Nowadays global warming is a major international issue that disturbs people of all ages and backgrounds. Recently there has been released a report claiming that global warming is natural but most people are sure about the fact that this phenomenon is a result of human activity.
Firstly, one of the main causes of global warming is greenhouse gases emission. Actually, greenhouse gases are those gases in atmosphere which, by absorbing thermal radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface, have a blanketing effect upon it. It is closely connected with development of industry and using fossil fuels as energy sources. The important greenhouse gases that are directly influenced by human activities are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Carbon dioxide is the most important of the greenhouse gases that are increasing in atmospheric concentration because of the human activities. Methane is a component of natural gas. But its levels have been rising directly with the growth in people’s population. According to Desonie (2008), nowadays about 60% of the methane in atmosphere comes rice production, waste treatment and the incomplete burning of rain forest materials. Nitrous oxide is a minor greenhouse gas, but it also emitted from fossil fuels, forests and manufacture. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are the man-made chemicals which were considered as non-toxic and non-flammable so that they could be easily used in refrigerators and aerosol spray cans. However, CFCs are the most potent gases that have extremely negative effect on atmosphere, because they cause destruction of ozone layer that protects the planet from sun ultraviolet light. The result of increasing concentration of these gases is warming as known as the greenhouse effect.
Secondly, land use changes can alter climate. As Dale (1997) pointed out, they include forest harvesting, slash-and-burn agriculture, urbanization and agriculture expansion. Slash-and-burn agriculture is a technique that occurs especially in the tropics and consists in burning rain forest to create agricultural or ranch lands.
Global warming, by definition is the “ gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants.”(Webster) In the last several decades, there have been numerous debates regarding global warming. As of now it has become one of the biggest problems facing the world today. Scientists do believe that our production of greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide is having a warming effect on the atmosphere, but it also is creating a positive impact to on the planet. The controversial side is scientific consensus that it is the fault of mankind that our actions have led to the results of earthquakes, tidal waves, geographical plates moving, all because of global warming pollution. The other side that is also debated on is that global warming can bring new developments to our planet and to all that dwell within. In this paper I will examine the positive and negative side of global warming and suggest some ways nature and humans are solving the issue. Global warming is causing the largest impact to nature and humanity in the 21st century, but with green house gases on the rise, humanity, nature, and species will learn to evolve.
It is now a well-documented scientific fact that both the 20th and 21st centuries have experienced a general trend in terms of global warming. Scientific research and evidence clearly indicate that the earth’s surface temperatures are gradually increasing. There have been a variety of theories pertaining to the fundamental causes of global warming. However, one of the outstanding beliefs is that human activities are distinctively responsible for global warming. Although this phenomenon is not experienced on all regions around the globe, the average temperatures on the globe have increased by 0.7°C since 1900 (Hansen et al., 2006).
Greenhouse gas is a type of gas in atmosphere which absorb and emit radiation.Certain gases will block by atmosphere when escaping from the Earth and keeping the Earth warm.Therefore,this process is called Greenhouse Effect .The primary gases in the Earth are water vapour , carbon dioxide , methane , nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbons etc.However,human activities are changing the natural greenhouse.According to the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report issued on 2 February 2007 , it can be observed that there was a significant increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century .One of the reason is the industrial revolution ,the develop...
Global warming is a topic of discussion that many people can debate or try to avoid. It is often argued that the causes of global warming are either caused by humans, nature, or both. Some of these people don’t even have a clue about the impact they have on Earth and the ozone layer. Some people may not even know what causes global warming. If people don’t know how they are contributing to global warming, how are they going to contribute to stop it? Humans affect global warming by activities that range from driving to expanding their family. In this case, global warming’s effects are overwhelmingly connected to human activity.
