Climate Change and Sociology
Danielle Cluphf
College of Western Idaho
Climate Change and Sociology
Climate change known as global warming has been steadily increasing over time. Global warming is a catch phrase of social confusion. Society feels uncomfortable with this notion. Is it real or fake? Little do people know that human progression and population growth adds to carbon emissions in the atmosphere. The term greenhouse gasses mean H2o or water, Co2 or carbon dioxide, and N20 known as nitrous oxide. In the book titled Global Climate Change, it breaks down what global warming is and relays information about carbon dioxide being the primary cause to the negative amounts of greenhouse gasses. “Carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse
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J, et al 2010) In my research, environmental sociologists use the “lens” of conflict theory, and functionalism. Today, most of the popular sociologists look at the environment from the conflict theory perspective so I will focus on this theory. In the book titled You May Ask Yourself, Conley talks about what conflict theory is. “The idea that conflict between competing interests is the basic, animating force of social change and society in general. (Conley 2015) Conflict theorists look at the inequality perspective of societal problems and they can be from poverty, race, or gender etc. An important area of focus among environmental sociologists is the relationship between inequality and the environment. In the article, All About Environmental Sociology, Dr. Cole talks about how environmental sociologists use conflict theory with inequalities in society like income, race, gender and how climate change negatively affects these people. Low-income people for instance have more of a chance to live in a worse area that may be subject to more environmental hazards. (Cole 2017) “Numerous studies have documented that income, racial, and gender inequality make the populations that experience them more likely to experience negative environmental outcomes like pollution, proximity to waste, and lack of access to natural resources.” (Cole 2017) I believe this is important to environmental
In the United States and in several other countries around the world, many people recognize Wal-Mart for being a great place to shop for any and every household item on the market. However, sociologist find Wal-Mart to be a bit more than just a one-stop shop for everyday items. Sociologist use different perspectives to view society and its functions to evaluate the “why’s” and “what’s” within a society. The two main perspectives or theories used by sociologists to analyze society are macrosociology and microsociology, but more specifically: Functionalism, Conflict Theory, and Symbolic Interactionism.
Global Warming has been a very serious conversation over the last decade, because it affects every person living on the planet whether we choose to believe it or not. Most of the scientific community claims that global warming is to blame for the changes in Earth’s climate. However, there are a small number of scientists who deny the very existence of global warming. Temperatures on earth have increased approximately 1.4°F since the early 20th century. Over time, atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) have notably increased. Both sides in the debate surrounding global climate change agree on the CO2 and CH4 being increased and that’s it.
Global Warming is one of the biggest hoaxes in the modern day, and there are a lot of reasons why. There is actually no real scientific proof that the warming occurring is from the rise of greenhouse gases from human activity (Tesla). The warmer periods in Earth started 800 years before rises in CO2 levels in the atmosphere (Tesla). The Earth has always had significant changes in climate throughout geological time (Tesla). Another reason is that arctic ice has increased by 50% since 2012 (Conserve Energy Future). The reasons that Global warming is flawed are that the warmer periods in Earth started 800 years before the rises of CO2 levels in the atmosphere (Tesla), The Earth has always had significant changes
Global warming is one of the most tumultuous topics in today’s society. Some believe it is happening as we speak, while others question its very existence, So, is it real, or is merely a hoax? There is no one answer, but evidence does overwhelmingly support the former. Surely we have all heard this word at one time or another, but few individuals actually know its true definition. Justifiably, however, global warming is not that simply explained. In layman’s terms, it is the dramatic increase in the Earth’s average air and ocean temperature since the 20th century. This increase is primarily attributed to two main culprits: the greenhouse effect and human activity, such as fossil fuel burning. In both cases, carbon dioxide (CO2) is the
There is three major sociological perspectives Symbolic interactionism, Structural Functionalism, and Conflict theory. These three sociological perspectives are used in different ways to study, and describe the way we interact with the world around us. Symbolic interactionism looks at the deeper meaning we place in objects, events, and behaviors to interpret our bond with the world around us. Structural Functionalism focus on individuals make up the society around us. Functionalism view society without any social facts like laws, custom, and religious beliefs.
