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Global Warming Controversy : The Debate Around The Climate Change, And Its Causes And / Or Effects

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Global Warming Controversy
Critically assess how the media have used the scientific evidence in the debate around the climate change, and its causes and/or effects

Introduction
Nowadays, the whole world are paying attention on the controversy about climate change and global warming. Hot topics include whether global warming is occurring, warming level in modern times, causes, effects and what that action should be taken (Science Daily). On one hand, there is a strong consensus that human and industries take main responsibility for the rapid increase of global surface temperatures in recent decades, and greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide is the major cause of global warming. Meanwhile, some people that come from organizations with …show more content…

Controversy on Global Temperature Change
Points by supporters:
Help Save the Climate website declares that there are now strong evidences of a rapidly warming world. The Third Assessment Report (TAR) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) contains most of the following. Firstly, the surface thermometer record presents that historical temperature records increased 0.4-0.8°C in the last 100 years (IPCC, 2001). Figure 1 shows the abnormal temperature from 1856 to 2005 comparing with global average surface (horizontal line). It could be observed that global average surface temperature has slightly increased since 1862. And the increase has been enlarged to 0.6 ± 0.2oC when entered 20th century. Help Save the Climate claims 1990s were the warmest decade since records began. This data set clearly reflects the temperature trend based on directly measured temperature, which might has less room for error and no doubt of methodology comparing with more complex means. Natural Resource Defence Council (NRDC) also indicates average global temperature has increased at the fastest rate over past 50 years. Figure 3 obviously shows that we are experiencing an extremely warm period on earth comparing with past 1000 years.

Secondly, glacier record and sea level also could be used as the proof of global warming (Dessler and Parson, 2006). Glacier is one of the most sensitive indicators of climate change. In polar regions, scientists determine temperature

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