Keeping cool on global warming
- George C. Marshall Inst., Washington, DC (United States) Rockefeller Univ., New York, NY (United States)
- George C. Marshall Inst., Washington, DC (United States)
- George C. Marshall Inst., Washington, DC (United States) Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH (United States)
- George C. Marshall Inst., Washington, DC (United States) George Mason Univ., Fairfax, VA (United States)
A number of scientific groups have concluded that the greenhouse effect caused by the man-made emissions of carbon dioxide and other bases has produced much or all of the rise in global temperatures. They predict that there will be an increase in greenhouse gases equivalent to a doubling of carbon dioxide by the middle of the 21st century, and that this will cause the temperature of the earth to rise by as much as 5C. According to these scientists, a temperature rise of this magnitude would cause major disruptions in the earth's ecosystem, including severe summer drought in the midwestern US and other agricultural regions. The worst-case scenarios predict a major rise in sea level as a result of the greenhouse warming, inundating areas of New York, Miami and other coastal cities as well as low-lying river deltas and islands. The lives of hundreds of millions of people would be disrupted. The available data on climate change, however, do not support these predictions, nor do they support the idea that human activity has caused, or will cause, a dangerous increase in global temperatures. As the authors make this statement, they are aware that it contradicts widespread popular opinion, as well as the technical judgments of some of their colleagues. But it would be imprudent to ignore the facts on global warming that have accumulated over the last two years. These facts indicate that theoretical estimates of the greenhouse problem have greatly exaggerated its seriousness. Enormous economic stakes ride on forthcoming government decisions regarding carbon taxes and other restrictions on CO{sub 2} emissions. Due attention must therefore be given to the scientific evidence, no matter how contrary to popular opinion its implications appear to be. This article discusses the scientific evidence.
- OSTI ID:
- 7003582
- Journal Information:
- Electricity Journal; (United States), Vol. 5:6; ISSN 1040-6190
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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