Global warming has been a controversial topic for years and some have even denied its existence; however, as more studies are being published every day in regards to our changing climate, it is hard to ignore this growing issue and how humans contribute to it. The term greenhouse gases refers to the group of gases that are primarily responsible for global warming and chief among these gases is carbon dioxide. Rising carbon dioxide levels can be attributed to a combination of burning fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, and petroleum as well as deforestation in general ( Source A). To slow the effects of global warming, it is important for leaders in our society to consider their greenhouse gas emissions, especially carbon dioxide, and make …show more content…
According to an article focused on environmental awareness, “the world’s average surface temperature rose by approximately 1 degree Fahrenheit, the fastest rate in any period over the last 1000 years” (Source A). Damage has already been done to the environment but it is not the time to throw our hands up, it is the time for leaders in all sectors to tackle this issue head on. We know that carbon dioxide is the culprit, so now it is imperative to implement the solution and take a hard look at who is producing the most greenhouse gases. Big changes need to take place but they can only be done in steps and not all at once to be effective. In an excerpt from a book about global warming, Mark Maslin brings up the point that many feel the Kyoto Protocol does not go far enough; scientists believe that a 60% cut of greenhouse gas emissions is necessary in order to “prevent major climate change” (Source E). A sixty percent cut of emissions should be what countries work up to achieving but first and foremost, every country needs to agree to the Kyoto Protocol guidelines. The Kyoto Protocol itself should not be viewed as the end in the discussion of greenhouse gas restrictions, but rather the first stepping stone to a much broader and effective
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
Global warming, an increase in the average of Earth’s temperature, has been occurring since the 1800s. A majority of climatologists conclude that human activities are responsible for most of the warming. The main human activities that contribute to global warming are the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) and the clearing of land (NASA). Since wealthier industrial countries use most of the world’s fossil fuels, they not surprisingly contribute most to this phenomenon. Europe, Japan, and North America – with roughly fifteen percent of the world’s current population – are estimated to account for two-thirds of the carbon dioxide now in the atmosphere (Gotham Gazette). Even though it comprises less than five percent of the
Global warming and climate change attributed to increased emission of greenhouse gases have continued to be pressing issues in today’s society since they threaten the stability of the climate, population, and economy of the world (“Meeting the Energy Challenge”, 2007). The challenges associated with global warming and climate change is attributed to the fact that 75 percent of world’s carbon dioxide
Global Warming has silently crept into our society today because of big business, lack of technology, and greed. And now with a new generation of citizens who understand what we have been doing to our earth have to stand up and do what is right. Global Warming refers to the increase in the earth’s average temperature induced by human activity. Most discussions on Global Warming today show similarities between an increase in global temperature and the increase in carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, and chlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere. Human activity increases the amount of these gases in the atmosphere and, as a result of the greenhouse effect, increases
On May 3rd, Fort McMurray residents were forced to flee their homes for what people are calling the largest wildfire evacuation in Alberta's history. Tens of thousands of people packed up their families and cars with the bare essentials, driving away while watching their homes and businesses burn. A large number of individuals over social media have expressed their vitriolic comments towards the oil sands, and have attributed much of the spread of the wildfire to climate change. A sober realization is that scientists have been warning the public for decades that a changing climate would be a contributing factor in an increase in global wildfire risks. Climate change is one of the most important environmental issue that modern civilization
It is terrible that climate change has affected every country. As a result, one key information that we think will help us make a better analysis will be each country's progress in dealing with the issue. This information can be found in recent news and articles that give detail reports on the topic. One can also learn more from scientific documents written by ecologists that currently research on climate change. Moreover, one can monitor the daily temperature of a specific season, summer for instance, in the countries for a few years. From this point, one can calculate the average temperature per summer and see which country had the most increase or decrease in terms of these average temperatures. The country that experiences the least increase
It is largely known that the most significant issue facing the planet today is global warming. There is no doubt it is one of the biggest environmental issues throughout time, though it is widely debated among scientists and environmentalists what the main causes are. Global warming isn’t a new issue, in only 1989 the UK Prime Minister at the time warns that the increasing emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere are going to have a significant impact on the earth in the future (BBC News, 2013). The warming of the earth is caused by greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide that trap long-wave radiation in the atmosphere. This warming of the earth surface is referred to as the greenhouse effect. Greenhouse gases are the gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapour which accumulate in the atmospheric layers prevent heat being radiated from the earth to escape. Without greenhouse gases the earth would be considerably cooler but with increased human activities, temperatures are rising to an unstable level (Arbogast, 2011).
The general populous in the developed world and 97% of scientists can agree that there have been changes in our overall global climate that indicate climate change. There are those who still refuse to acknowledge the existence of such change or that the shifts in climate are caused by humans. The major question is: Is there actual statistical evidence to prove that climate change is more than a short term observed trend in global climate?
