Arguments Against Global Warming

Imagine: the year is somewhere in the future. Man's environment has undergone a dramatic upheaval. Trees are scarce and you can find them in abundance in only carefully maintained sanctuaries. The air is filled with particulate matter. Visibility has greatly diminished. The vast ocean is being pumped and the seawater is being processed in desalination plants. Tigers and lions have become extinct. The Himalayas have lost their snow cover. Antarctica has become a warm continent. Much of Asia and Africa has become uninhabitable because of very hot climate. Cancer and lung diseases are rampant. The weather has become fickle - you don't know what to expect. A cold winter spell is followed by a scorching summer, which will perhaps be followed by torrential rain.

Scary, right?

Global Warming - What is the Hullbulla All About?

From today's perspective, the above scenario may be classified as 'science fiction'. However, it could become our future, brought on by global warming. Global warming is the increase in the temperature of the earth's atmosphere caused by greenhouse gases. A lot has been said and heard about global warming, more so in the last few couple of decades. The proponents of global warning warn that if immediate preventive steps are not taken, global warming will have a disastrous effect on future humankind. The detractors, however, argue that the problem is grossly overestimated. They also argue that the steps to tackle the problem will hinder economic progress. Here we take a look at the arguments against global warming

Arguments Against Global Warming

• It is argued that global warming is a minor issue because of which major issues like HIV/AIDS, Nuclear proliferation and poverty are not being devoted their deserved time and resources.
• Global warming is even argued to be merely a vested interest of scientists. It is said that scientists exaggerate the effects of global warming because they receive funds from environmental companies.
• Global warming is believed, also, to be the outcome of failed computer climate models. It is argued that these models are not able to predict even tomorrow's weather accurately, so how can they predict long-term climate change?
• It is argued that human activities are not the only cause of global warming. There are other factors involved in global warming too.
• Detractors of global warming also hold that newspapers sensationalize global warming in order to sell. They distort the picture of global warming when actually that it is not as severe an issue as they make it out to be.
• Detractors also say that since scientists have made wrong predictions before, science and scientists are not always right. Perhaps they have made an error in their calculations or drawn incorrect conclusions on available evidence, thus making global warming a virtual rather than a real problem.
• Since we don't have long term historical records of the climate that Earth has witnessed, global warming could well be only a hypothesis.
• It is argued that ater vapor plays a major part in global warming. Anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, hydrocarbons and other green-house gases have only a minor role to play. In fact, some people even believe that global warming is a natural phenomenon. Man has no role to play in it. Only our environment is responsible.
• The data on temperature increase that scientists keep producing as evidence is nothing to worry about because the increase in the temperature has in fact been gradual, spread over more than hundred years. Also, the earth was warmer before. That did not have harmful consequences on humans. Why will it now? In fact people argue that the increase in temperature will help plants grow in currently cold and uninhabitable areas. The increase in the level of carbon dioxide will also stimulate plant growth.
• Another common argument against global warming is that the upsurge in solar activity has caused global warming, not anthropogenic effects of development.

One realizes that most of the arguments against global warming are factually incorrect or far fetched. People advocating these arguments have a vested interest in activities and industries that contribute to global warming. Unfortunately they are able to sway a section of the population into believing that global warming is not a serious issue. Earnest efforts must be taken to dispel these myths and make the earth a better place to live in.