Global Warming Canards: The Truth Lies Somewhere in the Middle

NOTE: I originally posted a very long blog that was nearly unreadable. I have edited that blog into a series of much shorter ones. But if you feel like you have read this before, you may have. Thanks anyway.

I want to express my appreciation to all the people who read my last blog on global warming. The response was a bit greater than I expected which is both a good and a bad thing. The responses were mostly positive and that is gratifying. But several people did bring up points that need a response. Finding the time to do that is the bad part.

I have been very busy with a new business venture that will either leave me and my family financially secure (as I hope) or in dire straights (as I have nightmares about). Things are up and running now and while that gives me a little more time to devote to the science/religion blogging I have done in the past, I still find myself pressed for time. For instance, I was asked back in August by a friend to do a blog on the scientific evidence pertaining to the biological basis of homosexuality. After 5 months I have just begun writing it up and now I am now putting it back on hold until this series on global warming runs its course. Furthermore, I have not forgotten the series of blogs on "Evaluating Christianity" I still plan on doing.

There is only one major global warming canard -- the idea that there is a great deal of dissent among scientists concerning whether or not anthropogenic global warming is actually occurring -- that needs to be extensively addressed which I will do in a series of blogs. The first point I want to address comes from akes88.

akes88 expresses is concerned about "extreme" positions and believes the "truth" lies somewhere in the middle:

I refer to this as the Rodney King "Can't we all just get along" approach. Unfortunately the truth doesn't always like somewhere in the middle. Climatologists HAVE considered whether or not this particular episode of global warming is man-made or whether it is simply a naturally-occuring one. The answer is ... it is man-made. The evidence for that is (1) that the rise in temperatures is at least 20 times faster than ANY naturally-occurring warming cycle has ever happened, (2) carbon emission estimates by humans can FULLY account for the rise in CO₂ atmospheric concentration and the observed rise in temperatures, and (3) the enrichment in ¹²C to ¹³C ratios indicate that fossil fuels are the source of the new atmospheric CO₂ (see here.

One thing that should be noted however, is that this man-made episode event is occurring ON TOP OF a naturally-occurring warming trend such that the 1990's were the warmest decade in at least 1000 years and the 2000's will likely be even warmer.

One other thing to note here is that akes88 confidently says anthropogenic global warming is "not a dire situation". I certainly hope he is right, but how does he know that? The earth is undergoing a warming trend that is at least 20 times faster than any naturally-occurring one. This cannot help but stress the environment. We are already undergoing species extinction at a rate that geologically equals that of the 5 other great mass extinctions found in the fossil record. The earth did not recover its species diversity from those for a period of 10 million years or more. Virtually all species that lived during those times have gone extinct and no one doubts that climate change is a major factor in extinctions.

Global warming is already causing extinctions. Global warming has already caused a shift in the map of plant hardiness zones. That means that the environment does not support the same plants that it had before. Plants migrate only by seed dispersal which is not normally a rapid process. Some plants will face extinction as global warming persists. As the warming trends heat up we will begin releasing more and more CO₂ from what has been up to now storage sites ... the oceans, arctic tundra, etc. At some point we will reach a tipping point in which nothing we can do with present day technology will prevent a rapid increase in global temperatures. What is to keep us from going extinct? Our wishful thinking??? I doubt it. I want knowledge based on evidence.

Contrary to what akes88 says the evidence suggests that global warming may very well be "a dire situation". At this moment we do not fully know the consequences of the climate change we are causing. We need more research, but it seems prudent to me to prepare as though it will be a major problem.