Global Warming and how it Relates to Tsunami - Essay Example

Global Warming and how it Relates to Tsunami I. Introduction There is debate raging around global warming (GW) - from its meaning to the climate scientists and its intended meaning to the non-scientists, to its nature as an issue whether spiritual, political, or economic, to its supposed appropriate terms, to its perceived effects on tsunamis. And then when it is being asked whether one believes in it or not, the questions asked are wrong (Tobis 2004). Add to these scientific-fiction books that declare global warming is only a theory and a farce, amidst a great deal of scientific data that they present. Michael Crichton's "State of Fear," for example, claims of eco-terrorists creating ecological disasters like tsunami in an effort to reinforce paranoia about abrupt climate change (Apologetics 2005). Hundreds of scientists, however, including those from the National Academy of Sciences, the American Geophysical Union and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change consider the challenges raised by Crichton that global warming is here on account of human-caused emissions, not just natural factors (NRDC 2004). In its annual report, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) said higher temperatures may cause drought, disease, floods, and lost ecosystems and that global warming effects have already begun from sweltering heat to rising seas (GW, NRDC n.d.). Solutions are however in sight, with them knowing that most heat-trapping gases come from: power plants and vehicles. Hence, part of the action will have to come from curbing emissions, employing modern technologies and stronger laws, promoting online activism, pressing businesses to use less energy and build more efficient products, and fighting for laws that will speed these advances (Ibid). II. Global Warming (GW) Global warming refers solely to the fact that the Earth's atmosphere is warming near its surface. It simply means the earth is getting hotter but does not imply a cause or speak to cause something. The scientific community believes climate changes like global warming have occurred throughout Earth's history and will continue to occur in the future (What is GW, WiseGeek 2005). Terms and meanings. Climate scientists who prefer references to climate, claim that the term, global warming, is imprecise and should be avoided in public communication as it is confusing. However one noted that the terms 'global warming' and "climate change" both emphasize the natural variability of climate, while downplaying the role of anthropogenic forcing. Accordingly, scientists should rather insist on scientific terms such as 'enhanced greenhouse effect', 'changes to atmospheric composition', 'climate disruption', and 'human climate forcing' as these terms are more precise, less controversial, and less politicized than either "global warming" or "climate change". (Tobis 2004). Moreover, "global warming" is too loaded a term and is threatening to people, and when the Bush administration introduced the term, "climate variability," people are really scared. The problem with the term, "global warming," is that it merely connotes increase in temperatures which is not. There is the hydrology part of it which can cause much destruction as in tsunami (Ibid). Scientific consensus. At an unprecedented rate heat-trapping pollution from fossil fuels and other sources is warming the planet according to more and more evidences supporting this conclusion. Moreover, climate models designed by NASA and others are also conclusive in their findings of human activities causing climate change (NRDC 2004). No evidences.. There is no evidence, however, that humans are responsible for increasing global temperatures. Furthermore, carbon dioxide emissions have actually been beneficial to the environment. (Robinson and Robinson 1997). The cause of global warming in the first place, is primarily natural, not manmade (Gerhard 2005). The earth evolves and has changes in orbit and in solar radiation (Ibid). Volcanic GW. Global warming caused by volcanic activity may have caused the "Great Dying" some 250 million years ago, when 90 percent of all marine life and 70 percent of land-based plants and animals went extinct (Britt 2005). Paleontologist Peter Ward believes an ancient version of global warming may have caused this mass extinction. The cause of this calamity has long been debated with possibilities of such disasters as meteor impacts. But researchers led by Ward now think the answer is global warming caused by volcanic activity (Ibid). As reported in Journal Science Ward's team studied the Karoo Basin of South Africa tying layers of sediment there and similar layers in China to marine extinction at the same period. (GW, earthdive.com 2005). Not cause tsunami. Global warming is not to blame for tsunami that hit Indian Ocean nations December 26 2004. This according to Prof. Daniel Sarewitz, director of the Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes at Arizona State University (Researcher: GW 2005) In an article in The New Republic, "Rising Tide - The Tsunami's Real Cause," Sarewitz said that relating the tsunami and other natural disasters to global warming "is both scientifically and morally unsupportable." The world has seen a sharp increase in natural disasters, he said, but it is not due to where people live and how they live, he said. Reducing emissions is important, but will not reduce vulnerability to disasters, Sarewitz added (Ibid). III. Tsunamis and their causes A tsunami is the great wave of seawater triggered by the sudden displacement of a large volume of water in the ocean. Once they start, tsunami waves radiate across oceans, far from their places of origin, sometimes transmitting destructive energy to coastal areas when they land (Yasuda 2005). Tsunamis, also called seismic sea waves or, incorrectly, tidal waves, generally are caused by earthquakes (Tsunami, NOOA 2005). They are a series of traveling ocean waves of extremely long length associated primarily with disturbances from earthquakes occurring