...Adryen SEKA 10/09/2015 ENGL-121 Instructor: Yu Bai Topic: The causes of global warming Climate changes are not new. The studies conducted by the researchers show that global temperature during the prehistoric times was generally warmer than today except during the 5 ice ages. Changes in our climate are indeed as old as our planet earth. However, global warming is one of the biggest issues of the twenty first century. Many researchers, scientists, and environmentalists are expressing concerns about changes on the climate on earth. Some believe that the climate is becoming abnormally warmer an issue which is referred as “global warming”. That’s why the major part of the world comes together to discuss about what are the causes and which impact they have on the life on earth. More and more countries are joining the meeting to discuss about how to define new restrictions to prevent and slow down the global warming. The surface of the earth which is warming up is not without consequences. Indeed some negative effects of the global warming have a heavy impact such as the rise in sea levels, less precipitation, expansion of the desert retreat of glaciers and sea ice. All these effects have their own consequences and there are many reasons which explain this global warming. Overpopulation, deforestation and burning of fossil fuels are listed as causes of the global warming. Fifty years ago the world population was about 3.7 billion with an emission of fossil fuels of 14 billion...
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...Causes Global Warning 1. Greenhouse effect 2. Human contribution B. Government Agencies report Global Warning Continues to Rise 1. Fossil fuel use has increased 2. Carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for many decades C. Facts and Fiction of Global Warning 1. Facts 2. Fiction II. Conclusion Global Warming: Fact or Fiction According to the New York Times, “Global warming has become perhaps the most complicated issue facing world leaders”. The debate on Global warming’s causes and effects are controversial between scientists and some politicians. Scientists believe that the earth is getting hotter due to the greenhouse effect and some politicians believe that Global warming is the natural phenomenon where the earth’s surface temperature increases due to different factors in the earth’s biosphere naturally. The greenhouse effect is basically heat from the sun being radiated back into the earth’s atmosphere and absorbed by water vapors, carbon dioxide, methane and ozone which comprise greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases contribute to about 1% of the earth’s atmosphere but they help regulate our climate by trapping heat in the atmosphere and holding it there. The greenhouse effect is really a good thing because it helps sustain life on earth. Without it the temperature on earth would be approximately 30 degrees colder and our ecosystem would not be able to sustain life as we know it now. The greenhouse effect is an essential...
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...Contents Page No. 1.0 Introduction 02 1.1 Definition of Global Warming 03 1.2 Causes of Global Warming 03 1.3 Effects of global warming 04 2.0 Finding and Analyzing 06 2.1 How Do Humans Contribute to the Greenhouse Effect? 06 2.2 Solutions for Global Warming Prevention 06 2.3 Our Role in Global Warming 07 3.0 Conclusion 08 Reference 09 1.0 Introduction Global Warming Global warming refers to the documented historical warming of the Earth's surface based upon worldwide temperature records that have been maintained by humans since the 1880s. It is often used synonymously with the term climate change, but the two terms have distinct meanings. Global warming is the combined result of anthropogenic (human-caused) emissions of greenhouse gases and changes in solar irradiance, while climate change refers to any change in the state of the climate that can be identified by changes in the average and/or the variability of its properties (e.g., temperature, precipitation), and that persists for an extended period, typically decades or longer. Global Mean Temperature over Land and Ocean (Jan-Dec). (Source: NCDC/NESDIS/NOAA((www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/ncdc.html)) The United States National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), found that in 2006 "Globally averaged land temperatures were +0.78°C (+1.40°F) and ocean temperatures +0.45°C (+0.81°F) above average, ranking 4th and 5th warmest, respectively...
