Global Warming - Is It Man-Made or Mother Nature or Both?

We might disagree on the causes of global warming. We cannot ignore that it is happening. We still experience cold winters, average global temperatures has risen drastically for the past three decades. Polar ice caps are melting. Sea levels are rising. Scientists predict more extreme weather in the coming decades. Drought will probably be more common. Flooding and tropical temperatures might cause large amounts of methane gases to be released. This could be disastrous for our atmosphere. Climate change may have human causes; it might be a natural occurrence. We must find ways to save our planet.

Global warming is the rise of average temperature in the earth’s atmosphere since the late 19th century. Since the beginning of the early 20th century, the earths mean surface temperature had increased by around 0.8 degrees. Warming of the climate system had become more obvious and scientists are 90% sure that the main cause of the increase in temperature in due to the increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases due to human activities such as deforestation and burning of fossil fuels.

Global warming has been a major concern and has greatly affected the environment around the world for years. Andrew Revkin stated in a New York Times article entitled “A Closer Look at Climate Panel’s Findings on Global Warming Impacts” that climate change throughout the 21st century will lead to increases in ill-health in many regions, as compared to a baseline without climate change. There have been a number of debates regarding this controversial topic, though most of the scientific community can recognize the existence of global warming. Many often question if this effect on the environment is caused by human activity or natural cycles. About 95 percent of scientific studies prove that global warming is essentially caused by man.

We all see the weather change from day to day and it is just a normal occurrence. Seasons change from warm to cold and we all just go about our business. But what most people don’t see change is the climate. Climate changes over a long period of time and it has shown a warming trend in the past few decades. Many people attribute this warming trend to the alarming rate that humans are burning fossil fuels and pumping Co2 into the atmosphere, however some people think that climate change is merely a myth or that global temperatures have always risen and fallen during Earth’s lifetime.

Earth’s climate system has been experiences changes during the last century. Dating back in 1859 a Swedish scientist named Svante Arrhenius was the first to claim that fossil fuel combustion eventually resulted to the contribution of global warming. According to S.M. Enzler MSc, in his article “History of the Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming”, published by Lenntech, Dr. Arrhenius’ findings were long forgotten, “At that time it was thought than human influences were insignificant compared to natural forces, such as solar activity and ocean circulation. It was also believed that the oceans were such great carbon sinks that they would automatically cancel out our pollution.” (Enzler 1.). Global Warming was just an illusion up until the mid-1900s a scientist named Gilbert Plass began experimenting with carbon dioxide which he soon concluded that adding more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere would intercept infrared radiation, that is otherwise lost to space, thus warming the earth. Dr. Plass’ conclusion is very similar to that of Dr. Arrhenius, and the reason why it was not overlooked was due to the advances in technology during Dr.Plass time, proven to have a more accurate data compared to the past. Further research was conducted to help explain the rise in the global annual mean temperature. As of 1988 it was finally acknowledged that climate was warmer than any period since 1880. I agree that

The rise of air temperatures near Earth’s surface over the past century is known as global warming. Earth has experienced periods of gradual warming and cooling throughout its existence due to natural causes, such as volcanic eruptions and variations in the Sun’s output. However, scientists have created the idea of an increase in global temperatures to human cause, mostly the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere as a result of industrial industry. These greenhouse gases which absorb and trap heat emitted from Earth’s surface through a phenomenon known as the greenhouse effect.

Climate change and its role in the world is a heavily debatable topic that was brought to the spotlight in the 1960s. The main controversies that surround climate change stem from four main arguments. They are “is there global warming? How much global warming is occurring? What causes global warming? And can humanity affect it?” Scientist and analysts study and answer these questions differently forming several different distinct sides to the matter. As a result three arguments and positions have formed about climate change. The three sides consist of those who refuse to believe there is any climate change occurring in the world that the change in the weather and climate are so insignificant that they are of no concern; climate change is real however it is a natural process the Earth undergoes, and climate change is real, it’s a threat, and its man made.

Climate change is a hot topic (pun intended), with supporters on both sides. Some claim that climate change is a hoax, while others agree that it is happening. I believe it is important to understand that the earth’s climate does naturally go through cycles – look at our geological history of ice ages and hothouses – but also recognize that human activity has greatly advanced the rate at which our planet is warming.

