Impact Of Anthropogenic Climate Change On Environment - Essay Example

Impact Of Anthropogenic Climate Change On Environment Introduction From evaluating geological and also observational records, it would be appreciated that the Earth is experiencing climate change. In fact, Mathez is more specific in noting that the Earth is experiencing increasing temperatures (4). Global warming has disrupted precipitation distribution and the ecology and further increased forest fires according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA. Because of these negative effects, governments have become more concerned about climate change. Even so, there has been a continuing debate on whether or not man-made activities are the causes for climate change. This paper evaluates either side of the arguments. Arguments for Man-Made Climate Change There has been an increasing evidence that greenhouse gases resulting from man-made activities have caused climate change, specifically global warming. As noted by Pittock, both proponents and opponents of man-made causes of climate change appreciate the warming effect of greenhouse gases (68). These gases include methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide. Carnegie Mellon University further observes that greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have increased by between 10% and 30% from the start of the industrial revolution. These gases allow the sunlight into the Earth’s atmosphere and then trap a significant portion of this radiation, preventing the reflection of sun’s radiation back into space. This leads to a warming effect in the Earth thus the contribution of human activities to global warming. Secondly, scientists have been able to identify carbon-dioxide from human activities as the largest contributor to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, thus attributing global warming to human activities. According to these scientists, the pre-industrialization period had the atmosphere contain only 280 parts per million of carbon dioxide. By 2010, this had increased to 390 parts per million. This additional 100 parts per million of carbon dioxide is what is attributed to human activities (Poortinga et al. 1017). To show that this extra carbon dioxide is from human activities, scientists use the fingerprinting technique. From this, it has been noted that natural carbon dioxide has some low portion of carbon-14. The lack of this carbon-14 isotope in the additional 100 parts per million of carbon dioxide attributes its source to human activities as opposed to natural factors. Finally, the proponents of man-made climate change give evidence against natural causes. This school of thought argues that if the current climate was following the natural trend, then, the Earth should have been cooling and not warming. Adopting the 100,000-year and 10,000-year glacial and interglacial periods’ proposition respectively, Harvey argues that the Earth should currently be at the peak of the 10,000-year glacial period. A similar period during the pre-industrial period experienced a cooling of approximately 0.50C over a period of 8,000 years. With the contrary warming currently experienced in the Earth, it would be misplaced to attribute climate change to natural causes. It is a product of man-made factors. Arguments against Man-Made Climate Change In spite of the scientific evidence attributing man-made factors to climate change, opponents have given credible scientific evidence against man-made climate change. According to such opponents, the atmosphere already contains naturally occurring chemicals responsible for damaging the ozone layer. They use the observation by NASA who in the mid 1970s opposed the negative effect of chlorine from space shuttle compared to that emitted from volcanoes. The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo which caused a reduction of 20% and 30% of the lower stratosphere ozone over the Arctic and Antarctic respectively confirmed this observation. Solar flux radiation and solar cycles have also significantly contributed to ozone depletion. Therefore, scientific evidence confirms natural causes of climate change. Historical evidence also supports lack of human intervention on climate change. According to Mathez, geologic records indicate that the Earth experienced many warming and cooling intervals in the past (15). These variations led to changes in temperature, ranging from the positive to the negative. It also caused a fluctuation of the sea level. In fact, NASA documents that there was a time during the Medieval Warm Period that Europe experienced higher temperatures than it is currently experiencing. This saw the Alps bound by ice open up and grapes grow in Northern England. Furthermore, the 1930s saw the Arctic record higher temperatures than currently observed. For sure, carbon dioxide was not the cause of climate change in those ancient times and should therefore not be said to be the cause of the climate change experienced in the modern world. This disregards arguments that human activities contributing to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide in the modern world have caused climate change. Lastly, opponents of man-made climate change attribute climate change to influence by the sun. Historically, the Earth’s climate has been noted to be affected by the variation in the energy emitted by the sun. Thus, Pittock observes that warming was historically a result of variations in the solar wind and the sun’s magnetic field (23). NASA gives evidence of this argument through their observation of the events on Mars. According to this agency, the South Pole of Mars has had its ice caps diminish as a result of increased solar irradiance. The same way the sun affects Mars is the same way it affects all other plants, including the Earth. It would therefore be in order to attribute the current climate change to solar irradiance rather than to man-made factors. Conclusion The issue of climate change in the modern world has been of major concern to governments across the world. Despite this concern, the debate on whether or not man-made activities cause climate change remains widely prevalent. Those supporting man-made climate change argue that because man-made activities yield greenhouse gases, they cause global warming. Thy further fingerprint atmospheric carbon dioxide and attribute the increased levels to human activities and give evidence against natural causes of climate change. Opponents of man-made climate change also give scientific evidence but attribute natural causes to climate change. They revisit history to show that the Earth has previously experienced climate change without human intervention. Finally, they give evidence of the sun being the determinant of climatic variations. With both sides giving credible scientific evidence, the debate on man-made climate could continue for a long time. Works Cited Carnegie Mellon University. “Global Warming and Climate Change.” Gcrio.og. US Global Research Information Office, 4 Feb. 2004. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. Mathez, E. A. Climate Change: The Science of Global Warming and Our Energy Future. New York, NY: Columbia UP, 2009. Print. National Aeronautics and Space Administration.” Global Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Plant.” Nasa.gov. N.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. Pittock, A. B. Climate Change: The Science, Impact and Solutions. New York, NY: Earthscan, 2009. Print. Poortinga, W., A., et al. “Uncertain Climate: An Investigation into Public Skepticism About Anthropogenic Climate Change.” Global Environmental Change 21.3 (2011): 1015 – 1024. Print. Read More