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Latest evidence for man-made global warming

On Wednesday, scientists showed in an article published in the journal Nature that rising CO2 preceded warming at the end of the last ice age

Sceptics’ case melts more, Gerard Wynn, SMH, April 6, 2012 A clutch of recent studies reinforces evidence that people are causing climate change and suggests debate should now move on to a more precise understanding of its impact on humans.

The reports, published in various journals in recent weeks, add new detail to the theory of climate change and by implication cast contrarians in a more desperate light. To be clear: there’s nothing wrong with doubting climate change; but doubts based on ignorance, a political bias or fossil fuel lobbying don’t help.

The basics, well known, are that rising greenhouse gas emissions are almost certainly responsible for raising global average surface temperatures (by about 0.17 degrees Celsius a decade from 1980-2010), in turn leading to sea level rise (of about 2.3 millimetres a year from 2005-2010) and probably causing more frequent bouts of extreme heatwaves and possibly more erratic rainfall.
Vast uncertainties remain about the risk of runaway warming, and the
urgency: for example, about what level of greenhouse gas emissions
will cause how much sea level rise this century.
The latest studies suggest firmer evidence for a human finger print,
for example showing that pollution is largely responsible for a slow
cycle in sea surface temperatures in the last century.
Recent studies also cast more light on trends, for example showing
that the world has seen hotter years since 1998 (previously held by
some as a record); and presenting firmer forecasts for 2050.
And others show lessons from the end of the last Ice Age: for example
that rises in carbon dioxide preceded (and, by implication, caused)
warming; and that sea levels at one point were rising by several
metres a century.
None of these are individually particular clinchers – the problem was
already clear – but collectively they pin down uncertainty seized on
by sceptics…….
Observations alone of rising temperatures, seas and extreme heatwaves
in the past century are enough to demonstrate the problem, coupled
with the lack of a plausible, alternative explanation to rising
man-made carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Studies

On Wednesday, scientists showed in an article published in the journal Nature that rising CO2 preceded warming at the end of the last ice age…… : http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/sceptics-case-melts-more-20120406-1wg8m.html#ixzz1rObFum7W

April 7, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, climate change