The skeptics of global warming

Anyone who views the current issues of global warming with mild concern might find the escalating debates over this topic fascinating. For more than a decade now, we have relied on scientific research to show that greenhouse gases effect the environment by absorbing more of the UV rays from the sun and thus increasing the atmospheric temperature. This scientific research has also been a solid basis for attributing this climate change to human activity.

Skeptics of global warming have recently began a campaign that refutes the idea that global warming is connected to human activity. (Article) Their reasoning rests in doubts that have been served to them on a silver platter. They strangle scientific research by attacking it at its weakest point, the fact that there is a level of uncertainty involved in science.

It is quite intuitive that most of these skeptics are sided with the oil industry. In fact, it was pointed out in an article by Chris Mooney that Mother Jones tallied more than 40 groups that are backed by ExxonMobil who have in some way been connected to the underminings of scientific research. In this article, Mooney shows how these skeptical groups use doubts about science to debate. For example, Michael Crichton spoke at one event in Washington, D.C., where he was considered to be an expert on the topic of global warming because he is an M.D. and wrote a fictional story about global climate changes.

To me it seems this idea should never have been questioned (the idea that global warming is attributed to the increase in greenhouse gases, which is caused mainly by the burning of fossil fuels). A new concern has arisen, which may play a large part in this debate (that is, if our world cares anything for coral reefs and other marine animals). The newest concern deals with the increased acidity (lower pH) of the ocean waters. As levels of atmospheric CO2 increase from the burning of fossil fuels, the amount of CO2 which is absorbed by ocean waters also increases. The acidification of the ocean waters is actually believed to be more harmful than the global warming concern. (Article on opendemocracy.net)

Either way, it is obvious that our environment is that deer in the headlights. Something needs to be done about these critical environmental changes.