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The causes and consequences of global warming
The causes and consequences of global warming
Effects on the Earth from climate change
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Climate change has been active since the first days of Earth. Under definition climate change means “a long-term change in the earth's climate, especially a change due to an increase in the average atmospheric temperature.” (Dictionary). Climate change can be seen making an impact all over the world. There are many theories and beliefs as to why the climate is currently changing, but there is no hard evidence that makes the real cause of climate change clear. There are many possible causes to the changes in climate that we see, but none are known for sure. These possible causes include global warming, such as burning fossil fuels, and even solar related issues such as the position of earth and our sun. We know climate change is occurring because …show more content…
Due to the greenhouse effect, earths orbit may have a large impact on the unusual changes we see happening to earths climate. When the suns energy is absorbed by earth, earth warms, and because of the greenhouse effect the amount of heat that the earths atmosphere can retain is much greater. Variations of the suns energy reaching earth, and changes in the reflectivity of earths atmosphere are also reasons why climate change may be happening. All of these factors have caused climate change many times. “The historical record shows that the climate system varies naturally over a wide range of time scales. In general, climate changes prior to the Industrial Revolution in the 1700s can be explained by natural causes, such as changes in solar energy, volcanic eruptions, and natural changes in greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations.” (Earths Temperature is a Balancing Act) Climate change is influenced by how much solar energy is reaching earth. How much solar energy reaches earth is caused by natural changes such as changes within the sun and changes in earths orbit. The intensity of sunlight can cause major warming or cooling of the earth. Changes in the earths axis or tilt can also cause changes in how the sun helps to heat or cool the earth. Many scientists worry that one day earth may be inhabitable if the greenhouse effect becomes a larger issue. If this is …show more content…
Climate change is wreaking havoc all over our world and although the government claims they are coming up with new plans to help out, we have made no steps in improving the conditions. “The impacts of climate change on health will depend on many factors. These factors include the effectiveness of a community's public health and safety systems to address or prepare for the risk and the behavior, age, gender, and economic status of individuals affected.” (Climate Impacts on Human Health) The major problem is we do not know what precautions to take when it comes to climate change, not many people take it seriously enough, because not enough people understand the risks. Climate change is clear and harmful and has been following us since the earliest days of earth. Before it was a distant threat, but it is now a present-day danger. Americans and others around the world are noticing changes all around them. Hotter, longer summers, heavy downpours of rain, and shorter warmer winters, are becoming normal to us. Whether it occurs naturally or whether it is caused because of global warming, it still needs to be
Climate change is a long term change in the earth’s climate. Climate change is attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels. There are 328,000,000 cubic miles of seawater on the planet, covering approximately 71 percent of the earth's surface. Ninety-seven percent of all water is in the oceans. The other three percent is divided amongst the two percent ice and one percent fresh water. Making earth’s waters composed mostly of salt water. Salt water covers most of our planet indicating climate change to have a giant impact on our oceans. Taking a closer look at the ocean and our water in general can reveal several clues to the greater effects of climate change and what other ways climate change can affect our planet. (2)
Global climate change and its apparent effects have been the subject of much discussion for a number of years. It is often claimed that this change is too advanced and the damage caused by it is irreversible, meaning that any efforts by us to undo this are in vain. Although I agree that our planet has become unalterably changed, I don’t entirely concur that this change is now completely beyond repair.
Climate Change is the significant change in the climate and distribution of weather patterns on Earth ranging from the last decade to millennia earlier.
Climate change is temperature increasing over a long period of time. Climate is imoortant to both humans and ecosyestems in order to thrive. One slight change can disrupt an entire ecosystem. Most people recognize that greenhouse gasses such carbon dioxide have been contributing to climate change. Greenhouse gases are part of earth’s many natural processes. Greenhouse gasses are important to keeping the earth at an overall warm temperature. When When sunlight shines down to Earth, it warms the surface but after so much warming, some of the heat goes right back out into the atmosphere. Some of the heat hits the greenhouse gases. When this happens, the molecules become excited and release even more heat. The issue of climate change has been
For years to come there will always be a speculation on whether the climate change has really taken place or not. Many believe that large companies launched this topic in order to benefit from it in profit, as there are also those who are convinced that this are consequences that have emerged from human mistakes in understanding the environment. As humans are struggling to trust one another whether it is just a big conspiracy or not or environment changing itself, we are slowly starting to feel the effects of climate change. Because of the gasses (CO2) that are in the air, atmosphere is getting warmer, thereby triggering the Greenhouse effect. Almost 70% of emitted gasses in air are CO2, which leads us to believe that this is the main cause of Global Warming. Since it is billions and billions of metric tons per year that are being released in air, many scientists conclude that temperature will most likely be more higher in twenty years from now, than it was in near past.
