Climate Change and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Essay

The US government’s National Snow and Ice Data Center has reported that in the last 25 years the amount of ice that continues to cycle through the arctic every year, has seen a significant 30% drop, along with 2 square kilometers less ice forming since September. This number is even higher than it was just in 2012, when this trend started to become alarming.

This decrease has been not only increasing the sea level at an unnatural rate, but also endangering many arctic species. As these species are forced to change their hunting habits, the native villages are starving themselves, knowing only how to hunt the animals in the pattern they moved before. While the polar ice caps melt more and more, the purity of the water is negatively affected which, in turn, directly affects the air purity, too. According to experts from the Environmental Protection Agency, greenhouse gases are emitted mostly from electricity, industry, and transportation (epa.gov/climatechange). Even though the amount of greenhouse gases have been rising very unsteadily the past 100 years, these gases have been and always will be crucial to our survival on this planet, as long as there is a steady balance between greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide. When we emit carbon dioxide into the air, the atmosphere becomes more acidic; this causes the greenhouse gases to become further amplified and more likely to break down the ozone layer, which in turn pollutes the air even further, creating an endless

The carbon dioxide scientists measured in the Alaskan permafrost layers was twice the amount in the Earth’s atmosphere, so had caused such concerns that it could melt and the carbon dioxide

Stunted Again” written by Michael Pearson, the Earth is in trouble due to the decrease in Arctic

As important as it is, Arctic coastal sea ice plays a vital role in dynamics of the coastline, covers stretches of open water which serve as important biological habitats, and serves as a platform for a broad range of activities by residents and industries (Druckenmiller et al., 2009). Sea ice is also important because it is used as a platform for harvesting seals and whales in spring, transport of personnel and supplies to camps, and as a network of trails (Druckenmiller et al., 2009). Dangerous effects of climate change include “ice breakouts” which are when large chunks of ice that whalers are using as working areas break off of the main ice blocks and take whaling camps out to sea (Druckenmiller et al.,

The increasing global temperatures have caused many problems in Arctic ecosystems. The increasing warmth has caused ice caps to melt, and permafrost to thaw, causing shifts in the ecosystems around them. 1According to Harris (2005) “Permafrost is soil, rock or sediment that is frozen for more than two consecutive years. In areas not overlain by ice, it exists beneath a layer of soil, rock or sediment, which freezes and thaws annually and is called the "active layer".” (p. 17). While the melting of ice may not seem like a big issue at first glance, its effects are truly catastrophic. Many professionals in this field, such as Houghton (2009) have said 2“Warming is expected to be strongest in the Arctic, with the continuing retreat of

1). While the growth of the Arctic discourse is now around the world, only a few countries are eager to act upon these events. The group is known as the ‘Arctic Five’, and the countries include the US, Canada, Denmark, Russia, and Norway. However, instead of these particular countries spending their efforts on saving the Arctic from a land with no ice, their efforts are on making the Arctic the next region to extract oil and other precious materials. Instead, to prevent the possible catastrophe of the Arctic without ice, the money should be funded into programs to eliminate main triggers of the Arctic’s melt, like preventing the build-up of gases in the atmosphere and limiting greenhouse

One of the global warming changes our planet is going through is the melting of glaciers in the Arctic sea. John Hawkins states, “How much Arctic ice really matters is an open question since the very limited evidence we have suggests that a few

According to Alina Bradford’s article “Effects of Global Earming”, one of the most dramatic effects of global warming is the reduction in Arctic sea ice. The average temperatures in the Arctic region are rising twice as fast as they are when comparing to other places in the world. The ice in Arctic is getting thinner, melting and rupturing. The polar ice cap as a whole is shrinking. According to the images from NASA satellites show that the area of permanent ice cover is contracting at a rate of 9 percent each ten years. If the ice melting at this rate, Arctic could become ice-free in the summers by the end of the century. As global temperatures continue to rise, ice in the polar regions and glaciers will melt, dumping tons of extra water into the ocean which cause sea level to rise. According to the data in the article “Causes of Sea Level Rise: What the Science Tells Us”, “Global average sea level rose roughly eight inches from 1880-2009 and the average annual rate of global sea level rise accelerated from 1993-2008, increasing 65-90 percent above the twentieth century average”. Sea level rise means potable water will decrease. Although about 71% of the earth surface is covered by water, but 97% of the water is salt water. Ice melting will only increase the yield of sea salt water. People cannot drink the water from the sea because there are too much salt in it. Although because of the

The change the Artic will have an impact on the earth. Temperatures in the Arctic are rising at twice the rate of the rest of the world on average, and melting glaciers and land-based ice sheets are contributing to rising sea levels. Rising ocean temperatures are affecting ocean ecosystems. In turn having an affect on the communities and economies that depend on them. The changing Arctic could lead to global changes in ocean-based food security that will place additional burdens on economies, societies, and institutions around the world.

Ecosystems in the approximate northern part of our planet are subject to profound changes, such as amplified rise in air temperature following the rapid loss of millions of square kilometers in the Arctic sea ice (Lawrence et al., 2008; Serreze and Barry, 2011; Screen et al., 2012; Bhatt et al., 2014). This sea ice induced warming feedback extends from the marine to the terrestrial domain and may consequently increase the emission of strenuous greenhouse gas methane from high latitude wetland soils (Parmentier, 2013). An increase in terrestrial methane emissions possible therefore can be accessible to the sea ice changes occurring easily off within the Arctic Ocean, when sea ice melts and gives way to an unblocked ocean, an immense lowering

Global warming doesn’t just have a major impact on the arctic but Researchers have said that the disappearing glaciers and other responses from the Arctic are increasing sea temperatures and decreasing PH levels (Pederson, 2014). This ends up effecting the diversity of species, food webs and productivities in the ocean (Pedersen, 2014). Ocean acidification in the Arctic is expected to increase in the coming years, having a large effect on many species (Agnalt et al 2013). Researchers have found that to ensure the heath of ocean organisms, the ocean must maintain the right chemical balance (cheek, 2014). The most essential and affective to maintain is sustaining a higher PH level, ensuring good internal cell functioning of many organisms (Cheek,

When comparing Data Set 3 & 4 to Data Set 5 & 6, there is a clear and direct relationship. In 3 and 4, the CO2 levels have an effect on the average global temperature (if CO2 levels increase, average global temperatures increase). In 5 and 6, as ice caps melt more and more, the difference in average surface temperature of the ocean increases. The effect that Data Sets 3 and 4 has on Data Sets 5 and 6 is that as the CO2 levels increase, the temperatures increase as well. As the temperatures increase, ice cap volume decreases which leads to the increase of the average surface temperature of the ocean. Also, the increase in global average temperature also affects the difference in average surface temperature of the ocean. This is so because as

The rapidly melting Arctic ice cap has created previously inaccessible natural resources and waterways now within the reach of humans. The Arctic represents 6% of the surface area of the Earth yet it is estimated to hold about 22 % of the earth’s oil and natural gas reserves. This places the

The Arctic is global warming’s canary in the coal mine. It is a highly sensitive area which is profoundly affected by the changing climate. The average temperature in the Arctic is rising twice as fast as elsewhere in the world (nrdc.org). Because of this, the ice cap is getting thinner, melting away, and rupturing. Here is an example of this; the largest ice block in the Arctic, the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf, had been around for 3000 years before it started cracking in 2000 (nrdc.org) By 2002, the Ward Hunt has cracked completely through and had started breaking into smaller pieces. The melting ice caps are affecting the earth and its inhabitants in many ways. In this paper, the following concepts and subjects will be