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emissions are the most frequently mentioned of the man-made trace gases in discussions of global warming. CO2 measurements of the atmosphere have increased from 280 parts per million to about 365 ppm since 1800. This is a rise of 85 ppm or less than 1/10th of 1% over the 200 year period that has seen the greatest increase of industrialization in our history. Most would agree that between 1940 and 1970 we were producing increasing amounts of CO2 emissions, and there was an increase from around 305 ppm to 330 ppm: however, mean global temperature deceased by about .17 degrees Celsius in that same period of time (source: giss.nasa.gov).

Perhaps the most dire consequence attributed to global warming is a rise in sea levels due to the melting of Arctic and Antarctic ice. Many experts and environmentalists cite the melting of Antarctic sea ice. The Antarctic Peninsula retreat is well documented but the fact is that Antarctic sea ice has been shown by side looking radar to be increasing by approximately 26.8 gigatons/year reversing the melting trend of 6,000 years (Joghlin, I. And Tulaczyk, S., 2002 "Positive mass balance of the Ross Ice Streams, West Antarctica" Science 295: 476-80).

What does all of this mean? Do the computer models really show a devastating warming trend with catastrophic consequences to our world? Bear in mind that no one feels confident predicting the weather more than 10 days in advance and all computer models are developed from the knowledge and input of humans. The world has experienced climatic change since it first coalesced from the dust of the cosmos. The factors that contribute to that change are beyond our understanding. It is in our own best interests and those of future generations to be good stewards of our little planet Earth. We need to find better alternatives to meet our energy needs while decreasing our dependence on fossil fuels, but we need to do this responsibly. Remember that Chicken Little did nothing to benefit the barnyard.

Sources:
www.ucar.com
g iss.nasa.com
The United States Historical Climatology Network

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