Global Warming - Essay Example

The Greenhouse Effect and its Causes Global warming is a term commonly used to describe the consequences of man- made pollutants overloading the naturally occurring greenhouse effect causing an increase of the average global temperature and is the subject of great debate and concern worldwide. Essentially, the greenhouse effect functions in the following manner: When sunlight pierces the atmosphere and hits the earth’s surface, not all of the sun’s solar energy is absorbed. Approximately a third of it is naturally reflected back into space. Specific atmospheric gases, including carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor and nitrous oxide, serve in much the same way as does the glass of a greenhouse by trapping this solar energy and ‘artificially’ heating the earth (BBC 2002). While current media emphasize the human contribution to global warming, “this is actually a natural and essential feature of our atmosphere without which our planet would be uninhabitable” (Willetts, 2002). Scientists have widely acknowledged that the earth is actually warming. “Over both the last 140 years and 100 years, the best estimate is that the global average surface temperature has increased” (Northern Polemics, 2003). However, they remain divided over whether the change is manmade or a normal fluctuation of the environmental cycle. While some studies suggest increased global temperatures are a natural part of the planet’s cycles, others suggest the rate of global temperature increase is in a suspiciously parallel proportion to increases in human contribution of atmospheric influences (BBC, 2002). An understanding of the anthropogenic origins of greenhouse gasses as they are compared with natural processes and as they are recognized by the Kyoto Protocol will help to inform a personal standpoint on the issue. There are several factors that contribute to global warming, both natural and manmade. According to Landsberg (1970), natural global warming begins with the output of oxygen by the plants of the world in the production and maintenance of the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere, which traps essential ultraviolet radiation. However, CO2 and water vapor are the essential components required to trap infrared. Through the natural process of heat transfer from sun, into atmosphere and then back out to space, with some of this energy being trapped within the atmosphere, there is plenty of room for fluctuation of temperatures. It follows that more energy coming in, from such events as solar flares or a closer orbit cycle to the sun, might increase the amount of radiation entering the atmosphere to begin with, thus creating the type of global warming effects that have been seen in recent years (Landsberg, 1970). Indeed, the many natural factors that might contribute to global warming such as what has been seen in recent years have yet to be identified, much less made measurable. In an attempt to provide more arguable ‘proof’ that human activity is contributing to a dangerous rise in CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gasses, scientists have begun to look at the question from a more pragmatic point of view. They have done this by estimating how much carbon dioxide is produced by the living organisms of the planet and the amount of this gas that the earth is thus able to absorb (Metzner, 2000). Human activities that contribute to global warming include those activities that either place more greenhouse gasses into the environment or that reduce the earth’s capacity to absorb these elements. Although deforestation is contributing heavily to the excess of CO2 in the atmosphere, a larger portion is caused by the burning of fossil fuels such as oil and coal. Fossil fuels are burned by factories, vehicles and electricity-producing power plants to name a few sources. The vast majority of this excessive fuel consumption and its poisonous, pollutant and greenhouse-enhancing byproducts are located in the U.S., Europe and Russia (Breuer, 1980). In 1997, the Kyoto Treaty, which has now been signed by more than 160 countries, is, to date, the most comprehensive global effort to decrease CO2 emissions. Though the agreement was signed by the U.S. and then President Clinton consented to decrease greenhouse emissions in the U.S. by 40 percent, it has been dismissed by the Bush administration and has yet to be ratified by the U.S. CO2 greenhouse gases have since increased in the country that produces well more than any other (Melinin, 2005). World leaders and environmentalists alike have proclaimed the treaty as a vital step on the road to abating the potentially cataclysmic global warming problem. Within the treaty, it is recommended that nations producing high amounts of CO2, meaning primarily the developed countries, should strive to either reduce energy consumption or replace energy sources. An example of both conservation and replacement can be found in the replacement of carbon fiber light bulbs with fluorescent bulbs which both reduce energy use and are capable of running on electricity provided through alternative sources such as solar or wind power. There is a strong push to replace the combustion gasoline engine with alternative fuels as the automobile is believed to contribute a majority of the harmful CO2 emissions. Toward this end, Brazil began converting to ethanol in the 1970’s and today does not import a drop of oil. Britain and other countries of Western Europe are following suit. Iceland is already well on its way to becoming the first nation to generate its power needs by means of hydrogen fuel-cells and France is leading the way in building nuclear power plants as a means of replacing carbon-creating energy (“Alternatives to Oil”, 2002). . Understanding that global warming is actually a naturally-occurring process does not necessarily negate the human impact upon the environment. Science that has proven that the earth can only process so much carbon dioxide illustrates how human production of additional carbon dioxide can be highly detrimental to our environment. The argument that we shouldn’t do anything to lessen our impact on the environment simply because there isn’t definitive proof that the earth is warming solely as a result of our activity seems very weak. It is much like our ancestors insisting that because we couldn’t prove the existence of germs, the spread of disease would not be prevented through more sanitary practices. While our activities on the face of the planet may not be the sole cause of global warming, which seems undeniable, or the reason why temperatures in recent decades have risen, which seems possible, it also seems ludicrous to insist that they have had no effect whatsoever. This is particularly the case when the evidence suggests rising temperatures have strongly coincided with increases in human consumption of fossil fuels as a primary energy source. Having studied the evidence, it is my personal standpoint that humans should participate in any efforts to reduce our impact upon the global environment, whether that means reducing our consumption of potentially dangerous fuel products or developing programs to restore the planet’s natural balance through re-forestation. This approach would remove any doubts that human activity is contributing to the warming of the planet while also freeing nations of their dependence upon foreign energy sources and perhaps liberating nations from the grip of poverty and need. References “Alternatives to Oil.” 2002. Disposable Planet? BBC News UK. Online. Available April 27, 2008 from BBC 2002, The greenhouse effects, BBC, London, 2 pages. Retrieved 9 August 2002 from . Breuer, Georg. 1980. Air in Danger: Ecological Perspectives of the Atmosphere. New York: Cambridge University Press. Landsberg, H.E. 1970, Man-made climatic changes, Science, vol. 170, December, pp. 1265-1274. Malinin, Sergei. July 27, 2005. “USA, China and India Outlaw Kyoto Protocol and Set Forth New Climate Change Initiative.” Pravda. Metzner, H. 2000, Are human activities causing global warming? A skeptics view of the greenhouse debate , Science Spectra, issue 19, pp. 38-45. Northern polemics: Is climate change real? 2003, Blog, 3 pages. Retrieved 29 January 2004 from . Willetts, H. 2002, Global warming: An overview, BBC Weather Centre, London, 2 pages. Retrieved 9 August 2002 from Read More