Talk:Global warming/FAQ

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This page lists questions and assertions that have come up repeatedly on the talk page of the articles related to global warming.

Please note that this page does not constitute any part of the article space for wikipedia, and only exists as a useful place to put frequently asked questions and their frequently given answers. Do not use this as a debating place.

Contents 1 1. Is there really a scientific consensus on global warming? 2 2. Water vapour is the most important greenhouse gas! 3 3. There is a substantial segment of the scientific community that strenuously disagrees with the premise that global warming is dooming our planet 4 4. Scientists only support global warming to get more money 5 5. It was obviously much warmer when the Norse settled Greenland 6 6. The IPCC reports are prepared by biased UN scientists 7 7. I don't believe that global warming is happening or that it is caused by human activity!

[edit] 1. Is there really a scientific consensus on global warming?

Yes. The IPCC position has been derived using a consensus process. This has been reinforced by independent analysis of the scientific literature, see Scientific_opinion_on_climate_change#Oreskes.2C_2004.

[edit] 2. Water vapour is the most important greenhouse gas!

See Greenhouse_gas#The_role_of_water_vapor and Greenhouse_effect#The_greenhouse_gases for details.

Water vapour is indeed a major greenhouse gas, and contributes significantly to the greenhouse effect. However, water vapour has a very short atmospheric lifetime, and is very nearly in a dynamic equilibrium in the atmosphere, which globally maintains a nearly constant relative humidity. Increased temperatures will increase the absolute amount of water vapour in the atmosphere, and hence the greenhouse effect. This is an example of a positive feedback effect. Thus, while water vapour does not act at a climate driver, it does tend to amplify existing trends.

[edit] 3. There is a substantial segment of the scientific community that strenuously disagrees with the premise that global warming is dooming our planet

This page is about the science of global warming. It doesn't talk about planetary doom or catastrophe.

[edit] 4. Scientists only support global warming to get more money

Scientists participate in international organizations like the IPCC as part of their normal academic duties. They do not receive any extra compensation beyond possibly direct expenses.

Scientific grants also do not usually award any money to a scientist personally, but only towards his or her scientific work. Typically, the grant holder does not even see any of the money. It goes to his or her university (or other institution), which deducts its overhead (from 20 to 50% - that covers not just administration, but also things like buildings, energy, lab space, generic infrastructure, and so on). The grant holder can then charge project expenses (research assistents, specialized equipment, travel money, and so on) to this account as long as some balance remains. Some kinds of grants in the US allow the grant holder to "buy" himself out of certain teaching obligations (i.e. he does more research, less teaching) by hiring a substitute lecturer. But none of the money goes into his own pockets. There may at most be a weak indirect effect: Having grants is seen as a good thing, and may help the scientist when renegotiating the base salary with the university (mostly in the US), or when applying to other universities.

It could also be argued that more money lies in examining the policy debate on global warming. [1] [2]

[edit] 5. It was obviously much warmer when the Norse settled Greenland

Greenland was not significantly warmer during the period of Norse settlement. While much of Greenland was and remains under a large ice shelf, the areas of Greenland that were settled by the Norse were coastal areas with fjords that, to this day, remain quite green. A map of the Eastern Settlement [3]; a satellite image of that area today [4]. A map of the Western Settlement [5]; a satellite image of that area today [6]. A zoom in on the general area where the Brattahlid and Gardar farms were located [7]. A zoom in on the general area of the Sandnes farm [8]. Photos of the Gardar ruins: [9] [10], the Brattahlid ruins [11] [12]:, Hvalsey church: [13], and Sandnes Farm: [14].

[edit] 6. The IPCC reports are prepared by biased UN scientists

The IPCC reports are not produced by "UN scientists". The IPCC does not employ the scientists who generate the reports, and has no significant control over them. The scientists are internationally recognized experts, most with a long history of successful research in the field. They are employed by a number of different organizations, including scientific research institutes, agencies like NASA and NOAA, and universities. They receive no extra renumeration for their participation in the IPCC process, which is considered a normal part of their academic duties. The latest (fourth) IPCC report was prepared by over 850 authors and reviewed by more than 2500 expert reviewers from all over the world.

[edit] 7. I don't believe that global warming is happening or that it is caused by human activity!

You're well entitled to have this opinion despite what the scientific field has to say, but expressing it on the talk page unfortunately does not improve the article. Please limit your comments to improving the article, not discussing the topic. There are many forums which welcome discussions of global warming but this is not a forum.