Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Climate Change

In the last 100 years, the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has increased, causing the Earth to warm by an average of 0.6 degrees celsius, largely a result of burning fossil fuels for energy, transportation, and land use changes increased for food production. The basic science is straightforward and climate researchers have shown that gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and others can trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, causing a phenomenon known as the greenhouse effect. Human activities such as industry, transport, energy generation and deforestation all produce these greenhouse gases. In the last 20 years, concern has grown that global warming is inevitable and now considered most probably caused by man-made increases in

Damon Matthews, a professor in Concordia University’s Department of Geography, found a direct connection between carbon dioxide and global warming. Matthew’s studies show that same global temperature increase, regardless of when or over what period of time the emission occurs. The effect of adding more carbon dioxide is predicted in the theory of greenhouse gases. Swedish scientist, Syante Arrhenius, first proposed the theory in 1896, based on earlier work by Fourier and Tyndall. At the same time, many scientists have reached the same conclusion. If we increase the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the Earth’s temperature will increase. Energy is absorbed from the sun in the form of visible light and ultraviolet radiation. The earth then releases some of this energy as infrared radiation. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere captures some of this heat, then re-emit it in all directions. During this process, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases keep the Earth’s surface 33 degree Celsius warmer than it would be without them. According to an ongoing temperature analysis conducted by a scientist at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), the average global temperature on Earth has increased by about 0.8 degree Celsius. Since 1975, two-thirds of the warming has occurred at a rate of roughly 0.15-0.20 degree Celsius per decade.

Balog was once a skeptic of climate change as he believed that the theory surrounding global warming was based off of computer models. Furthermore, he did not believe that humans could alter the world’s climate on such a global scale. However, through studies of ice records, long tubes of ice drilled from the ground, Balog found key evidence suggesting ideas contrary to his prior beliefs. These glacial tubes preserved historical records of the past similar to the rings of a tree, recording past temperatures and CO2 levels. Using these records, one can see the direct variation between temperature and CO2. Additionally, the recent spike in both

The first argument examined on the man-made global warning side is that increasing greenhouse gases caused by human activities is causing directly observed climate changes. The first resulting climate change discussed is warming global surface temperature. There has been an increase in global surface temperature of 0.74 degrees C since the late 19th century. In the last 50 years alone the temperature has increased by 0.13 degrees C per decade. North America and Eurasia have seen the largest increase in warmth. However, some areas of the earth have actually cooled some this past century (Easterling & Karl, 2011, para6). After the mid 20th century 70% of the global land mass saw reduced diurnal temperatures. From 1979 to 2005 the maximum and minimum temperatures have shown no change; both indicate warming (Easterling & Karl, 2011, para10). Furthermore, borehole temperatures, snow cover, and glacier recession data all seem to agree with recent warming (Easterling & Karl, 2011, para11).

Climate change began in the 1820s with Joseph Fourier and in the 1860s with John Tyndall. Fourier put into motion the “greenhouse effect.” An effect where trapped gasses in the lower atmosphere absorb the sun’s heat. Tyndall found that “greenhouse gasses” cover the earth like a sheet. This is how the earth keeps cool and warm. Yet, too much greenhouse gasses can be futile. During this time, humans did not know that they were the ones causing implications. 100 years later, Svante Arrhenius proposed that “…doubling the CO2 content of the planet’s atmosphere would raise its temperature by 2.5 to 4.0 degrees Celsius” (Frank, para 7). Any slight change in temperature can offset the ecosystem. People began to act to save their planet, but there are still many in denial.

Greenhouse gases are the main factor to the poisoning of Earth’s atmosphere. Gases in the atmosphere that absorb radiation and have a big impact towards the greenhouse effect are known as the Greenhouse gases. The greenhouse effect happens to be one of the major causes of global warming. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), some of the major greenhouse gases are methane, carbon dioxide, water vapor and nitrous oxide. (Lallanilla, 2015). There are multiple places all over the world who suffer from dangerous levels of greenhouse gases in the air due to the over-pollution to the air. The first step to taking on such an issue is to detect and then monitor the problem so that in this case, the greenhouse gases do not get out of hand. Crucial importance to the future of Earth relies on the monitoring and detecting greenhouses gases and the best way to do so is by the use of orbital satellites. The use of remotely sensed data can be used to measure greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere, thus helping authorities to make better decisions related to climate change.

