Interactions between human and the ecosystem have been operating for millenniums, and are impossible to eliminate, as each depends on the other in order to survive and flourish. However, as modern technology advances, as well as the increase in the world’s population, the need for natural resources begin to rise to an alarming rate which has started to gradually destroy the ecosystem. Recently, there has been an increase of sea levels in region whilst other rain-bounty areas have begun to experience their first droughts. This phenomenon is known as climate change. Climatologists have concluded that human activity has played a major role in contributing to the changes, therefore requiring extreme measures before this phenomenon evolves into a catastrophe. In this essay, we will discuss human activities that contributed to climate change, as well as addressing possible solutions to the phenomenon. According to the IPCC, climate change is defined as variations of climate conditions and its fluctuations existing on a long term particularly decades or longer (IPCC's Glossary, 2006).The alteration varies from changes in temperature, humidity, precipitation to the rise and fall sea level, or severe changes in landscape. Since the 1800s, the earth has had variant changes in global hemispheric temperature which mostly depicts the decrease of temperature. However, at the start of 1970s, temperature begins to rise up simultaneously in all regions for over roughly a century, an event that was unseen before (Figure 1.1) (Jones, 2011). Furthermore, as earth’s temperature is getting warmer, the ice in the Arctic Ocean began to melt in the warming temperature. The liquidation of the Arctic Ice has been occurring since the 1970s, however in Septem... ... middle of paper ... ...dition, fossil fuels not only unleash carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, but also is harmful to human when exposed for a long period of time, new energy resources would be needed to replace it such as, wind turbans, biomass energy, wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, and hydroelectric energy (Alternative Energy). In conclusion, evidence has pointed out that weather patterns, and climate conditions are shifting at a rapid rate that has never happened before. As the environment worsens, drastic measures must be taken to prevent it before the earth’s ecosystem will be permanently altered to a vast and hazardous environment that is inhabitable. Interaction between human activity and natural environment is inevitable, as it has always been in harmony until recent years. Regulations must be set to ensure that one party does not overpower and destroy the other.
Fossil fuels are very limited and they are used a lot. Fossil fuels are also very harmful to nature. Carbon emissions, that are produced from the use of fossil fuels, affects the globe
In recent decades, the contentious issues surrounding climate change and the corresponding effects it likely exerts upon contemporary civilization has developed to become one of the most pressing areas of concern afflicting humanity (Armstrong, 1). Currently, climate change has started to demonstrate its potentially calamitous consequences upon human subsistence practices, and has even begun to alter the very environments that entire societies reside in, theoretically endangering them in both instances (Armstrong, 1). Though the hindrances inherent in climate change are potentially devastating to the preservation of modern society, the problem of climate change itself is not one that is exclusive to the contemporary era. Rather, the harmful
Mankind’s industrialization of the world has caused a drastic increase in temperature. This rise in temperature is caused by solar radiation remaining in our atmosphere because of gases produced by humans through the burning of fossil fuels, land clearing, agriculture, and other human activities. These gases block the radiation from escaping into space therefore warming our planet. The result is raising of ocean levels, extinction of species and threatening of children’s health because of disease and less freshwater to drink. While many view climate change to be a more natural occurrence than others do, scientists have proven the average temperature rise of the Earth between 0.4 and 0.8 °C over the last 100 years.
Climate 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.
Climate change is a change in global temperature and regional climate patterns. At the turn of the 20th century, there has been rising issues about climate change, arguing that global warming and climate change is an issue worsened by the human race. Change in climate is a natural process in which changes from season to season and even fluxuates over thousands of years. Over the time frame of the last 650,000 years there has been seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat (Global Climate Change). It could be argued that climate change is a natural process and the Earth is suppose to change its temperature from hot to cold. Yes, that is true. However, the rate in which the temperature is changing is something this Earth has never endured. In
Climate change has had many impacts all over the world and evidence of it is very apparent. One example that climate change has impacted the earth is the rising sea levels. Since planet earth is slowly getting warmer by greenhouse gasses, the glaciers and ice sheets around the world are melting, which is adding more water to the oceans. Within the last century, the global water levels have risen by nearly 7 inches. In a quote from “A Student 's Guide” they say,
Leading to our planets slow demise, global climate change is an important issue that has sparked fascinating research on its causes, as well as its future effects. There has been significant change in weather patterns and climate over the past century. Sea levels are rising, ice caps are shrinking, and extreme unexpected disasters are occurring all over the world at an alarming rate. This means devastating outcomes for the future of planet earth, along with all of earth’s inhabitants. Earth is home to billions of people, as well as countless species. The despondent truth is that humanity is to blame for global climate change.
