air quality will be changed (there are more people suffering from air quality diseases every year.)
• The cost of global weather-related disasters has increased from 1950 ($3.9 billion in US) to 1990s ($40 billion US) and rising! Today some insurance companies in high risk areas refuse to cover floods, fire, etc., insurance and have actually removed it from their policies.
• Because ice is extremely heavy (1 ton per cubic meter); glaciers are vast sheets of ice. When the two are intact, glaciers exert enormous pressure on the portion of the earth's surface. Because the glaciers are melting at a higher percent to date than scientists expected they have no alternative but to believe it's due to Global Warming! The pressure is reduced and will be eventually released. That means that pressure on the earth's surface will cause earthquakes, tsunamis (caused by undersea earthquakes) and volcanic eruptions!

Like it or not one can't be in constant denial in the fact that AT LEAST the earth is changing whether from the impact of a high population of humans; the earth's axis is off; ozone, or a recurrence of past history.

Whether one believes in Global Warming or not, the earth is being treated with disregard and a pure garbage dump and unless we try to change our way of thinking (in all countries) then all is lost. It's far more important to improve upon things than ignore it because we do owe future generations the best that earth can offer.

Review by a neutral observer

The following are scientifically proven facts:

• The temperature of the oceans is increasing
• The level of the oceans is increasing
• The global climate is changing
• Droughts and floods are more common
• Loss of crops due to climate has increased
• Wildlife is in displacement due to climate changes
• Pollution is increasing
• Green areas and forested aras are decreasing
• Desertification is advancing
• The population of seals is decreasing because of the drowning of their puppies who depend on sufficient ice for standing on and breastfeed during their first weeks of life. In consequence their predators as i.e. polar bears have also survival problems
• The population of some islands as i.e. Kiribati and some coastal areas at sea level, are participating of relocation programmes due to ocean level increase.
• Oversaturation of CO2 in areas combining lack of forestation with abundance of gases (cities)
  

The possible causes under scientific evaluation are:

• Axis displacement of the Earth
• Deforestation
• Gas emissions from transports and industries

The previsions are:

• Rise of the oceans
• Endangering of some species
• Loss of crops due to climate change and acid rain
• Climate changes
• Increase of natural disasters
• Desertification
• Cattle losses
• Health issues

The possible solutions presented by scientists and international organizations for slowering down the process, are:

• Drastic reduction of gas emissions through reduction of industrial emissions and reduction in the use of fossil fuels
• Drastic reduction of deforestation
• Public education on environmntal issues
• Research on alternative sources of energy
• Research on possible menas of reversing the process

Once and if some of the processes are slowered, the natural increasing of temperature and natural climate changes will still exist but will be largely manageable.

The general scientific view is that disregarding the debate of what causes global warming or the scale of its consequences, the risks are large enough for justifying efforts in reducing some of the precipitating factors. Therefore, international organizations and governments have elaborated Protocols and Plans for reducing most of those factors.

Theories that Support Global Warming

Well for one thing last summer was the summer with the most heat waves in the U.S. All but five states were unaffected. Also it's getting less cold and more hot as time goes by.

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First answer by Btrevoryoung. Last edit by WikiWand. Contributor trust: 353 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 69 [recommend question]