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Temperature readings taken from around the world since 1850 prove that the global average temperature has risen by around 0.75 degrees Celsius, so there is no question that there has been a rise in average global temperatures.

Scientists proved in the nineteenth century that greenhouse gases are responsible for keeping the world some 30 degrees Celsius warmer than it otherwise would be. In 1896, Arrhenius completed a laborious numerical computation which suggested that cutting the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere by half could lower the temperature in Europe some 4-5°C (roughly 7-9°F) - that is, to an ice age level. Arrhenius made a calculation for doubling the CO2 in the atmosphere, and estimated it would raise the Earth's temperature some 5-6°C (averaged over all zones of latitude). His calculations did not take into account the effect of the oceans in ameliorating the effect of rising carbon dioxide levels, and in any case Arrhenius and other researchers were only interested in explaining the Ice Ages. No scientist at the time seriously believed that global warming was coming, but they had demonstrated that changes in carbon dioxide levels would cause global warming.

However, chemical analysis of the atmosphere has since shown that atmospheric CO2 concentrations have increased by some 35 per cent since the beginning of the Industrail Age, from the long-term average of 260-280 parts per million (PPM) to the present level of over 400 PPM. Scientists say that by burning fossil fuels, we are now releasing nearly 30 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, in addition to the emissions from cement manufacture and deforestation. Analysis of the proportions of atmospheric carbon isotopes C12, C13 and C14 also proves that most of the increased levels of atmospheric CO2 do come from fossil fuels.

Most climate scientists do believe that human activities have been a significant factor in global warming and consequent climate change.

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What natural factors do scientists think might be causing climate change?

There are no natural factors that scientists think are causing the present climate change. It is now clear that global warming is caused by deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas).


Do most scientists agree that there is conclusive evidence that carbon dioxide drives climate?

Yes, the vast majority of climate scientists agree that there is conclusive evidence showing that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are driving climate change. This consensus is supported by multiple lines of evidence, including historical data, climate models, and physical principles.


What is man's role in global warming?

Humans are responsible for serious deforestation as well as the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas). Climate scientists agree that this is what is causing global warming and climate change.


Is human activity the main cause of climate change?

Human activity is the main cause of the present climate change. Burning fossil fuels and deforestation mean that the amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere has been gradually increasing since the start of the Industrial Revolution. This is causing an accelerated greenhouse effect, which is global warming, and this is causing climate change.


How do we know 97 per cent of climate scientists believe people are contributing to climate change?

An independent study of all the scientists who published literature on climate change was made by William Anderegg in 2010. It found that between 97% and 98% of these scientists agreed with the statement that global warming is being caused by human activity.A survey by Doran in 2009 of 3146 earth scientists found that 97.4% of those who had published on climate change agreed.Scientists need to back up their experiments by publishing the data so that other scientists can check. A survey (by Oreskes in 2004) of all the peer-reviewed abstracts published between 1993 and 2003 found that none of them rejected the consensus (that man is causing global warming).

Related Questions

What natural factors do scientists think might be causing climate change?

There are no natural factors that scientists think are causing the present climate change. It is now clear that global warming is caused by deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas).


What percentage of scientists believe that climate change is real?

Approximately 97 of scientists believe that climate change is real.


Can human activity change the climate?

Yes, the burning of fossil fuels for the past 200 years is accepted by most climate scientists as adding additional greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide) to the atmosphere. This is causing a global warming, which is making the climate change.


Do most scientists agree that there is conclusive evidence that carbon dioxide drives climate?

Yes, the vast majority of climate scientists agree that there is conclusive evidence showing that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are driving climate change. This consensus is supported by multiple lines of evidence, including historical data, climate models, and physical principles.


Do 97 of climate scientists agree on the impact of climate change?

Yes, according to multiple studies and surveys, around 97 of climate scientists agree that climate change is happening and is primarily caused by human activities.


Do 97 of scientists agree on climate change?

Yes, according to multiple studies and surveys, around 97 of climate scientists agree that climate change is happening and is primarily caused by human activities.


What percentage of scientists believe in climate change?

According to multiple surveys and studies, around 97 of actively publishing climate scientists agree that climate change is happening and is primarily caused by human activities.


Do 97 percent of climate scientists agree on the impact of human activities on climate change?

Yes, according to multiple studies and surveys, around 97 of climate scientists agree that human activities are significantly contributing to climate change.


Why did mammoths become exstinct?

Scientists do not know for certain why mammoths died out. Theories include climate change leading to habitat loss or overhunting from humans.


What does earth's shifting have to do with climate change?

Absolutely nothing. Climate change is a big scam put on by dumb scientists.


What is man's role in global warming?

Humans are responsible for serious deforestation as well as the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas). Climate scientists agree that this is what is causing global warming and climate change.


Why do climate scientists believe climate change is real and is of concern?

Climate scientists believe climate change is real and is of concern because they understand the science involved and the factors that contribute to the climate, what controls it, and what is happening that makes the climate change. They also see and understand how the climate is changing and why it is happening.