The problem of Climate Change and Causes - Coursework Example

Module Climate Change Causes: Human Activity or Natural Causes Over the past century, the global climate has undergone varied changes. This refers to the long-term shift in weather statistics inclusive of the averages. The 21st century has become the warmest period ever experienced in global records of temperature. As the climate becomes warm, the natural atmospheric greenhouse changes whose implications are difficult to predict. However, the effects that seem very likely include firstly, the earth becomes warmer with some regions welcoming the warmer temperatures while others may not. The warm conditions may lead to increased evaporation and precipitation making some regions wetter and others drier. On the other hand, oceans will warm and glaciers and other ice will to melt the implication herein being an increase in the sea level. Some plants and crops will respond positively to the increased atmospheric carbon dioxide. They may grow quite vigorously and use water in a more efficient way. Other plants may not respond in the same way due to a shift in climate patterns. The effects of climate change are evident in all spheres of human life, but in finding solutions to this predicament, the gap remains with regard to what or who causes climate change. Some indicate that it is a result of human activity which when controlled can solve the problem, while others claim that it is a natural phenomenon. This issue is very significant because whether climate change is as a result of human activity or natural causes, the consequences affect every human being. It is therefore paramount that the cause of this phenomenon is identified in order to find the right solutions to solve it. Climate change is as a result of human activity and the solution to the same lies in controlling such activities to a safer level. This paper seeks to analyze both claims of the causes of climate change and underscore the fact that indeed human activity has caused the warming of the earth in the 21st century. Background Information. Planet earth has a blanket of gases surrounding it that work to keep the earth’s surface warm and thereby sustain life. What is happening in the 21st century is that this blanket is increasing with regard to thickness (The World Bank 3). Heat is being trapped in as more greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere through burning of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are essential for man since they provide energy used in varied ways. When more and more heat from the sun is trapped in this thick blanket, temperature of the earth starts rising. The rising of the atmospheric temperature of the earth and the subsequent altering of climate statistics is referred to as global warming. The levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have increased by over thirty percent in the last two centuries. The concentrations of greenhouse gases indicate the highest rise in the last 800,000 years while the global temperatures have risen with over 0.70 C in the past century. Scientific research conducted in the recent past indicates that climate change may result in intensification and frequency of extreme weather events and conditions. The rise in temperature will and has resulted in changes in the ecosystems, animals, habitats and crop growing seasons. The challenge is enormous but the ultimate goal of humankind must be the confrontation of climate change by whatever means. The first step lies in understanding the major cause of climate change; human activity or natural causes. DISCUSSION Human activities have influenced the average pattern of weather in significant ways. One of the greatest activities that have caused climate change is the burning of fossil fuels. The fuels include coal, gas and oil. The industrial revolution which occurred in the 19th century saw the use of fossil fuels being used for industrial purposes. Energy needed for vehicle running, electricity generation for both household and industrial use is obtained in the burning of natural gas, oil and coal. It is estimated that about 3 /4 of carbon emissions come from the burning of fossil fuels, a considerable quantity of nitrous oxide (N 20) and 1 /5 of methane emissions (Oreskes 1686). These fuels contain carbon which after burning makes the carbon dioxide gas. The early 1800s saw human beings burn large amounts of oil and coal, and still continue to do so. This has caused an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of the earth by over thirty percent. Additionally, the global temperature has risen by about 10 to 20 F. The carbon dioxide in the atmosphere traps heat from the sun just like glass traps heat from the sun in a greenhouse setting. This is how carbon dioxide has earned the name “greenhouse gas” (Lean 119). More carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere translates to more air being trapped. The resultant implication is that the global temperature rises. When humans engage in burning of fossil fuels, the global temperature will certainly continue rising. Most of the regions will become warmer and weather patterns will change. Infrequency will be evident in the growing seasons, patterns of rain and