What arguments are there against stopping global warming?

Answer 1

Some argue that science is never settled, but that is inaccurate. Science remains settled until new evidence is brought to light overturning well supported theory. In the case of global warming, the science is firmly established that increasing the abundance of heat trapping gas in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, results in increasing temperature.

The points against this science tend to be political rather than scientific. Doing anything to reduce or sequester CO2 will have short term economic disadvantages, and upset the status quo. Of course, the long term economic disadvantages resulting from continued inaction will be enormous, but humans are renowned for short sightedness.

A list of points "against" global warming:

Warming might be a result of some unknown and unobserved solar cycle, instead of the increasing abundance of heat trapping gases.

Warming could be simply imaginary, in that scientists may have bungled the measurements indicating it is occurring.

Glaciers in a few locations around the world are not retreating as fast as most glaciers are, which we could take as a sign global warming isn't real after all.

Earth has undergone cycles of warming and cooling before, which man had no part in causing. Therefore, logically, we may safely conclude it is impossible human activity might play any role in the current dramatic warming trend.

Answer 2

We start with the following list, taken from the related question:

Arguments against Global Warming1. CO2 has never caused warming, it has only followed it

2. There have been zero record years of warming since 1998

3. The warming we have seen started over 6000 years ago

4. There has been only a 0.007% change in our atmosphere

5. Ice has been growing in the Antarctic at roughly the same rate as the 4% decrease in the Arctic

6. The current research is extremely incomplete

7. There have been 4 known cycles similar to present, all with more warming then present.

8. CO2 is not the primary greenhouse gas, water vapor is (80% is water vapor)

9. Man produces less then 7% of all CO2

10. Man produces less then .3% of all greenhouse gas

11. Many climate experts call the concept foolishness

12. The hockeystick graph ignored the warming of the middle ages and can not be reproduced.

13. Doc Hansen (creator of the idea) has been found doctoring numbers and sloppy work

14. From 1938 until 1979 science was pretty sure of global cooling

15. Most of the current warming occurred before 1938 (11 degrees)

16. 1850 is the start year used for most claims of warming because it was a extremely cool year

17. Only 0.2 degrees of warming has occurred if we use 1938 as a start point

18. Global Cooling has occurred if we use the 1400's as a start point

Counterarguments1. This cannot be proven. Just because CO2 follows global warming does not mean that an excess of CO2 can not cause global warming. As CO2 is a greenhouse gas, it stands that it would help increase global warming.

2. 2005 and 2010 were hotter than 1998. The ten warmest years on record have been since 1997.

3. The statement makes the implicit argument that nothing we are doing now is having an effect on the temperature; while this is possible, it is improbable.

This is a also causality fallacy. For example: The shore was eroding thousands of years before we built the house upon it. Therefore, building the house has not caused the shore to erode.

False: The extra weight of the house has INCREASED the rate of erosion.

The parallel statement to that is humans may have increased the rate of global warming.

4. This arguments argues that a small change cannot effect a big change. This is contested with the theory of the butterfly effect, where a single action has exponential consequences. Further, when dealing with something organic such as the earth, small percentages can make a big difference.

5.

6. This is not really an argument, as it is a call to inaction or imprudence.

7.

8. This does not mean Carbon Dioxide does not have an effect. For example: If bleach cleans clothes, does this mean laundry detergent does not?

9. Who is to say this percentage is not significant? See 4.

10. See 9.

11. Many do not. This argument does not provide evidence, but does prove that Global Warming should still be debated.

12. It is agreed that this cannot be proven due to lack of data. However, it was agreed that the 20th century was probably the hottest on record in the past thousand years.

13. This is still under debate. Further, is all the evidence gathered since affected by how Doc Hansen interpreted the data? Certainly not.

14. Complete fallacy. This theory was little supported, and only ran for a few years from 1970-1990.

15. Scientific ignorance: Due to the heat dissipation of the earth, it is harder to raise a thing one degree when it is hotter, than when it is colder. eg. if you have half a glass of cold water (5 deg), pouring in glass of hot water (35 deg) approximately cancels it out, leaving you with warm water (20 deg, a 15 deg change) However, if you have warm water to start, then pouring in the hot water will give you hot-warm water, (27.5, a 7.5 deg change)>

16. Admittedly scientists have chosen the coolest year to try and show the biggest result. Even if you switch years to 1830, there is still a net warming result.

17. This is the same type of argument as 16! How can one refute one argument, and then give the exact same argument for the other side?

18. See 17. Also, this is false.

Answer 3

Arguments to keep global warming increasing? I don't know any. There are so many dangerous and life-threatening scenarios from increased global warming that nobody wants it to continue.