Global warming and global climate change is the study of future increases of temperature across the globe. Studying climate change refers to how the over- all climate will change such as the dry places getting dryer and the wet places getting wetter. Global climate is dependent on “the greenhouse effect a natural process that helps regulate temperature” (Easterling and Karl). In the past few centuries humans have had a monumental effect on increasing of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Climate change is result of the increase amount of the greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere such as methane, carbon dioxide, water vapor, nitrous oxide, and ozone. “Global temperature has rose approximately 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit over
The emission of carbon dioxide has contributed to 80% to the heating of the earth atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is produced due the burning of fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal and oil. The burning of fossil fuel is very important in our society today, because it is used for cooking, used to produce electricity, for heating, for cooling and also for transportation. The industrialization has led to the use of fossil fuel for running machines and driving cars. The building of fossil fuel contributes towards 80-90% of the carbon dioxide we find in our atmosphere today. When the ecosystems are altered and vegetation is either burned or took out, the carbon stored in them is relinquished to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide (What causes global climate change, 2005). Methane is another gas being produced in the process which all have served to increase the greenhouse effect in our atmosphere. Methane is produced from the cultivation of rice, from the burning of coal and from cattle, it has increased by 145% due to human
Global warming is a growing concern which human beings are facing in this century. Global warming is defined as an increase in the average temperature of the Earth 's atmosphere, due to the increase in greenhouse gases mainly carbon dioxide on the earth environment. Greenhouse gases has the capacity to entrapment of more and more solar radiations, and thus increasing the overall temperature of the earth. Most people still argue saying that there is no global warming on the world. However, studies and many scientific facts show how the global warming actually a reality not meth. Base on the data which is collected for 150 years, the results shows how the earth temperature gain an average of 0.45 Celsius temperature gain per
Causes of climate change include longtime exposure of solar irradiance, human activity, and the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is when the sun’s rays shine through the ozone layer and certain gases in the atmosphere don’t allow heat to escape the atmosphere. These gases forced to stay in the atmosphere are “forcing” climate change on the earth. The gases included the greenhouse effect include methane, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and nitrous oxide. This acts as a thermal energy blanket for the earth warming it beyond its point of a stable endpoint. The most abundant greenhouse gas is water vapor. Water vapor increases as the Earth’s atmosphere warms. Carbon dioxide is released through natural processes respiration and volcano eruptions and through human activities. A hydrocarbon gas produced both through natural sources and human activities, including the decomposition of wastes in landfills, agriculture, and especially rice cultivation, as well as ruminant digestion and manure management associated with domestic livestock. On a molecule-for-molecule basis, methane is a far more active greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, but also one which is much less abundant in the atmosphere. A powerful greenhouse gas produced by soil cultivation practices, especially the use of commercial and organic fertilizers, fossil fuel combustion, nitric acid production, and biomass
Global warming is a war that we should not get involved with because we will lose if changes aren’t made soon. Global warming is the rapid increase in earth’s average surface temperature over the past century due to the fact that greenhouse gases are being released into the atmosphere increasing the earth’s average temperature (EarthObservatory.NASA.org). There are many contributing factors that play a role into the cause of global warming. Greenhouse gasses are gasses such as Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide, and F-gasses that trap heat in the atmosphere. The heat that is trapped in the earth’s atmosphere is a slowly melting glaciers, cause sea levels to rise and is messing with the weather patterns. People need to get educated and recognize that global warming is a problem and it might not affect us in our life time but if we continue to ignore the problem out children will be greatly affected by the threats we are seeing right now. Slowly sea levels are rising over time. In the past century sea levels have gone up an average of 4 to 8 inches, and scientist believe that this change is accelerating over time. They predict that by 2100 sea levels will have risen an average of about 10 to 23 inches (nrdc.org). Between the months of January and March of 2002, a piece of the Larsen B shelf in Antarctica collapsed. The Piece of the ice shelf was the size of Rhode Island, scientist found this surprising
The most destructive human contribution to climate change is fossil fuels combustion, which results in the release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Increased carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and halocarbons levels in the atmosphere cause an imbalance in the earth’s energy. This is because the gases alter solar radiation and thermal radiation which regulate the earth’s energy. Research indicates that anthropogenic climate change is the cause of the increased global warming over the last fifty years. 57 % of the carbon dioxide emitted is absorbed into the atmosphere while the rest is absorbed into the oceans. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the most central greenhouse gas that is associated with global warming (Eby, Zickfield, Montenegro, Archer, Meissner, & Weaver,
We are living in a clean world; eating and drinking whatever we want, swimming in
Many researchers, scientists, and environmentalists are expressing concerns about changes in the overall climate of the earth. Some believe that a dramatically dangerous warming is taking place in the overall global climate, a problem that is referred to as "global warming." This paper will attempt to explore this very
As we approach the future we are faced with many global problems. Most of these problems arise because we have caused them ourselves. We need to face these problems and find a solution. Global warming, although most often overlooked in importance, is a crucial problem of the future directly related to human activities. Global warming is caused by gases humans release into the atmosphere called anthropogenic gases and by deforestation. Anthropogenic gases include carbon dioxide, methane, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrofl...
One of the most substantial problems in the world today is global warming. This gradual warming of the earth is in occurrence at an extremely slow rate but it is happening. Many scientists believe that as human’s work and release greenhouse gases into the earth’s atmosphere, it can become dangerous for the long lasting life of humans and our environment. “Unless we take immediate action, the impacts of global warming will continue to intensify, grow ever more costly and damaging, and increasingly affect the entire planet - including you, your community, and your family” (“Global Warming Impacts”). Everyone should be knowledgeable about global warming and the dangers that it brings to our planet. This essay will examine
As Robert Frost once said, “ Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice. From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire.” This excerpt can relate to the idea of global warming. Global warming can be defined as an increase in the earth's average atmospheric temperature that causes corresponding changes in climate and that may result from the greenhouse effect. During the past 10,000 years the earth has been in an ever-growing cycle that has significantly changed the climate. These changes are becoming more prevalent in our world today in the past 150 years. Scientists have been analyzing the causes and effects of the greenhouse effect and many other issues that global warming has presented. As John Houghton states in his book, Global Warming the Complete Briefing, on page 2 “ The 1980s and 1990s were unusually warm. Globally speaking, the decades have been the warmest since accurate records began somewhat over a hundred years ago and these unusually warm years are continuing into the twenty-first century.” There are countless records that show that our world as a whole is getting warmer, and the facts cannot be disputed. Everyone in the world today is experiencing the effects of global warming. These effects might be small now, but if we don’t protect our planet now then the consequences will greatly be increased.