The Threat of Global Warming

The Threat of Global Warming

Through the eyes of most scientists, global warming is seen as a very serious and severe threat. The actions taken by humans, such as industry and consumption of fossil fuels plus the increase in population and agriculture have played a big part in global warming. If something is not done soon the results could be very bad.

By the middle of the twenty first century, there is evidence that the Earth will be warmer than it has been at any time in human history, and quite possibly since the end of the dinosaurs, some 65 billion years ago. If we stay at the rate we are now (fossil fuel consumption / growth in population) then within the next two century the Earth's air might not be fit to breath. Many people in the world do not think that this is a major concern and that it is normal for the Earth's temperature to increase. However, if this temperature increase is put into perspective of several hundred years, there will be many devastating effects. This is why most scientists view global warming as a very serious and severe threat. Global warming does not require a reduction of the standard of living of people. However it does demand a rapid shift in the patterns of consumption of fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas, to an economy more reliant on solar energy, hydrogen gas, wind biomass, and other renewable energy sources.

The term greenhouse effect is used to describe the increased warming of the Earth's surface and lower atmosphere due to increased levels of carbon dioxide and other atmospheric gases that absorb radiated energy in the atmosphere and then reradiate it back to the surface. But if it were not for the greenhouse effect, temperatures at the Earth's surface today would be much colder then they are now, and life as we know it could not exist. Scientists are now concerned that the greenhouse gases are being increased by human actions to levels that could be very harmful to life on Earth. Almost all specialists agree that without drastic steps to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the average global temperature will increase 1 to 3.5 degrees Celsius during the next century because effective levels of carbon dioxide are expected to double sometime between 2050 and 2100. Many of the greenhouse gases remain in the atmosphere for a long time, and because this happens their tendency to warm the Earth persi...

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...eforestation of previously forested land that has become agriculturally useless has to be promoted. That will require conservation incentive schemes and improvement of farm yields to reduce the pressure to clear new land. This will not be nearly as expensive as coping with the costs of global warming. Controlling populations is also a necessity in order to control the consumption of energy and fossil fuels, but you could write a whole other paper on if they could implement those laws and what human rights that interferes with.

Through the eyes of most scientists, global warming is seen as a very serious and severe threat. Global warming is caused by five naturally occurring atmospheric gases, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone and water vapor, which are responsible for the greenhouse effect. The consumption of fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas are the main way these gases are emitted to the atmosphere. The effects of global warming could be very severe if steps are not taken to control the omittance of greenhouse gases, and that is why humans should be more reliant on solar energy, hydrogen gas, wind, biomass, and other renewable energy sources.