Stop Global Warming- Save the Earth

Stop Global Warming- Save the Earth

For ages, humans have treated the Earth as a never-ending resource, to be utilized and wasted at will. Recent years have shown that there is a price to be paid for this, and the prospect of catastrophic results from global warming have the Earth's human inhabitants scrambling to make amends before it is too late. While the cure is neither quick nor certain, there are things which people can do to reduce their contribution to the problem of global warming, lighten the imprint of their footprint on the Earth, and perhaps even reverse the damage which has been done. Modern industrialization is causing intolerable harm to our ecosystems, directly affecting our sea levels, and changing our weather patterns.

Observations show that warming of the climate is undeniable. The global warming observed over the past 50 years is due primarily to human-induced emissions of heat-trapping gases. These emissions come mainly from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas, with important contributions from the clearing of forests, agricultural practices, and other activities. Warming over this century is projected to be considerably greater than over the last century. A 2007 report of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shows that the surface temperature of the earth has been increasing at a rate of 1.15 degrees Fahrenheit over the past fifty years (Tigay, 738) and 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit over the past hundred years (Muller,749). These figures are not consistent with a natural trend, and, when one considers the tens of thousands of years in which humans have inhabited the earth, and that humans have really only started burning fossil fuels heavily since the industrial revolution, and the fact that the world’s population is only going to increase, this number is discouragingly enormous. IPCC has recently predicted a 1 to 3.5 degree Celsius increase in average atmospheric temperature by the year 2100. Although this temperature increase may seem small, even an increase or decrease of a few degrees in atmospheric temperature is capable of causing drastic alterations in the agricultural process, among many other everyday issues. Though many studies have been done on the probable effects of an increase in global mean temperature, much is still unknown or only guessed at, due to a general lack of deeper understanding of Earth’s very complex climate system. