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Originally Posted by moyself
I'm not an expert as you said in your last line.
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I know you're not. Neither am I.
The difference between us appears to be that I choose to align my beliefs with the opinions of the vast majority of those that are.
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Originally Posted by moyself
The warming cycle (yes I am saying it even though you didn't want me to) started in about 1850, which is too early for us to blame the burning of fossil fuels.
Also, there has been data recorded that shows that average temperatures were higher than it is now, hundreds of years ago.
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The issue to me is the rate of increase in the mean global temperature and it's correlation with the increase in the burning of fossil fuels, and the cumulative impact. These rates of increase are accelerating along with the rate of deforestation. Not a good combination. The loss of ice sheets in the polar regions, particularly the Arctic, is simultaneously reducing the amount of solar radiation that is reflected back into space, which is becoming another accelerant to the warming process. It's like a domino effect.
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Originally Posted by moyself
As for the rapid glacial melting, there are also some glaciers that are actually expanding. There are many websites that explain this... Once I find a good one I will post it.
Ok here is one. This site clearly believes in global warming, and they explain that glaciers are affected more by other things that global warming.
Global Warming May Trigger Ice Sheet Growth |
This is not really a good source for your claim that "some glaciers
are actually expanding." The title of the article says, "Global Warming
May Trigger Ice Sheet Growth." Observable evidence confirms that there is actually a significant decline in the size of glaciers and Arctic ice sheets that has occurred over a relatively short amount of time. These rapid reductions also correlate with the increase in the average global temperature.
Arctic Shrinkage - Wikipedia
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Arctic shrinkage refers to the marked decrease in Arctic sea ice and the observed melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet in recent years. Scientists expect that the Arctic Ocean may become ice-free before 2015, for the first time in more than 700,000 years. Scientists from around the world are studying possible cause and effect factors such as unusual wind patterns, rising Arctic temperatures, or shifting water circulation.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, "warming in the Arctic, as indicated by daily maximum and minimum temperatures, has been as great as in any other part of the world." Reduction of the area of Arctic sea ice means less solar energy is reflected back into space, thus accelerating the reduction.
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Retreat of Glaciers Since 1850 - Wikipedia
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The Little Ice Age was a period from about 1550 to 1850 when the world experienced relatively cooler temperatures compared to the present. Subsequently, until about 1940, glaciers around the world retreated as the climate warmed. Glacial retreat slowed and even reversed, in many cases, between 1950 and 1980 as a slight global cooling occurred. However, since 1980 a significant global warming has led to glacier retreat becoming increasingly rapid and ubiquitous, so much so that some glaciers have disappeared altogether, and the existence of a great number of the remaining glaciers of the world is threatened.
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