I know that Cecil addressed this issue already (Is Global Warming for Real?), but a particularly annoying friend of mine has pointed me to a 1975 Newsweek article here about the coming ice age that suggests that all scientists pretty much agreed (back then) that we were heading for a deep freeze. Furthermore, he cites an article here that suggests scientists (or more specifically, “the media”) change their minds on this issue about every 25 years or so, alternating between the global warming and ice age scenarios.
So - what gives? Which is it? Should I be more worried about glaciers from Canada or water from the coasts - or does it really matter?
Jammin’
Yes, there were media articles and a handful of scientists - not many of who were climatologists - who predicted the cooling thing back in the 70s. They were wrong. But at no stage then was there anything like - not even 1% of - the concensus there is now about Global Climate Change (it ain’t all warming) among those who are in the best position to know. The IPCC report just published has the backing of over 4,500 scientists who work in climatology; the most I seen claimed for the opposite view is 10.
There is no doubt whatsoever the world has been, on average, warming for 60 or so years. There is little doubt this has been occurring since the start of the industrial revolution (~1800).
There is no doubt whatsoever that CO2 has increased by 50% in the atmosphere since the start of the industrial revolution (~1800). Concentrations of Methane and CFCs, both far more potent greenhouse gasses than CO2, have also increased. There is no doubt whatsoever these increases are all due directly to human activity, we can tell from their isotope signatures (and of course CFCs didn’t exist till we made them).
The only shadow of doubt remaining is how much of the general warming is due to human activity. But it really doesn’t matter as far as what we do about this is concerned, whatever the cause of the warming the course of action is the same - stop putting more greenhouse gasses into the air, and try to come up with a way of removing the extra we’ve been putting in (while not generating yet more in the process!).
Here’s a good summary of the situation.
Essentially, it’s a myth. There were very few scientists who said that; it was mostly a few articles in the popular press. The scientists, by and large, said that we didn’t have good enough models to predict what was happening yet. Almost every one of them says that we do now have good enough models.
If you hear somebody make the “global cooling in the 1970’s” claim, it’s a sure sign that they have no idea what they’re talking about and just got the information from their favorite talk radio host or somewhere equally unreliable.
***Well im no scientist but Global warming could possibly be real and Global warming might also have an effect on the cooler sessions like Fall & Winter. ** *