The debate on the issue of global warming is hot. Many skeptics do not believe in the existence of global warming. However, the theory that global warming is real is valid. The fact is that global warming is real and it is here. There is enough evidence to guarantee the existence and disastrous effects of global warming. The Earth and its inhabitants continue to suffer the consequences every day. Some critics work to deny that global warming is a real problem that needs to be addressed. However, these skeptics will eventually feel the heat, because they are playing with fire. According to Mark Hendrickson, a writer for Forbes magazine, global warming can be considered either a hoax or the crime of the century. He concluded that if there were a global project to reduce the production of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas believed to have contributed significantly to global warming, it would represent a global cost that could reach 552 trillion dollars. dollars. Even with a global reduction in production, global temperatures would only decrease by a few hundredths of a degree. He claims the idea is “…worse than crazy; it is criminal” and that it is “…the horrible truth about what could potentially be the crime of the century.” Although he makes an extremely compelling argument, he fails to see the overall benefits of such a project. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere act like a mirror that reflects heat back to Earth (cause 2). This means that reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will not immediately reduce global temperatures, but will prevent global temperatures from increasing in years to come. Also, r...... middle of paper......drickson, Mark. “Climate change: “hoax” or crime of the century? Forbes. Forbes Magazine, September 16, 2012. Web. December 15, 2013. Mastrandrea, Michael D. and Stephen H. Schneider. NASA – Global warming. World Book Online Reference Center. 2005. October 13, 2013. World Book, Inc. “Hybrid Values.” NRDC: Hybrid values. Natural Resources Defense Council, July 20, 2009. Web. December 24, 2013. “Methane Emissions.” EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, nd Web. December 18, 2013. Muller, Richard A. “The Case Against Global Warming Skepticism.” The Wall Street Journal. Wall Street Journal, October 21, 2011. Web. November 22, 2013. Wines, Michael. "U.S. methane emissions exceed estimates, study finds." The New York Times. The New York Times, November 25, 2013. Web. December 18. 2013.