Manmade Global Warming…Fact or Fiction?

Manmade Global Warming…Fact or Fiction?

Global warming is a controversial subject in both scientific and main stream culture. The earth’s temperature has risen approximately 1.1 °F over the 20th century (Global Warming 1). It is a long standing debate as to the cause of the earth’s rising temperatures. Some may argue that man made global warming does not exist, that the earth has a natural warming cycle, I intend to prove that global warming does exist and is in fact, manmade, causing the earth’s ice packs and glaciers to melt at a rapid pace as well as heat the oceans overall temperature.

According to Wikipedia, Global warming is defined as the increase in the average measured temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century, and its projected continuation (1). The earth’s average temperature has increased 1.1 °F over the 20th century (Global Warming 1). Skeptics argue that this rise in temperature is due to the ending of the climate period known as the “Little Ice Age”. They contend that there is sufficient documentation to prove that the earth went through a global warming period known as the “Medieval Warming period” in 800-1300 AD.

After that period of immense warmth came the “Little Ice Age”, a period of cooling that lasted until the mid 19th century. Scientists have research to document that the earth’s average temperatures were warmer during the “Medieval Warming Period” than they are today. In a radioactive carbon dating test scientist were able to prove that the ocean’s surface temperature was approximately 1 °C warmer 1000 years ago in the Sargasso Sea then today (Keller 3). This fact would lead an observer to believe that the earth cannot be as hot today as in the past which would refute the fact that global warming is manmade.

Some scientists argue that the sun is producing more heat causing temperatures to rise. The sun, being a star, grows brighter and hotter as time passes. It is...