“In the United States, the burning of fossil fuels to make electricity is the largest source of heat-trapping pollution, producing about two billion tons of CO2 every year” (MacMillan). The United States alone is responsible for about 25 percent of all carbon dioxide pollution globally. (“11 Facts About Global Warming”). As the levels of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases increase in the atmosphere, so does the temperature. Global Warming is a serious threat to the environment and people need to take action to slow it down.
Evidence of Climate Change is being felt around the world. The most vulnerable areas are the least developed, which lack public instruments and infrastructure to adapt to the extreme effects of climate. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is vital to slow the progress of climate change, however, adapting to the consequences of this intensified climate crisis by the human being itself is key. Some countries understand it, others just cannot do too much about it. New evidence shows that Climate Change has affected many sectors in Asia. Crop yields in several countries have declined, due in part to increased temperature and external weather events. The retreat of glaciers and permafrost in Asia in recent years has no precedent and is a consequence
Global Warming is a big topic in today’s world, and many people aren’t aware of the damages they are causing the planet. Global warming endangers our health, jeopardizes our national security, and threatens our basic human needs. Some impacts such as record high temperatures, rising seas, severe flooding and droughts are already becoming increasingly common. Although some people do not think they are causing global warming; I am here to let them know that the majority of global warming’s causes falls in the lap of the human race. People cause global warming every day by doing the many things they do daily. The main cause of global warming is the pollution people are putting in the atmosphere every day. This pollution happens each day from people driving cars, and the carbon dioxide that these cars put off. There are many ways to prevent this, and a lot of scientists are starting to make people more aware with the research and the facts that they are finding. Scientists are also starting to try to get people on their side by creating documentations to present their facts and findings to the public. “The National Center for Atmospheric Research” said this, “Many people don’t realize that we are committed right now to a significant amount of global warming and sea level rise…the longer we wait to do something about it, the more change we will have.”(Meehl)
There is, perhaps, no more pressing an issue that impacts the future of the human race than the debate over global warming. Whether global warming is occurring as part of a natural cycle of the earth or through CO2 emissions introduced into the atmosphere by mankind, has yet to be empirically proven. However, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that mankind’s contribution may be considerable enough to warrant a change in human habits. According to an article written by Rich Deem, atmospheric CO2 levels indicate a spike of 70 ppm—the quickest rise in CO2 levels over the last 650,000 years (2005). The best scientific evidence has been unable to find any natural causes, suggesting that if mankind fails to act, atmospheric CO2 levels will
Global warming is an issue facing the world today. This is due to the fact that it has caused people to lose their homes, temperatures to rise and many natural disasters to occur. In addition, global warming is a phenomenon in which an average temperature of the earth’s atmosphere and oceans increases due to high concentration of carbon dioxide (Henrik Selin, Michael E. Mann 2017). Whether the negative changes to the global climate is the consequences of human activities or natural process is a global debate in everybody mind. Prominent politicians such as the likes of Al Gore have expressed concerns about the dangers of global warming and suggested that immediate actions need to be taken in order to put an end to global warming. Barack Obama also articulated his concerns about global warming by stating “Not only is it real, it's here, and its effects are giving rise to a frighteningly new global phenomenon: the man-made natural disaster” Which supports that global warming is real (Floodrisk Master, 2016.) In addition, this essay will be discussing how human activities negatively contributes to carbon cycle and global warming. Understanding global warming and beginning proactive to reducing our impact could be essential to the survival of our planet.Human activities play a major role in changing our climate by transforming areas of land surface and altering gaseous composition in the atmosphere. One of the major component affected by human actions is carbon. Carbon is a
The most complicated issue facing world leaders today very well may be global warming. Over time, more and more warnings from the scientific community have come about. Some of them being the non-stop build up of human related greenhouse gases that are mainly produced by the burning of fossil fuels, economic, technological, and political issues. In late 2010, world-wide talks began and many agreements were made between many of the leaders of foreign countries, and an international process for dealing with this particular problem received many votes of confidence.
Global warming has been a controversial issue since the first publication of global warming, “Worlds in the Making,” by Svante Arrhenius in 1896. This topic is discussed in multiple areas of life, including politics, at the dinner table, and among scientists in a laboratory. The various viewpoints of individuals usually lead to a heated discussion on global warming, and sometimes ignites an intense argument. Through research and discussions with various people, I have come to the belief that global warming is a real threat and needs to dealt with accordingly. Through act of emitting extra carbon into the atmosphere, whether through burning fossil fuels or deforestation, humans have inadvertently raised the average climate temperature over the last 200 years.