The Validity of Climate Change

I am really impressed with these websites. I've participated in a few conversations myself where referencing this information would've come in handy quite a bit. I think they're very useful in that they each pose similar myths/facts (just from the opposing perspective) so you can get straight to the problem or misconception and find out what information is out there to support either side. They're extremely straightforward and definitely give some insight into how polarizing (pun not intended) the climate change debate is.

The question of how to make sense of it all gets at a large societal issue, in my view. Being convinced of beliefs without questioning the facts is a pretty widespread phenomenon in this country and causes many problems. Unfortunately, climate change has been politicized to become an issue that is victim to this type of ignorance. To make sense of these things, I think the most important thing we have to learn is to check sources. For example, the Friends of Science website made many claims, but didn't provide links or sources to find out more, read reports, or analyze graphs, while the other website provided many links and included sources for facts that were given. Providing valid sources (such as NASA) should be a sign of good information. A lack of sources should signal to us that we should be skeptical of the information. We have to take the time to find out who is giving us this information and where they are getting their information and sources are the best way to do so. Also, I think there is something to be said for the expansiveness of the website that reports climate change is a problem. It tackles every myth that's out there with expansive information, while the Friends of Science tackles only certain myths with limited information. I think this can also signal who is informed and who has the knowledge to back them up.

Based on this analysis, it is pretty obvious at this point which "side" I support. I do believe there is much more valid evidence supporting the idea that climate change is caused by human activity and is a serious problem that needs addressing. I believe this because the information arguing this comes from reputable sources and many different elements of science and research, all culminating in the conclusion that climate change is a problem and is caused by humans. I am much less convinced by the Friends of Science article because there are few sources (and the ones that are included I've never heard of) and I don't believe them to be reputable, and their information is limited and seems mostly based on generalities as opposed to specific scientific evidence.