Threat of Global Warming
There are two burning questions that I feel need to be answered before exploring the aspects of global warming. They are what is the greenhouse effect and how does the green house effect contribute to global warming? Gases in the atmosphere are transparent to visible light but absorb infrared (heat) waves that are reradiated from the earth’s surface (Cunningham, Cunningham, Saigo 05). However, some greenhouse gases occur naturally in the atmosphere, while others result from human activities. Naturally occurring greenhouse gases include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. Carbon dioxide is released to the atmosphere when solid waste, fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal), wood and wood products are burned. Methane is emitted during the production and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil and the raising of livestock.
The atmosphere, when loosely compared to the glass of a greenhouse, transmits sunlight while trapping heat inside is called the green house effect. The greenhouse effect is a natural atmospheric process that is necessary for life, as we know it. Too strong of a greenhouse effect that is caused by the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, may cause harmful environmental change. The greenhouse effect is only troublesome when it gets too strong and warms things too much. And that’s just what scientists say has happened over the last 150 years or so as the people of industrialized nations have extracted Earth’s vast buried stores of fossil fuels and burned them.
Each greenhouse gas differs in its ability to absorb heat in the atmosphere. Methane traps over 21 times more heat per molecule than carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide absorbs 27...
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...appen if deforestation stopped entirely? Would the greenhouse effect stop immediately or would it take many, many years? We as humans are smart enough to stop doing things that will ultimately destroy human kind. Aren’t we? More studies must be done to find a definitive answer in order to save mankind. Or is this the way that history dictates that in this one million years global warming is inevitable?
Works Cited
Discovery Channel. 2005. Global Warming.discoverychannel.org.
EPA. 2006. U.S. Department of State website. Epa.gov/globalwarming.org.
Science Express, 30 September 2004
Knutson, Thomas R. and Tuleya, Robert, Journal of Climate, vol. 17, pp. 3477-3495.
Geophysical Research Letters, September 22, 2004.
Cunningham, W.P. Cunningham, M.A. and Saigo, B.W., Environmental Science, A Global Concern, ninth ed., publisher, 2005.
The Greenhouse Effect occurs when all of the heat is being trapped which involves elements like CH4, N2O, O3. But , the one thing that causes global warming is CO2 ( Schlosser). The society has to remember that not only the elements cause this change , critics are causing the climate change also. For example , fire is natural and beneficial but it can also cause the weather to change because it releases carbon monoxide , and all of that goes up into the atmosphere which can cause global change. Not only does it cause warm temperatures but it also disrupts ecosystems pushing those to extinction for those who can’t adapt. There is also the Greenhouse effect temperatures. They have been rising to about 0.8 degrees celsius. According to Dr. Schlosser , in the atmosphere, it returns about 30% of the energy in approaching sunlight and takes in about 30% at the same time.
Think about a time when your car was parked on the side of the street all day long. Then you decide to run to the store and get some things for dinner. The minute you opened the car door, you feel the currents of hot air blowing past you, and when you sit down, you feel as if your car is radiating heat! This is a tiny, yet real example of the process called the greenhouse effect. This effect includes a form of matter, absorbing heat or radiation from the sun. What happened in the car was the glass assists the absorption of the heat and trapped the heat inside, containing it. Equally, the earth's atmosphere contains gases called greenhouse gases such as Carbon Dioxide, Methane, and water vapor, which absorbs the rays we receive from the sun, and trap the heat inside. Our atmosphere, which contains the greenhouse gases acts like a blanket; absorbing the heat from the sun, and preventing it from going away from the earth's surface. The more the heat gets trapped because of the increase in greenhouse gases, the more the temperature rises, causing global warming. Global warming is “an increase in the earth's atmospheric and oceanic temperatures widely predicted to occur due to an increase in the greenhouse effect resulting especially from pollution,” (Merriam Webster Dictionary). The two main causes of global warming are the greenhouse effect and solar variations. The Greenhouse Effect “refers to the process by which absorption and emission of infrared radiation atmosphere gases (mainly Greenhouse gases such as CO, NO, and Carbon Monoxide) warms the Earth’s atmosphere and surface,” (Merriam Webster Dictionary).Solar Variations are “changes in the amount of radiant energy emitted by the Sun,” (Wikipedia).
