Compare And Contrast Natural Vs Anthropogenic Climate Change

Throughout history climates have drastically changed. There have been shifts from warm climates to the Ice Ages (Cunningham & Cunningham, 2009, p.204). Evidence suggests there have been at least a dozen abrupt climate changes throughout the history of the earth. There are a few suspected reasons for these past climate changes. One reason may be that asteroids hitting the earth and volcanic eruptions caused some of them. A further assumption is that 22-year solar magnetic cycles and 11-year sunspot cycles played a part in the changes. A further possibility is that a regular shifting in the angle of the moon orbiting earth causing changing tides and atmospheric circulation affects the global climate (Cunningham & Cunningham, 2009,

The burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil, and deforestation over the last 200 years has caused the concentrations of heat-trapping "greenhouse gases" to increase significantly in our atmosphere. These gases prevent heat from escaping to space. Greenhouse gases are necessary in our lives as they help in keeping the planet 's surface warmer than it would otherwise be. But, as the concentrations of these gases continue to increase in the atmosphere, the Earth 's temperature is climbing above past levels (USEPA, 2014).

When you hear the words “climate change” what comes to mind? Probably weather and the changes. Many of us watch the news or use an app on our cellphones/electronic devices to keep an eye on the weather for the day, week, or even the month. But, there is actually a difference between weather and climate. Weather is actually “the changes we see and feel outside from day to day. It might rain one day and be sunny the next. Weather also changes from place to place” (Dunbar, 2014). Whereas “climate is the usual weather of a place. Climate can be different for different seasons. Different places can have different climates” (Dunbar, 2014). This paper will focus on the ins and outs of climate change, specifically focusing on what climate change

Climate change is influenced by the greenhouse effect which is the increase of Carbon dioxide, Methane, Ozone and Nitrogen Oxide. On one hand, the presence of these gases in the atmosphere make the earth habitable with respect to regulating the earth’s temperature. However, an increase in the concentration of these gases results in trapping energy in the atmosphere and this in turn increases earth’s temperature. “Global greenhouse gas emissions have grown since pre-industrial times, with an increase of 70% between

Anthropogenic climate change occurs due to something that is caused by humanity. One example of this is fossil fuels, the carbon dioxide is higher than in the previous centuries due to humans burning fuel like coal for energy. As with emissions of methane along with greenhouses rising those affects also add to change of climate. The second example of anthropogenic climate changes is due to agriculture. Before humans began burning fuels for energy climate change occurred by deforestation, agriculture and also irrigation. The change happened as people had reduced vegetation ground cover, which changes how sunlight may be reflected and absorbed. Natural climate change occurs due to events such as volcanoes eruption and the ash being spread everywhere. One example for natural climate change is solar energy, there are fluctuations which occur over time and predicts some pattern for change. Another example of natural climate change is from earth itself, the orbiting from the earth around the sun will alter at different positions which has an effect of what level of energy earth gets. How these changes are similar they both alter changes to the climate and create side effects which cause natural disasters and health issues for humans. How

The Milankovitch Mechanisms are central to long-term climate history discourse (Berger, 2013) and incorporate three orbital changes, which are named Precession, Eccentricity and Obliquity. Eccentricity is the first Milankovitch Mechanism, whereby the orbit of the Earth around the sun varies from a nearly perfect circular shape to a more elliptical shape (Figure 1A). At its most elliptical orbit, the Earth passes ~6 million miles (Scofield, n.d) further from the sun at the point of aphelion, and subsequently, the winter climate would be extremely cooler due to the reduction in incoming solar radiation. With Eccentricity, the insolation received can change by ~30% (Maslin and Ridgwell, 2005) and occurs at cycles of ~100,000 years (Maslin and Ridgwell, 2005). Obliquity is the second Milankovitch

‘’Did humankind prevent the start of an ice age during the Holocene? Discuss arguments for and against the Early Anthropogenic Hypothesis.’’ The Holocene Epoch is the timescale given to the last 11,700 years of earth’s history, beginning at the end of the last ice age. (BD Smith et al, 2013)

Climate change is the term used to describe the warming of the average surface temperature on earth. Climate change; often referred to as the general term global warming, is a topic that often inspires fierce debate among those on both sides of the issue. One thing those who are pro and those that are con both agree on is that the temperature on earth has increased over the past century by an average of 1.4 degrees. The big debate on the two sides is if the warming temperatures are caused by human activities and if it is not stopped it will have dire consequences (the pro side) or if it is the result of natural causes and the earth’s surface will find ways to adapt such as crops becoming more heat resistant (the con side).

The planet has been experiencing considerable climate change for the last several decades. There have been many explanations toward the main causes of the increased warming of the planet. On one hand are the environmentalists who believe that the major cause of this increased warming of the planet is the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere induced by human activities. On the other hand, the scientists believe that there are natural causes of global climate change. While the supporters of the man-made theory of global climate change reason that the major greenhouse gas causing global warming is carbon dioxide, the advocates of natural causes

Researches reveal that natural events as well as human related activities contribute to changes in average global temperatures. AtKisson affirms that global warming is basically a result of increased emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This atmospheric carbon dioxide (co2) comes from anthropogenic (caused by humans) sources. The concentration of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, nitrous gases, and methane in the atmosphere has increased evidently due to human activities since 1800. NASA’s article adds:

The primary cause of climate change is the human expansion of the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is a natural occurrence, which NASA defines as “the warming that results when the atmosphere traps heat radiating from space” (NASA). During the greenhouse effect, heat from the sun passes through the atmosphere, which is made up of various gases. When the heat from the sun reaches the surface, some of it radiates away from Earth, back into space. However, some of the gases in the atmosphere, known as greenhouse gases, absorb this heat, preventing it from escaping (World Meteorological Organization). The greenhouse effect keeps the Earth at a habitable temperature. The World Meteorological Organization, or WMO, states that the greenhouse effect and

The earth’s climate is predicted to change because human activities are altering the chemical composition of the atmosphere through the buildup of greenhouse gases –– primarily carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. The heat-trapping property of these gases is undisputed. Although uncertainty exists about exactly how earth’’s climate responds to these gases, global temperatures are rising. Go to the Emissions section for much more on greenhouse gases.

Various elements have been adding to this ascent in the normal worldwide temperature - either specifically or by implication, right from the time the planet appeared. It alludes to the procedure wherein the radiations originating from the Sun are caught by the greenhouse gasses inside of the air of the Earth, which thus causes the temperature close to the Earth 's surface to rise. It is believed that the greenhouse effect has increased the Earth 's temperature by some place around 24 percent, with carbon dioxide adding to around 12 percent of the greenhouse effect, water vapor contributing around 36 percent, methane 5 to 10 percent, and Ozone making around 3 to 7 percent of the same. People had begun adding to a worldwide temperature alteration around 8000 years’ prior with the begin of agribusiness, wherein deforestation to clear land for cultivating brought about a critical ascent in the measure of carbon dioxide in the air. Researchers claim that awful practices in industries results in the arrival of different greenhouse gasses which

In the study of climatology, there can be distinguished between natural climate variability and anthropogenic climate change. According to the Parliament of Australia (2010) natural climate variability is the influence

Scientists have discovered 'climate forcing’s ' influence variations in climate systems and based on the depth and period of such forcing’s the adjustments to climate may be in a shorter or longer earth cycle. Natural forcing’s like variations in earth 's orbit, solar variation, volcanic eruptions and motion of tectonic plates have influence on the Earth 's climate