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The first step in evaluating the question of global warming is to consider the quality of information you have been exposed to so far. It may not be a fair representation of what the expert climate scientists believe. For over a decade, large corporations in the fossil fuel industry have spent millions attempting to influence the public's perception of global warming by portraying a much higher level of uncertainty than that which actually exists in the scientific community. It is easier to promote doubt in the public discussion about a complex subject than it is to produce better research or observations that change the consensus among scientists. More. Similarly, since taking office in 2000, the Bush administration has suppressed and distorted government reports on global warming. They have regularly altered reports by government scientists to promote uncertainty. More. To influence the political process, big oil and big coal corporations have spent millions over the years on lobbyists and on campaign contributions. They have targeted journalists and media outlets. Consequently, coverage of newsworthy peer reviewed studies which support global warming usually include quotes from one or more of the doubters in the interest of balance. In the public’s eye, the results of rigorous scientific study end up on the same footing as the critical comments from a small minority, who, in many cases, indirectly receive financial support from the Fossil Fuel Corporations. This reinforces the impression that there is uncertainty about global warming. These efforts have succeeded in convincing much of the public that the science is in dispute, but they have failed to change the consensus in the scientific community. The overwhelming majority of climate scientists have been in agreement for the past decade that global warming is happening and that human-caused emissions of CO2 are a significant contributor to the problem. Read on and see if the documentation supports this conclusion.
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