CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions are at an all-time high. In May 2013, the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere exceeded 400 parts per million. This is “approaching the halfway mark between preindustrial amounts and a doubling of those levels” (Washington Post J). This is a very large increase in the amount of CO2 in our atmosphere over a short period of time. One might ask what consequence could come of having such a large volume of CO2 floating around our atmosphere. The Union of Concerned Scientists says that CO2 is considered a greenhouse gas. Greenhouse gasses are gasses that trap radiant energy in the lower atmosphere. Energy travels from the sun to Earth, which is then either absorbed by the atmosphere and ground. The energy that does not get absorbed into the ground is reflected back into the atmosphere and then either goes into space or gets trapped by greenhouse gasses. More heat energy will be trapped if there are more greenhouse gasses floating around in Earth’s atmosphere (UCS). Due to the nature of greenhouse gasses, doubling the CO2 levels in our atmosphere is projected to result in warming of four to seven degrees during this century. (Washington Post J). The current CO2 levels are troubling because if there is more heat being trapped in the atmosphere, then the Earth’s climate would also be expected to increase.
Average global temperatures have been increasing at an accelerating rate over the past few decades. NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies has been analyzing and recording the average global temperatures since 1880. NASA scientists say that 2013 tied with 2009 and 2006 as the 7th warmest year. The 10 warmest years in 134-year record have occurred since 2000 with the exception of 1998 and 2010 and...
... middle of paper ...
...Scientific Credibility - In One Pie Chart."Why Climate Deniers Have No Scientific Credibility - In One Pie Chart. DeSmogBlog, 15 Nov. 2012. Web. 14 Feb. 2014.
(G)Rice, Doyle. "Arctic Gets a Break in 2013, but Warming Still Ongoing." Gannett News Service. 12 Dec. 2013: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 07 Feb. 2014.
(E) Sobel, Adam, and The Opinions Expressed in This Commentary Are Solely Those of Adam Sobel. "Record Cold Doesn't Disprove Global Warming." CNN. Cable News Network, 07 Jan. 2014. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
(B)Spotts, Pete. “Climate Change: Scientists Now 95 Percent Certain We Are Mostly to…” Christian Science Monitor. 20 Aug. 2013: n.p. Sirs Issues Reseracher. Web. 13 Feb. 2014.
"Why Does CO2 Get Most of the Attention When There Are so Many Other Heat-trapping Gases?" Union of Concerned Scientists. Union of Concerned Scientists, 1 May 2009. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.
Climate change and Global Warming are out of control. This means that, no matter what policies, processes or actions are implemented, the Earth as we know it will never be the same again. There is significant evidence to support this hypothesis. The dilemma becomes whether we can limit the damage and adapt to a new status quo or not. Rising sea levels and the damage caused by this phenomenon has irreversible impacts on coastlines worldwide. Damage to sensitive reef systems cannot be fixed. This also has permanent impacts of the ecology not just of those immediate areas but also the ocean as a whole.
Global Warming, much of what does or does not happen forty years from now rests on our actions or inactions taken between now and then. The crucial question is whether we should pour all our resources into mitigation – reducing our carbon emissions. According to scientists who study the climate there are other environmental problems; “we now face a global crises in land use and agriculture that could undermine the health, security, and sustainability of our civilization”.
Since measurements began in 1958 -- and it can be assumed to have been the case since the industrial revolution -- emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere has risen steadily as a result of the burning of fossil fuels (Quay, pp 2344). Although there is much argument over the implications of increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, there are several points that almost all scientists would agree on: firstly, carbon dioxide acts to absorb radiated heat; if present in our atmosphere will do just that to some extent. Second, the concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere is rising. Third, the temperature of the planet is rising - although the amount of this increase and the causes of this rise are subject to disagreement (Philander, pp 193).
