Causes of Climate Change - Essay Example

Climate Change Essay

Climate is the average weather conditions of a particular place. Different global zones experience various weather changes over time. For instance, some parts of Northern American experience winter because of the climate if the area is cold. On the other hand, tropical zones experience a warm climate throughout the year.

Climate is a big global concern. Primarily, climate change can be defined in several ways. Simply put, climate change is an alteration in normal weather patterns. Consequently, the changes influence on the water and land surfaces. Atmospheric alteration is influenced by certain conditions that alter the environment. Ideally, several external and internal factors drastically change the environment. As part of the environment, climate change affects the ecosystem in many ways.

Climate change can also be explained as a long term shift that causes variations in the weather. These variations include warm, wet, or dry conditions.

The Measurement of Climate Change Over Time

Climate alteration can be measured in many ways due to technological advancement nowadays. Technology has made it easier for human beings to monitor weather and climate. Scientists use satellites, meteorological stations, and ocean buoys to obtain records of how climate changes the earth.

Furthermore, research statistics that date back to billions of years ago are also relevant. Scientists use paleoclimatology information that was obtained from oceans and environmental sediments in recent years. Looking at past statistics, they can trace the changes that took place in the atmosphere of the earth. Subsequently, they use these changes to predict climate and weather trends in the future.

What Are the Causes of Climate Change?

The climate system operates in its mechanism. In essence, the sun reflects its energy into the atmosphere, which in turn gets released into the environment to cool the planet.

However, this normal operation of the climate system can be altered. For instance, the earth may absorb too much energy from the sun. Subsequently, atmospheric gases may build up in the atmosphere. As part of the climate system, the earth releases carbon dioxide gases, which are then radiated into space. When the atmospheric layer doesn’t release these greenhouse dioxide gases, it results in the greenhouse effect - an effect that warms the earth.

Well, what exactly influences these changes that the earth undergoes? Simply put, climate change is influenced by several natural and human causes.

Natural Factors That Cause Climate Change

The climate system underwent changes long before the human race came into being. Several natural forces contributed to zone changes in the past. These include:

• Volcanic eruptions
• The intensity of the sun, to mention a few

However, the current zone cannot be explained by natural causes alone. The factors that cause the alterations are far too intense that scientists had to take an in-depth look at their influential nature. As such, below are some anthropogenic causes that explain the change in atmospheric conditions:

The Human Being Influential Nature

• The Greenhouse Effect

Human beings significantly contribute to the zone shift. More specifically, the gases that they emit when carrying out commercial activities cause emission of Greenhouse gases. These greenhouse gases include:

Methane: it represents about 16% of the total gases emitted in the Greenhouse effect. Methane is mainly emitted into the atmosphere by huge commercial industries that manufacture petroleum and agricultural products. Similarly, methane accumulates in the atmosphere when its waste is decomposed in landfills.

Carbon Dioxide: Carbon Dioxide makes the larger part of the greenhouse gases. It is mainly produced through various human activities, i.e., when fossil fuels such as gas, coal, and oil are burnt. The carbon fuels are used in the transportation sector to power vehicles for locomotion. As such, these fuels emit Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere.

Nitrous Oxide: the gas is produced through the use of commercial and organic fertilizers for agricultural production.

Chlorofluorocarbons and hydrofluorocarbons: these greenhouse carbon gases are utilized in-home devices such as refrigerators. They accumulate in the atmosphere to trap heat and cause depletion of the ozone layer.

Essentially, greenhouse gases play a significant role in warming the earth. However, greenhouse gases now increased to more than abundant amounts in the atmosphere. The effects are human activities such as:

• Deforestation

Trees play a significant role in the environment. For instance, they release Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere to prevent excess accumulation of dioxide gas. Simply put, trees prevent global warming. Therefore, cutting down the trees affects the weather patterns and levels of dioxide gas on the globe. Lack of trees causes the earth’s surface to absorb more energy from the sun, which leads to global warming.

• Agriculture and Industrialization

Agriculture is vital for human survival. However, it is one of the major contributors to a shift in climate. First, the conversion of forests to make room for agricultural land contributes to global warming. Secondly, the use of synthetic fertilizers in large scale farming causes excess emissions of greenhouse carbon into the atmosphere.

As the industry continues to revolutionize, many innovations require the use of energy to run. The manufacturing operations utilize electricity and fuels to release emissions into the atmosphere, either directly or indirectly. For example, the manufacture of chemicals releases adverse greenhouse carbon gases into the environment, thus interfering with the atmosphere.

Effects of Alterations in Atmospheric Conditions

A shift in climate is a fundamental threat to the lives of human beings and animals. Scientists state that alterations in climate are almost inevitable. The adverse effects will continue to be experienced as technology diversifies more. Generally, the extent of the effects varies among numerous environmental systems. That said, below are some effects of a shift in atmospheric conditions:

Environmental Pollution on the Earth

Adverse conditions that are caused by severe atmospheric shifts interfere with the quality of air in the atmosphere. Moreover, increased heat in the atmosphere exposes humans to more harmful dioxide pollutants in the air. Such pollutions in the atmosphere cause fatal health conditions such as cardiovascular diseases and respiratory failure.

Increased Famine and Drought on Earth

While some crops are sustained with high temperatures and dioxide gas, too much of it would harm crops. Alterations in patterns of precipitation also affect agriculture. In essence, plants and vegetation would lack adequate water to sustain their growth. As a result, it may lead to the scarcity of food.

Water Scarcity on Earth

When global warming increases, it heats the surface of the earth. The warming process increases the evaporation rate of water resources. As a result, some areas experience water scarcity due to the increase in warming temperatures. From the baseline, high temperatures cause the ground to dry quickly. As such, any little precipitation would not be absorbed into underground water sources. In the end, it leads to the depletion of water resources.

Other than the above warming effects, atmospheric alterations cause more destabilization of the earth and the ecosystem. While these alterations have a major impact on life, the negative impact can be avoided. Therefore, there is a need for adaptation in all sectors of energy production, agriculture, forestry, and infrastructure.