For some reason, global warming still remains a divisive issue. While there have been many measures implemented through government regulation and education about the environment for decades, some people still don't believe global warming is something we need to be worried about or a phenomena that exists at all. Gallup reported in March that 65 percent of Americans believe global warming is happening or will happen during their lifetime, but only 36 percent actually see it as a threat.
Sorry to burst their bubble, but global warming is happening, and it's not stopping any time soon. Last year, a study by The Consensus Project found that a whopping 97 percent of published papers had the position that global warming is happening and that humans are to blame.
So for the Americans that remain unconvinced, Skeptical Science has created a new campaign. "97 Hours of Consensus" aims to bridge the consensus gap by posting a cute cartoon figure of a climate scientist along with a statement from him or her regarding global warming.
The campaign started on Sept. 7, so it's only got about 18 hours left. However, you can check out the hour's quote from the climate scientist on the special "97 Hours of Consensus" standalone site. But don't worry. In case you don't have the time, desire or patience to stare at the computer screen all day. All of the other statements that have been posted are there for your perusal, too. With the caricatures lined up in all of their fun, animated glory, "97 Hours of Consensus" kind of looks like "97 Hours of 'Family Guy,'" but it's still cool to look at and learn something, too.
Skeptical Science kicked off the campaign with a quote from Michael E. Mann from Pennsylvania State University who is famous for creating the "hockey stick graph," which shows that Earth's temperatures have been getting warmer since at least the year 1400. The graph also shows that there was a sharp uptick (known as "the blade") in temperature in the last century.
Here are some other highlights from the campaign.
No matter what Americans think about global warming, public policy to try and curb it marches on. The Obama administration is currently working on an international climate change agreement to get countries to cut their carbon emissions. The measure will be signed at the United Nations summit meeting in 2015. And we all know that as the 2016 presidential election approaches, environmental policy is going to once again come to the forefront of the political agenda.
