We believe that the current system we have for humanity and that it is the most advanced system we will ever have (Mosaddeq, N., 2011). Yet there are so many issues and problems going on in the world today that it makes it hard to make sense of it all (Mosaddeq, N., 2011). Once you break these issues and problems apart into more understanding issues, it makes it easier to make sense of it all (Mosaddeq, N., 2011). Policy makers see these issues as Climate change, peak energy, water scarcity and food depletion (Mosaddeq, N., 2011). These issues are the main reason for our failing global system (Mosaddeq, N., 2011). However, you have people studying these issues who all have different views and looking at the issues only in isolation …show more content…
E. 2011, p 413). This is because climate change can be slowed down however, it cannot be reversed (Tepperman, L., & Curtis, J. E. 2011, p 413). To explain how global warming happens is when greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, CFS and methane are released and gather in the atmosphere, known as the greenhouse effect (Tepperman, L., & Curtis, J. E. 2011, p 413). The heat is then trapped and reflected off the earth’s surface which ultimately causes global temperatures to rise, which then causes climates to change (Tepperman, L., & Curtis, J. E. 2011, p 413). The real issue is how fast this climate change is actually happening which makes it difficult and causes problems for civilization to survive (Mosaddeq, N., 2011). Furthermore, there are other factors such as fossil fuels and the sun that are speeding up climate change (Mosaddeq, N., 2011). To fix this, policy makers have agreed to limit how much fossil fuels we emit to the atmosphere (Mosaddeq, N., 2011). They suggested that the world emits 450 parts per million of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, then by 2050 the temperature would only increases by 2 degrees (Mosaddeq, N., 2011). If by that time it is able to be stabilized, the worst effects of climate change will be avoided (Mosaddeq, N., 2011). However, this is very unlikely, James Hanson who was part of NASA did his own calculations to prove the policy makers wrong (Mosaddeq, N., 2011). He calculated that it should be 350 parts per
Climate change is not a new concept. It has been mostly referred to as global warming in the past. As much as people would like to file this issue away as something to deal with at a later date, it simply cannot wait. This problem we face is costing us billions of dollars, forests and wildlife are being eliminated, and people are dying. Starting to sound like a big deal, right? Future generations will be affected the most. People who do not even exist will have to pay for what we, all people, have done to this earth. To begin to make changes, one must realize the severity of the issue. Bill Mckibben, author of “Recalculating the Climate Math,” conveys that “We’ve already raised the world’s temperature by one degree—enough to melt almost half the ice in the Arctic, kill off huge swaths of the world’s coral, and unleash lethal floods and drought. July and August tied for the hottest months ever recorded on our planet, and scientists think they were almost certainly the hottest in the history of human civilization” (Page 3 of 5). Global climate change is a serious problem because it increases natural disasters and is the cause of extreme weather.
The earth’s climate has been changing and will continue to do so in the future. It is only going to keep on getting worse and it is getting to the point where humans will most likely end up in a situation of life threatening diseases and even death. Contagious diseases are spreading menacingly due to weather extremes as heat wave, droughts, cyclones, floods, and tornados (Dhaka). That is just the start of the effect of climate change and its consequences. Many scientists have already warned that millions of people would die in this century because of climate change unless the major reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is made (Dhaka). However, there are more than just reducing greenhouse gas emissions to help solve for climate change.
In order to understand the issue of global warming (also referred to as climate change), you must first understand what it means and how it happens. Global warming is a result of a process known as the greenhouse effect, in which the light and heat from the sun are trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere by greenhouse gases; which subsequently raises the average temperature on Earth. The greenhouse gases responsible for this process are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and tropospheric ozone, all of which are released into the atmosphere through naturally occurring processes (Warrick, R. & Farmer, G., 1990).
In the future global warming is expected to have a warmer atmosphere. This will begin to lead to acidic oceans within high sea levels. The future is up to us and what we do to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions. The more we emit the larger future changes will be. Global average temperature is expected to warm at least twice as much in the next 100 years as it has during the last 100 years. An increase in the temperature and an increase in average temperatures worldwide implies more frequent and intense extreme heat events or heat waves. Global warming has already had observable effects on the environments glaciers have shrunk, ice on rivers, and lakes is breaking up earlier plant and animal ranges have shifted and trees are flowering sooner. We can prevent global warming in the future by saving gas, as well as the release of emissions, by walking more. Remember, by saving a gallon of gas you can help keep 20 pounds of CO2 out of the atmosphere. Eat greens, how much of the food in your grocery store is imported from across the world? Transportation is a major contributor of greenhouse gases. Eating locally grown food to reduce transportation emissions. Use less hot water: Simple social fixes like setting your water heater at 120 degrees, using low flow shower heads, washing your clothes in cold water or using the energy saving setting on your dishwasher can go a long
Global warming must stop before it makes the Earth uninhabitable that is caused by humanity. The world is becoming dangerous because of greenhouse effect which traps solar energy in amounts that provides temperatures adequate to sustain life, and it is caused by C02(Gas) that occurs naturally and is produced by the burning of fossil fuels (most notably in cars and other vehicles) and deforestation. An quote that that supports this evidence is that in “An Overview of Global Warming” by one of the authors in Ebscohost, it said “Most scientists also agree that global warming is the result of human activity” and “Human activity increases the amount of these gases in the atmosphere and, as a result of the greenhouse effect, increases the earth's
Aside from the debate regarding whether climate change is happening or not, and whether or not humans are to blame, there is also another debate growing. This one argues whether or not humans can stall or perhaps even prevent the impacts of catastrophic climate change. When it comes to this argument, I believe that we can certainly take some actions to try to minimize the impact these events will have in the future. As far as our current climate goes, however, I believe stalling or preventing it can be trickier since the impact that climate will have now and in the future years will be caused by actions that we already made and we simply cannot undue. In the article “Climate Change,” Jennifer Weeks argues that “the effects of climate change
But many climate scientists will tell you that this change in climate is due to humans and their activities. It is said that humans release greenhouse gases and “if emissions continue unchecked, they say the global warming could ultimately exceed 8 degrees Fahrenheit, which would transform the planet and undermine its capacity to support a large human population” (Gillis, 2015). To make it easier to understand, as sunlight reaches the Earth’s surface there are two things that can be done, one; it can either be reflected back into space or two, it can be absorbed by the Earth. Once the Earth absorbs the sunlight, it then releases some energy back into the atmosphere as infrared radiation, also known as heat. Then these greenhouse gases tend to act like a “blanket,” therefore making the Earth warmer than it would be otherwise. This process is what we call the “greenhouse effect.” The reason scientists say that climate change is caused by humans is that it’s simple, humans drive, cook food, and even heat or cool their homes, which release gases such as, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4 ), and water vapor (H2O).
