 "Photo: Jagdeep Singh")
Although it is widely accepted to exist, the question of whether humans truly cause global warming still remains.
This issue and more was addressed in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's report "Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis," which was released on Friday.
Mark Svoboda, an associate geoscientist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said the new report placed emphasis on showing the role humans have on global warming.
"I don't think global warming is debatable," Svoboda said. "What's more debatable is how accountable we are."
Svoboda said it's difficult to determine how much weather patterns, such as increases in hurricanes and drought, are caused by human interaction with the environment. That's because the models examined tend to tell different stories of global warming, he said.
Coastal regions tend to have more evidence of global warming's effects, such as rising sea levels. In these areas, it is possible to estimate how much more the sea levels could rise, he said.
Because Nebraska is landlocked, it is difficult to pinpoint what changes are occurring in the state.
"The affects of global warming on Nebraska could have some implications for rural farming communities," said Megan Jackson, a member of Ecology Now!, UNL's student environmental group. The effects of global warming can be unpredictable, she said.
"It's really a rising concern with farm yields," said Jackson, a junior environmental studies major.
There is debate about whether droughts are directly related to global warming or if the warming is a natural, cyclical event, Svoboda said.
"When you go back historically, you see droughts," Svoboda said.
Research is being conducted to look at the frequency of droughts and see whether the time between droughts is really decreasing, he said.
Jackson said people who are concerned about the implications of global warming should cut back on emissions, which can be done by recycling. She said it's also important to know the stances of the representatives they elect to office.
"It's a problem and it needs to be addressed," Jackson said. "We are coming to a tipping point where our problems are not going to be reversible."
