Is Global Warming a Natural Cycle or Man Made?
Do you want to rile up a hornets nest of opinions? As a group of people whether global warming is a natural cycle or man made. There is much to debate on the subject.
The term global warming is a bit of a misnomer. It seems to imply a condition where the entire globe universally gets warmer. While this is generally true, it actually means some areas will get cooler while others get hotter. It also means some areas will become much more arid while others will become much wetter. This constant “ying-yang” comparison is a very small example of how complex the system is.
The earth has often been much hotter than it is now. It has also often been much colder than it is now. Long ago, the earth was even completely covered by ice for a long period of time. This is all because of a feedback system that is unique to the planet. The planet heats up and cools down in natural cycles that are attributed to everything from volcanic eruptions that block out the sun to the 11 year cycle of sun spots on that vital bright ball of fire we see everyday in the sky.
In contrast, there is little doubt that we humans can pollute the world at a rather staggering rate. The last 100 years have seen our society make huge leaps forward, but there has been a cost. Our use of fossil fuels has produced massive amounts of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases. They are called greenhouse gases because they get into the atmosphere and tend to keep heat from escaping into space. This, in turn, heats up the planet giving us global warming.
So, is global warming a natural cycle or man made? The answer appears to be both to some extent. The planet goes through periods where it naturally heats up and cools down. At the same time, it is fairly clear that the massive amounts of greenhouse gases we are putting into the atmosphere certainly must be having a particular effect.
This raises the obvious question of what percentage are each causing and, alas, there is no clear answer. This is where things get very opinionated. Some feel the environment could go haywire in the next few years while others think the planet is about to enter a cooling period. Who is correct? You will just have to make up your own mind on that one.
