Frequently Asked Questions

Questions & Answers About Global Warming

Q) Is the Sun causing global warming?

A) Its affects are minimal.Two points. Firstly, if the Sun's output, which has increased only slightly, was causing global warming, the Stratosphere would heat up as well. It has not. Only the Troposphere, which holds the CO2 and other traces gases and particulates, has heated.

Secondly, the amount of heat received by the Earth is about 320 Watts per square meter. About the same as three 100 watt light bulbs. The increase in the Sun's output has only been 0.12 watts per square meter over the past decade - less energy than an LED. So the Sun's influence can not account the increase in the Earth's temperature.

Q) Doesn't it snow every year, adding mass to the Greenland ice sheet?

A) Yes. Seasonal snows add to the ice sheet mass, however, the ice is melting three times faster than what is added.

Q) How can scientists know the mass of the ice?

A) Methods for measuring ice mass have gotten more accurate with emerging technologies. Scientists now use a pair of GRACE (Aerospace Center Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) satellites. They track minute changes in the Earth's gravity field resulting from regional changes in the Earth's mass.

Q) Back in the 70's, Time magazine reported that scientists thought the world was headed into another ice age. How can we believe scientists now?

A) True scientists should always be believed.The horror of New Orleans would have been minimized if our leaders heeded scientific warnings.

Firstly, believe only half of what you read in the popular press - their motivation is sensationalism to sell their product. For accurate information, read professional periodicals that publish only peer-reviewed papers. Global warming, for instance: in the popular press 53% of global warming articles cast doubt about the science. In peer-reviewed scientific journals, 0% cast doubt.

Secondly, those scientists who foretold of another ice age were reacting to the 'cycle' hypothesis. If mankind had not interfered with the Earth's atmosphere, ergo the climate, we may very well have been headed for a cooling off period. Another factor was that Earth did see a cooling off period due to particulate and aerosols in the atmosphere from volcanoes and other sources.

Thirdly, only a few were into the ice age hypothesis, while the vast majority of climate scientists were forecasting global warming, though you did not hear about it. Interesting what the media choose to tell us.

Scientists have known about the greenhouse effect and the effects of carbon dioxide since 1829, and have been tracking its atmospheric concentrations since 1958.

Lastly, scientific testing equipment has rapidly developed as new technologies became available. Compared with today's technology, the technology of the 1970's would be considered stone-age.

Q) Some say global warming is a hoax, like Senator Inhofe, and have shown data to back it up.

A) Senator Inhofe's scientific advisor is Michael Crichton, a science-fiction writer. Based on training, access to specialized equipment, and a dedication to the scientific principles, I would tend to trust a real scientist before someone who is trying to sell his book. As for data, anyone can manufacture charts and graphs. The difference between a scientist and a sci-fi writer is the scientist has his reputation to worry about. See next question.

Do not confuse science writers with sci-fi writers. Serious journalists like Eugene Linden and Tim Flannery report the findings of scientists - a totally different thing. And be wary of deniers who are funded by ExxonMobil. Follow the money.

Q) Aren't scientists fudging the data just to get grants to stay employed?

A)That is more the philosophy of business than science. Business can not be trusted because of ideology (profits, no matter what) but scientists can be trusted because their livelihood is dependent on their reputations. It is the goal of every scientist to have his data published. It can be published only after it has been reviewed by his peers. If he were to fudge data, he would lose his reputation and his funding. It would be professional suicide for a scientist to fudge data.

Q) Aren't all scientists in this so-called hoax together?

A) Even I am not paranoid enough to believe a conspiracy of this magnitude. Thousands of scientists from hundreds of countries and hundreds of disciplines conspiring together? Someone would have leaked the truth to the press, who would have had a field day with it.

Scientists do not, by their very nature, think that way. They are all about the facts presented clearly and concisely. As I said earlier, their reputations and livelihood depend on accuracy and truth. But, rhetoric will always win because a good story is more acceptable than the truth.

Now having said that, the CEOs of multi-national corporations have conspired to cast doubt on global warming and fund organizations just that very reason. Most, like Exxon Mobil, spent $16 Million in a seven year period to manufacture doubt about global warming.

Q) Isn't a theory just a guess?

A) Scientifically speaking, a theory is an examination. A hypothesis is a testable idea. Scientists do not set out to 'prove' hypotheses, but to test them. Often multiple hypotheses are posed to explain phenomena and the goal of research is to eliminate the incorrect ones. Hypotheses come and go by the thousands, but theories often remain to be tested and modified for decades or centuries. In science, theories are never hunches or guesses and to describe evolution as 'just a theory' is inappropriate.

'Do you believe in evolution?' is a question often asked of biology teachers. The answer is, 'No, I accept the fact that the Earth is very old and life has changed over billions of years because that is what the evidence tells us.' Science is not about belief-it is about making inferences based on evidence. See Wikipedia.

Q) Am I going to have to live like a caveman?

A) If we act now, the transition will be much easier than if we wait. If our government had acted 20 years ago, we would not have even felt it.

Embracing new technologies will be a change, and most people are resistant to change. But in the end, our lives will be better. Electricity will be supplied by renewable sources and technologies such as wind and solar power. Your blender and hair dryer will work just as before, only our air and water will be cleaner. We will be healthier. And we will be safer.

Q) What do you mean by safer?

A) Since time immemorial, man has fought at the command of his king, government or master. When there is little value in oil or coal, men and women will not be forced, cajoled and tricked into fighting a war to fill someone else's pocket with gold. Our interest in other countries will not be feudal but cultural. Time in other countries will not be a life- ending experience; it will be a life-changing experience.

Additionally when we no longer use coal or oil, our skies will be clear, the air safe to breathe, and our overall health improved. The cost of medical treatment will decrease as we become healthier.

Q) Detroit tells us that battery technology is years away. Aren't we stuck with our gas guzzlers for awhile?

A) The technology is right here, right now. Rick Wagoner, CEO of GM-whose company is in financial trouble-is skilled at telling the public what they should drive to make GM happy but is not skilled at listening to the consumer. The public is waking up. Sales of hybrids are up 24%. Toyota and Honda are making huge profits.

People do not want to pay big bucks at the pump, but Ford and GM are slow to take the hint. We had electric cars, the EV-1, and GM crushed them all, even with huge orders in their hands. The nickel-metal hydride battery was developed by Stanford Ovshinsky specifically for that car. Now the lithium-ion battery is used in most electric cars.

Even if the electric car is charged using power from a coal-fired power plant, pollution is still 3-4 times less than running an internal combustion engine.

Li-on technology is used in Europe and Asia with great success. How come every other auto manufacturer in the world has Li-Ion technology except GM? Daimler-Chrysler has put the Smart Coupe into production in Europe. It will be introduced in this country in 2008.

It's not easy, but you can find battery powered cars, and hybrids are readily available. The more you ask for them, more will be on the market. Check out www.pluginamerica.org.

Q) What is the most important thing I can do when I get home today? (From female attendee of An Inconvenient Truth.)

A) Her husband replied, 'Walk home.' Actually, not a bad idea.
Convince your leaders to pass meaningful legislation to stop global warming. Conserve energy at the home and the office. Our website has a list of things you can do.