Temperature Increase

Is Earth’s temperature increasing and is the recent trend unusual compared to temperature trends in the past?
Skeptics’ Claim to Debunk: Earth’s climate (global average temperature) has changed in the past and recent changes are NOT unusual.

Skeptics’ Sub-claims:

  • It was warmer during the Medieval Warm period.
  • It’s the urban heat island effect.
  • It is cooling. We’re heading into an ice age.
  • An ice age was predicted in the 1970s.
  • The Medieval Warm Period was warmer.
  • The “Hockey Stick” is broken.

Core Science Concepts Needed to Understand the Argument:

Factors that Affect Temperature (Latitude, Angle of Solar Radiation, Seasons, Water, Ocean Currents, Elevation), Methods for Studying Past Temperature, Temperature Trends (Over Geologic Time, Past 2,000 Years, and Since the Industrial Revolution)