1. Introduction
July 2012 was the hottest month in the history of the United States. Besides breaking previous summer records in record-holder books, the heat waves caused billions of damage to society. During that year, United States also witnessed numerous massive tornadoes, ice storms, wind storms, wildfires, droughts and hurricanes. Is it over? Are we going to witness similar extreme events in the future? This essay will try to answer all those questions mainly discussing factors which caused those extreme events. It’ll also explain the expected scenario in the near future, highlighting possible risks involved. Various research studies claim that these events are likely to occur four times in the future. Some research pinpoints human involvement in a damaging environment which caused these extreme weather events while other completely denies it. This essay will present a clear picture by analyzing findings from different researches. It will summarize what measurements are being considered in the future to counter the problem.
2. Discussion
Global warming has been touted as a major factor that caused extreme heat waves in 2012. Climate change is taking place and it’s evident from the numerous extreme events observed in the US and worldwide during 2003, 2010 and 2012. Scientists researched ground-level readings from pre-industrial areas in the US calculated hundred years ago. They compared this data against measurements taken in 2012 which hinted that those extreme heat waves were caused as a gradual change in climate. There was no factor observed, which hinted the involvement of Global Warming. “Diffenbaugh and Scherer’s research don't pinpoint global warming as the cause of particular extreme weather events” (Diffenba...
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It is now a well-documented scientific fact that both the 20th and 21st centuries have experienced a general trend in terms of global warming. Scientific research and evidence clearly indicate that the earth’s surface temperatures are gradually increasing. There have been a variety of theories pertaining to the fundamental causes of global warming. However, one of the outstanding beliefs is that human activities are distinctively responsible for global warming. Although this phenomenon is not experienced on all regions around the globe, the average temperatures on the globe have increased by 0.7°C since 1900 (Hansen et al., 2006).
“All across the world, in every kind of environment and region known to man, increasingly dangerous weather patterns and devastating storms are abruptly putting an end to the long-running debate over whether or not climate change is real. Not only is it real, it's here, and its effects are giving rise to a frighteningly new global phenomenon: the man-made natural disaster” (Barack Obama, April 3, 2006). What could be causing these extreme weather patterns? Scientists say that it is the gradual increase of the temperature over the entire earth. Global warming is the increase in the average temperature all over the earth. Global Warming is a major problem in the world today and is argued among all of the world leaders. I am going to talk about how the global warming crisis is being caused. Also, what the people of the world can do to stop the acceleration of the global warming. There are people in the world that believe that there is another reason why this is happening; earth is experiencing a natural cycle of evolution. Global warming is a very serious part of the world and a solution needs to be found immediately.
There is no longer any question that our world climate has changed (King, 2004). Over the last 100 years, "temperatures have risen by about 0.6 degrees Celsius and global sea level has risen by about 20cm" (K...
This article explains the effects of global warming, and how global warming has caused more severe weather events this decade than anything seen in history. In 2011, Rio de Janeiro had 11 inches of rain in 24 hours, and that caused a mudslide that left 1,000 people homeless, and buried hundreds of people. Global warming has also caused extreme droughts in Australia, Russia, East Africa, and Texas. In 2003, Europe had a deadly heat wave that killed 35,000 people. It is estimated that over 400,00 people die from climate change every year.
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There are many causes and consequences of climate change discussed throughout this Encyclical. One of the most important would be the extreme weather. “In recent decades this warming has been accompanied by a constant rise in the sea level and, it would appear, by an increase of extreme weather events, even if a scientifically determined cause
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“In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments – there are consequences.” this quote argues that identifiable consequences of climate change are substantial to understand climatic events (Ingersol, 1899 p.270 cited in Burroughs, 2007). The term ‘climate change’ indicates the statistically long – term period environmental deviation of the global atmosphere including the averages state of the climate or natural climate variability (the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Chang (IPCC), 2007). During the past historical and recent decades, climate change and the Earth’s responses illustrate that most regions have been changed rapidly in the variability of climate including increasing the averages global temperature, greenhouse gases concentration, water vapour atmosphere, sea – level and coastal wind, decreasing in snow and ice cover and differences of day – night temperature, and changing pattern in all life activities (Hardy, 2003). This essay examines firstly what causes of climate change or change in climate variability, then focus
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Throughout the world, the presence of particular diseases and other threats to human health depend largely on the local climate. Extreme variation in temperature can directly, and indirectly, cause the loss of human life. The threat of a gradual increase in temperature could be catastrophic to the world, as we know it. In 1999, a heat wave killed more than 250 people in Chicago alone (Union of Concerned Scientists). Many consider such an event as a natural disaster. However, scientists warn the average global temperature has increase 0.5 ° F in the past 40 years. This is half of the total increase in surface temperature, 1°F, since the late 19th century. At its current rate, the global temperature could rise 2° to 6°F in the next 100 years (Union of Concerned Scientist).
The earth is a complex system, which continues to evolve and change. Climate change and global warming are currently popular in the political agenda. But what does “climate” really mean? The difference between weather and climate can be conveyed in a single sentence: “Climate is what you expect; weather is what you get.” Based on research of the geologic record, we know that climate change has happened throughout Earth's history and at present, ever-increasing evidence points to the roles that humans play in altering Earth systems. The Earth and its atmosphere receive heat energy from the sun; the atmospheric heat budget of the Earth depends on the balance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing radiation from the planet; which has been constant over the last few thousand years. However present evidence seems to suggest that the recent increase in temperature has been brought about by pollution of the atmosphere, in particular the release of huge amounts of carbon dioxide, mostly through Anthropogenic Forcing (human activity) and other various internal and external factors. I...
Climate is usually defined as the "average weather" in a place. It includes patterns of temperature, precipitation (rain or snow), humidity, wind and seasons. Climate patterns play a fundamental role in shaping natural ecosystems, and the human economies and cultures that depend on them. But the climate we’ve come to expect is not what it used to be because the past is no longer a reliable predictor of the future. Our climate is rapidly changing with disruptive impacts, and that change is progressing faster than any seen in the last 2,000 years (ecy.wa.gov, 2017). Though the scientific evidence seems overwhelming in favor of climate change, there are those, for various reasons, who believe that climate change is a trick. This is disappointing, as the future of our planet is at stake, and the last thing we should do in this critical time is arguing whether or not our world is being destroyed. In order to enlighten those who believe climate change is not currently happening, I will present evidence that will show that climate change is real due to sea levels rising, frequent hurricanes and food and resource depletion. In turn, I will also answer the opposition.