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The role of human beings in climate change
The role of human beings in climate change
The role of human beings in climate change
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Climate System Components
1. Describe the climate system components
The main components of the climate system include the atmosphere, cryosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. The atmosphere is the air we are surrounded with here on earth. The cryosphere includes all snow and ice; namely the polar ice-caps, sea-ice, permafrost, mountain glaciers and seasonal snow. The geosphere in all of the solid land around us. They hydrosphere includes all of the oceans, lakes, and rivers. The biosphere contains all ecosystems, or the living areas of our earth.
2. How do the components interact?
All of the components interact in complex ways with each of the other components. For example, the atmosphere and the hydrosphere interact with each other by
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What components of the climate system do humans have an impact on and explain how humans impact EACH of the systems you indicated
Humans impact the atmosphere through the use of fossil fuels and biomass burning; both of the processes release greenhouse gases that affect the atmosphere. We also impact the hydrosphere by the runoff of chemicals that we use near sources of water. Humans can also impact both the biosphere and the geosphere by changing land use through urbanization, agricultural practices, and deforestation processes.
4. What is meant by the earth’s natural energy balance?
Earth’s natural energy balance is the process by which incoming solar radiation from the sun is reflected, absorbed, and contained. By doing this, the solar radiation is spread across the earth. Everything from clouds to greenhouse gases will impact how much solar radiation will reach earth and what is reflected either back into space or sent back down to earth again if trapped.
5. Explain the natural greenhouse effect
The atmosphere contains gases which absorb and reflect infrared radiation. These greenhouse gases reflect solar radiation back down to earth and can trap it in the atmosphere. This will result in a warming of the
When the sun heats the Earth gases are released as well as water vapor. They go into the atmosphere and regulate the temperature. This is known as global warming or the greenhouse effect. Many of the environmental complications derive from the political and social involvement. The climate was not the only cause, but we had humans played a role on what had been occurring to the world. Earth has many different atmospheric layers that are influenced by the greenhouse gases. “Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide have now increased nearly 30 percent since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution; methane levels have more than doubled; and nitrous oxide concentrations have risen by about 15 percent” (Fagan 209). The increase of these gases also enhanced the trapping of the heat. With more heat being trapped this lead to many coastlines to flood due to the melting of snow and ice. The increase of dangerous weather actions will pose as a threat also. These changes in the environment would eventually lead to political and social change of the people Overpopulation in certain areas and industry formation influence the greenhouse effect. We as a whole are destroying the place we live, the natural world. Although there are ways to prevent and reduce global warming, we cannot stop the natural occurrence of future climate. Climate is not the only factor, each individual that as
There is no such thing as just changing something from one part and not having its effects distribute throughout the entire ecosystem. As an ecosystem continues changing and evolving, so will the organisms living around or in it. We must adapt to the environment or we will become extinct, unable to adapt into the rapidly changing environment we live in. Althout human impact on an environment may benefit us, it can also be harmful to nature. By taking care of what we do to the environment, we can prevent future negative changes in the environment and preserve earth’s natural state.
Human activity plays a moderate effect on global warming. Although we are major source of releasing carbon dioxide through cellular respiration, I do not believe it causes an imbalance in our atmosphere. The way humans do affect that imbalance is when deforestation takes place, and start building industrial plants, cars, etc. Think about the amount of industrial building all over the world that needs fuel to run and not to mention all the machinery that is used every day to construct and run
Greenhouse gases in our atmosphere act almost like a blanket between the earth and frigid space. At lower levels, greenhouse gases trap some heat in our atmosphere while letting other heat radiate out into space. However, as the layer of greenhouse gases around our planet grows thicker more heat is trapped in our atmosphere, less radiates away and the earth slowly heats up.
When climate change occurs there are a few major effects that are critical to climate change. First the sun passes through the clear atmosphere with its solar rays which then reach the earth's surface. Then, about 70% of the sun’s solar rays are absorbed by the earth surface making the temperature rise while the rest go back into the atmosphere. Some of the rays escape back out into space, while some are absorbed by gases in the atmosphere. These gases are important because they allow the sun to heat the earth and then the gases get trapped, making the earth warmer. They trap the heat like a big blanket to maintain the planet at a stable temperature.