Unfortunately, scientist are still searching for the missing puzzle pieces when it comes to solving the global warming hiatus. Here is what I did find in the article that seemed to be aligned with other articles;
Wile, R. (2012, July 30). Everyone’s Talking About The Koch Brothers-Funded Study That Proves Climate Change Is Real Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/koch-brothers-funded-study-proves-climate-change-2012-7#ixzz30ssBeLyg. Business Insider. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/koch-brothers-funded-study-proves-climate-change-2012-7#!I8rla
But the debate over whether climate change is real or not is over. The U.S National Academy of Sciences quotes, “Some scientific conclusions or theories have been so thoroughly examined and tested, and supported by many independent observations and results, that their likelihood of subsequently being found to be wrong is vanishingly small. Small conclusions and theories are then regarded as settled facts. This is the case for the conclusions that the Earth System is warming and that much of this warming is very likely due to human activities.” This suggests that there is a strong body of evidence from all around the world including record temperatures, rising sea levels, retreating glaciers and extreme weather events showing that climate change is occurring and it is mostly caused by human activities. According to Metz, “July 2012 marked the hottest month in U.S history, and drought expanded to cover 63% of the contiguous U.S. The average temperature was 25.33 degrees Celsius, 1.8 degrees about the 20th-century average, making the hottest 12-month period the nation had endured in 117 years of record-keeping.” This suggests that these record-breaking temperatures are the result of global warming. It is nothing else but climate
The amount of CO2 in a planet's atmosphere affects the temperature of the planet. As more and more CO2 builds up in the atmosphere, less heat can escape and the planet gets hotter. The CO2 traps radiation from the sun like a greenhouse. This is called global warming or the greenhouse effect. Global warming is becoming a serious problem and CO2 is the major cause. The earth is now warmer than it has been in 1000's of years. The amount of CO2 deposited in the earth's atmosphere from human activities is expected to double by the year 2050. It could possible increase by four in the future with developing countries, such as China, anxious to improve their standard of living.
The commonly debated “greenhouse effect” refers to “the global average temperature increase that has been observed over the last one hundred years or more” (Spencer). President Barack Obama addressed the issue in an effort to highlight its severity, "We have to all shoulder the responsibility for keeping the planet habitable, or we’re going to suffer the consequences – together” (Leader). The earth’s increasing atmospheric and oceanic temperatures result in climate changes due to cumulative amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. As an outcome, researchers around the globe have established that the by-product of burning fossil fuels is the main culprit of the increasing temperatures. Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels have significantly increased since 1900, as shown above from a study carried out by the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center.
Hansen, J., Ruedy, R., Sato, M., & Lo, K. (2002). "Global Warming Continues." Science, 295, 275.
In talking about global warming, we need to learn what causes the greenhouse effect. Rays from the sun are taken up and absorbed by water vapor that is natural in the atmosphere. The United States emits the largest man made greenhouse gases in the world. As Americans we must realize the responsibility to reduce the emissions. (Gore, Albert) Water Vapor is eighty percent of greenhouse warming. The last twenty percent results from other gases that are in very little amounts. A huge absorber of the sun’s heat rays is carbon dioxide. Us as humans release a lot of carbon dioxide. When fossil fuels are burned, they release big amounts of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is on the increase in our atmosphere due to car emissions. Approximately eighty percent of CO2 increases because of man’s use of fossil fuels. When there is more carbon dioxide in our atmosphere the more sun rays are absorbed. In result to this happening this will cause the earth and the earths atmosphere to warm. When the earth is warming, water temperatures will start to get warmer. Oceans and lakes will get warmer in result f...
Mastrandrea, Michael D. "Global warming." World Book Advanced. World Book, 2013. Web. 8 Nov. 2015.
Climate change has become a very sore subject for many scientists all around the world. There are some people that believe climate change and global warming are just a simple myths for gullible people, that humans have no affect at all on how our environment is changing. On the other hand, it is also told that 97% of papers taking a side on global climate change caused by humans agree that it is happening (Wayne). Many people read the evidence and can clearly see that humans are causing climate change not only to speed up but cause so many things to change in our environment as a result of it.
There are two main human causes of Earth’s global warming and climate change. The first of which being the greenhouse effect. According to Brian Black in the book Global Warming, the greenhouse effect is the tendency of Earth’s atmosphere to admit the Sun’s radiation but partly retain the low-frequency heat radiation (3). Human activity has changed our greenhouse, especially over the course of the last 150 years due to industrialization. By the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, petroleum, and oil, carbon dioxide is released into our atmosphere, and heat is trapped in. These gases are typically
Williams, Laurence O. An End to Global Warming. Ohio: Pergamno, 2012. Web 13 May 2015
The planet Earth has seen a 1.4°F increase in global temperature since the 19th century; carbon dioxide concentration has increased by 40% since 1880, the highest in 800,000 years; sea ice in the Arctic is shrinking; sea levels have increased by eight inches thus far; and the ocean’s acidity is increasing. Global climate change is all too real. Global climate change is not a myth.