As Earth 's population continues its rapid growth, natural resources will become increasingly strained. Conservative estimates predict the 2015 population of roughly 7 billion will increase to 11.2 billion by 2100, with undeveloped countries becoming increasingly developed (UN 2015). Historically, gross domestic product (GDP) has been used as a measure of development and has been positively correlated with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (IPCCC 2014). If this correlation holds true in the future development will further increase GHG emissions that contribute to climate change, which will add more pressure to an already strained natural resource supply. This paper attempts to quantify and simplify the perceived relationship between GHG emissions and GDP by conducting a linear regression. The correlation could be used to predict when GHG levels may reach destructive levels defined by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) under a business as usual approach with perceived growth in developing countries. A positive linear correlation was found between the natural logs of GDP as the independent variable and GHG emissions as the dependent variable, with every 1% increase in GPD being associated with a 0.79 % increase in GHG emissions.
Climate change historically referred to natural cycles of warming and cooling of the Earth, which has been associated with atmospheric GHG concentrations and various other factors (Schneider 2005). This is due to GHG’s
In the last 100 years, the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has increased, causing the Earth to warm by an average of 0.6 degrees celsius, largely a result of burning fossil fuels for energy, transportation, and land use changes increased for food production. The basic science is straightforward and climate researchers have shown that gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and others can trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, causing a phenomenon known as the greenhouse effect. Human activities such as industry, transport, energy generation and deforestation all produce these greenhouse gases. In the last 20 years, concern has grown that global warming is inevitable and now considered most probably caused by man-made increases in
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.
Scientists refer to global climate change as any alteration in the average temperature involving the climate system. The climate system involves the following: our atmosphere, including temperature, clouds and wind, precipitation, humidity, atmosphere trace gas and aerosol distribution; oceans; volcanoes; land; cryosphere, which includes ice cover and snow cover; and the sun (Murck, Skinner, & Mackenzie, 2010). The alternations have been
a long-term change in the earth's climate, especially a change due to an increase in the average atmospheric temperature. “http://www.dictionary.com/browse/climate-change”
Climate change can be defined as a significant change in the “average weather” of any given region sustained in the long-term and can be caused by Earth 's dynamic processes, external forces including variations in sunlight intensity, and also by human activities (USEPA, 2014).
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
While industrialization has been strongly associated with greenhouse gas emissions, it is premature, however, to conclude that economic growth is the independent factor responsible to climate change. Neumayer (1998) contended that there is no sound scientific evidence documenting consequences of economic development on the environmental degradation in the long term (p. 4). There is also no linear association between economic growth and environmental deterioration, as maintained by Ferguson et al. (1996, p. 28) that the existing evidence “cannot be used to justify a view that economic growth (…) will automatically be good or bad for the environment” (cited in Neumayer 1998, p. 16).
Climate change refers variations in climatic characteristics over a period of time ranging from decades to millions of years. Climate change has had an effect on the average weather conditions and distribution of weather events. Climate change is caused by the increased amount of carbon emissions being emitted into the earth’s atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution. The atmosphere traps the emissions and heats up the surface of the Earth therefore altering the Earth’s climate patterns. In the last two centuries the temperature of the Earth’s surface has increased by an average of 0.6 ︒C. Paleoclimatology allows scientists to predict the possible climate scenarios for the future through proxy data. Scientists are able to analysis the severe
Climate change is the term used to describe the warming of the average surface temperature on earth. Climate change; often referred to as the general term global warming, is a topic that often inspires fierce debate among those on both sides of the issue. One thing those who are pro and those that are con both agree on is that the temperature on earth has increased over the past century by an average of 1.4 degrees. The big debate on the two sides is if the warming temperatures are caused by human activities and if it is not stopped it will have dire consequences (the pro side) or if it is the result of natural causes and the earth’s surface will find ways to adapt such as crops becoming more heat resistant (the con side).
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
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
In the last 100 years, Earth’s average temperature has risen by 1.4°F. The rising global temperatures have caused changes in weather and climate. Global warming refers to the ongoing rise in the average temperature near Earth’s surface. This is causing a climate change, which refers to any significant change (major change in temperature, precipitation, or wind patterns) in the measures of climate lasting for an extended period of time (several decades or longer). Due to this, it is projected that the temperature will rise from 2 to 11.5°F in the next hundred years (US EPA, 2014). The “drivers,” which are the principal causes making this occur, are very controversial. It is debated whether a change in temperature is due to the work of
Over the years there has been a lot of controversy on if climate change is an issue that needs to be discussed and solved. There is a constant debate among scientist on if human actions are contributing the changing of earth’s climates. Climate change is defined as the change in average weather patterns for a specific region or Earth as a whole. This could include the change in an average temperature for a city or the amount a rainfall it receives (Dunbar, 2015). The main difference between weather and climate is the period of time specific patterns are recorded. Weather patterns are looked at over a much shorter period of time, meaning that these patterns are going to be more sporadic and change more frequently. Climate on the other had is recorded over a much longer period of time and usually show less drastic changes in patterns when compared to weather. Some people may argue that climate change is not an issue because Earth’s temperature is always changing do to natural effects. What people don’t realize is that human activity has effected the rate that earth’s temperature is changing, and just the smallest changes can lead to drastic consequences (Dunbar, 2015).
Climate change is defined as “a change in global or regional climate patterns, in particular a change apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards and attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels.” Climate change has happened as a cycle throughout history, with ice ages occurring, and then warming. The earth naturally warms and cools, but due to the burning of fossil fuels the rate is growing exponentially.
Estimating future emissions is difficult, because it depends on demographic, economic, technological, policy, and institutional developments. Several emissions scenarios have been developed based on differing projections of these underlying factors. For example, by 2100, in the absence of emissions control policies, carbon dioxide concentrations are projected to be