Our world is always changing, so is our climate. Some changes are apparent, others not so much. Climate change is an important issue of concern in the twenty-first century. Environment, if it changes at all, evolves so slowly that the difference cannot be seen in a human lifetime (Wearth, 2014). Mostly all scientists predicted that it would take thousands of years for the planet to warm up due to emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels called greenhouse gases. But in the past 200 years, things began to change. The rate and the amount of warming that is happening on this planet are unprecedented. Wearth says, “People did not grasp the prodigious fact that both population and industrialization were exploding in a pattern of exponential
Due to climate changes, we are a “gradual and uncertain rather than immediate and obvious” process, we as humans cannot understand it (Jamieson, 102). In addition, climate change effects have no geographical bounds and because very few people pay attention to events that occur beyond national boundaries, most people are oblivious to its existence. Jamieson makes the point that climate change must be thought rather than sensed, and we as humans are not very good at thinking (Jamieson, 103). On top of that, even if we succeed in thinking that something is a threat, we are less reactive than if we sense that it is a threat. Since we cannot even comprehend climate change's presence in our world right now, it also makes it extremely difficult for us to comprehend how our anthropogenic actions of today will affect future generations all over the world.
The EPA says that, “Warmer temperatures and shifting weather patterns can worsen air quality, which can lead to asthma attacks and other respiratory and cardiovascular health effects.” This shows that extreme heat and poor air quality increases the risk of illnesses and deaths. Climate change also affects our safety because it can cause an increase in extreme weather events like storms, floods and droughts. According to the National Climate Assessment (NCA), these extreme weather events can have impacts on our “mental health, such as anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.” Rising sea levels intensify floods and the NCA says that as a result it can cause, “injuries, deaths, stress due to evacuations, and water quality impacts, among other effects on public health.” This demonstrates that climate change has the potential to control our well being and our
Climate change is a long-term change in regional or global climate patterns. From the mid twentieth century to now, it has mostly been about a significant increase in average global temperatures. Climate change is a major issue in the world today, and a lot of people feel very differently about the cause of it. The common argument about it is whether climate change is a natural occurrence or if the recent increase in temperatures is because of humans. Climate change is a natural cycle in the Earth’s weather. Before humans started burning fossil fuels, there were still weather cycles on Earth that were as hot or hotter than what it is now. In fact, Earth’s weather now, is on pace with the previous weather patterns in history. Human emitted
With his new role as the President of the United States, Donald Trump has several plans that he hopes to implement within the next four years of his presidency. Among these plans are his visions for the issue of climate change, a highly debated topic between government officials and members of the scientific community. Trump, along with several conservative christian congressmen, does not believe that climate change is a human caused issue. Many of them claim that it is a hoax, with Trump even claiming that climate change was “created by the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive” (Source). As a result, Trump plans to repeal many of the actions President Obama set forth for climate change during his presidency. Specifically,
My parents grew up in small town in Mexico. There was a little river that went through part of the town when they were growing up. Every weekend or so they would go out and would go swimming with their families, it almost became a tradition to go swimming there until they noticed that the river 's water level was becoming smaller and smaller. Today there is no river anymore, instead it 's a road that travels through the town. Every time I visit my family in Mexico it would alway be nice and warm up until this year when I went in December. I remember waking up and getting ready to go to my aunt 's house in clothes for warm weather. As I open the door, the cold air punch me and I saw snowflakes falling down. It 's not supposed to snow in that
Even if the reason of climate change may be the natural cycles, we humans are the major determinant to it. The huge amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is causing the climate change and this amount is rising day by day, as a result of our actions. Greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, generally absorb and emit the heat in the atmosphere to keep the Earth’s climate habitable. However, as we continue to burn fossil fuels, this habitable Earth’s temperature will blow up, and as a result, some species will die out due to various problems which are caused by climate change. According to EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), the most obvious consequence of climate change is the rising sea levels, which will cause some seashore habitats to become unavailable to live to its species.
The burning of fossil fuels has greatly harmed our environment and is a leading cause as to why climate change has become such a threat to our way of living. In May of 2013, the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere reached 400 parts per million, an increase of more than 40 percent since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. This could cause the Arctic Ocean to be nearly ice-free during the summer by 2020(Overland and Wang, 2013).
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 ...
Scientists, economists, and policy makers all agree the world is facing a threat from climate warming. Climate warming is caused by excess greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, which are heat trapping gases. Human use of fossil fuels is a significant source of these gases. When we drive our cars, heat our homes with oil or natural gas, or use electricity from coal-fired power plants, we contribute to global warming. Including any loss of trees or forests also contributes, considering trees convert carbon dioxide to oxygen.