Something which has never before been seen is happening now. The Earth 's atmosphere is warming more rapidly in the past 100 years than ever before. According to physicist Jennifer Burney (2013:54), the current warming trend being seen today has everything to do with the social and economic advances from the 19th century Industrial Revolution. During this time, fossil fuel use accelerated the changes we see today in agriculture, manufacturing, and power. For example, fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas supply most of the energy needed to fuel the cars we drive, and generate electricity for industries and households. Unfortunately, the burning of these fossil fuels puts too much carbon dioxide into the air. This in turn, increases the number of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere causing our climate to become hotter. With that being said, there is a scientific consensus that climate change is occurring, and that human activities are the primary driver. Warming of the climate system is undisputable, and according to Dr. Michael Mann (2009:14), who holds joint positions in the Departments of Meteorology and Geosciences at Penn State, states that scientists are more than 90% positive that global warming is primarily caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases produced by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. After rapid industrialization, the two primary causes of man-made global warming are the burning of fossil fuels and

The planet has been experiencing considerable climate change for the last several decades. There have been many explanations toward the main causes of the increased warming of the planet. On one hand are the environmentalists who believe that the major cause of this increased warming of the planet is the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere induced by human activities. On the other hand, the scientists believe that there are natural causes of global climate change. While the supporters of the man-made theory of global climate change reason that the major greenhouse gas causing global warming is carbon dioxide, the advocates of natural causes

A controversy is brewing as to what is the real cause of climate change. A section of the population believes the problem is largely man made whereas others think it is a problem to do with natural causes. There is a wide range of views on this topic, but what causes a lot of concern is the fact that the recent years have experienced an accelerated climate change. It is for that reason that some scientists argue that what is being experienced is as a result of human activity. That is especially true considering that there has been no scientific body that has refuted those claims. Most climate change peer reviewed papers hold on to the claim that man has had a huge role to play in the changes going on in the environment; but while, at it, those in the businesses that are greatly blamed for the overproduction of greenhouse gases and other dangerous chemicals released into the atmosphere refute these claims.

It is a fact that climate change is occurring and humans as the main contributing factor is at the heart of the Global Warming debate. Still, is the debate truly about protecting our planet from human-activity climate change, or is the natural cycle of the Earth being used as a ruse to “promote” climate change to determine global policy measures and defeat Capitalism? Whether human caused, natural, or both, the debate has become a political one instead of scientific, and the media has sensationalized it to the point where skeptics have become more rigid and believers more frightened. The problem with the consensus is that certain statistics have become associated with human-caused global warming, when in fact it could be attributed to the earth’s natural cycle.

In the controversy over whether Global Warming there is two sides in which people can choose either human caused or just Mother Nature doing her thing. Most scientists will tell you that Global Warming is mostly the cause of humans. While there are some who will disagree and say that it is just nature doing what it has done for thousands of years.

Global warming is defined as a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth 's atmosphere. (Google definition). The warming is generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants in the atmosphere. There is overwhelming evidence to support the existence of global warming, its cause and the time is how to act to reduce green houses gasses. Human activity is the major cause for global warming. Greenhouse gases (CO2) are directly caused by human consumption and burning of fossil fuels.

Droughts, lengthy hot spells, heavy downpours, floods, and other extreme weather events are occurring more frequently and intensely every year. Around the world, research teams are analyzing these trends, noting the changes in temperature, rainfall, ice mass, sea level, and many other variables recorded by weather measuring devices. The trends are undeniable: the Earth is getting warmer. Polar sea ice and glaciers are melting, the sea level is rising, and as the oceans absorb more and more carbon dioxide, they are becoming measurably more acidic. Why is this happening? What is the cause of all this global warming? Mostly consisting of water vapor, the atmosphere is a natural layer blanketing the earth and creating what is known as the “greenhouse effect.” Normally protecting the planet from temperature extremes, when heat-trapping gasses accumulate in the atmosphere this creates an unnatural “expansion” of the greenhouse effect. The result is global warming.