Are greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change?

[barcelonic]

I read recently that around 72% of people believe human activity is to blame for global warming. I personally do not believe that is true, but I'd like to know what other eXceemers think?

Please try and post facts and sources and not just conjecture.

Please also vote in the poll.

[tronsmith]

Every natural process on this planet happens in cycles, especially the weather and climate. We are just living at a point where all the cycles are happening at the same time, meaning lots of natural disasters, irratic weather, rising sea levels etc.

[barcelonic]

Space rays ionize our lower atmosphere, which leads to the formation of clouds. But the sun goes through cycles of giving off solar wind. When this cycle is on, as it is at the moment, the particles block the rays and so as a result less clouds are formed. Therefore more of the sun's energy gets through.

This is why other nearby planets such as Mars are also experiencing global warming.

An interesting fact is that CO2 only amounts to 2% of all greenhouse gases on Earth, so no matter how much CO2 was emitted by mankind (and given how many times over the amount given off naturally on Earth is) we must consider that 98% of greenhouse gases are not emitted by our activity on Earth.

I find it hard to believe that that 2% swelling could make such a significant impact.

[rob7b]

Not a chance.

Cows and coral reef together produce more co2 emmissions than us humans. If you really want to know about global warming read up on the Milankovitch cycles. It shows that global warming and cooling happens at predictable times. I believe, although not 100%, but i read somewhere that we are technically still in an ice age.

The earth has been far hotter and far cooler in its past.

[elliotknell]

Good point, but even the smallest of variables can wreak havoc on any complex non-linear system such as our planet. I have recently been reading my way through "Chaos: Making a new Science" by James Gleick. It deals with chaotic sub-patterns in complex systems, and has very relevant information having to do with dynamic systems such as the butterfly effect in climate change.

Although most of it is theoretical metaphysics, it brings up many excellent discussions having to do with patterns(like climate) that hide pure chaos, but underneath that, there are subtle patterns. Our universe is intricately woven (by God, in my opinion, but that's another debate), but the fact still remains that humanity is a wild card, and the most subtle of changes to our planet's delicate balance can have significant results.

Because of this, i do believe that humanity has a large influence on the state of global warming, although natural processes that are out of our hands also contribute greatly.\

-Elliot

[Simon]

I really dont think so, i sat down with my range rover and had this exact same discussion and we both came to the conclusion that the more cows fart the hotter it will get! I think we need to start feeding our cows more cabbage and beans and just speed up the whole process...

[jhbwolverin]

Here's the way I see it. The global climate and weather systems are unimaginably complex. Far more so than anyone could possibly understand. I mean let's be serious here, half the time meteorologists can't even predict the weather accurately a week in advance. Understanding how the entire global weather and climate system works is orders of magnitude more complicated.

It's proven fact that the global warming is happening, there's no denying that anymore. And I have no doubt that greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants have an effect on the global climate system. However, I think that saying WE are responsible for causing global warming assumes an understanding of the global weather/climate system that just doesn't exist.