At what point will skeptics be convinced of global warming?

Question

Skeptics tell us there is not enough evidence to convince them global warming is real.

So - what would make you skeptics change your mind? The complete melting of the Arctic sea ice? Average temperatures higher than any ever recorded? No frosts in Alaska?

And at that point - would we have reached a point which would take many years even to stabilise the climate?

Answer 1

Maybe if the 20th century warming were to resume, and/or there were any direct evidence of human causation of it?

Answer 2

I'm speaking personally, so please don't apply this to all  'skeptics'.

I need some explanations that I can believe.

The IPCC tells me three fundementals.

1. Man made Global Warming is happening.

2. Anthropogenic greenhouse gases, principally CO2, are causing the Global Warming.

3. Catastrophic consequences for humankind are inevitable if we don't all dramatically change our daily behaviour.

I for one need some clear demonstration that both 1. and 2. are actually true before I will support any political move that very significantly damages my family's, and everyone else's, living standards.

Please show me the evidence that 1. and 2. are true.

- Current global warming is man made.

- Anthropogenic CO2 (and equivalents) are the cause.

When I see this I will no longer be a skeptic.

Answer 3

We already are.

I don't know of any skeptics who don't accept that global warming is happening, that we humans are causing it and that it will probably have some bad effects.

Of course there are a lot of people who call themselves skeptics that actually aren't.

Answer 4

You have a big job ahead of you.  as the majority of literate people are GW skeptics.  Unfortunately, a lot of people have fallen into the 'man-did-it' climate change abyss.

I take it that you are one of "them'??

Answer 5

I used to believe (that we're causing global warming). So actually I later found the skeptics' side to make more sense (scientifically and economically) as I learned more about it over time.  But when Al Gore's movie was first out, I completely believed it and watched his movie as soon as it was out on Netflix.

Answer 6

I think global warning started as global warming in many continents as described in many article published in the Internet and answers can be obtained in the Google Search, many community centres, universities, and libraries. It become a top priority of the matter of public concern now. Hong Kong is a bloody good example for turning to the most polluted city in this world with the following reasons.

1) The majority citizens are lack of the common sense of environmental protection. Rather, they are addictive on stock market shares investments, real estate transaction, gambling heavily in horse races and football games, and don't give a d**n to each other.

2) Hong Kong government is reluctant to amend restrictive laws against the use of fossil fuel for two power generating station which involved the richest man (Li Ka Shing)in Hong Kong is the owner of the CLP, the biggest coal-fired power generating station. The two power generating station has caused 35-40% of Hong Kong year round dark cloudy sky, an article is written by John Roberston with title of " Dreams of Green living. And why they won't come true in Hong Kong." The Hong Kong magazine, May 16, 2008 issue.

3) The car flow capacity is more than 400/km in Hong Kong. Bunker fuels are still used by all ferry boats, sea going ships, trucks and quite a few buses.

You may interest in the following article appears to support your skeptics in global warning.

http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=AhR....

I buy the followings.

http://www.edelman.com/speak_up/blog/arc...

http://www.spaceandmotion.com/environmen...

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/archive/in...

What' more? There were 10 million clinical visits in 2007 in Hong Kong for the treatmant of air pollution caused diseases of astma, hear and lungs. The Li Ka Shing medical centre of University of Hong Kong has provided such report and published in the Apple Daily News (Chinese edition in May/June, 2008

Answer 7

You are one of the people that make us skeptics laugh because you spout incorrect and useless information.  

There are few people that doubt that the average global temperature over the past few decades has risen.  The issue that is controversial is whether human activity is the main cause, a small contributor, or has no effect at all.  The "evidence" that has been used to "prove" the theory that human activity is the main contributor is less than convincing.  

It is going to take more scientific evidence to change my mind than someone saying that the "average temperatures higher than ever recorded" because records have only been recorded for a couple hundred years.  Or that there is a "complete melting of the Arctic sea ice" because there have been periods before man when there was no ice in the Arctic Sea.  That is why it is called the Arctic Sea and not the Arctic Ice Field.  And it will certainly take more than to give the  temperature forecast for New York City for tomorrow.  That has absolutely nothing to do with global warming.

Answer 8

Probably the same point that it would take to get a believer to realize humans are not all bad. And that the affect on climate may not because by us at all.

Answer 9

Although some deniers claim global warming has stopped, it seems most have taken the unshakable stance that any and all warming can not be possibly be man-made.  Apparently even if global average temperatures rose a degree a year it would still be "natural" because 6.5 billion people can't possibly have an effect on something like climate.

Maybe if it becomes next to impossible to grow crops, and food becomes extremely expensive, then they will believe.  But probably not.

EDIT:  BTW there seems to be some confustion about temperature.  If you "double" a temperature of 14 degrees C (287 K) it would be 560 degrees C (574 K).  The zeroes on the celsius and fahrenheit scales are arbitrary.  Perhaps you should refer to temperature anomalies doubling, or just give the actual temperature you have in mind.

Answer 10

When we talk of doubling of temperature we are talking about the global average temperature, which is about 14 or 15 degrees Celsius. So during the time dinasaurs roamed the planet the Global Average Temperature was about 28 degrees Celsius. Which means winters were much milder and the Summers were a little warmer and steamier. We know this by the types of plants that grew during that period of or planets history.

So my guess is that New York would have more 90 degree plus days during the summer and wouldn't drop below 60 in the winter.

Answer 11

Last winter was arctic; sure didn't feel like anything was "warming" then. The Armageddon event you describe as Global Warming isn't going to happen. If global warming is real at all, it is a cyclical climatic event that comes and goes, and which WE CAN DO NOTHING ABOUT. the weather cycles in the world are beyond our puny human ability to influence.

Answer 12

For some it will be never.

After all there still are people who think the Earth is 6000 years old, or that NASA faked the moon landings.  20% of Americans still think George Bush is doing a good job.

Some people are unconvincable.

Answer 13

It is inevitable that there will be environmental terrorism in the future, and I think that only this will trigger much needed change.

Answer 14

Of course global warming is real....we wouldn't have the Great Lakes without it!  Are we responsible for them, too?

Answer 15

What is wanted is verifiable evidence that can be widely duplicated tests that produce the same results and conclusions. None of the conclusions quoted by the AGW supporters has been verified by independent sources. In fact every independent test using supplied data has shown that any climate effects match historical data but are not as extreme as either the Medieval optimum or the earlier Roman Optimum periods. So as geological warm periods go we are having a rather cool and mild one compared to the well documented last two.

Answer 16

Like a dog scratching flees, the earth is in the process of shedding People.  I support the earth in this matter.  It will be okay once it solves this people problem.

Answer 17

get a grip, the world was twice as warm as it is today when the plants and animals that went into making the world's oil were alive... understand that... "twice as warm as now," and we complain that man might have increased world temperature by about a degree (give or take)