4 ms·

> 58% know which gas causes most global warming (carbon dioxide) Actually, it's water vapor. The absorption patterns of water vapor (blue peaks) and carbon

> 58% know which gas causes most global warming (carbon dioxide) Actually, it's water vapor. The absorption patterns of water vapor (blue peaks) and carbon dioxide (pink peaks) overlap in some wavelengths. Water vapor is the most important greenhouse gas overall, being responsible for 41–67% of the greenhouse effect, but its global concentrations are not directly affected by human activity. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gas#:~:text=The%20absorption%20patterns%20of%20water,directly%20affected%20by%20human%20activity https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gas#:~:text=The%2.... Ironic to use a question to judge education quality and then judge by the wrong answer.

mrob 2y ago
This claim relies on an pedantic definition of "causes". The biggest direct cause of global warming is water vapor. However, the main thing affecting water vapor concentration is other greenhouse gases. Therefore the root cause is other greenhouse gases, the most important of which is CO2. Water vapor simply acts as a multiplier to the effect of these other gases.
omnicognate 2y ago
Global warming is the ongoing increase in temperature, which is primarily driven by increasing carbon dioxide levels. It's not the same thing as the greenhouse effect, which is the mechanism by which CO2 and other greenhouse gases affect global temperature. Water vapour is a stronger greenhouse gas but it is not the primary cause of global warming.
- delichon 2y ago
  Water vapor is the primary greenhouse gas directly causing the warming of the globe. If the question is, what is the primary cause of the modern differential in the warming of the globe, there's a different answer. But if answering the literal question rather than an implied question is wrong, it's a lousy question.
  - omnicognate 2y ago
    "The modern differential in the ~warming~ temperature of the globe" is what "Global Warming" is.
    - delichon 2y ago
      If the answer to the literal question is different than the answer to a colloquial interpretation, it may be a good question for judging colloquial interpretation but bad for judging scientific education.
      - sanderjd 2y ago
        The question uses the literal words "global warming", which the parent commenter is saying is defined as "the modern differential in the warming of the globe". That is, they are not saying that is the colloquial definition, but rather is the definition of the term. And you seem to agree that the cause, by that definition, is not water vapor. So I think the only disagreement here is a definitional one. It's famously impossible to say what the single right definition of a term is. In this case, I'm not even totally sure which of your or parent's definition seems to me to be predominant... But I guess I do think it seems most reasonable to read an implicit "modern" or "contemporary" modifier of "global warming" into the question. If it weren't asking about the contemporary phenomenon, it would specify that.
        delichon 2y ago
        > And you seem to agree that the cause, by that definition, is not water vapor. I'm agnostic. I agree that solar variation is not the consensus explanation, but that's less settled than the predominance of water vapor as a greenhouse gas and would substantially work through water vapor if true. But, sigh, claiming not to know is colloquially known as "climate denial".
        sanderjd 2y ago
        > If the question is, what is the primary cause of the modern differential in the warming of the globe, there's a different answer. This seemed to imply that you aren't disputing the answer, based on that definition of global warming which, again, is what the comment you replied to asserts is the definition. But from this comment, it seems to me that you're smuggling a disagreement about the science into a more pedantic point about what "global warming" is defined to mean. For what it's worth, as someone who believes that it's as close to a certainty as science ever gets that atmospheric CO2 concentrations are causal, I am also uncomfortable with the certainty implied by the wording of the question. I would be happier if it were something like, "What is the consensus among climate scientists on which gas is the primary contributor to the warming climate we see today?".
sanderjd 2y ago
I think your point that sometimes the "educated" answer is not the correct one is still a good one, but to me "global warming" is about rates rather than levels - warming, not warmth - and the belief is that the change in atmospheric CO2 concentration is what is causing the warming (change in warmth), whereas water vapor concentration is not changing enough, or in a consistent enough direction, to be the culprit. I feel like the midwit thing applies here... Sometimes the "mid" answer is wrong for subtle reasons that still make it essentially right...

mrob 2y ago

This claim relies on an pedantic definition of "causes". The biggest direct cause of global warming is water vapor. However, the main thing affecting water vapor concentration is other greenhouse gases. Therefore the root cause is other greenhouse gases, the most important of which is CO2. Water vapor simply acts as a multiplier to the effect of these other gases.

omnicognate 2y ago

Global warming is the ongoing increase in temperature, which is primarily driven by increasing carbon dioxide levels. It's not the same thing as the greenhouse effect, which is the mechanism by which CO2 and other greenhouse gases affect global temperature. Water vapour is a stronger greenhouse gas but it is not the primary cause of global warming.

delichon 2y ago
Water vapor is the primary greenhouse gas directly causing the warming of the globe. If the question is, what is the primary cause of the modern differential in the warming of the globe, there's a different answer. But if answering the literal question rather than an implied question is wrong, it's a lousy question.
- omnicognate 2y ago
  "The modern differential in the ~warming~ temperature of the globe" is what "Global Warming" is.
  - delichon 2y ago
    If the answer to the literal question is different than the answer to a colloquial interpretation, it may be a good question for judging colloquial interpretation but bad for judging scientific education.
    - sanderjd 2y ago
      The question uses the literal words "global warming", which the parent commenter is saying is defined as "the modern differential in the warming of the globe". That is, they are not saying that is the colloquial definition, but rather is the definition of the term. And you seem to agree that the cause, by that definition, is not water vapor. So I think the only disagreement here is a definitional one. It's famously impossible to say what the single right definition of a term is. In this case, I'm not even totally sure which of your or parent's definition seems to me to be predominant... But I guess I do think it seems most reasonable to read an implicit "modern" or "contemporary" modifier of "global warming" into the question. If it weren't asking about the contemporary phenomenon, it would specify that.
      - delichon 2y ago
        > And you seem to agree that the cause, by that definition, is not water vapor. I'm agnostic. I agree that solar variation is not the consensus explanation, but that's less settled than the predominance of water vapor as a greenhouse gas and would substantially work through water vapor if true. But, sigh, claiming not to know is colloquially known as "climate denial".
        sanderjd 2y ago
        > If the question is, what is the primary cause of the modern differential in the warming of the globe, there's a different answer. This seemed to imply that you aren't disputing the answer, based on that definition of global warming which, again, is what the comment you replied to asserts is the definition. But from this comment, it seems to me that you're smuggling a disagreement about the science into a more pedantic point about what "global warming" is defined to mean. For what it's worth, as someone who believes that it's as close to a certainty as science ever gets that atmospheric CO2 concentrations are causal, I am also uncomfortable with the certainty implied by the wording of the question. I would be happier if it were something like, "What is the consensus among climate scientists on which gas is the primary contributor to the warming climate we see today?".

sanderjd 2y ago

I think your point that sometimes the "educated" answer is not the correct one is still a good one, but to me "global warming" is about rates rather than levels - warming, not warmth - and the belief is that the change in atmospheric CO2 concentration is what is causing the warming (change in warmth), whereas water vapor concentration is not changing enough, or in a consistent enough direction, to be the culprit. I feel like the midwit thing applies here... Sometimes the "mid" answer is wrong for subtle reasons that still make it essentially right...