Global Warming FAQs
Where are the data that show global warming is largely attributed to the increase of
greenhouse gases in the Earth's upper
atmosphere caused by human burning of fossil fuels?
The statement is described and justified by quite a number of scientific
studies and detailed in several places. The most thorough and extensive studies have
been by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, an international group of
scientists associated with the World
Meteorological Organization and the United Nations. A summary of their
2007 report is available at
Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science
Basis
(Summary for Policymakers)
The IPCC summary details both the data indicating the existence of
global warming as well as potential causes. After examining various
possible natural causes, the data seem to rule them out. The determination from the
committee is that the causes are anthropological. A good number of summary graphs,
charts, and tables of data are
included, with pointers to sources of original data.
The IPCC complete
reports are available:
IPCC Assessment Reports.
The IPCC was informed by studies done by a number of other groups around
the world. One local example is the
Global Change Research Program.
Their website points to some of their studies.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminstration's website
on Global
Warming answers a collection of scientific questions and summarizes
information from a number of reports.
The scientists who have been doing the recent research on global warming
most commonly present their work through the American Geophysical Union.
The AGU is a worldwide scientific community that "advances, through
unselfish cooperation in research, the understanding of Earth and space
for the benefit of humanity." It is made up of of tens of thousands of
PhD researchers worldwide. They have no particular political agenda
other than to learn how natural processes work and make that information
known. Based on the outcome from a considerable number of studies reported in
their organization, the AGU has issued a statement:
Society Mut Address the Growing Climate Crisis Now
The American Meteorological Society is another organization of
scientists that promotes the development and dissemination of
information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic
and hydrologic sciences. Based on data reported through their
organization, they have also issued a statement
on global changes:
Climate Change --
An Information Statement of the American Meteorological Society
(Adopted by AMS Council on 1 February 2007) Bulletin of the American
Meterological Society, 88.