The Earth's climate has changed throughout history. According to the findings of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the change of the earth’s climate has evolved through time. The global sea level rose about eight inches in the last century; the planet's average surface temperature has risen about 2.0 degrees Fahrenheit since the last 19th century; the oceans have absorbed much of this increased heat of 0.302 degrees Fahrenheit since 1969; the increasing number of record high temperature and intense rainfall events since 1950; and the overall increase of ocean acidification by about 30 percent. Most of these climate changes are attributed to very small variations in Earth’s orbit that change the amount of solar energy our planet receives. The heat-trapping nature of carbon dioxide and other gases was demonstrated in the mid-19th century. There is no question that increased levels of greenhouse gases cause the Earth to warm in response.

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

Although there are currently many greenhouse gases claiming earth’s atmosphere as their home, carbon dioxide is by far the most abundant and most adversely gas that affects Earth's climate. According to NASA, the amount of energy being emitted from the sun has remained constant since the 1750s. A common misconception when talking about global warming, is that the sun is the main source of the increase of the earth’s global temperatures. But if temperatures were increasing due to the sun, scientists would see warming in all layers of the atmosphere rather than just the lower ones. “Since the Industrial Revolution began around 1750, human activities have contributed substantially to climate change by adding CO2 and other heat-trapping gases

When carbon dioxide and other toxic gasses are released into the atmosphere, they become too excessive for all the vegetation to absorb. Such conditions lead to the over-accumulation of gasses that form a layer called a greenhouse. The gasses create a greenhouse effect that prevents any heat from escaping the earth (Taylor,881). This means that most of the heat being released from the earth’s center as well as that being absorbed from the sun is retained within the atmosphere. The trapped heat has over time led to the rise in global temperatures which has subsequently had adverse effects on the ecosystem. In essence, the small changes to a temperature that have occurred on a global scale over time can lead to significant and human threatening changes in the global weather patterns. The contemporary warmth has been exhibited by melting ice lands and glaciers as well as increased floods and famines.

Bouttes et al (2011). We compared maps presenting our main factors (planetary albedo, precipitation, snow and ice cover, surface air temperature) with doubled levels of carbon dioxide alone, or doubled levels of carbon dioxide and methane together. Each and every comparison revealed what little impact methane has compared to carbon dioxide. Globally, surface air temperature average lowered 0.07 degrees C, snow and ice coverage average increased 0.7%, precipitation did not change at all, and average planetary albedo increased 0.02%. These minute changes were nothing compared to the vast changes caused by doubled carbon dioxide, which models we ran to compare the see the effect of extreme variations in greenhouse gas levels. Our research led us to discover that greenhouse gases had a strong impact on the Last Glacial Maximum, and carbon dioxide was the greenhouse gas that specifically caused most of this impact in both warming and, more importantly, in

• Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas that warms the atmosphere. • Since pre-industrial times, atmospheric CO2 concentrations have increased from about 280 parts per million (ppm) to over 380 ppm. Current concentrations of CO2 and other greenhouse gases are unprecedented in at least the last 650,000 years, based on records from gas bubbles trapped in polar ice. • Independent measurements demonstrate that the increased CO2 in the atmosphere comes

The world continuously faces a variety of threats every day, from natural disasters to terrorist, but one threat that society predominately contributes to all on their own, is climate change. There are many feasible explanations for the global threat of climate change. These explanations include but are not limited to, the act of deforestation to the rainforest and other trees, green house gas emissions, and sulfate aerosol, which cause poor air quality.

The issue of global warming should be on the list of our top priorities. Studies show that the average of global temperatures have risen since the Industrial Revolution began. Since the Industrial Revolution, human emissions has quadrupled the frequency of certain heat extremes and many scientists have warned that a failure to bring greenhouse gases under control could eventually lead to a 62-fold increase in extreme heat blasts (Gillis Justin A17). Most of the increase is due to human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. These activities contribute to a build-up in carbon dioxide and other gases in Earth’s atmosphere. The Earth’s atmosphere is made of gases like nitrogen, carbon dioxide and oxygen. These gases act as a blanket that covers and gives us warmth, but once these gases such as carbon dioxide absorbs heat, but does not release it back into space in which causes the increase in global temperature. This is called the greenhouse effect because it only traps heat but does not release it.

Global Warming is the biggest threat to Earth, as we know it, and scientists are universal in their conclusions: this problem is here, it is growing, and only new science can stop its expansion. The threat of global warming is an elusive one, because there has never been a precedent for humanity being able to change its own environment until the spark of the Industrial Revolution. The burning of fossil fuels, which are essential to most forms of human power, releases carbon atoms into the air. (Bird, 1) Carbon atoms are dangerous because of their tendency to absorb the sun's heat, rather than reflect the sun's heat back into space. This absorption over time has several effects on Earth. This essay will discuss these impacts, as well as proposed solutions toward curbing and finally eliminating the threat of global warming.