Isn't it amazing how Al Gore "invented" AGW, the current concept of which origintated in the 19th century

Question

with Svante Arrhenius, a full 50 years before Gore's birth? That's quite a talent he has; if anti-AGW-ers really attribute such divine power to him, surely he could possess precognition, too (in which case he'd know for a fact whether or not AGW is real)?

Answer 1

magnus -  Here's one doubter that claimed Al Gore "made up global warming" (which is about the same as inventing):

http://malaysia.answers.yahoo.com/questi...

eric c - You are wrong.  The current theory merely builds on Svante's work and refines it, it in no way is a different theory. That's what science does.  Svante's own estimate was that a doubling of CO2 levels would cause a global warming of approximately 5 C. That would definitely place him in the "alarmist" (or more accurately, the scientific consensus position) camp.

Answer 2

I'm getting confused here...DumDum says that the article she looked up says nothing about Arrhenius and global warming so I clicked on the link (instead of replying extemporaneously like I did on the global cooling question) and found this right in the article in plain sight:

"Arrhenius estimated that halving of CO2 would decrease temperatures by 4 - 5 °C and a doubling of CO2 would cause a temperature rise of 5 - 6 degrees Celsius [1]or 7 - 11 degrees Fahrenheit. Recent (2007) estimates from IPCC say this value (the Climate sensitivity) is likely to be between 2 and 4.5 degrees. What is remarkable is that Arrhenius came so close to the most recent IPCC estimate."

Is this phenomenon-which occurs so often in the AGW debate-a reading comprehension problem or the deliberate attempt to spread disinformation?

Answer 3

Those are two separate theories.  Svante Arrhenius theory states that co2 is a greenhouse gas, and if you increase this gas you will get warming.  No feedback effects.

The current theory is totally different.  It takes the first theory and says that this warming will be amplified many times over by positive feedbacks.  

For the record Al Gore did not invent the current global warming theory, it has been around since the 80's

Answer 4

he invented it right after he invented the internet

Answer 5

I looked him up and it says nothing about him concerning global warming but it does say that he believes that the "greenhouse effect" is the cause of ICE AGES, lol!  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svante_Arrh...

Edit: Just because a theory is old doesn't make it true--there were a lot of theories that don't make any logical sense today because of scientific advances.  Like you, he thought that CO2 causes warming when scientists later on discovered that it pollution causes cooling because of "global dimming," and that increase CO2 follows global warming--not the other way around.  The greenhouse theory made a huge comeback after this (in the 80s).  And you forgot this quote from the wiki link:

"Arrhenius clearly believed that a warmer world would be a positive change."

Answer 6

Could it be Al Gore also invented the time travel to meet with Svante Arrhenius?

Well I just advise people indeed to research a bit about Svante Arrhenius and the history of the greenhouse gas theory.

Looking at some answers we got lately I am just happy that they do not treat physics and chemistry as satanic witchcraft.

What would they say if they had to attend a 1 hour crash-course on spectral absorption and radiation?

Answer 7

He didn't invent that hoax, it's been around for a long time.  He's just the darling boy of the far left AGW believers for his bogus movie.  How else could a movie that's 99% lies be given an Oscar?  That's also why he got a Nobel Peace prize: for propating a socialist lie.  They always give these prizes to nuts like him.

He didn't invent hypocrisy either, he's just one of the biggest hypocrites in history.

Answer 8

Who ever said he invented it?  People are so opposed to him because he's hypocritically exploiting the entire cause for political and monetary gain.  He's taken a leading position on the subject and is being backed by some of the biggest names in media, government and even science (I say "even science" because many of his statements have been proven to be misleading, inaccurate or downright false and they continue to support him).  He and his followers chastise anyone who dare disagree with their agenda as a heretic and to be discredited as "just another crazy" even as they make valid, legitimate points.  The only thing Al Gore "invented" was the Internet.  Don't you remember?  He said so himself.

Answer 9

Svante instituted a theory that the equation of CO2 in the atmosphere is proportional to temperature change.  He wasn't quite right about that.

It was to explain the ice ages, so to be correct...you have to remove the 'A' from the AGW in your question.  Good try though.

Answer 10

My dear emaciated lugubrious laboratory lump, it is self evident even to the most casual observer, that the global mean global temperature is not a function of CO2 concentration.  Now run along, bup, bup, bup, and have another juice box!  You are going to give yourself a headache if you keep thinking like this.

Answer 11

The greenhouse effect was first investigated quantitatively by Svante Arrhenius in 1896, but was “discovered” by Joseph Fourier in 1824.

Using spectrophotometry, John Tyndall in 1859 identified many of the "greenhouse gases" that could trap outgoing infrared radiation.

Svante Arrhenius calculated that emissions from human industry might someday bring a global warming. He thought that it would take 3000 years for atmospheric CO2 levels to double. Because of the fast pace of industrialization, a doubling of atmospheric CO2 will happen before this century is out. Arrhenius was from Sweden, so he thought that global warming would be positive.