Dear Sweet Ill informed Gnu, Scientists from Great Britian did a comprehensive survey of all the existing weather data collected from around the world for the entire 20th century (where and when available). They published their results about 2 years ago.In short, they concluded that the average temperature has gone up a staggering 1 degree a decade during the 20th century localized and eminating outward from industralized areas.
Back in the early 90's a study was commissioned by the US federal goverment under then president Bush SR regarding the ozone layer and global warming. The widely reported results were that the problem was less severe than most thought. The quieter less publicized "We can not stand behind the report the White House issued it is not based on our data , We were pressured to alter our findings" came from the scientists who conducted the study a week later.
As far back as the early 80's enviromental scientists were saying watch the frogs, if they go we are in trouble. Last year a study made the news that stated that frog populations were waning.
Colder than normal temperatures in some regions and some seasons are not out of sync with the global warming theory, in fact, they support it. Extremes of both heat and cold like the desert at night are part of the scenario.Other weather extremes such as increase in tornadoes and severer hurricane seasons are also part of the equasion. Go ask the residence of tornado alley in US about the last few years.
I admit, I myself don't trust science. Scientists tend to prove what they set out to prove and the next scientist can produce a study that refutes everything the last guy said.But, It doesn't take a scientist to know that the Earth is the only planet we got. It doesn't take a scientist to know that severe over population by a species that has removed itself from the natural order and pollutes as much as humans do, could and probably will produce a problem.
The sky is not falling. The earth will recover. Humans are resilent and adaptable, some will survive and repopulate. I just don't think we should risk subjecting our grand children or great great grand children to an extremely brutal thinning of the herd. If there is anything that we can possibly do to stop it, we should do it.The worst that could happen is we do the right thing and it wasn't entirely necassary.Most houses don't burn down, should people stop investing in smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and non-flammable PJ's for the kids?