Thoughts on Global Warming

The issue of Global Warming has been highly contested over recent years. Al Gore's book and movie, An Inconvenient Truth, stream-rolled this issue into a global campaign to curb human impact. Whether or not global warming exists, I have several questions to pose on the topic.

How can we indicate a global warming trend from 100 years of climatic data?

Weather data hasn't been recorded for a very long time. The record high/low temperatures we see on the news are only from the very late 1800's and onwards. Our world is billions of years old. A warming trend over this short time frame cannot do justice to the other billions of years of unrecorded temperatures. The only thing that we can prove is that humans have made an impact in global temperatures through our carbon footprint. Increased CO2 levels correlate to a stronger greenhouse effect that traps warm temperatures in our atmosphere. But there are other factors that aren't addressed in this warming trend.

Earth cycles

The earth's orbit around the sun is not always constant and at the same angle. The suns direct rays fluctuate between 23.5 degrees north and 23.5 degrees south. But their have been times in history where the angles were different. When drastic changes occurred our earth was sent into an ice age that lasted millions of years. Currently our earth is rebounding from the last ice age which created the ice caps of Greenland and Antarctica. It is only normal for the temperature to rise during this period, eventually peak, and then turn into another ice age once again.

Volcanoes

The thousands of volcanoes on earth have an exceptional power of changing earths temperatures. Large volcanic eruptions can and have disrupted climate patterns. Enormous amounts of particles, such as dust and ash, can block out the sun and lower global temperatures. Eventually these particles dissipate and the temperatures rebound once again. Would you call this global warming?

Temperature Fluctuations

The most interesting part of the global warming debate is how much media attention is given to global warming during unseasonable high temperatures, but when record lows are attained no one even questions global warming. The average summer temperature in the state of Minnesota is around the low 80's. So far this summer, the temperature has hovered around the average or below. Only one day in July has been over 90 degrees, which is deemed as our warmest month. During the first week of June, daily highs stayed between 50 and 60 degrees for four days. Daily temperature in one remote location don't make much of a difference compared to a global scale, but are still interesting to look at.

What can we do?

Obviously we cant directly change our world's climate, but we can indirectly by minimizing our carbon footprint. But this is something that all the world's people will have to agree on in order to work. Driving less, carpooling, eliminating plastics and styrofoams, using alternative energy sources, etc, are all easier said than done. Hybrid cars are expensive and driving less is difficult to do when we have to commute to work. The small things will work though. America in particular needs to become more pedestrian friendly. Driving a few blocks to buy a loaf of bread is stupid, when you could just as easily walk or bike. Trains and buses should be used more often, which would in-turn decrease the price to ride them. Using alternative energy sources is the best way to power the globe. Not only because fossil fuels pollute the planet, but because they are getting increasingly expensive. Those that erect windmills to power their electricity needs often find themselves with a surplus at the end of the month, which the energy company uses to power other customers. Imagine getting paid from the electricity company while your neighbors pay them for your windmills work.

The Future

To me, Global Warming still remains a mystery, just like our Solar System. Although there are aspects of Global Warming that we do know, some things we may never find out. Our world is so interesting and does an unbelievable job of balancing things.