Global Warming Facts

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Global Warming Facts

I recently saw the apocalyptic movie "Day After Tomorrow" and have been trying to get my mind around this global warming stuff. Trying to sort global warming facts from hype. These are just some of my thoughts...

Global Warming Facts? Or Just Nature Doing It's Thing? 

Man definitely has an effect on Co2 levels in the atmosphere. We've cut down too many trees. We drive too many cars.

Experts say the global warming facts are that in the past 50 years, man made Co2 is driving the Earth's temperatures higher and higher, causing our polar ice caps to melt. Eventually, the enormous amount of fresh water from the melting ice caps being dumped into the oceans will shut off the temperature moderating Gulf Stream current, causing catastrophic climate change and ending with a new ice age.

The end of civilization as we know it.

Scary stuff...

But what if all this is just the normal way things work? Just nature doing it's thing?

The period from around 800 to 1300 AD was a time of unusually warm climate. Grain crops and wine grapes were grown in abundance as far north as northern Europe and Great Britain. Eastern Canada was called Vineland by the Vikings who took advantage of ice-free seas to colonize Greenland and other outlying lands of the far north.

Could it be that the warm temperatures of the medieval era melted the polar ice caps similar to what we see happening today? And all the fresh water that flooded into the north Atlantic shut down the climate warming Gulf Stream?

One thing is certain. Sometime between 1300 and 1350 AD, temperatures took a sudden nose dive. Evidence shows that northern air temperatures dropped by as much as 10ºC (18ºF) within decades and stayed that way for more than 500 years. Areas that previously had mild winters suddenly became bitterly cold. Famine was wide spread. Grain and grape staples had to be replaced with starchy tuberous crops like the potatoe, which could still thrive in the shorter, colder growing season.

The 500 year little ice age ended almost as abruptly as it began around 1850. And while there's no way to know if it had been caused by a shutdown of the Gulf Stream, we do know that Benjamin Franklin noted a powerful, warm, swift running river of sea water as he was sailing back from England around 1800. He named this north-flowing current the Gulf Stream.

Did colder temperatures during the little ice age re-establish the polar ice caps and turn the climate warming Gulf Stream back on? Are the rising temperatures we see today just a sign that we're still recovering from the little ice age?

The global warming facts are that man has definitely has an effect on Co2 levels in the atmosphere. Particularly in the last 50 years. And temperatures have absolutely been rising during that time. But if the warming over the last 50 years was caused by the man-made increase of Co2 in the atmosphere, as experts claim, then what caused the warming from 1850 to 1950?

Just can't get my mind around this stuff...

More ramblings here: global warming facts

Global Warming Facts: Recent Blog Posts 

Get the latest global warming facts straight from Google's Blog Post.

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Global Warming Facts: Recent News Posts 

What news organizations are saying about global warming facts.
Palin on global warming
Palin's position on global warming has been stated quite clearly in this recent interview with the publication Newsmax, where she says: "A changing ...
ComEd Urges Customers to Fight Global Warming One Pledge, One ...
"Together with our customers, the ENERGY STAR Pledge will help make a positive impact on global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. ...
Time to Adapt, Not Argue, as Earth Warms Up, Scientists Say
Preparing for global warming also demands government action, because temperature increase is unavoidable and will affect everyone, European scientists say ...

Global Warming Facts on Video 

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VP Debate: Biden vs Palin pt8 ...

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Global Warming 101

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Global Warming - Doomsday Call...

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darkstar

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