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...Is Global Warming Skepticism Just Smoke and Mirrors? Dependence of Man on the Environment Greenhouse warming has always been a talk of the future and the talk of skeptics, well it is happening now. Representatives from countries all over the world will meet in July, 2011 to discuss slowing down global warming by setting the limits on the countries' greenhouse gases emissions, which include the emissions of carbon dioxide the industries, machines, and cars produced. (Reis, 2011). Despite of the current evidence of global warming, people still believe that this is something that is completely made up and blown out of proportion. Global warming has a direct affect on everyone and everything on this planet. Global warming affects not only our weather when it comes to heat but also precipitation to include snow, rain and hail. Global warming also causes a negative effect on animals. Animal species have no longer populated certain areas due to the climate change and in due to the climate they need to survive are migrating to where they can get that. Scientist and professionals say that the sea levels have increased due to the melting of the glaciers. (Cunningham & Cunningham, 2009, p. 207) Global warming is commonly referred to as an increase in the temperature of the lowest layers of Earth's atmosphere. Global warming has occurred in the distant past as the result of natural influences, but the term is most often used to refer to the warming predicted to occur as a result...
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...Global Warming General Chemistry I Bret Lynn For millions of years the changes in Earth’s climate have been driven by forces of nature. Although, for the last century and a half, Earth’s average temperature has been rising faster than any time in the past 10 thousand years. “We’re on a track to 700 parts-per-million of carbon dioxide on the planet, we haven’t seen that for 50 million years”(1). The signs are everywhere: droughts in the American southwest, rising seas in Louisiana, tropical diseases spreading north, and extremes of weather from Florida to France. There are people that still say “global warming need not concern us” and “if it is happening at all, it is a natural trend there is not much we can do about it.” However, there is now hard evidence, which shows that the warming is not only real, it’s accelerating. The warming is altering the climate’s most basic chacteristics like rainfall, days of sunshine, and nighttime temperatures. These changes are damaging the environment and agricultural production, threatening wild species into extinction, and putting at risk human lifestyle, health, and cities near the sea. It starts with the warming. In the Artic, reports of heat waves and droughts seem far away. Over the last 100 years, the world has seen a 1 degree Fahrenheit rise in its average temperature (2). However, in Alaska and Canada, winter temperatures have increased by as much as 5-7 degrees Fahrenheit in the past 50 years (2). Global warming is...
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...Global warming is a very sensitive topic and one of the biggest troubles facing the world nowadays. Global warming refers to the increase in the average temperatures of the air and sea at Earth’s surface and the climate change. Over decades, scientists and researchers have made plenty of researches and decided that the temperature of the world is rising. However, this increase in temperature is mainly due to human activities on the Earth’s surface. In its recently released Fourth Assessment Report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 1,300 independent scientific experts from different countries around the world are grouped together under the patronage of the United Nations to study the global warming issue and they concluded that there is a more than 90 percent probability that the Earth have been warmed due to various number of human activities over the past 250 years (NASA, n.d.). Global warming should be considered as the greatest threats that affects the existence of mankind on Earth because of several reasons such as the greenhouse effect, tropical deforestation and the melting of icebergs and glaciers. One of the major considerations of global warming is the...
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...Global Warming Projections and Fossil Fuel Use By _______ Date: Course: Econ - 382 The belief that global warming has been caused by fossil fuels is a safe assumption simply because of the link that the two share. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that is released when fossil fuels are burnt. Every time a car gets started or coal gets burnt there is carbon dioxide released into the air and it becomes a part of the atmosphere. When this happens energy gets trapped in the atmosphere and that energy causes more heat to remain inside the earth than escape. As the heat is stuck inside the earth the temperature starts to raise slowly a slow rise that has led scientists to believe that global warming exists. The warming of the globe is steady, but its effects could be drastic enough to cause the world to undergo a great deal of change. Everything from the sea levels to the ice caps to even the weather can be affected by global warming and it can cause problems of both extremes, which could damage the earth beyond repair. The key aspect of all of this is that human activity is directly involved in just how much fossil fuels impact global warming and how it can have a larger impact on the earth and its temperature of a very small impact on it (“Climate Change Basics” 1). It can be safe to assume that there is a change in our climate which is referred to as global warming. The cause of this change has been under a great deal of debate...
