The True and False of Global Warming

The True and False of Global Warming: Human Factors or Non-human Factors Jiayi Guo (Gianna) American University 2019S College Writing (WRTG-100-006) Paul Bisagni April 18, 2019 The True and False of Global Warming: Human Factors or Non-human Factors A recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report indicates that global temperatures will rise by 1.5 0C between 2030 and 2052 as a result of greenhouse gas emissions (Special Report, 2018). This projection comes in the wake of heated controversy among members of the public and policymakers regarding the whole issue of global warming. The United States is one of the places where the debate on climate change and global warming has exposed the multi-faceted nature of the concerns was surrounding the phenomenon. For instance, while global warming is argued to be a result of anthropogenic (e.g., human) activities, some individuals and organizations alike are opposed to this perspective, citing that global warming is nature’s doing, owing to occurrences such as the long-term solar variability (Mörner, 2018). The controversy does not end there. There are concerns that global warming is not real and that it is a hoax created by some opportunistic parties whose interests—be they social, economic, or political—rest on the anxiety that such changes in the environment may bring about. While climate change opponents argue that global warming is false and a hoax, I would argue that global warming is real and calls for urgent measures to rectify it. Implications of the Global Warming Debate Two decades ago, Bord, Fisher & Robert (1998), observed that all the characteristic issues of global warming are challenging to apprehend. Climate change has remained a complex issue that is characterized by considerable uncertainty. Whereas individuals can experience other variations like temperature and rainfall, this is not possible with global warming. The concept of global warming originates from experimental data that climate change scientists have presented. Due to the uncertainty if global warming, different perspectives than inform positions in the debate about global warming demonstrate the essence of the subject for modern society. According to Sachdeva (2016), religion has played a major role in the global warming debate. In many religious doctrines, nature remains an integral component. In most cases, religions offer explanations regarding the creation of the world and the role of humans. It has been proposed that religion serves to bridge the gap between individuals and their environment. While religions may emphasize the connection with nature, this does not automatically translate to conservation (Sachdeva, 2016). Religion plays a critical role in shaping the attitude of the followers regarding global warming at it does with the other environmental issues. The views of religious groups on the issue vary. For instance, Evangelical Christians demonstrate a complex relationship with global warming. According to Smith and Leiserowitz (2013), American evangelicals are likely to accept that global warming is taking place than non-evangelicals; they tend to be supportive of climate change interventions. However, the fact that there is no common understanding of the subject of ...