Sociological knowledge on global climate change has its roots in environmental sociology - a specialty field that developed in reaction to increased social awareness of environmental problems in the 1970s. Environmental sociologists examine and theorize the complex and multifaceted relationship between human beings and their natural environments, including the question: why do social systems tend to exceed their ecological carrying capacities (Nagel et. al., 2010)? Despite its foundational focus on the human-nature nexus, environmental sociologists have only recently turned their research attention to global climate change. There is, however, a great deal that sociologists in general, and
Global warming, or what is now called climate change, is caused by the sunlight coming through the Earth’s atmosphere, containing greenhouse gasses, and becoming cemented between the Earth’s crust and Ozone layer. This causes an uncontrollable heating in the territory between them (“Global Warming Science”). “Even though these greenhouse gases hold the heat from the sun the greenhouse effect is what keeps the Earth’s temperature suitable for life. Without the greenhouse effect Earth would be frozen and no one would be able to live on it” (“Global Warming- Britannica”). Many people believe that climate change is a myth and that it is not true due to the consequences are too harsh for a normal person to think of, the
The Global Warming theory has become increasingly popular over the past few years. Citizens of the world are being encouraged to be more environmentally conscious by others including politicians, celebrities, and world organizations. The problem with the theory lies in the fact that it has become more and more controversial as it gains publicity and attention. The basic concept behind this theory is that the earth was made with a balance of “greenhouse gasses”. These gasses are naturally occurring within the atmosphere and they essentially make the planet habitable by keeping it warm.
It was notable because of the significant increase number of population aligned with the time of those agriculture activities (Dearing, 2006). Climate can also be in relation with global warming, mainly regarding the global temperature. According to Dawson and Spannagle (2009), both natural and anthropogenic (huma-caused) factors can contribute to global warming, but the overwhelming scientific consensus is that the increase in global temperatures over the past century is primarily due to increased concentrations of greenhouse gases in atmosphere. The concentration of these gases, when converted to their carbon dioxide equivalent, had been relatively stable for 10,000 years but has increased by more than 40% since 1750. They are now higher than they have been for at least 650,000 years, and probably for several million years. Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, principally from the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and agriculture, have been the main contributor to the rise of
Social construction can be applied to real world examples. Specifically, global climate change is one of the biggest social issues that is up for debate. There are many different viewpoints towards climate change but the general ideas are: climate change exists or it doesn’t exist. How can the public have such drastically different viewpoints? Social construction offers a basic solution by using environmental discourse. Climate change in a single concept is rising temperatures causing negative global effects. A narrative to surmise this is ‘climate change, originating from fossil fuel production, is leading the world to a point of no return.’ The ideologies that environmental discourse offers would be that the world should be left to its own
Global warming has been an on-going issue for many decades. Most people would argue that it is a hoax; while others argue it is true. Climate change can cause a domino effect of catastrophes throughout the world. Once it affects one group, then that affected group will affect another, and so on and so forth; like a plague. Global warming is an authentic problem and we need to find more efficient ways to eliminate it, or at least contain it.
The media and masses have continuously argued the truth and reality behind the idea of global warming. Global warming is " an increase in the earth 's atmospheric and oceanic temperatures widely predicted to occur due to an increase in the greenhouse effect resulting especially from pollution". The greenhouse effect is essentially the idea that gasses and other substances trap heat in the lower levels of Earth 's atmosphere coming from the sun, which in theory makes the Earth 's temperature rise. Many scholars, of various professions and backgrounds, have debated whether this concept is true and harmful to the inhabitants of Earth, or if the media and politicians are benefiting from establishing fear in individuals.
The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the arguments made by Berger and Goreham, to determine if an increase in the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere is the primary cause of modern global climate change and if the rise can be attributed to human activities. While in agreement that there is a change in the global climate right now, Berger and Goreham have varying ideas on whether the preponderant cause of this modern climate change is rising carbon dioxide levels, accredited to societies. After further evaluating Berger and Goreham’s arguments, information from scientific journals, will be used in determining which argument holds the most scientific evidence concerning anthropologically created CO2’s influence on global warming.
adding to the problem. But for the majority of the time in which this notion of “global warming”
“When taking the heating of the entire climate system into account, our planet has warmed at a rate equivalent to 4 Hiroshima atomic bomb detonations per second over the past 15 years” (Cook). Our planet is becoming warmer. When scientists add up all the heat warming the land, oceans, atmosphere, ice melting, earth is accumulating heat equivalent to four Hiroshima bombs worth of heat per second. Global warming is a serious issue faced by our world as there has been a significant increase in temperature over the years. But the article published by Dr. Mark Sircus on “Global Warming -largest science scandal in the history” refutes the theory of global warming. Dr. Sircus states that there is no linkage between carbon dioxide and temperature leading to global warming, the sea level is not rising, arctic sea ice extent is now higher and climate change is due to solar activity. Dr. Sircus also points out that that the recent weather changes are not in line with global warming and “we are in the beginning of a deep freeze” (Global Warming - Largest Science Scandal in US History). NASA and the scientific community states that global warming is not a hoax and there is a rapid increase in Earth’s average surface temperature due to greenhouse gases released as people burn fossils. NASA states that the “key indicators of global warming are based on surface, satellite, and ocean temperature measurements, satellite measurements of energy imbalance and of receding glaciers, sea ice, and