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...10/8/15 Global Warming and Climate Change I. According to data from NASA, the overall temperature in the earth’s atmosphere has been increasing since 1880. Most of this warming, however, has occurred since 1970, with the 20 warmest years having occurred since 1981 and with all 10 of the warmest years occurring in the past 12 years. This phenomena, known as global warming or climate change, is caused by the greenhouse effect. Gases such as carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants let in light, but keep heat from escaping, similar to the glass walls of a greenhouse. This is problematic because it is changing the climate faster than some livings can adapt and a new and unpredictable climate poses unique challenges to all life. Global Warming is a major issue that has effects on the environment, people, and the world, and if not stopped soon, the results will be disastrous. II. Scientific evidence for global climate change A. Temperature of earth’s atmosphere rising since 1880 1. Supports the greenhouse effect theory, since humans have been releasing more heat trapping emissions with every passing year B. Warming of earth’s oceans 1. Oceans have absorbed much of the increased heat, causing them to become warmer C. Rapid rise in sea level 1. Sea level has risen double in last decade what is has in last century III. Causes of global climate change A. Increased emission of greenhouse gases 1. Main cause is the human expansion of the greenhouse effect ...
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...Global warming What is the greenhouse effect, and is it affecting our climate? The greenhouse effect is unquestionably real, and is essential for life on Earth. It is the result of heat absorption by certain gases in the atmosphere (called greenhouse gases because they trap heat) and re- radiation downward of a part of that heat. Water vapor is the most important greenhouse gas, followed by carbon dioxide and other trace gases. Without a natural greenhouse effect, the temperature of the Earth would be about zero degrees F (-18°C) instead of its present 57°F (14°C). However, the concern is not with the fact that we have a greenhouse effect, but it is with the question regarding whether human activities are leading to an enhancement of the greenhouse effect. Are greenhouse gases increasing? Human activity has been increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (mostly carbon dioxide from combustion of coal, oil, and gas; plus a few other trace gases). There is no scientific debate on this point. Pre-industrial levels of carbon dioxide (prior to...
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...Helpful Tips to Decrease Global Warming Global warming is impacting the world by increasing the average global temperature and causing many changes that are not visibly noticeable. These changes are costing us our healthy planet and safer world because of the serious effects it has on the climate and our lives. The causes of global warming can be reduced by taking action and altering our life styles in several ways. Taking action to help minimize global warming will have a huge impact on the amount of man-made air pollution that is produced. Global warming is the reason for the warmer climate on Earth. “There are more and more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, more heat is trapped which makes the Earth warmer… known as Global warming” (Greenhouse Effect). Our actions on Earth are one of the variables that contribute to global warming and will affect the Earth if continued at the current rate. It has already shown noticeable consequences to our climate, surroundings and weather. “There has been three periods of global warming since 1850; the most recent warming was originally thought to have been caused by emissions by man of carbon dioxide” (Global Warming Science). Between these three periods the Earth cooled leading to the changes in climate “for the past 11,000 years” according to Global Science. Global warming is caused by the greenhouse effect which is the cycle of light, heat of the Earth’s surface and Earth’s atmosphere. “The greenhouse gases reach the Earth’s...
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...Kyoto Protocol and Global Warming Evaluation xxxxxx ECO-370 April 21, 2014 Xiaobing Shuai Kyoto Protocol and Global Warming Evaluation Surface temperature of the earth has been an indicator of threatening critical concern. The principle of a greenhouse is that the enclosing glass or plastic allows the passage of incoming sunlight, but traps a portion of the reflected infrared radiation, which warms the interior of the greenhouse above the outside temperature (Field & Field, 2009, p. 430). This reaction encloses greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere that cause an increase in temperature in earth’s surface, in which is known as global warming. Based on this chemical reaction, it creates a global climate change on planet earth that changes meteorological patterns in each region. Costs and benefits from industrialized countries Due to a higher economic standing in industrialized countries, such as the United States and Europe we have larger amounts of pollution discharges that contribute to global climate change. Major issues related to costs with the intent to reduce global climate change include: what methods to adopt in various countries to meet the performance required by the agreements and how to share the overall costs among the participating countries (Field & Field, 2009, p. 456). These are cost-effective measures that countries can substantially decrease of the overall program. In accordance with Field & Field (2009), “The benefits accruing to any particular...
