Global Warming Myth or Reality - Research Paper Example

Research Report: Global Warming – Myth or Reality? Introduction Global warming is a buzzword in contemporary science. Much has been written and said about the meaning of global warming and its implications for the environment. More often than not, the concept and meaning of global warming are taken for granted. Simultaneously, more scientists and researchers question the validity of global warming theories and assumptions. That the climate is changing has been abundantly established: the current body of literature provides compelling evidence that the planet is undergoing a serious climate shift. Yet, whether these changes can be attributed to or called ‘global warming’ is a difficult question. Apparently, the global warming theory is surrounded by controversy. This being said, a web research of the information and arguments relating to global warming was performed. The results of the web research suggest that global warming is a myth rather than reality, and the press coverage of global warming in the U.S. distracts public attention from the scientific evidence, which denies the existence of the global warming phenomenon. The goal, scope, and questions of research Global warming is one of the most popular objects of professional research. The press explores the meaning of global warming and its effects on the environment. Rising temperatures and changes in concentrations of carbon dioxide are believed to be reliable measures of global climate changes. In the meantime, more researchers begin to question the importance and even existence of the global warming phenomenon. The goal of this research was to decide whether or not global warming is real and realistic. The main question to answer was “Is global warming myth or reality?” Scholarly articles and book resources found on the web were used to answer the research question. Global warming: myth or reality? Global warming – myth or reality? – this is the question the public and research community are trying to answer. Books and articles provide a wealth of evidence supporting the relevance and existence of the global warming phenomenon. Temperature, sea level changes, and precipitation serve the main indicators of global warming (Maslin 23). Scientists use these indicators to estimate how the global climate changes under the influence of the industrial revolution (Maslin 23). Scientists were able to reconstruct changes in surface temperatures over the last 1,000 years – based on this information scientists produced a continuous record of temperatures, which indicate changes in surface temperatures of 0.74oC over the last 130 years (Maslin 25). The 20th century witnessed considerable fluctuations in temperature: the 1960s-1970s were the period of cooling (Maslin 25). However, generally, the planet is warming and even temperatures in the lower troposphere have been steadily increasing, approximately 0.1-0.2oC every ten years (Maslin 25). Global sea levels and precipitation are another two indicators used to judge the scope of the global warming phenomenon. The two most important precipitation data sets include the Global Historical Climate Network and Hulme (Maslin 30). It is noteworthy, that no definite global trends in precipitation have been found so far, but regional changes in precipitation are more than obvious (Maslin 30). North and South America experience significant increases in precipitation (Maslin 30). The seasonality of precipitation is changing, too (Maslin 30). Scientists observe long-term changes in precipitation in southern Africa and the Mediterranean (Maslin 30). The data on changes in sea levels adds to the body of evidence supporting global climate change: over the past 100 years, global sea levels have risen at least 12 cm (Maslin 31). Between 1961 and 2003, global sea levels were rising by almost 2 mm per year, and between 1993 and 2003, global sea levels steadily increased by 3.1 mm every year (Maslin 32). Scientists use these data to prove that global warming does exist and has serious implications for the future of the planet. Despite compelling evidence, the results of web research suggest that global warming is more a myth rather than reality. Robinson and Robinson claim that “the global warming hypothesis is no longer tenable” (Robinson & Robinson). This is because temperature changes cannot serve reliable evidence and support global warming assumptions. Multiple forces are responsible for changes in temperature; contrary to previous beliefs, “during the past 3,000 years, there have been five extended periods when it was distinctly warmer than today” (Robinson & Robinson). Even if atmospheric temperatures are rising, they are still below the 3,000-year average (Robinson & Robinson). Certainly, scientists develop complex mathematical models and computer programs, to predict future changes in earth’s temperatures, but even the most advanced computer systems lack capability to make long-term climate predictions (Robinson & Robinson). Thus, humans should not be worried about the effects of greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide on global temperatures; rather, it is more important that the society focuses on the negative effects of carbon dioxide on the environment. Scientists have failed to develop a single, universal theory of climate. Thus, there is no definite explanation to climate change. Simultaneously, the global warming hypothesis have failed all three tests to which it was subjected (Carter 62). Here, it should be noted that “the currently favored hypothesis of dangerous global warming includes the presumption that the late 20th century warming was substantially caused by human emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide” (Carter 62). However, no definite relationship between temperature changes and changes in the levels of carbon dioxide was ever found (Carter 62). Furthermore, and as previously said, changes in temperatures fall within the natural limits of change during previous centuries (Carter 62). Finally, and this is what Robinson and Robinson were able to prove, modern computer models cannot predict long-term changes in temperatures. Therefore, it is at least too early to say that global warming is real and realistic. Press and mass media fuel the controversy surrounding the issue of global warming. Actually, it is the media that distract public attention from the scientific data and provide biased coverage of the factors affecting temperature changes and their consequences (Boykoff & Boykoff 125). The media play a huge role in how the public interprets the meaning of global warming, and often turn the subject of global warming into the source of commercial profits. Failures to transmit relevant information from scientists to the public are not uncommon. Nonetheless, the media greatly contribute to the construction of environmental problems by the public (Boykoff & Boykoff 127). Apart from the fact that scientific evidence does not support the existence of the global warming phenomenon, the media distort the scientific message and do not let the public evaluate this evidence in its entirety. The results of the web research suggest that global warming is a myth rather than reality, and the press coverage of global warming in the U.S. distracts public attention from the scientific evidence which denies the existence of the global warming phenomenon. The media and researchers must work collaboratively, to produce an objective picture of climate changes on the planet. Conclusion Global warming is one of the most frequently discussed topics in literature and press. However, the results of the current research suggest that global warming is a myth rather than reality, and the press coverage of global warming in the U.S. distracts public attention from the scientific evidence, which denies the existence of the global warming phenomenon. Global warming is more a myth rather than reality. The media distort the scientific message and do not let the public evaluate this evidence in its entirety. The media and researchers must work collaboratively, to produce an objective picture of climate changes on the planet. Works Cited Boykoff, Maxwell T. & Jules M. Boykoff. “Balance is Bias: Global Warming and the US Prestige Press.” Global Environmental Change, 14(2004): 125-136. Web. 03 November 2011. Carter, R.M. “The Myth of Dangerous Human-Caused Climate Change.” The AusIMM New Leaders’ Conference, 2 May 2007. Web. 03 November 2011. Maslin, Mark. Global Warming: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, 2009. Web. 03 November 2011. Robinson, Arthur B. & Zachary W. Robinson. “Global Warming Is a Myth.” The Wall Street Journal, 4 Dec 1997. Web. 03 November 2011. Read More