Global Warming Science

Those that dispute and deny global warming will look to anything to justify their stubborn beliefs. One of their most common defences is pointing to the current weather happening in the world.  The anti-climate change group claims that the science is as simple as looking outside–it’s winter, and it’s cold.  This argument is all too common yet not at all surprising by a group that ignores the scientific method and research. Looking through such a narrow scope and small sampling is not only impractical when dealing with the environment, it is ineffective in any field.

There is new evidence, however, to add to the discussion that should hopefully continue to sway those who are on the fence.

The National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) released figures this past week that say the decade from 2000-2009 was the warmest in history. The year 2009 was the one of the hottest in history, second only to 2005.  According to NASA, all the subsequent hottest years have occurred since 1998.

James E. Hansen, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space
Studies, told The New York Times that minimal variations are expected, but the total evidence is overwhelming. “When we average temperature over 5
or 10 years to minimize that variability,” said Dr. Hansen. “We find global warming is continuing unabated.”

Critics have recently attacked Hansen and others in so called ‘climate-gate,’ in which they say scientists are selective in their temperatures and data. These nay-sayers tend to have far too small a scope instead of looking at the big picture. Despite tiny variations, the planet is getting consistently warmer. According to NASA, the earth has risen about .36 degrees Fahrenheit per decade over the past 30 years.

It is unfortunate that sometimes politicians or leaders are often right with their science and beliefs, but wrong with their message and their argument.  Too often politics trumps science, and those that do a better job arguing win.  When someone says that snow and cold weather are evidence global warming exist, they need to be corrected. It is not easy changing the minds of those who are stubborn and won’t give an inch, but part of taking care of the environment is being well informed, and have the ability to not only effectively communicate what is going on in the world, but effectively debate. 2009 was a hot year and the end of a hot decade, and that’s a fact.

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