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Global Warming Controversy

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Shea Bellini Section 13 Issue Paper April 18th 2016
Global Warming The issue of global warming is one that affects every one of us, it is defined as the gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans.
Temperatures on earth have increased 1.4° since the early 20th century, during this time period, levels of greenhouse gases such as carbon monoxide have noticeably increased. Many believe this increase in atmospheric gases has caused the earth’s rising temperature. Although, many believe that gases cannot be the cause of this because of evidence that human generated greenhouse gases are not impactful enough to substantially change the earth’s climate because the planet is capable of absorbing these increases. The idea that humans are responsible for global climate change is an idea that many people in the scientific community support, the 2010 Anderegg study found that 97-98% of climate researchers agree that human activity is primarily responsible for the change in our earth. The rising level of human produced gases that are released into the atmosphere create a greenhouse effect that traps heat and causes global warming. Scientists argue that CO2 levels did not rise until the mid- 20th century, the rate at which the levels are rising have to be a direct result of burning fossil fuels. Also, the specific type of CO2 that is increasing in the earths atmosphere can be directly connected to human activity. The average temperatures on earth have increased at a rate that is much faster than can be explained by natural climate changes, leading us to the conclusion that we are to blame. Another large issue at hand with global warming is that sea levels are rising, causing the arctic ice cap to melt at an increasing rate, and warming the oceans at an alarming rate. These issues are

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