There is no longer any question that our world climate has changed (King, 2004). Over the last 100 years, "temperatures have risen by about 0.6 degrees Celsius and global sea level has risen by about 20cm" (K...
On the basis of the evidence, it is accepted that climate change is occurring and the climate will change even further due to our fossil fuel based economy, the increasing number of people and their increasing wealth. The increase in greenhouse gases has already started having impacts on the climate, natural ecosystems and human societies. It is clear that the average surface temperatures have increased and it will continue to do as more carbon dioxide gets released into the atmosphere. The recent warming is unprecedented in both magnitude and speed. The projected warming for the 21st century will expect to create severe problems for natural ecosystems and human societies. Water resources are already suffering from increases stresses, and are likely to be reduced. This will inhibit the growth of crops and adversely affect other water uses such as water use for industries and the water supply for the human population. This will lead to more severe food shortages. The glaciers and ice sheets are already retreating, and will retreat more which will lead to changes in the total and annual cycle of river flow in some rivers, threatening water supplies further. Impact on the ecosystems will affect the distribution and productivity of plant and animal species and water supply. A loss of biodiversity is likely to be accelerated by climate change. There will be an increase in extreme weather events such as increases in flood magnitude and frequencies, increases in drought intensity, frequency and duration as evaporation rates will be greater. Higher average temperatures and possibly increased variability are likely to lead to increased frequency and severity of heat waves, causing additional deaths due to heat stress and vector-borne disea...
In theory some parts of the world might benefit, from a human point of view, due to global warming. However, at current rates of warming, local ecosystems will collapse and any objective measure of global benefits versus suffering would show much more suffering than benefits gained.
Climate change has been considered by several scientists to be the most earnest threat facing the world today. To begin with, a basic definition of climate change is that it is the long -term shift in weather conditions and that a change in climate would be due to either natural processes or human activity. Climate change can be studied through drilling into glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica. From there, scientists are able to gather significant information about past climate changes, and future climate changes. For example, for around the past 12,000 years, we have been lucky enough to live in an interglacial period, in which we are able to live in a warmer climate. From the data collected, scientists estimate that this interglacial period will last for another 15,000 years. However, this may not be the case if human activities gravely alter the Earth's climate. The impact humans have caused towards the Earth can be deadly for all aspects of the environment. It is important to find a solution.
As defined by the Oxford dictionary, climate change is, “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.” (Oxford Dictionaries) Moreover, evidence of climate change can be found all over the world, and in many different forms, but is especially prevalent in certain regions. For instance, in Southeast Asia, specifically the nation of the Philippines, signs of climate change can be observed frequently, if not regularly. One major ...
The three fossil fuels- coal, crude oil, and gas slowly formed over millions of years. These days, we use fossil fuels to power everything- homes, buildings, cars, computers, lights, etc. However, fossil fuels deposits will run out soon, which is a huge problem. Extracting, transporting, and burning fossil fuels are dangerous. There are also many negative biological and environmental impacts that result from the use of fossil fuels, such as ocean acidification, groundwater contamination, land subsidence, oil spills, and global warming. Therefore, we should be trying to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and explore alternative energy sources such as wind energy, hydroelectricity, and solar energy instead. Our world depends on fossil fuels, but they can also hurt us. Fossil fuels are both a blessing and a curse.
Climate change is an inevitable phenomenon that is being experienced globally in various forms such as temperature rise. Sea level rise, droughts, floods, hurricanes, landslides, etc. According to the forth assessment report of the IPCC project even with immediate implementation of mitigation strategies global climate change will continue for decades. Climate change is inflicting serious consequences on human wellbeing and will continue to inflict damages in the future. It is estimated that mean global temperature will rise by 1.8 ºC - 4.0 ºC by end of the 21st century (Izaurraade, 2009). A new global climate model predicts that in the coming decade the surface air temperature is likely to exceed existing records (Smith et al., 2007). Growing season temperatures in the tropics and subtropics by end of the 21st century will exceed the most extreme temperature recorded in the history (Battistic and Rosamond, 2009).
The earth is a complex system, which continues to evolve and change. Climate change and global warming are currently popular in the political agenda. But what does “climate” really mean? The difference between weather and climate can be conveyed in a single sentence: “Climate is what you expect; weather is what you get.” Based on research of the geologic record, we know that climate change has happened throughout Earth's history and at present, ever-increasing evidence points to the roles that humans play in altering Earth systems. The Earth and its atmosphere receive heat energy from the sun; the atmospheric heat budget of the Earth depends on the balance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing radiation from the planet; which has been constant over the last few thousand years. However present evidence seems to suggest that the recent increase in temperature has been brought about by pollution of the atmosphere, in particular the release of huge amounts of carbon dioxide, mostly through Anthropogenic Forcing (human activity) and other various internal and external factors. I...