The greenhouse effect is known as the rising in earth's temperature above from its normal temperature. In the atmosphere, there are certain gases, such as methane, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides, water vapor, and ozone, which aid in this activity by reflecting the heat back to earth. Because of this process earth can maintain a suitable temperature. Around 57 degrees Fahrenheit, which are considered to be a normal temperature. The average temperature on earth would be zero degrees Fahrenheit, 18 degrees Celsius), if this radiation is not trapped, and as a result of life would not be as we are seeing now. In this way, these greenhouse gases are primary and very important for the survival of the living organisms on earth. What makes the earth,
A greenhouse gas is any gaseous compound in the atmosphere that is capable of absorbing infrared radiation, thereby trapping and holding heat in the atmosphere. By increasing the heat in the atmosphere, greenhouse gases are responsible for the greenhouse effect, which ultimately leads to global warming. (EPA Environmental Protection Agency, 2014)
Reay, D. (2010, May 9). The encyclopedia of the Earth. Greenhouse gas. Retrieved from http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/153147/
Over the last few years almost everyone has heard that the earth is warming. Also, almost everyone has heard the pleas to go green and reduce carbon emissions, led by former Vice-President Al Gore. Even though there is not a truly accurate definition of global warming it can be roughly defined as a rise in average global temperature according to Laurence Pringle’s book Global Warming Assessing the Greenhouse Threat (19). Global Warming Assessing the Greenhouse Threat also bring up that the average temperature data that scientist are using only goes back to 1860 giving scientists today only 150 years of temperature data. Also, with this current warming, even with humans contributing to the rising average global temperature, scientist today do not fully understand all the complexities of the atmosphere (Pringle 19-21). According to another book by Mr. Pringle, Global Warming the Threat of Earth’s Changing Climate, scientists predict global temperatures could rise from two to six degrees Celsius by 2050 (33). Despite these predictions historical and new information show that scientist are incorrect that global temperatures will forever continue to increase. Global warming and the rise in global temperatures is due to humans burning fossil fuels and overconsumption of products, as well as natural cycles changing slightly and other natural phenomenon; however, this warming will eventually lead to global cooling.
Global Warming is a phenomenon in which the temperature on the Earth increases. Over history we see natural stages in our Earth’s climate between warm and cold periods because of increased Carbon Dioxide. These stages are usually cyclic but temperatures are rising faster than ever before (Pipkin). Ancient ice cores dating back 800,000 years show a steady level of greenhouse gasses (Scambos). Proving this point Ted Scambos states: “The dramatic rise in the gasses seen in the past few decades- from 315 parts per billion in 1958 to 388 parts per million for carbon dioxide. . . "(37). Greenhouse gasses are emitted from the burning of fossil fuels (Carbon Dioxide, Methane, and Nitrogen Oxides). These gasses create a barrier that traps the incoming solar radiation (Insolation) and reheats the earth. Carbon Dioxide is the most abundant of the gasses but not nearly as powerful as Methane. For instance, "Methane in the atmosphere warms the Earth over 20 times more per molecule than carbon dioxide does than after a decade or two, it oxidizes into Carbon Dioxide and keep...
Greenhouse gasses have a big impact on our atmosphere. These gasses include water vapor, methane, ozone, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide. Each greenhouse gas molecule has three or more atoms that are loosely held together and that eventually release the heat energy and it is absorbed by another greenhouse molecule. Many people talk about greenhouse gasses as if they are a bad idea, but they are not a bad thing. Without these gasses the earth would be zero degrees on the surface. However, too many greenhouse gasses can cause higher temperatures in the atmosphere, cause oceans to warm beyond what they should be normally and weather that is unpredictable. The same with fossil fuels that produce a variety of emissions that pollute our planet 's air and water. These pollutants threaten the environment and its
Global climate change has been attributed to the accelerated collection and retention in the atmosphere of carbon dioxide and other so-called Green House Gases (GHG), such as methane, some of which are naturally occurring while some are man-made. The side effect of having too much retained GHG in the atmosphere is that the warmth from the sun is retained much longer than it should thus causing an unnecessary rise in temperatures.
