How certain are scientists that humans are causing global climate change? Describe the language used by scientists and some of the particular climate trends they have identified. Why is there still debate about global climate change?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Nearly all environmental scientists agree that Earth's atmosphere and climate are changing. Most environmental scientists have concluded that human activity, particularly the emission of greenhouse gases, is the primary reason for this change. Scientists express conclusions as probabilities, so reports are often written in language that the lay public may interpret as uncertain. Particular climate trends include changes in surface temperature, snow and ice cover, rising sea level and warmer oceans, and alterations to precipitation intensity and patterns. Scientists debate some of the exact mechanisms, how the mechanisms interact in making predictive models, and extent of the effects of global climate change on humans. The debate continues over how to address climate change in political and economic arenas. There is sometimes discourse among scientists, economists, business leaders, policymakers, and others over these issues because some critics of human-induced global climate change have a vested interest in continuing the widespread use of fossil fuels, and they may purposively cast doubt on scientific findings. Furthermore, some greenhouse skeptics and scientists are funded by industries such as the coal, petroleum, and auto industries that benefit from fossil fuel use. Some of these skeptics have considerable sway over policymakers, particularly in the United States. Finally, there is continuing confusion, often in popular media, between short-term "weather" events and the long-term processes of climate change. So, for example, an unusually cold winter in some areas is often reported as a contradiction to scientific evidence for anthropogenic factors contributing to global climate change.