# Are There STILL People Who Deny Global Warming Is Happening? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 22, 2009, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-people-who-deny-global-warming-is-happening/511156 "2009-09-22T22:58:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-people-who-deny-global-warming-is-happening/511156/1 "2009-09-22T22:58:24Z")
I _know_ there are holocaust deniers, and I’m not an Al Gore fan, but isn’t the evidence… well…_evident_? Aren’t melting glaciers an indication? Polar bears coming into humans’ habitats looking for food? Regarding the holocaust? IIRC, wasn’t it _then_ - **General** Eisenhower who made Germans walk through the camps because, in his words, “One day some sonofabitch is gonna say this didn’t happen!”? He was right, wasn’t he? Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-people-who-deny-global-warming-is-happening/511156/2 "2009-09-22T22:59:53Z")
Sadly, yes. I constantly have to deal with people saying: A. It’s cold outside, therefore global warming doesn’t exist, right? or B. It’s warm outside, therefore global warming will destroy us all this year, right? ---
**Author:** ![Fantome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Fantome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fantome)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-people-who-deny-global-warming-is-happening/511156/3 "2009-09-22T23:08:12Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > A. It’s cold outside, therefore global warming doesn’t exist, right? Glenn Beck uses that a similar argument when he laughs at the idea of global warming (x amount of years have been colder than the average, therefore global warming is nonsense). I believer Limbaugh has used the same “logic”. Plenty of their listeners believe them. There have been threads in GD with some Dopers not believing global warming is real. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-people-who-deny-global-warming-is-happening/511156/4 "2009-09-22T23:13:49Z")
Just a note: One small issue that is in the process of being resolved is the “branding” of the phenomenon. For years people used the term “Global Warming”. This left open the critics who boasted, “Hey, look! Florida is actually colder! Therefore it can’t be Global Warming!” A tiresome and petty distinction, but words have power soooo… …now the term is “Global Climate Change”. This allows for the variety of localized anomalous weather effects to be described without triggering basically meaningless debate. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-people-who-deny-global-warming-is-happening/511156/5 "2009-09-22T23:19:37Z")
I guess it all depends on how you load up the term “global warming.” If all you mean is “Recent observed temperatures show an upwards trend,” then it’s pretty hard to disagree with that statement. The numbers are what they are. However, if you mean “Man-made greenhouse gases are causing a long-term warming trend,” then I’m not entirely convinced. I’ll agree that the bulk of the evidence supports the conclusion, but it isn’t the kind of position that can be conclusively proved as a fact. (After all, climate models are continually being adjusted; temp increases have been lower than expected even though CO2 increases have been higher than expected. 40 years ago, the worry was that we were entering an ice age. Oops.) If you mean “Man-made greenhouse gases are causing a long-term warming trend that we can stop through rapid and severe political measures,” I think you’re more full of hot air than the Earth is. The more right global warming is, the less it’s the kind of problem we can solve. We’re better off spending $200 billion on better dams than on emissions controls. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-people-who-deny-global-warming-is-happening/511156/6 "2009-09-22T23:20:59Z")
**Icarus**? I hope you don’t mind that I find it ironic that **you** replied here? 😉 Thanks for the “heads-up” about the term, BTW. Maybe they could do the same thing for the “Health-Care Reform” thing? 🙂 Thanks Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-people-who-deny-global-warming-is-happening/511156/7 "2009-09-22T23:29:02Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > I guess it all depends on how you load up the term “global warming.”… > > …If you mean “Man-made greenhouse gases are causing a long-term warming trend that we can stop through rapid and severe political measures…” Oh no, of _course_ I didn’t mean that! Those numb-nuts would NEVER agree enough to pass any kind of a decent bill! There are too many pockets to be greased! Q ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-people-who-deny-global-warming-is-happening/511156/8 "2009-09-22T23:32:23Z")
Please name one thing in a world population of over 6,000,000,000 people that is not believed by at least one person. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-people-who-deny-global-warming-is-happening/511156/9 "2009-09-22T23:34:30Z")
> [@Fantome](#): > > Glenn Beck uses that a similar argument when he laughs at the idea of global warming (x amount of years have been colder than the average, therefore global warming is nonsense). I believer Limbaugh has used the same “logic”. Plenty of their listeners believe them. There have been threads in GD with some Dopers not believing global warming is real. Indeed, I heard Limbaugh argue as follows. The ice caps are melting. But if the ice caps are melting, cold water is mixing into the oceans. So the oceans are cooling down. So everything’s fine. Therefore people who think the globe is warming are nincompoops. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-people-who-deny-global-warming-is-happening/511156/10 "2009-09-22T23:35:30Z")
I don’t think an OP as general as this one can remain in GQ for any length of time, so I’m going to move it to GD. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-people-who-deny-global-warming-is-happening/511156/11 "2009-09-22T23:36:54Z")
