The Impact Of ESNO Cycles

Over the last several decades, global climate change has been scientifically proven to be a result of human activity (“Carbon Dioxide Emissions”). Industrial processes, fossil fuel combustion, and changes in land use have altered the balance of greenhouse gases (GHG’s) in the Earth’s atmosphere. (City of New York et al. 2013) By increasing the concentration of carbon dioxide and other GHG’s in Earth’s atmosphere, our modern society is gradually warming the planet and altering its climate (“Carbon Dioxide Emissions”). Most recently, a March 2012 study found that climatic changes resulting from a warming planet have already increased the frequency of extreme weather events, “most notably heat waves and precipitation extremes” (“Carbon Dioxide Emissions”). As New York experienced not too long ago with Hurricane Sandy, the Earth’s climate and weather patterns have responded to such changes, with increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, loss of animal and plant species, impacts to human health, disruption of ecosystems, and other effects (City of New York et al. 2013) Such effects of human-induced climate change present potential threats to the infrastructure, economy, and health of not only New York City but the entire U.S.

Over the years, human existence has led to major environmental changes and global impacts. Recently, human activities have led to an increase in climatic changes threatening human life; such as, global warming, rising sea levels, increase in floods, and melting ice caps among other indicators (Klein, 2015). These environmental changes have been brought by rapid industrialization,

Overall El Niño is a world wide phenomenon which affects countries in different ways depending on were they are situated and whether they are a LEDC or MEDC.

Climate change is affecting humans every day, and yet most of us have found that every region of the globe is affected in some way or another. For us here in San Diego, California, in the Western Hemisphere, on the west coast, United States, North America, that impact is felt mostly with rising sea temperatures and rising sea levels. There are noticeable predictions that by 2050, rising sea levels here will rise as stated: “"At least a 16 inch sea level rise is expected in San Diego, Ca by 2050, with a projected rise of 50% by the turn of the century."

-CFCs destruction to the ozone layer has allowed for UV radiation from the atmosphere to warm up the earth surface temperature higher than usual which is known as the greenhouse effect which has been known to assist in the growth of global warming. This exposure has also exposed humans to harmful UV radiation which can cause cancer.

Devastating natural disasters happen all the time take Hurricane, Katrina for example. An increase in climate change causes the seas to also adjust in temperature and could lead to more tropical storms. “The oceans have absorbed much of the increased heat, with the top 700 meters of ocean showing warming of .302F since 1969” (Shaftel 8). Extreme climate change has been rapidly changing our environment and causes an increase of severe weather. “Most of the Earth warming has occurred since the 1970s, with the 20 warmest years having occurred since 1981 and with all 10 of the warmest years occurring in the past 12 years” (Shaftel 7). “Global sea level rose about 17 cm in the last century. The rate in the last decade is nearly double that of the last century” (Shaftel 6). “Greenland lost 150 to 250 cubic kilometers of ice

In the years ahead, climate change will have a significant impact on every aspect of the daily lives of all human beings -- possibly greater even than war. Shifting precipitation patterns and ocean currents could change where and how food crops grow. If icecaps melt and low-lying areas are flooded, as is predicted, entire populations could be forced to move to higher ground. The tsunami of 2004 and Hurricane Katrina, in 2005, provided vivid examples of what large-scale climactic catastrophes entail.

el nino is a warm band of water that periodically develops in the Pacific Ocean near the equator off western South America. El Niño—Spanish for “the child” because it often occurs around Christmas—occurs about once every two to seven years. El Niño can affect the weather in large parts of Asia, Africa, Indonesia, and North and South America, causing both floods and droughts. An El Niño event is often followed by a band of colder than normal ocean waters called La Niña, which is Spanish for “the girl.” La Niña produces the opposite weather conditions. Both of these phenomena cause changes in air pressure in the western Pacific. Together these two events are known as ENSO, or El Niño–Southern

According to scientific research, the average temperature of the earth has risen by between ten and twenty degrees Celsius (M.L. Weitzman, 2008). These high temperatures could well be described as a ‘recipe for disaster’, and could produce results that would be catastrophic on a global scale. What is more alarming however, is that there is already a lot of evidence of predicted results of climate change, for instance, in Australia especially, severe draughts have been common in farming areas in the last few decades, there has been an increase of intense and extreme weather events, for example floods, flash floods, tsunamis, earthquakes and tornados, almost all of the natural disasters listed have occurred for ‘unknown’ reasons in the past few years. Rises in sea water level and temperature due to higher acid levels caused by global warming, threaten the existence of species and in some areas, entire eco-systems resulting in the loss of natural biodiversity. ‘Climate change is pushing the world to the verge of environmental and economic collapse, whether global deniers want to believe it or not’ (N. Klein, 2011).

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

For example, EI Nino threatens Peru's anchovy harvest, which could mean higher prices for food. The warm water of Ei Nino keeps the nutrient-rich cold water which procides anchovies with food down at the bottom of the ocean. Anchovies are the primary source of fish meal which is the main ingredient in animal

El Nino is a warm current in the Pacific Ocean that flows southward along South America’s west coast. It usually last nine to twelfth months and returns an average 4 years. Normally deep, cold Pacific waters well up to the surface of the Peruvian and Ecuadorian coast, bringing up nutrients and chilling surface waters and causing climatic changes worldwide. A powerful El Nino in 1982 and 1983 caused severe drought in Australia and Indonesia and an unusually large number of storms in California. During the 1997-98 El Nino, heavy rains caused flooding in Peru, Ecuador, and Argentina; monsoons and cyclones struck Madagascar: and severe storms pelted Texas and the Southeast. More recent El Nino events in 2003 and 2006 were not as devastating.

From a scientific point of view, the author describes and substantiates the existence of global warming and also observes the potential effects it could result in. These include of rising sea levels, shifted climate patterns, increased threats to infectious diseases, extreme global temperatures, and coastal erosion. But ultimately, the report informs readers that the degree to which global warming affects life on Earth primarily depends on our decisions.

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).