Climate Change Is A Serious Problem

It is largely known that the most significant issue facing the planet today is global warming. There is no doubt it is one of the biggest environmental issues throughout time, though it is widely debated among scientists and environmentalists what the main causes are. Global warming isn’t a new issue, in only 1989 the UK Prime Minister at the time warns that the increasing emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere are going to have a significant impact on the earth in the future (BBC News, 2013). The warming of the earth is caused by greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide that trap long-wave radiation in the atmosphere. This warming of the earth surface is referred to as the greenhouse effect. Greenhouse gases are the gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapour which accumulate in the atmospheric layers prevent heat being radiated from the earth to escape. Without greenhouse gases the earth would be considerably cooler but with increased human activities, temperatures are rising to an unstable level (Arbogast, 2011).

Global warming is defined “as an increase in the average temperature of global surface air and oceans since about 1950” (White). The global warming controversy is an ongoing dispute with two main sides; one stating that the direct cause to global warming is through people’s daily activities and the burning of fossil fuels, while other people all around the world refuse to believe that human contributions are the main cause, saying that the earth is going through a natural stage of climatic change, thereby resulting in increasing temperatures in the earth’s atmosphere. Rising temperatures and in increase in greenhouse gases shown through the carbon cycle, demonstrate how the greenhouse effect is incorporated into both views on global warming. Over the past 50 years, experts in this field world-wide have been having an unaccountable amount of disputes over global warming, favoring in either of these positions of human causation or natural climatic change.

Ever heard of climate change? Known to some as only a “hoax,” however it is just the opposite and in the near future, will become our biggest threat. We are all caught in a “climate crisis,” one that affects our entire way of life and needs taken action by all world powers. DiCaprio effectively convinces his audience that climate change is a major world issue that needs attention and action by all world powers; he does this through his use of statistics, appeals to ethos and pathos and his overall serious tone.

Humans’ contributions to Climate Change are constant, and not going slowing down without changes. Climate Change is the changing of global weather and temperatures at an abnormal rate. Most activities in our everyday lives has made a contribution, whether it be the technology being used or the cars being driven --- with that, many choose to ignore Climate Change, proceeding with their everyday activity. Meanwhile, on a global scale, the rate of these changes is detrimental to life on earth. NASA explicitly addresses that these fluctuations of climate are natural, but the rate in temperature changes is quicker than ever before. Vast studies show that typically the changes last about a thousand years before the next period of changes, but recently that has taken a turn. Human innovations have backfired, with the earth at stake due to unforeseen externalities. With the advancement of a more technological society, comes great responsibility to the earth, our home.

Swedish Chemist Svante Arrhenius laid out the first basic ideas of climate change in 1896 (Weart 34). Some of these basic ideas were the causes of climate change, such as the greenhouse effect (Anttila-Hughes, Oppenheimer 11). At this point in time, this was all new research which influenced others to continue the research on climate change. As time progressed, more and more people began to believe in the effects of climate change due to the large amounts of research done since Arrhenius introduced the issue (Weart 34). Nowadays, the idea of climate change is argued whether it exists or not, without taking the large amounts of research into account. The

It is said that the Earth’s climate has been changing for the past century (State Government of Victoria, 2014). There is new found, stronger evidence that there have been increases in the average temperature across the globe and that the believed to be main cause of this change is due to human activities (University Corperation for Atmospheric Research, 2013). Greenhouse gases are what are most commonly referred to in conversation on climate change. Although greenhouse gases are generally referred to on the negative side, they are also essential to life (Mapstone, 2011). The greenhouse gases which consist of carbon dioxide, water vapor and methane retain heat in the earth’s atmosphere, gently warming our planet to sustain life, just as a greenhouse would in a cold climate, which is evidently where it receives its name. The sun warms the surface of the earth, which then radiates energy back towards space through the atmosphere. The greenhouse gases then absorb some of the radiation and radiate heat in different directions, including towards earth. This is now adding to the heat the surface of the earth is already receiving from the sun. Without the aid of this greenhouse affect it is said that the surface of the earth

The majority of the scientific community agrees, to some extent, that global climate change is a real and serious issue. Various organizations, to include the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have gathered endless data on evidence, causes, and consequences. In the past, the debate was whether global climate change was a real phenomenon and whether humans were the main contributors to its acceleration. Unfortunately these debates are still covered through social media sources, such as Fox News and CNN. Presently, these types of debates over whether global climate change and its direct correlation to human induced activities has ceased to continue, and how can anyone argue against when there are several scientists and sources with thorough research. Rather, several organizations have provided more in-depth analysis on the detrimental effects of the increase of greenhouse gases, to include carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, water vapor, and chlorofluorocarbons, as well as answering how the increasing adverse effects have will continue to impact the world.

