The Green Curve Of The Graph

Just in the last 650,000 years there have been seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat, with the abrupt end of the last ice age about 7,000 years ago marking the beginning of the modern climate era — and of human civilization. Earth-orbiting satellites and other technological advances have enabled scientists to see the big picture, collecting many different types of information about our planet and its climate on a global scale. This body of data, collected over many years, reveals the signals of a changing climate.

The increased temperatures are part of a natural cycle that the earth goes through. These cycles include both warming and cooling periods. The most recent warming period was approximately 1000 years ago known as the “Medieval Climate Optimum” (Robinson, Robinson, & Soon, 2008). During the Medieval Climate Optimum the average temperature was much warmer than what is now. 1000 years ago they didn’t burn hydrocarbons like we do now, and the temperatures then were warmer than they are now. 200 - 500 years ago the earth went through a cooling period known as a “Little Ice Age” (Robinson, Robinson, & Soon, 2008). We are currently recovering from that cooling period. During the Little Ice Age temperatures dropped well below average. However, a study of more recent history temperatures can also show that the climates are cyclic and not the result of human activities.

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.

Throughout history climates have drastically changed. There have been shifts from warm climates to the Ice Ages (Cunningham & Cunningham, 2009, p.204). Evidence suggests there have been at least a dozen abrupt climate changes throughout the history of the earth. There are a few suspected reasons for these past climate changes. One reason may be that asteroids hitting the earth and volcanic eruptions caused some of them. A further assumption is that 22-year solar magnetic cycles and 11-year sunspot cycles played a part in the changes. A further possibility is that a regular shifting in the angle of the moon orbiting earth causing changing tides and atmospheric circulation affects the global climate (Cunningham & Cunningham, 2009,

The change in earth’s climate have been driven by forces of nature for the past million years.

It has been observed through various researches that in the last century, average temperatures across the globe increased by over 1.3°F with an increase of more than two times in the Arctic. (Bates, Kundzewicz, Wu, & Palutikof, June 2008). The results of climate change can also be seen in changing precipitation patterns, increases in ocean temperatures, changes in the sea level, and acidity and melting of glaciers and sea ice (USEPA, 2014).

The Earth has not always been as it is today. Periods of climate alterations have occurred over time to land us where we stand today. Around 8200 years ago or 6200 BCE, a surprising event occurred on Earth. The Earth underwent an abrupt climate temperature change. This change is known as the 8.2 ka year event or 8200 year event which refers to the last major climate alteration, a Northern Hemisphere cooling event that occurred approximately 8,200 years before the present. This event was less severe than the Younger Dryas, a cooling event preceding the 8.2, but more severe than the Little Ice Age that occurred after. The event occurred in the Greenland Ice cores during the Holocene, a period in which the Earth had a relatively stable climate.

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

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

Evidence indicates, Earth’s natural climate has a history of dramatic changes from warmer and cooler periods that can last for a few centuries. Mankind geologically speaking lives in a time period of intense climate change, and over the past million years we have experienced a dozen or so major glaciations, with the greatest occurring around 650,000 years ago, long before the Industrial Revolution, The Ice Age. This cooling period in Earth’s climate lasted for somewhere around 50,000 years and included the extreme buildup of ice that covered major regions, such as the Midwest, Canada, Germany, and several smaller regions. During this time the sea level had dropped by approximately 400 feet and the overall global temperature dropped nearly 9

A second study states “Although some records are available from the 1600s and 1700s , systematic measurements of climate began in the mid-1800s. The data include measurements of surface temperature over land and the oceans, precipitation amounts, sea-ice extents, and global sea levels. Since the 1970s, satellite studies have provided additional data on temperature trends at Earth’s surface and through the layers of the atmosphere” (“Global Warming- Britannica”). The second source backs up the first source with exact quantitative data about changes in the first. (See pictures on page 6-7 ). The first topic of the United Nation’s Climate Change 2014 Synthesis Report is “Observed Changes and their Cause” which states “Each of the last three decades has been successively warmer at the Earth’s surface than any preceding decade since 1850” (“United Nations” pg 7). These three sources prove, through scientific observational facts, that the climate of the Earth’s surface is changing very rapidly, therefore, proving that through conclusive science the topic of climate changer is accurate.

For over a hundred years, scientists have been carefully gathering and verifying data on the earth's temperature. The latest data reveals some striking trends:All 10 of the warmest years on record have occurred in the last 15 years The 1990's have already been warmer than the 1980's- the warmest decade on record The global average surface temperature has risen 0.5 degrees (site source)For the first time ever, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the authoritative international body charged with studying this issue, concluded that the observed increase in global average temperature over the last century "is

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).

The issue of global warming should be on the list of our top priorities. Studies show that the average of global temperatures have risen since the Industrial Revolution began. Since the Industrial Revolution, human emissions has quadrupled the frequency of certain heat extremes and many scientists have warned that a failure to bring greenhouse gases under control could eventually lead to a 62-fold increase in extreme heat blasts (Gillis Justin A17). Most of the increase is due to human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. These activities contribute to a build-up in carbon dioxide and other gases in Earth’s atmosphere. The Earth’s atmosphere is made of gases like nitrogen, carbon dioxide and oxygen. These gases act as a blanket that covers and gives us warmth, but once these gases such as carbon dioxide absorbs heat, but does not release it back into space in which causes the increase in global temperature. This is called the greenhouse effect because it only traps heat but does not release it.