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...Running Head: Is global warming a real phenomenon? Is global warming a real phenomenon? Western Governor’s University Is global warming a real phenomenon? Global warming is the raising of average global temperature due to the increased concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere due to human emissions. While there is a general consensus among the scientific community that global warming is currently occurring due to human emissions, there is also opposing arguments by skeptics that do not believe that global warming is happening or point out that previous warming periods have occurred in the past for a variety of reasons that may still be in play now. There have been dramatic changes to environmental systems throughout the world since human emissions increased at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution that directly demonstrate that global warming is occurring. Not only have there been immense changes in the past, but there is further evidence to indicate the changes the environment will continue to change in colossal ways in the future. This warming also is set apart by the vast differences in behavior and effect for previous warming periods in the past. Research indicates that global warming is a true phenomenon that can be explained by evidence including ongoing massive environmental and atmospheric changes since the industrial revolution, scientific model projections, and the differences...
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...Global Warming: A Serious Problem for our World Trey Lee Northeastern State College Intro to Environmental Global Warming Global warming is a serious problem for our world. Global warming is an increase in the earth's average atmospheric temperature that causes corresponding changes in climate and that may result from the greenhouse effect. Global warming has occurred in the distant past as the result of natural influences, but the term is most often used to refer to the warming predicted to occur as a result of increased emissions of greenhouse gases which cause the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is a process by which thermal radiation from a planetary surface is absorbed by atmospheric greenhouse gases, and is re-radiated in all directions. Since part of this re-radiation is back towards the surface and the lower atmosphere, it results in an elevation of the average surface temperature above what it would be in the absence of the gases (Parmesun). Greenhouse Gases and the Effect Primary greenhouse gases include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone (Taylor). Carbon dioxide, as well as other greenhouse gases, is a very important factor in the vital cycles which sustain life on this planet: plants use carbon dioxide in photosynthesis and release oxygen necessary to maintain the lives of animal species, who through breathing out return carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, completing the cycle (Taylor). Greenhouse effect is a natural process...
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...What is climate change? The Earth's climate has changed over the last century. Increases in average temperatures have been seen around the globe and there is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming observed in the last 50 years is due to human activities. While climate change is a global issue, it will affect us all. Climate change has the potential to adversely affect our environment, our communities and our economy unless we take action now to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for the impacts. Climate change will alter global and local climates. In Victoria, this means a warmer and drier future, with an increasing likelihood of more extreme events such as heatwaves, bushfires and storm surges. Climate change is the greatest threat facing our planet today. A warming planet alters weather patterns, water supplies, seasonal growth for plants and a sustainable way of life for us and the world’s wildlife. Climate change has already started, but it’s not too late to take action. There’s still time for us all to be part of the solution. A continuous flow of energy from the sun heats the Earth. Naturally occurring gases in the atmosphere, known as greenhouse gases – this includes carbon dioxide (CO2) - , trap this heat like a blanket, keeping the Earth at an average of 15 degrees Celsius – warm enough to sustain life. The overuse of fossil fuels is increasing CO2 in the atmosphere, trapping more and more heat and warming the Earth. As a result, we’re...
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...2016 Yolanda Williams Environmental Science 3/28/2016 2016 Yolanda Williams Environmental Science 3/28/2016 Global Climate Change Global Climate Change Global Climate Change I’m sure that everyone has noticed that the Earth has been heating up over the years. In fact, the planet is warming up rather quickly. Scientific evidence reflects this change. However, not only has there been a change in temperature, but also precipitation patterns and storms. This is said to be a result of global climate change. What is global climate change? Global climate refers to the average climate over the entire Earth. The term climate is used to describe weather conditions of a certain area over a long term period, almost like the normal weather. Do we care about global climate change? Yes, it is very important to be aware because everything that happens with the planet directly affects something else. Finally, what is causing this global climate change? Actually, scientists have yet to come up with a concrete answer on this, but for the most part, they agree that people are causing the Earth’s climate to change. How might people be the cause of global climate change? Well, scientists have concluded that most of the observed warming is very likely due to the burning of coal, oil, and gas. About two hundred years ago, technology led to an increase in population which led to an increase in the use of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas. This increased consumption of fossil fuel...
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