Now all of the above questions are asking me of my political opinion on
such matters. I answered them with my political opinion, I may well be wrong on
them & my answers will stem from a mixture of my logical & emotional
reasoning. I can offer evidence for my opinions if asked but I don't think any
one of my above opinions stated could be considered a 'fact'.
My belief in
climate change however is taken from a scientific perspective. After learning
about climate change in a unit called 'Environmental Management' during my
Business degree, I have looked into the science on many scientific websites, listened to what the national scientific bodies say & I am sure that human activity is the prime reason for the recent rise in warming in the last 200 years. My belief in climate change is as certain as my belief in
evolution- the vast majority of scientists in their field support both theories.
I have researched the science of climate
change by using reputable scientific websites such as the Royal Society's. The Royal Society acts as the UK's academy of sciences & is many of the
world’s most distinguished scientists drawn from all areas of science,
engineering, and medicine. The Society’s fundamental purpose, as it has been
since its foundation in 1660, is "to recognise, promote,
and support excellence in science and to encourage the development and use of
science for the benefit of humanity."
The following quote is taken from the official website of the Royal
Society: "It is certain that increased greenhouse gas emissions from the
burning of fossil fuels and from land use change lead to a warming of climate,
and it is very likely that these greenhouse gases are the dominant cause of the
global warming that has been taking place over the last 50 years."
And "The Society has worked on the issue of climate change
for many years to further the understanding of this issue. These activities
have been informed by decades of publicly available, peer-reviewed studies by
thousands of scientists across a wide range of disciplines. Climate science,
like any other scientific discipline, develops through vigorous debates between
experts, but there is an overwhelming consensus regarding its fundamentals.
Climate science has a firm basis in physics and is supported by a wealth of
evidence from real world observations."
Here's what the
world's most prestigious scientific bodies put it in a joint statement signed by the heads of the national
science academies in Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy,
Japan, Russia, the UK and the US:
"The existence of greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere is vital to life on Earth – in
their absence average temperatures would be about 30 centigrade degrees lower than
they are today. But human activities are now causing atmospheric concentrations
of greenhouse gases – including carbon dioxide, methane, tropospheric ozone, and
nitrous oxide – to rise well above pre-industrial levels.
Carbon dioxide levels have
increased from 280 ppm in 1750 to over 375 ppm today – higher than any previous
levels that can be reliably measured (i.e. in the last 420,000 years).
Increasing greenhouse gases are causing temperatures to rise; the Earth’s
surface warmed by approximately 0.6 centigrade degrees over the twentieth century.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projected that the average
global surface temperatures will continue to increase to between 1.4 centigrade
degree." ( http://www.nationalacademies.org/onpi/06072005.pdf)
Now
onto my political beliefs regarding climate change- I believe through a mixture
of environmental legislation, consumer pressure to make organisations more
environmentally friendly & ethical, greater education & awareness about climate change as it increasingly has a negative impact on people around
the world, we will help to prevent climate change from making our planet uninhabitable. I believe the solutions to climate change will come from a variety of political persuasions so the sooner all sides accept the science the sooner we can focus more on the politics & the possible solutions.
Below are several other reputable & scientific sources on climate change:
Below are several other reputable & scientific sources on climate change:
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