The issue of global climate change is one of the most popular debates in modern day society. For decades, scientists have been battling to find the source of our global climate change. This matter brings to us whether or not humans are accelerating the process of global climate change. Scientists have provided solid evidence of global climate change by humans in multiple studies, but others believe that climate change is caused solely by nature and the naturalness of the Earth’s cycle. According to National Aeronautics and Space Administration, also known as NASA, over 97% of climate scientists agree that global warming is mostly likely caused by human activities. In our society today, there is a lot of misconception of the definition of weather and climate. As these two terms are often associated with each other, they are not the same. Mark Twain simply summed up the definition for us: “Climate is what you expect; weather is what you get”. According to Andrew Dessler, a science politician, climate is the behavior of the environment throughout a long period of time, usually a decade or so, whereas weather refers to the actual temperature of the atmosphere at a particular period of time. “Climate change”, however, is “any systematic change in the long-term statistics of climate elements (such as temperature, pressure, or winds) sustained over several decades or longer” (Dessler). Our society often forgets that our current projects are not always necessarily benefiting us,

Global warming is “the gradual increase in the overall temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide and other pollutants” (Global Warming). The current climate changes that are occurring all over the world have sparked a growing controversy on whether global warming is indeed a result of human activity. Many of these individuals who play a role in this controversy argue that the current climate changes are simply part of the patterns seen in the Earth’s geological history or that it is simply caused by an increase in the brightness of the sun. This point-of-view is understandable as humanity is dependent on the climate for survival. However, many climatologists and scientists have found that the current climate changes are much more worrisome than previous climate changes. They have found that carbon dioxide (CO2) levels have increased over the years, because of an increase in the use of coal, oil, and gas, and that the Earth’s current pattern of warming is greater and faster than that of prehistoric warming episodes.

As the Earth’s temperature begins to rise, it is questioned what has brought this upon the third largest planet. Climate change is a real issue, and civilization is one of the biggest factors in this dilemma (IPCC). Climate change is the difference in temperature over a large region of land throughout a long period of time (IPCC). What causes this increase in temperature? Society is the greatest reason for this increase as human’s activities such as burning fossil fuels and agricultural practices increase the release of carbon dioxide (IPCC).

Global warming is a big problem and impacts our environment in a negative way because it is heating the Earth. Global warming impacts all of the life around us even though not many people recognize it. There are many problems that global warming will make to our environment and it has already impacted it over time. Although, there are many problems, there are also solutions to stop global warming. Climate change is most closely related to global warming and many scientists have found ways to try and put a stop to it.

“Climate change is happening, humans are causing it, and I think it is perhaps the most serious environmental issue facing us.” This quote from Bill Nye illustrates the serious nature of climate change. Climate change is the most serious issue that is plaguing the world. Global temperatures have been increasing in recent years and it is clear that our climate is changing. Climate change is the change of temperature and weather in our environment over long periods of time. A majority of scientists suspect that humans are causing climate change by emitting CO2 into the atmosphere which creates a greenhouse effect and warms the planet. The effects of climate change are far-reaching, impacting ocean life and plant life across the globe. It also directly impacts humans because global temperatures may cause sea levels to rise and temperatures become too warm to live in. Climate change is real and is occurring because the effects of climate change can be seen in our oceans, in global temperature increases, and because humans are directly causing climate change.

Climate Change is an important topic that everyone should be well versed on. Global warming was denied as being a real problem for many years, but the proof cannot be hidden anymore and countries around the world are acknowledging that global warming does exist. It is my pleasure to know that our country will participate in the United Nations Climate Summit. As the CEO of an environmentally conscious company, it is my honor to represent the United States of America at the Summit.

Unfortunately, with the amount of carbon dioxide increasing so dramatically, the greenhouse effect has been strengthened and global temperatures have started to increase above norms. Based on weather data collected around the world, climatologists have detected increases in global average temperatures over the last few decades (Bloom). This increase has also triggered many other environmental changes such as the shrinking of glaciers and ice sheets, shifting of plant and animal ranges, accelerated rise of sea levels, changes in precipitation, longer and more intense heat waves, and more detrimental and intense severe weather events (NASA effects). What is most worrisome for all inhabitants of Earth is not the change itself, but the rate at which it is occurring.

The rapid change in our climate due to anthropogenic forces has caused the Earth’s average temperature to rise to an unparalleled level in human history. The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, as well as the cyclical processes of the Earth and Sun, affect the warming of our oceans and atmosphere. Although processes other than anthropogenic practices modify the climate, our influence on the climate since the Industrial Revolution has been unmatched. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), “Recent climate changes have widespread impacts on human and natural systems” (IPCC , 2014). The impact that climate change has on human and natural systems is difficult to quantify, because the effects are complex and slow moving. Although the magnitude of the impact is challenging to measure, it is quite clear that, “Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and since the 1950s, many of the observed changes are unprecedented over decades to millennia. The atmosphere and ocean have warmed, the amounts of snow and ice have diminished, and sea level has risen” (IPCC , 2014). Equally important, carbon dioxide levels have reached nearly 390 ppm and scientists estimated this number could rise to 500 ppm by 2050 and 800 ppm by 2100 (Hardt & Safina, 2010).