[QUOTE=dracoi;11585218 If you mean “Man-made greenhouse gases are causing a long-term warming trend that we can stop through rapid and severe political measures,” I think you’re more full of hot air than the Earth is. [/QUOTE] If it’s granted that man-made greenhouse gases are causing a long-term warming trend, then it’s already established that human actions can cause long-term climate trends quite rapidly. (I.e. over the course of decades.) So then, there’s nothing ridiculous about thinking the trend can be controlled through rapid measures. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-people-who-deny-global-warming-is-happening/511156/12 "2009-09-22T23:42:02Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > Please name one thing in a world population of over 6,000,000,000 people that is not believed by at least one person. Very good point, **Harmonious Discord**. I just hate the fact that there are people who would want you to believe that black is white, and being half-German, it saddens me that there are those who would want us to believe there was no holocaust, and I guess one thing just led to another; hence the “Global Warming” thread. Thanks Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-people-who-deny-global-warming-is-happening/511156/13 "2009-09-22T23:43:22Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > **Icarus**? > > I hope you don’t mind that I find it ironic that **you** replied here? 😉 I fly around up here all the time, it’s never been a problem…what? > [@](#): > > Thanks for the “heads-up” about the term, BTW. You are welcome. > [@](#): > > Maybe they could do the same thing for the “Health-Care Reform” thing? 🙂 > > Thanks I’ll get my people on it. Oh, waitaminute, I don’t have people (dang). ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-people-who-deny-global-warming-is-happening/511156/14 "2009-09-22T23:46:32Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I don’t think an OP as general as this one can remain in GQ for any length of time, so I’m going to move it to GD. > > Colibri > General Questions Moderator **OMG!** **GD???** :eek: Shit, I can’t even remember where I put the car keys 3 seconds after I laid them down, how in the heck can I keep up with the Brains in **GD**??? J/K. Y’all have at it.🙂 Quasi ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-people-who-deny-global-warming-is-happening/511156/15 "2009-09-22T23:54:53Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > If it’s granted that man-made greenhouse gases are causing a long-term warming trend, then it’s already established that human actions can cause long-term climate trends quite rapidly. (I.e. over the course of decades.) So then, there’s nothing ridiculous about thinking the trend can be controlled through rapid measures. Well… I can throw you off a cliff very quickly and with a small amount of force. Stopping you before you hit the bottom is another thing entirely. Jumping down after you is going to do no one any good at all. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-people-who-deny-global-warming-is-happening/511156/16 "2009-09-23T00:03:31Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > **OMG!** > > **GD???** :eek: > > Shit, I can’t even remember where I put the car keys 3 seconds after I laid them down, how in the heck can I keep up with the Brains in **GD**??? > > J/K. Y’all have at it.🙂 > > Quasi Well, the GQ answer was given in the second post.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-people-who-deny-global-warming-is-happening/511156/17 "2009-09-23T00:05:31Z")
- Is the Earth on average hotter than it was 40 years ago? YES - Is it on average colder that it was 10 years ago? YES - Have scientists been able to predict short term trend in temperature without fiddling endelessly with models? NO - Do the same models used to predict future temperature rises work backwards 200 years? NO - Is Global Warming so insidious that it will cause more rain were itis bad, less rain were it is bad, more temperature where it is bad and less temperature where it is bad? NO - Can the ammount of CO2 be reduced or even levelled off at present levels without draconian, painful rules? NO WAY ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-people-who-deny-global-warming-is-happening/511156/18 "2009-09-23T02:01:41Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > Aren’t melting glaciers an indication? And what exactly was the man-made reason for them melting prior to the past 80 years? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-people-who-deny-global-warming-is-happening/511156/19 "2009-09-23T02:23:00Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > I _know_ there are holocaust deniers, and I’m not an Al Gore fan, but isn’t the evidence… well…_evident_? > > Aren’t melting glaciers an indication? So if that trend reverses, will you deny global warming? > [@](#): > > Polar bears coming into humans’ habitats looking for food? Ditto? Just help me out, here: what hypothetical evidence could falsify your claim? ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-people-who-deny-global-warming-is-happening/511156/20 "2009-09-23T02:32:16Z")
Huh? How MUCH prior??? **Coal** , maybe? The Industrial Revolution, perhaps? > **[Industrial Revolution](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Revolution)** > > The Industrial Revolution, also known as the First Industrial Revolution, was a period of global transition of human economy towards more efficient and stable manufacturing processes that succeeded the Agricultural Revolution, starting from Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going from hand production methods to machines; new chemical manufacturing and iron production processes... As I said previously, there are MUCH more intillegent minds than mine in this thread, but I was just asking a question: Are there still people who _deny_ climate change/global warming? It could have been answered yes or no with examples, and that would have been fine by me, but no, it got placed in here where there are _no_ opportunities for yes or no answers, and then the dogs started barking! It was NEVER meant to be a DEBATE! It was ONLY a friggin’ Question! Godammit! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-people-who-deny-global-warming-is-happening/511156.md?page=2)