below or near the ocean floor. The word means "harbor wave" in Japanese because of the devastating effects these waves had on Japanese coastal communities. A large earthquake that move ground under the sea surface, major submarine slides, exploding underwater volcanoes, and large asteroid impacts from above may trigger a tsunami (Yasuda 2005). Not all large earthquakes result in tsunami however (Ibid). IV. Debates on GW relationship to Tsunami Almost daily, scientists, environmentalists, and lobbyists continue with their war of words over global warming and its connection to tsunami or the lack of it (Vasey 2004). For example, Michaels, an expert and author of "Meltdown: The Predictable Distortion of Global Warming by Scientists, Politicians, and the Media" believes that claims of human-caused "global warming" are scientifically unfounded (Morano 2004). One arguing that changes in weather patterns do stress the earth's tectonic plates located way down below the ocean is ignorant of the ocean's physical aspect according to Michaels (Ibid). He was said to be reacting to Russian scientist Arthur Chilingarov as saying that the cause of the earthquake and tsunami were "probably global climate change." Chilingarov allegedly said changing temperatures are allowing the atmosphere and oceans to accumulate additional energy, causing natural disasters like underwater earthquake and tsunami. One cause of Tsunami. Individuals and organizations have exemplified the tsunami as one way GW can affect the planet. Tsunami scientist Neal Driscoll from the University of California at San Diego was quoted by Discovery Channel website as explaining that GW is one of the "four causes of tsunamis" (Morano 2004). Driscoll was said to explain that GW has a role in weakening undersea slopes "if frozen gas hydrates locked in deep-sea slopes are warmed enough to shift from solid to gas state." Bloated slopes caused by abundant deep-sea deposits shifting to gas could cause them to collapse, sending tsunami-generating pulses all the way to the surface, Discovery explained (Ibid). No other available literature, however, has backed up Driscoll. Indirect cause or tsunami-like. Prof. Naomi Oreskes of the University of California Department of History and Science Studies Program also linked climate change to tsunamis. Saying tsunami doesn't have anything to do with global warming, Oreskes told Voice of America that GW has to do with earthquakes. Oreskes said global climate changes, which she believes are impending after earthquakes, will have tsunami-like effects. (Morano 2004). V. Conclusion Global warming has been hotly debated by scientists, policy-makers, and citizens alike. It is the subject of intense concern of many, yet participants in the debate are often ignorant of the facts and the scientific principles underlying global warming (Hansen 2004). Many important facts about GW are not widely known, and it is an incredibly complex subject. It is such an all encompassing problem that it even includes politics, with politicians attempting to influence science (Hansen 2004). The entire Earth is getting warmer because of human activity, many scientists say (ibid). But the public appears to be being fed with fears. With announcements like the polar ice caps disappearing, and Gulf Stream soon to reverse, the Antarctic ice shelves breaking up, mountain glaciers in low latitudes retreating, and the hurricane season getting worse each year, science "is deteriorating into a repair shop for conventional, politically opportune scientific claims" (Hansen 2004). The bottom line may be for people to take notice and do something to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions, but the effects of even instilling fear are only temporary for exaggerated science. As propounded by Sarewitz (Researcher: GW 2005), fruitful action on both climate change (global warming) and tsunami disaster vulnerability should proceed simultaneously. However, this will not happen until the issues of climate change (GW) and (tsunami) disaster vulnerability are clearly separated in the eyes of the media, the public, environmental activists, scientists and policymakers. References Apolegetics.com: Discussion: Global warming. 3 Nov 2005. 19 Nov 2005 . "Global Warming May Have Caused Mass Extinction on Earth." News. Earthdive.com 22 January 2005. Originally published in SciTech Today. 19 Nov 2005 "Researcher: Global Warming Not To Blame for Tsunami." Arizona State University (ASU) homepage. 26 Jane 2005. 19 Nov 2005 . "Tsunami: the Great Waves." International Tsunami Information Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). U.S. Department of Commerce. 19 Nov 2005 . "What is global warming" WiseGeek. 19 Nov 2005. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-global-warming.htm Britt, Robert Roy. "Global Warming Likely Cause of Worst Mass Extinction Ever." Live Science. 20 Jan 2005. 19 Nov 2005 . Gerhard, Lee. "Global warming, climate debate." IU Homepages 11 Mar 2005. 19 Nov 2005. . Hansen, James. "Global Warming." Planetforlife homepage.12 May 2004. 19 Nov 2005 . Morano, Marc. (2005, Jan 15) Killer Tsunami's 'Global Warming' Link Branded 'Rubbish'. CNSNews.com. 19 Nov 2005. . Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). "Michael Crichton's State of Fear: They Don't Call It Science Fiction for Nothing." Last revised 16 Dec 2004. 19 Nov 2005 . Robinson, Arthur B. and Zachary W. Robinson. 1997. "Science Has Spoken: Global Warming Is a Myth." The Wall Street Journal (4 Dec 1997). Reprinted with permission of Dow Jones & Co., Inc. 19 Nov 2005 . Tobis, Michael. "Imprecision of the Phrase 'Global Warming.'"Climate Science. Real climate. 31 Dec 2004. 18 Nov 2005 . Vasey, Gary M. "Global Warming: Myth, Reality or Distraction." Reason Public Policy Institute. Originally published in Utilipoint's Issue Alert. 24 Feb 2004.19 Nov 2005. . Von Storch, Hans and Nico Stehr. "How Global Warming Research is creating a Climate of Fear." Exaggerated Science. 24 Jan 2005. 19 Nov 2005 . Yasuda, Memorie. "Tsunami. Indian Ocean 2004." EarthGuide. 17 Feb 2005. 19 Nov 2005. . Read More