Different Facts about Global Warming - Coursework Example

Running Head: GLOBAL WARMING Global Warming Name Institution Date Abstract Global warming has been identified as a major concern in the world. Global warming has been defined as the process by which the temperatures of the air that is close to the surface of the earth rises extremely and this is associated with the increased release of fossil fuels form human activity. The debate on global warming has however been faced with many challenges due to its association with being a fact or a myth. It has been found to be a fact based on the many changes that have been noticed taking place. Some of the obvious changes are the current trend in rain patterns where there has been scarcity of rainfall for some prolonged periods. Another fact is its association with human activities which has been evidenced by release of green house gases such as carbon dioxide. However, some of the facts on global warming have lacked evidence rendering it a myth. This is due to the natural earth processes that are also associated with the observed changes. The paper explores different facts about global warming. Introduction Global warming is the process where the average temperature increases in the air that is close to the surface of the earth and also in the oceans. This has been an issue since the beginning of the twentieth century and is expected to continue. Throughout the century, temperatures increased with 0.18o C with the highest changes being observed at the mid twentieth century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change associated the high temperature rise with the increased amount of green house gases which result from the activities of human for example the burning of fossils fuels and cutting of trees. There is however an anticipation of further rise in global temperature in the twenty first century. Global warming is however projected to continue even though the emissions of greenhouse gases may stop and this may be due to high capacity of heat in the water bodies and the lengthy time that carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere. When the global temperature rises, sea level also rises and the rain pattern also changes leading to enlargement of the sub tropical deserts. There is continuing debate all over the world regarding global warming, its impacts and what needs to be done to help the situation. The suggested options are reduction in the level of emissions, adaptation of means of reducing the impacts of global warming and geoengineering to invalidate the global warming process. The Kyoto Protocol has been approved and signed by many nations in the world with the aim of reducing the emission level in order to reduce the problems of global warming. The greenhouse effect is where there is absorption and release of the infrared rays by gases. This leads to warming of the lower surface of the earth and consequently the air around it. The greenhouse effect was first discovered in 1824 by Joseph Fourier and its quantitative analysis was effected in 1896 by Svante Arrhenius. The major components of the greenhouse gases are water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane and ozone. Clouds also play a role in the balance of radiation but are classified differently from water vapour and gases. Since the time of industrial revolution, human activity increased leading to an increase in the green house gases that are being released into the atmosphere. The highest increase was noted for carbon dioxide and methane. Around three quarters of the increase in carbon dioxide has been associated with burning of fossil fuel, an activity that has been on increase for the last twenty years. The rest has been contributed by changes in land use patterns and especially deforestation. Global warming has been viewed as a fact to some people in some countries and as a myth to others. Global warming is a fact From the many observed changes in the climatic changes, global warming is a fact and it is indeed taking place. The changes include rises in temperatures which has just started in the recent times following the increased human activity. The rate at which the earth is warming is also on increase. Climatic studies have found out that the last two decades on the twentieth century have been the hottest and ice is gradually getting exhausted in the arctic region of the globe. The ice that is found in the arctic region is just melting slowly by slowly and the coral reefs that suffer due to a very slight change in temperature are dying. These are very obvious signs of global warming that are a good reason to convince people around the world that it is happening. There has also been a sudden increase in the amount of extreme weather happening for example the wildfires, violent tropical storms and heat waves. Experts have stated that all these are associated with the changes in temperature (Kear, 2008). The other fact about global warming is that it is caused by human activities. Research done by over two thousand scientists from one hundred and thirty countries revealed that the current climatic warming has been brought by human beings. This is due to deforestation, industrialization and environmental pollution that has released great amounts of water vapour and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. These are the greenhouse gases that hold the air that is close to the surface of the earth. The rate at which the humans are releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is exceeding the rate of release by the plants. This lead to accumulation of the gases in the atmosphere and they stick there for a very long time. This therefore means that stopping people from releasing the gases into the atmosphere will not solve the issue immediately. Scientists explain that the natural cycles in the earth may be associated with the current changes but these have been