What are arguments to dismiss about global warming?

Answer 1

All the following are arguments to dismiss:

(Another contributor wrote:)

1. CO2 has never caused warming, it has only followed it

The statement is false. CO2 changes have both preceded and amplified natural warming and cooling trends.

2. There have been zero record years of warming since 1998

Again, false. 2005 and 2010 were both warmer than 1998, and in the US 2012 was the hottest year on record.

3. The warming we have seen started over 6000 years ago

False again. The current warming trend actually began more than 15,000 years ago.

4. There has been only a 0.007% change in our atmosphere

This one is true, but irrelevant, in that N2 and O2 are thermodynamically inert in the infrared spectrum. On the other hand, CO2 has increased from under 300 ppm to 400 ppm in just 60 years. Unprecedented.

5. Ice has been growing in the Antarctic at roughly the same rate as the 4% decrease in the Arctic

Again, false. Although the EXTENT of Antarctic ice has increased, the total volume of it has also decreased.

6. The current research is extremely incomplete

This contention is true of every science, depending on the definition of "extreme." We know enough about gravity to make accurate trajectory predictions. The same holds true for climate science.

7. There have been 4 known cycles similar to present all with more warming then present

Simply and absurdly false.

8. CO2 is not the primary greenhouse gas, water vapor is (80% is water vapor)

This one is true, though water vapor tends to be self regulating, and literally rains out of the atmosphere when conditions are right. CO2 lingers centuries.

9. Man produces less then 7% of all CO2

Absurdly and demonstrably false. Whereas man's annual contribution compared to the natural carbon cycle (plants die in the fall and grow in the spring) is small, the overall contribution is almost entirely human engineered. This fact becomes obvious considering the natural CO2 variation was from 250 to 280 ppm in the 800,000 years preceding the industrial revolution.

10. Man produces less then .3% of all greenhouse gas

Another completely bogus statistic.

11. Many climate experts call the concept foolishness

This depends upon the definition of "many." Less than 3% of climate scientists think the human contribution to global warming is not significant. The number of published experts describing the scientific consensus as "foolishness" is approximately zero.

12. The hockeystick graph ignored the warming of the middle ages and can not be reproduced.

Both statements are false.

13. Doc Hansen (creator of the idea) has been found doctoring numbers and sloppy work

Doc Hansen did not invent the notion of global warming. Whether he has doctored numbers or not is an ad hominem argument that does not apply to the vast majority of climate scientists.

14. From 1938 until 1979 science was pretty sure of global cooling

False. In the early 1970s SOME climate scientists though there might be global cooling. Most of these changed their mind well before the end of the decade.

15. Most of the current warming occurred before 1938 (11 degrees)

False.

16. 1850 is the start year used for most claims of warming because it was a extremely cool year

False. While 1850 may have been a cool year, most charts begin with widespread temperature records, beginning around 1880. Many parts of the world lacked decent temperature records between 1850 and 1880.

17. Only 0.2 degrees of warming has occurred if we use 1938 as a start point

False.

18. Global Cooling has occurred if we use the 1400's as a start point

False.