So to start off, here is the link to the article. It is fairly short, give it a read, and let us know what you think!
I want to point out a couple of things myself...
First and foremost, I think it is very import to realize with this whole "Global Warming" topic, that this is about climate change. So this is a topic for Climatologists to address, not Meteorologists. Don't know the difference? Read this article. Talking to a meteorologist about climate change is like talking to an astronomer about astrology, or going to a dermatologist for your broken bone. In other words, while climatologists and meteorologists do look at some of the same stuff and know some of the same things, I think they are very different. I took several classes in climatology in college and I will honestly tell you, I have no interest in climatology, yet love everything meteorology, and I think that is the case for most meteorologists.
That being said, since most climatologists do not have much interaction with the public, most of the public turns to their local meteorologists for information about "Global Warming" or "Climate Change." Now even though I completely discredited myself on this topic in my first paragraph, I will still give my thoughts about this for those who care...
There is obvious evidence that our earth has been warming over the time that we have kept records, so that is really not the debate. The question is whether humans have caused this change, and if so, what will the effects be? In my opinion (and remember I am not a Climatologist), our records don't go back nearly as long as the earth has existed, so how do we know this change is not natural? If we were all alive during one of the great Ice Ages, would we then be talking about how we are causing "Global Cooling?" We know that over the lifespan of the Earth it has gone through periods of Climate Change for various reasons, some of which was before humans even existed. While all that is going through my mind, I also do know that humans can and have changed the weather and climate. Just think of such examples as Urban Heat Island, Smog, and the Dust Bowl, to name a few.
To sum it all up... While I don't think we should panic and think the earth will melt in a few years, I do think we should continue to research this topic as much as we can, and change a few of our daily practices to become a little bit more earth friendly. That can't hurt, and as my mom always told me "It's better to be safe than sorry!"
Now remember, before you go to the office water cooler and spark up a debate about Global Warming and quote this blog... I am just like a dermatologist telling you how to fix your broken arm! But you can quote me and say, "It is going to be hot this week!"