taking place for duration of several centuries. But on centrally, the current changes have taken place during a span of less than one hundred years. The gases are quickening the changes that have been taking place naturally in the earth’s orbit. The changes in temperature have been taking place but not extremely and within a short duration as they are taking place today. The human activities that increased during industrial revolution have been associated with this. Another fact about global warming is on its impacts which are almost being felt everywhere in the world. Global warming has caused and will continue to cause unpredictable precipitation patters. This is due to the interference that has been caused in the climatic conditions by the factors that lead to global warming. There have been incidences of water scarcity and low farm produce due to low rain levels attributed to by the high rates of deforestation. Due to high rates of evaporation in the water bodies, there has been a decrease in the ph of the waters. This has made it hard for the aquatic organisms to survive and hence leading to death of most of them. Global warming also has negative economic impacts. The changes in climate have resulted to economic inequalities between most countries and between some regions in the same country. This is due to different climatic conditions that global warming has brought and this has led to different rates of agricultural production. The mostly affected are the developing countries that depend more on agricultural production for their economic growth. All theses have been noted in the developing countries that this is a fact on global warming. When the temperatures are very high, even the survival of livestock is compromised which is an economic impact to the nation. Also when the sea life dies, this is an economic loss to that country (Dornbusch, & Poterba, 1999). The other fact on global warming is the recent extinction of some animal species form the earth. This is because of the change in the ecosystem. The situation in the ocean is becoming unbearable for the aquatic animals due to changes in PH. The earth is also becoming unbearable for the terrestrial animals due to high temperatures and this is leading to extinction of those species that cannot survive in the prevailing conditions. Global warming is a myth On the other hand, global warming may be a myth, not existing and not taking place. This is because global warming has mostly been associated with changes in the climate. However, the climate is always changing and has been changing. For example, in Canada, there has been founds some remains of the deciduous trees. These trees bat one covered the region some centuries back, this is due to climatic changes that have been taking place. Climate is independent and its changes are not subject to human life. It is the human life that is dependent on the climate. Climate is also not dependent of the environmental conditions and there has been no scientific method of establishing the link between the current human lifestyle and the climatic conditions. Human activities should therefore not be associated with the climatic changes since it is the climate that influences the human activities (Raju, 2008). Global warming due to temperature rise may also be due to natural processes on the earth’s orbits. This might be due to change in the process of revolution of the earth where the arctic might have been exposed for long to direct sun leading to melting of the ice. The emission of carbon dioxide is usually greatly contributed to by the plants as it has been since the beginning but should not be associated with the human activities. Even though there may be some contributions from the human activities, these are in very minor quantities as compared to that from the natural processes and form the plants. Evidence has also indicated that high temperatures leads to increased carbon dioxide production since the temperatures support the natural processes in the plants that releases carbon dioxide. It should therefore not be stated that carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas leads to rise in temperature (Riggs, & Council of State Governments, 1998). The melting of the Arctic ice led to the northwest passage of Canada to become free of ice. This was due to the reason that this Northwest Passage had remained open for some parts of the nineteenth century leaving it exposed. This led to the exhaustion of the ice glaciers in the Arctic region. Enough evidence has not been provided that proves that all the changes that are taking place in the weather and the climatic conditions are indications of global warming. Conclusion The issue of global warming is very contradicting and has been misunderstood by many people in the world. This is because despite the fact that it can be seen and noticed, there is no evidence to support the facts about global warming. However, the general view based on the available evidence is that global warming is a fact only that it has not yet come out clearly for many people to understand it. However, scientists need to do enough research on global warming and its causes so that it can be stopped. Human activity should also be controlled if it has been proved to be the cause of global warming. But to many people, global warming is a fact and it’s an issue that needs to be addressed. Mitigation can be through reduction in emissions and this will make it possible to curb other things that contribute to global warming. References Kear, D., (2008). Global Warming: Fact or Fiction? Michigan: David Kear publishers. Dornbusch, R., & Poterba, J., (1999). Global warming: economic policy responses. London: MIT Press. Raju, A., (2008). Global Warming: Myth or Reality? Boston: Coronet Books Inc. Riggs, R., & Council of State Governments, (1998). Global warming: myth or menace. New York: States Information Center. Read More