A comment was made in general chemistry today about scientists in the 1970s saying we should be worried about global cooling. Now scientists are warning about global warming. Why are scientists so confused on this issue? A summary of this issue can be found at New Scientist’s web site: here The debate centers around the role of airborne pollutants that are suspended in the atmosphere in form of very small particles and droplets. Most current climate models include the cooling effect of airborne pollutants, but how much they affect global heat balances has been uncertain. Recent reports suggest their role has been greater than previously thought. This leads to the possibility that airborne pollutants have been counteracting the affects of greenhouse gases and delaying (but not stopping) global climate change .
Are scientists really confused on this issue?