The Visor

Science teachers give insight on global warming

January 21, 2010

The Dec. 15, 2009, issue of The Visor included an editorial “Global Warming Data Manipulated to Help Support Theory.” Readers may have been left with the idea that all of the scientific research that humans are responsible for concerning the increased rate of global warming was made up. This is not so.

Though the actions of some scientists at the University of East Anglia regarding the manipulation of climate data were inexcusable and have been rightly condemned by many scientists, a recent article from the Associated Press (AP), published in the Akron Beacon Journal on December 13, 2009, indicates that the researchers’ leaked emails were not quite as damning as global warming skeptics wanted them to be. (http://www.ohio.com/news/world/79155877.html)

In the AP article, “Review Indicates Scientists Did Not Fake Climate Data,” authors Seth Borenstein, Raphael Satter, and Malcolm Ritter write “The 1,073 e-mails examined by the AP show that scientists harbored private doubts, however slight and fleeting, even as they told the world they were certain about climate change. The exchanges, however, do not undercut the vast body of evidence showing the world is warming because of man-made greenhouse gas emissions.” One group of scientists manipulating data in unethical ways does not destroy decades of evidence that our planet is warming due to increasing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. This is the beauty of science. It takes many independent studies to build a scientific theory.

Furthermore, the AP journalists ended the article with “None of the e-mails flagged by the AP and sent to three climate scientists viewed as moderates in the field changed their opinion that global warming is man-made and a threat. Nor did it alter their support of the conclusions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which some of the scientists helped write.”

If this article makes you wonder what is actually happening, that is great! Check it out for yourself. A multitude of evidence is available that indicates human induced global warming is occurring and will cause average world temperatures to rise. A simple internet search of agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, American Association for the Advancement of Science, National Aeronautic and Space Administration, and the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will allow you to read about the already large body of scientific evidence produced by scientists around the globe that indicates human induced global warming is occurring.

In science classes at Hoban, we urge our students to critically examine scientific evidence as they evaluate various issues and to base opinions and conclusions on reliable sources.

It is often tempting to accept the latest news byte as “truth” without taking the time to examine the source of the information. However, to be good consumers of news and information, we must get our information from more than one source. And we must further determine which sources are most valid.
The scientific evidence for human induced global warming is massive, but there are often media reports that make it appear as if there is just as much evidence to indicate humans are not causing global warming. Global warming is a concern for our planet. To say otherwise is as unethical as the scientists who manipulated their data. We urge you to learn more about this issue and hope that as you do, you will remember that not every opinion carries the same weight in science.

Mrs. Candace Bates
M. Matthew Bryant
Mrs. Judith Mohan

Tags:

 Email This Post        Print This Post