Global Warming

Let me start off by saying that global warming is a fact. Among scientists, there is little disagreement that the world is a lot warmer than it was 100 years ago. In fact, it is almost impossible to deny on a scientific basis. If you express temperature change as a linear function over the time interval of 1906-2005, there is a 0.74°C increase. NASA estimates that 2009 is the warmest year since accurate measurements have been available. We can visually see the effect of temperature change on the melting and retreating of glaciers:

http://earthfirst.com/say-goodbye-to-the-world%E2%80%99s-highest-glacier/

Most scientists attribute a significant portion of this temperature change to greenhouse gases produced from human industrial processes. These gases, such as carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide, are released into the atmosphere, where they absorb and hold heat, creating the greenhouse effect. Natural greenhouse gases help to preserve a temperature that can sustain life, but adding more gas will get the Earth above its ideal temperature.

Global warming should come as no surprise. Changes in temperatures, both up and down, have been occurring for the past 18,000 years. There have been extreme temperature changes before, such as transitioning out of the ice age and more recently the Medieval Warming Period. Geologists say that the glaciers have alternated between retreating and advancing as the earth has warmed and cooled for millions of years.

Considering the history of the Earth, I do not believe that global warming is a problem that we have to solve right now. Plants and animals, including humans, will adapt to shifts in weather patterns, as adaptation is a natural process. Based on a history of extreme temperature changes, It is difficult to determine how much harm it will cause. I think that acting on global warming as a major problem in the world will cause an unnecessary amount of economic damage as we try to help the environment by cutting back on emissions, as well as other things. Do not get me wrong, I believe that the environment is one of our most valuable positions and I am an advocate for going green and conserving energy and materials. However, instead of pushing money into global warming  with our limited technology and weak knowledge, I think the money would be better spent improving the quality of life around the world and helping others reach advance states of scientific development. This way, if and when global warming does become a problem, there will be a significantly greater number of people with significantly better technology ready to fix it.