Climate change is influenced by the greenhouse effect which is the increase of Carbon dioxide, Methane, Ozone and Nitrogen Oxide. On one hand, the presence of these gases in the atmosphere make the earth habitable with respect to regulating the earth’s temperature. However, an increase in the concentration of these gases results in trapping energy in the atmosphere and this in turn increases earth’s temperature. “Global greenhouse gas emissions have grown since pre-industrial times, with an increase of 70% between
The oceans are growing warmer. Polar ice caps are melting. The climate is changing and at a furious pace. The world is getting warmer and could become hotter if we do not act. That is what Michael Le Page describes in his article, How much hotter is the planet going to get? The earth will continue to warm up if carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions are not reduced or controlled. This is due to our climate’s hyper sensitivity to this and other greenhouse gases. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) our climate sensitivity is approximately 1.5°C to 4.5°C (2.7°F to 8.1°F), which is what we can expect the earth to warm up if CO₂ emissions are doubled, though some 2013 studies have found our climate sensitivity to be
Climate change is an ongoing process that has always happened, however there is no point in history where a cooling or warming curve has ever been so steep. The warming curve directly correlates with the beginning of the first industrial revolution to the present day. Before then Carbon levels stayed below 300 ppm, as ice cores from the poles show. Now for the first time since humans and their ancestors took first steps on this planet, they are above 400 ppm. Current carbon levels in the atmosphere, as far as science can tell, are just behind that of what they were around the extinction of the dinosaurs. Regulations on emissions are a must and should be updated and monitored by all countries around the world. Pushing for clean and sustainable
The findings were shocking as well as frightening to many as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported that “even if we were able to stabilise emissions of each of the greenhouse gases at present day levels from now on, the temperature is predicted to rise by about 2°C per decade for the first few decades. The global warming will also lead to increased global average precipitation and evaporation of a few percent by 2030. Areas of sea-ice and snow are expected to diminish.” The report concluded that “he changes predicted to occur by about the middle of the next century due to increases in greenhouse gas concentrations from the Business-as-Usual emissions will make global mean temperatures higher than they have been in the last 150,000 years (IPCC report).
Climate is sometimes confused with weather, which can lead some people to think that an abnormally cold day can mean that climate change and global warming is a myth. Climate is the weather conditions of an area over an extended period. Climate change is the current warming trend of weather mainly caused by human activities. According to a report written by NASA on global climate change, the main cause of this new human induced, climate change is what’s known as the “greenhouse effect.” The greenhouse effect results when the atmosphere traps gasses, such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and methane which causes earth to trap heat (“Global Climate Change”). According to a report by the Washington State Department of Ecology, carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gasses caused by humans have warmed the earth and are causing many negative
The primary cause of climate change is the human expansion of the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is a natural occurrence, which NASA defines as “the warming that results when the atmosphere traps heat radiating from space” (NASA). During the greenhouse effect, heat from the sun passes through the atmosphere, which is made up of various gases. When the heat from the sun reaches the surface, some of it radiates away from Earth, back into space. However, some of the gases in the atmosphere, known as greenhouse gases, absorb this heat, preventing it from escaping (World Meteorological Organization). The greenhouse effect keeps the Earth at a habitable temperature. The World Meteorological Organization, or WMO, states that the greenhouse effect and
The earth’s climate is predicted to change because human activities are altering the chemical composition of the atmosphere through the buildup of greenhouse gases –– primarily carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. The heat-trapping property of these gases is undisputed. Although uncertainty exists about exactly how earth’’s climate responds to these gases, global temperatures are rising. Go to the Emissions section for much more on greenhouse gases.
Greenhouse gases are compounds in the atmosphere that can trap and hold extra heat, which increases the temperature in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases is the cause of the greenhouse effect that leads up to global warming. The greenhouse effect is the trapping of the sun’s warmth in the lower atmosphere that is due to the visible radiation from the sun. The solar radiation reaches the Earth’s atmosphere, then the rest of the sun's energy is absorbed by the oceans and lands which result in the heating of the Earth. After that the heat from the Earth goes towards space, some of the heat is trapped in the atmosphere by greenhouses gases which make the Earth warm enough to tolerate living life. The burning of fossil fuels and land clearing start to increase the number of greenhouse gases which travels into the atmosphere. The result of trapping extra heat cause the Earth’s temperature to rise. Scientist's has proven that the constant increase of heat in the atmosphere is caused by humans. The reason humans are proven guilty for the increase of global warming is because of the amount of carbon that is put into the atmosphere. Carbon is released from burning coal, oil, and gas or cutting down and burning forests. Carbon (CO2) is known as the main source of heat-trapping gas which is mainly responsible for the increase of warming over the years. The removal of trees is another cause of global