by Geoff Stars

Created on: February 21, 2007   Last Updated: May 09, 2007

Global warming is a serious problem. The most common criticism of global warming is that the earth goes through warming and cooling cycles, and the current trend is no different. The problem with this belief is that it is only partly true. Yes the earth goes through warming and cooling cycles, but the warming since the beginning fo the industrial age has been more dramatic and severe than any other time that we have been able to study. Since it coincides with the beginning of the industrial age when the increase in air pollution increased dramatically, it is reasonable to see a connection between human activity and global warming.

Another criticism is that we only have climate records over the past few hundred years (some records in Europe date back hundreds of years). Science has been able to solve this problem by studying tree rings, ice cores, lake bed analyses, and other methods. Analyses of these types has allowed us to know a lot about the climate over a larger time scale. This has given use the knowledge about the earth's warming and cooling cycles, and shown the current trend.

Global warming may seem like a good thing to many northern and southern areas, but this is not necessarily true. Right now places in Alaska are having trouble with their infrastructure collapsing because of the melting of the permafrost. The melting of glaciers also can be a major problem. One of the problems is the rise in sea level which would place large portions of the inhabited lands on earth under water. Such countries as the Maldives will disappear. An even larger problem is the influx of fresh water into the ocean. The decrease in salinity has been slowing down the ocean currents (the best known being the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic). The Gulf Stream provides the mild climate in Europe. If (or when) the Gulf Stream stops, the climate in Europe will dramatically change. The temperatures will decrease and a mini ice age will occur. Global warming, in affect, will cause an ice age.

It is well known that the planet is in a fine balance, and throwing off that balance causes problems. The climate is currently being changed, and because of that, the earth will react.

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