Can anyone answer these questions on global warming?

Question

1. What is global warming?

2. Is it really as much of a problem as the documentary suggests?

3. Is any part of global warming natural in origin (meaning would it be going on regardless of whether humans existed or not)?

4. What can/are chemists doing to combat global warming?

5. How is Montana contributing to global warming: either positively or negatively?

If you can answer any of these questions, that'd help a lot.

Answer 1

2. Yes, the overall temperature difference might not seem like alot but it affects the CLIMATE..when the planet gets warmer the weather patterns are (and will) changing which is why we are getting such strong storms such as Hurricane Katrina.  Also, it will cause the Arctic to melt.  In the Arctic, there is alot of carbon frozen in the soil.  When it melts, the carbon will be released and who knows what will happen. Also, it will cause the sea level to rise causing many coastal cities to drown.  

3.  Maybe, but the Keeling curve suggests that it is more than that.  The amount of carbon dioxide that the human race is emitting is increasing faster and faster every year.  That HAS TO have an effect on the environment.  Scientists know that earth will change, but because of what humans are doing to the planet it is NOT natural.

Answer 2

Some scientist are suggesting that most if not all of global warming is a natural occurrence. The earth goes through cycles every 80 to 100 years. When your grandparents used to tell you of walking through a foot of snow to get to school in middle Tennessee you'd now know that they probably did.

Answer 3

Global warming is a natural event that is being exploited to raise taxes and limit individual freedoms.

It is not a problem, as the climate is only 0.5 degs above average after being 0.5 degrees below average for the last 130 years.  +/- 0.5 degrees is well within normal climate variability.

Nasa scientist know that at least 1/2 of all warming has been caused by the Sun.  There are also natural causes.  Man at best contributes the least to any changes in the climate.  Remember this alarmism is over 100ppm (parts per million) increase in co2 over the last 100 years.  That's just an increase of ONE co2 molecule per every million other molecules per year.

Chemist can do nothing as man did not cause it.

Montana has done nothing to contribute to the cause.

Answer 4

1. A slow long-term rise the the temperature averaged over the surface of the planet (i.e. global).  The overwhelming majority of climate scientists attribute most of that warming to increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

2. It depends on which "documentary" you are referring too.  If it's "Inconvenient Truth", then there are a few misleading points, but the basic science is accurate.  While we don't have to worry about New York City being under water anytime soon, there are serious consequences expected this century that will need to be mitigated.

3. Warming in the early part of the 20th century was likely due to a combination of solar and human activity.  But the maximum warming of the latter part of the century attributed to natural (e.g. solar) causes is 10 - 30%.

4. Working on new non-petroleum based energy sources.

5. Don't know.