"We as an industrialised world have affected the SOI (Southern Oscillation Index) and the El Nino events.

Question:Is this true or false? If you can, please give your reasons. I personally think "false", but I might change my mind after reading your opinions!

Answers:
You can argue both ways, but the balance of the scientific debate these days is tipping against you. The discussion is basically about whether "global warming" (or, more correctly, man-made climate change) is a reality. El Nino is a manifestation of climate changes in the southern Pacific. The fact that occasional strong disturbances occur in this area, and that thease mark a change with the past, is not disputed. The scientists came up with the SOI to document the disturbances scientifically.

The whole question, therefore, becomes whether the emission of greenhouse gasses in the industrialised world is a factor driving these developments -- and climate change more generally. There, most people scientists would answer yes, based on the fact that in the last couple of generations global temperatures have increased at a pace never seen before. No one factor other than the higher concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere -- due to cars, heating, the burning of fussile fuels, etc. -- can seem to explain this. Here is a link to further information: http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/glossary/e...