Overall, humans impact the global environment in multitudinous ways whether positive or negative. While creating issues such as overpopulation, pollution, biomagnification, and deforestation they also intrude into many other factors such as environmental, social, political, and economic. Problems caused by society itself are leading up to solutions to fix these environmental problems and may also just benefit the world as a whole.
4) Oceanic circulation-Ocean currents have the potential to affect Earth’s climatic condition. This is because they have the capacity to carry a large amount of heat. Winds blowing over cooler currents become cold and the areas over which they blow have their temperature reduced. Similarly if winds blow over warmer currents, the wind picks up heat and areas over which the wind blows sees temperature increase. If winds blow over evaporating currents the pick up moisture and bring rain to the areas over which they blow.
Earth faces one of the most important and complicated issues ever faced, which is climate change. Climate change is the long-term change in atmospheric temperatures and climate. Although it has been denied and prolonged the issue now, it has created an even bigger problem and it has to solved and fast. The human impact over all the years of existence has changed the Earth’s climate completely. More severe storms are occurring, higher and lower temperatures than normal are reported, and some of the planet’s nonrenewable resources are slowly disappearing.
Much of the confusion and disagreement around anthropogenic climate change is due to words and terminology to define it as well as the ability to quantify the data, however, it is clear that humanity has the ability to influence and change the climate and environment of the earth. On the local level we sit it in the quality of our air, water and food and on the global scale with the mass wasting of ice
Earth’s climate is determined by the physics and chemistry of its atmosphere. Earth’s atmosphere consists of four layers; troposphere which is closest to earth, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere. Hardy says, “During the past 100 years we humans, as a result of burning coal, oil, and gas and clearing forests, have greatly changed the chemical composition of the thin atmospheric layer.” There is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere due to burning fossil fuels. The atmosphere is made up of many gases such as nitrogen, oxygen, and argon. It also consists of trace gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, chlorofluorocarbons and, ozone. The trace gases have the greatest effect on our climate (Hardy 5). Up to a certain level, these gases help to keep the planet warm by absorbing certain infrared wavelengths, so that there can be life on the planet. Thus, they trap heat in the troposphere and stop it from escaping to space (Hardy 7). Therefore, the greater amount of greenhouse gases, the more heat trapped in the atmosphere. Earth’s temperature is increasing due to increased levels of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide released into the air from burning fossil fuels. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2001 report projects “global average surface temperature increases ranging from 1.4 to 5.8 degrees
The earth like any body in space cools and warms until energy inputs from solar radiation and outputs from natural radiation are balanced. Greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere from human activities trap some of the energy radiating from the earth, increasing the temperature at which the earth creates energy balance. Based on a study by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) done in the early 1990s, approximately 65% of human induced greenhouse gases contributed to global warming. Over 80% of the increased atmospheric concentrations of harmful gases since the industrial revolution have been causes by industrial countries. Due to recent outsourcing and manufacturing market transfers, Asia and Latin America are regions where harmful emissi...
Human Impact on the Environment Introduction = == == == ==
Normally, the solar radiation will pass through the atmosphere. Some of the solar radiation will absorb by the earth surface and the rest will reflect by the atmosphere. However, the greenhouse gas in the atmosphere will trap some solar radiation. As a result, the average temperature in the earth surface will be increase. Therefore, the greenhouse gas will cause the climate change.
Global warming is an increase in the earth's temperature due to fossil fuels, industry, and agricultural processes caused by human, natural, and other gas emissions. This results in an increased evacuation of greenhouse gases. “Short-wave solar radiation sinks into the Earth's atmosphere and warms its surface while long-wave infrared radiation emitted by earth's surface is absorbed, and then re-emitted by trace gases.” (2)
earth?s atmosphere starts to warm, which leads to global warming. Global warming can lead to