Global warming undeniable

ENVIRONMENT - Its hard to believe there is still global warming deniers out there. But they do exist, and they're often so stuck in their ways no amount of evidence would convince them otherwise.

Scientists have released a comprehensive review of climate change indicators which confirm the world is warming and that the past decade is the warming on record. The review was compiled by 300 scientists from 48 countries and its conclusions based on the 10 indicators are “clearly and directly related to surface temperatures, all tell the same story: Global warming is undeniable.”

The 10 indicators are average air temperature, the ratio of water vapour to air, ocean heat content, sea surface temperature, sea level, snow cover, glaciers, sea ice, air temperature over the ocean and air temperature over land. These 10 were selected because they are the most obviously related indicators of global temperature that can easily be measured.

This report is just one of many comprehensive reports which have come out in recent years. What is unique about this one is that it doesn't list a cause.

The report mentions nothing about greenhouse gases. Its only assertion is that based on the data present global warming exists and is undeniable. There is no doubt whatsover that the Earth is getting hotter.

Convincing deniers however that greenhouse gases is the cause is trickier. Deniers will blame global warming on anything (God, the sun getting hotter, 2012, people eating too many beans, whatever excuse they can think of).

The report also confirms that the 1990s was hotter than the 1980s, and likewise the 2000s was hotter than the 1990s. Each decade hotter than the last, and each year is hotter than the year a decade earlier. Lastly it also confirms the 2000s was the warmest decade on record.

The report also cites the dangers of global warming which includes droughts, deadly heat waves, dwindling clean water supply, rising sea levels, food shortages, loss of agricultural land and climate change.

A different report from Princeton University says migration will become a major issue in the future, suggesting 6.7 million Mexicans might migrate to the United States due to droughts and foot shortages in Mexico.