High pressure is settling in over the central U.S. and will bring unseasonably warm temperatures for the Thanksgiving Weekend. No doubt, the topic of Global Warming will be triggered once again, though temporary swings in regional temperatures have nothing to do with that phenomenon. Throughout the history of our planet, there have been recurrent periods of global warming and cooling, often lasting thousands, or even millions, of years. Indeed, some geologists believe that the Holocene, in which we live, is merely another warm, interglacial peroid of the Pleistocene Ice Age. The cause for these climate changes is an ongoing subject of scientific debate, with factors such as continental drift and alterations in ocean currents among the leading candidates. Short periods of cooling have been directly attributed to massive volcanic eruptions and large meteor strikes, which increase the particulate matter in the upper atmosphere and thereby reduce the amount of solar radiation that reaches the Earth.
Man has clearly had a significant impact on Earth's ecosystems in a variety of ways. The combustion of fossil fuels, the clearance of forests and the pollution of our waterways have all been detrimental. Whether you believe that the current phase of Global Warming is due totally or only partially to man's activity, it seems to me that we can all agree on one thing. We, as a powerful yet dependent species, should do whatever we can to minimize our impact on the ecology of our home planet.