snow, severity of storms, earthquakes and tsunami and the sea level. The general consequence is that life on earth - both flora and fauna - will be adversely affected. In fact, it is noted that activities such as land clearing, agriculture, deforestation, land use pattern and other land activities have contributed largely to large amounts of carbon dioxide emissions in the earth’s atmosphere. Additionally, carbon dioxide is emitted by domestic animals such as goats, cows, pigs, horses, sheep and camels. The methane gas is also emitted when humans engage in the processes of leaking gas pipelines, coal mining, land-fills and also waste dumps. The consequential effect of global warming as a result of human activity is now evident in crops and weather deteriorating conditions experienced all over the world. The arctic ice cap for instance is experiencing shrinking while the Antarctica ice shelf is undergoing melting. Solar irradiance is a natural cause of climate change whereby the sun’s energy causes the climate to change. The reasoning behind this assumption is that the sun is an important source of energy that controls the climate system of the earth. Solar variability according to various studies has a role in climate changes. For instance, it is believed that solar activity decrease caused the Little Ice Age that occurred in the period between 1650 and 1850 (Lockwood 87). The Greenland was cut off by ice while the glacier was evidenced to have advanced to the Alps. Scientists therefore depict that climate change is part and parcel of the normal conditioning of the earth’s natural variability. This is closely related to the interaction that is evident in the atmosphere, ocean, land and changes in the solar radiation that reaches the earth. This is evident in geologic records that show large-scale climate changes in the past in the earth. The evidence of natural causes of climate change is seen in volcanic eruptions. Volcanic activity causes large volumes of sulphur dioxide (SO2) dust, ash and water vapor to be thrown into the atmosphere (Flannery 46). The large volumes of gases and ash greatly determine climate patterns. For a period of several years, planetary reflectivity is increased which in turn causes atmospheric cooling. The cooling effect is caused by aerosols which are produced by volcanoes as they reflect solar energy. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is also produced but in insignificant amounts considering what humans produce. However, it is not possible to explain the current global warming condition on solar variations claim. This is evidenced in past events, for instance, in 1750, when the level of energy from the sun remained at constant or showed insignificant increase. Global warming during that period was still experienced. On the other hand, if global warming was as a result of solar energy, the temperature would be warm in all levels of the earth’s atmosphere. However, this is not case, as a cooling effect is observed in the upper atmosphere, while the warming effect is evident both at the surface and lower part of the same atmosphere. The explanation can only be the result of greenhouse gases which trap heat at the lower atmosphere (Forster, Schulz, and Dorland 34). It is of paramount importance that. Climate models that indicate climate changes during the last century’s period cannot do so with the exclusion of the impact of the rise in greenhouse gases. CONCLUSION Global climate change is as a result of weather shifts in the climate. This is evidenced in the naming of the 21st century as the warmest period in the earth. The effects of this global warming process are evident in every aspect of human life including the very existence of flora and fauna. The question arises in the root cause of this challenge of climate change. While some claim that it is as a result of human activity, others believe that it is a natural phenomenon. The underlying factor is that carbon dioxide emission is the root cause of global warming hence, climate change. Evidence shows that both human activity and natural events are responsible for the emission of this greenhouse gas. However, natural events emit insignificant amounts that would result in global warming. It is therefore true to state that human activity that largely involves the burning of fossil fuels for energy needed for industrial and household purposes is responsible for climate change. It is only from this point of view that solutions for this challenge can be sought. Works Cited Flannery, Tim. Our Weather Makers: Just changing climate and what it means for life on earth. Penguin Publishers, 2011. Print. Forster, Penny, Schulz, Richard., & Dorland, Viola. Changes in Atmospheric Constituents and in Radiative Forcing. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. 2007. Print. Lean, J. “Cycles and Trends in Solar Irradiance and Climate.” Climate Change 1 (2011): 111-122. Print. Lockwood, M. ‘Solar Change and Climate: An Update in the Light of the Current Exceptional Solar Minimum’. Proceedings of the Royal Society 519 (2009): Print. Oreskes, N. “The scientific consensus on climate change.” Science. 306.5702 (2004): 1686. Print. The World Bank. Little Data Book For Climate Change. Washington, D. Web. 2012. Read More