Climate Change

Once an uncommon term used only by scientists and climatologists, the notion of Global warming today is commonly heard but very misunderstood. One might ask, what exactly is global warming and should we care? According to "What is Global Warming?" in LiveScience, global warming is a gradual increase in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, that has become a world-wide environmental issue.1(Lallanilla,2013) Similarly, this topic is one of great controversy because of widely differing opinions on current global warming rates and the impact by humans.This suggested anthropogenic activity creates carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases that are released by the burning of tropical forests and fossil fuels, powering plants, heating homes, and traveling.2(Kessel,2000) On top of rising temperatures, global warming is feared for its effects on climate change, such as rising sea levels and the melting of glaciers, that will ultimately result in a non-sustainable environment and negative health consequences for mankind. Life on earth depends on climate, and changes in it directly effect the health and well-being of the population, biodiversity, and the delivery of services by ecosystems around the world.(climate change climate modes) The goal of this research paper is to analyze global warming from the perspectives of social science, natural science, and humanities in order to fully comprehend the issue at hand, and develop more knowledge for its significance.
Initially, global warming begins with the greenhouse effect, which involves the absorption of solar radiation by the earth's surface. Equally important, reflection of these solar rays in turn, heat up the atmosphere. The gases responsible for this effect include carbon di...

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...ronment & Behavior, 45(1), 60-85. doi:10.1177/0013916511421196

Editorial Board. (2013, October 20). Congress turns a blind eye to global warming. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/congress-turns-a-blind-eye-to-global-warming/2013/10/20/b5e42594-36b8-11e3-8a0e-4e2cf80831fc_story.html

Kessel, D. G. (2000). Global warming- facts, assessment,countermeasures. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 26(1-4), 157-168. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0920410500000309

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Lallanilla, M. (2013, October 02). What is global warming?. Retrieved from http://www.livescience.com/37003-global-warming.html