Atmospheric issues - Term Paper Example

Global warming is connected to levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere because carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. Other gasses, such as methane serve as greenhouse gasses as well, but carbon dioxide is by far the most abundant, so the following mitigation plan will focus on limiting and eventually stabilizing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as best we can. Addressing global climate change is important because a host of negative environmental and human maladies can be linked to a rapidly changing climate.

Habitat loss, a greater range for human and animal disease, declining agricultural production and more severe storms are all possible outcomes from a warming global climate. But mitigating the amount of carbon dioxide being introduced into the atmosphere is a challenge. The complex nature of the atmosphere and earth’s systems makes some inputs, such as volcanic eruptions and solar radiation, beyond our control. Even inputs that are within our control are difficult to implement due to the global nature of the problem.

Any realistic mitigation plan needs to have the cooperation of a host of governments and nongovernmental organizations. Though the challenges are daunting, the threats are even more so. This is why we need to address the rising amount of carbon dioxide in our environment. Carbon dioxide levels need to be mitigated because carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. Carbon dioxide is essential in our atmosphere because it traps heat in the atmosphere before it can be radiated back into space from the surface of the earth.

It works very much like a blanket trapping body heat. If a blanket is too thick, the sleeper becomes uncomfortable. This is what many scientists believe is happening to earth. The build-up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is creating a thicker, more effective