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Causes And Consequences Of Global Warming

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Jainam Shah
Professor Larry Menna
SOIM-UB 125.007
04/03/2016
Causes and Consequences of Global Warming in California
Fossil fuels, including coal, oil and natural gas, have facilitated global economic development by stimulating the industrial sector. Formed when organic matter gradually concentrates over the span of millions of years, fossil fuels constitute the world 's primary source of energy. Upon extraction, they are processed in refineries to create invaluable raw materials such as fuel oil, gasoline and liquefied petroleum gas which meet 82 percent of U.S. energy demanded by catalyzing the generation of steam, electricity and power transportation systems (US Energy Information Administration). Fossil …show more content…

These gases insulate the atmosphere and lead to a gradual increase in temperature over a period of time leading to climatic changes. Over the past 20 years, nearly three-fourths of human-caused emissions came from the burning of fossil fuels (U.S. Dep. Of Energy). The general consensus was that the negative externalities caused by greenhouse gases would take several years to materialize, which enabled the corporations to rationalize their actions and give greater impetus to economic profits over environmental sustainability. However, with increasing scientific research and growing awareness about the more immediate consequences of climatic changes, global warming has come to forefront as a social issue that requires corporations to claim immediate responsibility for their actions. An industrial powerhouse such as California, with its variable climate zones, scarce water supply, and dependence on industries is an ideal case study and testament to the fact that global warming is a social problem that has far-reaching tangible consequences for the current generation as well.
A study by scientists at NASA and Columbia University measured climate data between 1901 and 2014 and inferenced that average temperatures in California have increased by 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit over 113 years (Geophysical Research Letters). They also noticed that there was a dramatic

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