Human Activity Over The Last Century

The human race all around the world wonders if the climate is changing due to human activity or if it is just a natural occurrence. At certain parts of the Earth's surface, the climate can be observed much differently than other locations. As the years go by the average temperature of the Earth increases by little intervals. There are several different reasons why people believe the climate is changing every year. However, the increase of worldwide population and production of heat to the atmosphere is due to the increase of human activities that take place on a daily basis. Human activity is the main cause of the global climate change. The human impact on climate exceeds any known changes due to natural processes. The impact of this human activity is often misunderstood when looking at climate change.

Greenhouse gases are accumulating and the dominant cause seems to be the “fossil-fuel-based human economy” (Goodland 604). Greenhouse gases are accumulating in the atmosphere and fast; greenhouse gases include the release of carbon dioxide from burning coal, natural gas, and

The first argument examined on the man-made global warning side is that increasing greenhouse gases caused by human activities is causing directly observed climate changes. The first resulting climate change discussed is warming global surface temperature. There has been an increase in global surface temperature of 0.74 degrees C since the late 19th century. In the last 50 years alone the temperature has increased by 0.13 degrees C per decade. North America and Eurasia have seen the largest increase in warmth. However, some areas of the earth have actually cooled some this past century (Easterling & Karl, 2011, para6). After the mid 20th century 70% of the global land mass saw reduced diurnal temperatures. From 1979 to 2005 the maximum and minimum temperatures have shown no change; both indicate warming (Easterling & Karl, 2011, para10). Furthermore, borehole temperatures, snow cover, and glacier recession data all seem to agree with recent warming (Easterling & Karl, 2011, para11).

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.

Some of the major greenhouse gases excluding water vapor are: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons. Of these, CO2 is the most important because of the vast amount released by human activity. Before the Industrial Revolution, atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide was 280 ppm; it has now risen to a level of 360 ppm today with an annual increase of 2 ppm (Rising Carbon, 1992).

The release of carbon dioxide (CO2) and Sulphur dioxide (SO2) gas has been increased in the recent years by 10-fold. The release of carbon dioxide gas varies according to the natural and industrial processes including photosynthesis and oxidation cycles. Methane is another greenhouse gas release in the atmosphere by the anaerobic decomposition of organic materials. Other greenhouse gases are like oxides of

The greenhouse gases are produced by activities which release carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone and CFCs. the most common way these gases are produced are activities like burning coal and petrol, which are called fossil fuels. This is a massive concern because the rapid rise in greenhouse gases is changing the climate faster than some living things are able to adapt, and new climates can make it hard for some species to survive.

Throughout the history of the earth, there has been a continual change in the climate of the earth. According to Nasa, there have been seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat within the last 650,000 years. One of them being the last ice age that abruptly ended about 7,000 years ago which marked the beginning of modern civilization. The changes in climate are normally caused by slight variations in the orbit of the Earth around the Sun which causes there be an increase or decrease in the amount of solar energy the planet absorbs. Today, ninety-seven percent of scientist agree that the current climate-warming that has occurred over the past century is most likely due to the activities of humans. The current climate-warming trend is quite significant because it is proceeding at an unprecedented rate due to the human involvement.

Earth’s history is filled with drastic climate changes, from ice ages to warm fertile periods. But only in recent years has the thought of humans having an impact on Earth’s climate been an issue. The definition of climate change is “the long term change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over decades to millions of years,” but some recent definitions of climate change have been formed with the idea of human impact embedded in them. One such definition states “climate change as mainly the change in modern climate augmented by human activities.” Ideas of this arose in 1896 when Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius carried out the first calculations of global warming. Arrhenius lived during the time of the industrial revolution, which introduced the use of coal, railroads and factories. He had ideas that the CO2 produced from burning fossil fuels might contribute to the increase in temperature of the Earth. Global warming is a global topic and the source of much controversy in the world today. Although some people may be skeptical of it, global warming is real, and there is evidence to prove it. On a basic level, we have noticed that the average global temperature has been rising over the past one hundred and thirty years, with the majority of this warming occurring since the 70’s and the warmest years within the past ten years.

Of the contributors to the rising temperature of the world, carbon dioxide and methane emissions are the most common. According to an article in Food Engineering and Ingredients, over 30 billion tons of carbon dioxide entered the atmosphere in 2010, but “urgent action to reduce that figure is imperative” (“Reducing food manufacturing” 34). Carbon dioxide, along with methane, make up the most common greenhouse gases, which contribute to the greenhouse effect. Another article, this one in the

Also, there is much more methane (a greenhouse gas eight-four times more potent than carbon dioxide in the short term) in the atmosphere than at any time in the past eight hundred thousand years two and a half times as much as before the Industrial Revolution. Whereas some methane is emitted naturally from wetlands, sediments, volcanoes as well as wildfires, the majority of methane emissions come from oil as well as gas production, livestock farming, and landfills.

Next, is data showing that increasing greenhouse gases caused by human activities is causing directly observed climate changes. The first resulting climate change discussed is warming global surface temperature. There has been an increase in global surface temperature of 0.74 degrees C since the late 19th century. In the last 50 years alone the temperature has increased by 0.13 degrees C per decade. North America and Eurasia have seen the largest increase in warmth (Easterling & Karl, 2011, para6). Further, the hottest years recorded since instrument recording of temperatures became possible were from 1995 to 2006. Plus, new measurement analysis of the lower and mid-troposphere show comparable temperature rising rates as surface temperatures (Alley et al., 2007, p.5). Also, in this past century the arctic temperature average has doubled in comparison to the global temperature average (Alley et al., 2007, p.7). In addition, borehole temperatures, snow cover, and glacier recession data all seem to agree with recent warming (Easterling & Karl, 2011, para11). Scientists are saying that the difference between the warming period at the end of the Ice Age and the warming happening now is that the warming at the end of the Ice Age was very gradual over a span of 5,000 years, but the warming now is

There are three main greenhouse gases that play a large role in keeping our planet at a stable temperature; carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. Other gases produced are troposheric ozone, CFC-12, HCFC-22, and sulfur hexafluoride. The greenhouse effect used to have no legitimate harm on earth, but, humans have been the reason for the increase in these greenhouse gases, therefore creating what we know today as; global warming. Without these greenhouse gases, the earth would be so incredibly cold that no living entity could survive.

change is arguably one of the most controversial topics in modern science, and undoubtedly one of the most important. Ongoing research has shown that the planet’s climatic temperature has increased slightly yet significantly over the past century. Studies have also found that this warming can be attributed to human activities since the Industrial Revolution in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. As time goes on and humans continue their harmful actions, climate change and its related effects will continue to negatively impact nearly all living organisms.

The Greenhouse gases emitted through human activities include Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, tropospheric ozone.