It's still open to debate whether the Earth is really increasing in average temperature. To trend average temperatures, we need to accurately track them for a pretty long period of time. Some of the records we have a suspect. Of those deemed reliable, the trend may not suggest a real change.
Most people do believe there has been an increase in average temperature, however. The Northern ice caps have receded somewhat. The Antarctic Peninsula has retreated significantly, even if the continents other glaciers are increasing in size. The Earth's oceans have been increasing their levels since 1950, with an increase in the rate since the late 1990s.
Some believe this is caused by CO2. Others claim it's a natural cycle due, in part, to the Earth's current orbit around the sun, which is less elliptical than in the past.
But does it matter?
What does global warming really mean for us?
It means longer growing seasons, more farm land, more room for expansion, and, possibly, more beach front. It will cost less to heat our houses and less to feed our people. Summers will be longer. Winters will be shorter.
Will the land change? Sure. Death Valley could become a sea again. Northern Africa and the Middle East could see rain again, allowing for cultivation of the land. Deserts may move. beaches may recede. Loss of glaciers could reduce available fresh water.
But we'll adjust.
Winter is hard on humans. We have to take some extreme measures to live in cold climates. Global warming could allow us to spend less time fighting to survive and more time advancing civilization.
Global warming could be a really good thing. Until the next ice age...
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