To truly understand the global warming, and how it effects the earth, knowing what is the greenhouse effect, and what it does needs to be discussed first. The greenhouse effect is one of the main reasons that the earth is the perfect place to live on. Basically, the reason that animals live on earth is not just because the earth is in perfect distance from the earth, but “Our moderate temperatures are also the result of having just the right kind of atmosphere” (“The Greenhouse Effect”). As a matter of fact, the earth’s atmosphere is like a perfect blanket that keeps the temperature perfect on the surface of the earth (“The Greenhouse Effect”). This perfect blanket that keep the temperature cool on the earth are
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...
Air pollution and greenhouse gases are the reason for the planet as it is today; the reason why we see campaigns flooding the media informing us to ‘switch off’, ‘save the planet’ and ‘turn down the heat’ and the reason why the government is trying to develop a successful scheme, such as the carbon tax scheme, to reduce air pollution caused by major industries. Air pollution and greenhouse gases are the two immediate causes of global warming and climate change. Air pollution occurs when chemicals or particulate matter enter the atmosphere. They can cause damage to living organisms on the planet, as well as destruction to the natural and synthetic environment (Energy Environment.net 2008). Greenhouse gases are gases in the atmosphere that absorb infrared radiation emitted from the earth. They trap infrared radiation in the form of heat, and hence contribute to global warming. Anthropogenic greenhouse gases are a direct result of air pollution. They are the physical gases emitted that cause air pollution. Naturally occurring greenhouse gases also have an influence on the earth’s atmosphere, though it is not as conspicuous as anthropogenic causes. Together, air pollution and greenhouse gases are intensifying climate change and global warming on a world-wide basis.
Our planet has managed to survive and thrive for about 4.54 billion years. In the last 2 million years we have caused enough damage and destruction to make our world “broken” beyond repair. We will not be able to get back the world we once had. The reason behind this is global warming, specifically, the increase of the global temperature due to the burning of fossil fuels and the release of greenhouse gas emissions into our atmosphere. If we do not make the issue of global warming a priority in today`s society, our entire way of life will be at risk. There are many reasons why so many people believe global warming should be a concern. Thoroughly examined points include: scientific predictions, rising temperatures, human causes, drastic climate changes and animal adaptations. Though there are several points arguing how global warming should not be a concern, the reality of the matter is that it needs to be taken into consideration on a global scale before it is too late, as to do nothing would have devastating implications on humankind.
Climate changes occur in our earth's atmosphere due to a buildup of greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases can occur naturally as well as a result of human activities. The greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. “Carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere when solid waste, fossil fuels, and wood are burned.” (2) The gases help to warm the surface of the Earth. Each greenhouse gas absorbs heat differently. If natural gases did not occur, the temperature of the earth would be considerably cooler. “Problems can occur when higher concentrations of greenhouse gases are present in our atmosphere because they have enhanced our earth's heat trapping capability.” (3)
The common definition of global warming is a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth’s atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide and other pollutants (Global warming, Wikipedia). Moreover, the effects of global warming will bring ecological and social changes. Because there is no exact way to predict the effects of global warming, it is almost impossible to say how strong global warming will affect life in the future. Scientists blame the greenhouse gas effect in combination with societies greenhouse gas emissions for the rising temperature. The greenhouse effect is a process by which thermal radiation from a planetary surface is absorbed by atmospheric greenhouse gases, and is re-radiated in all directions. Since part of this re-radiation is emitted back towards the earth’s surface and the lower atmosphere, it results in an elevation of the average surface temperature above what it would be in the absence of the gases (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). Simply, global...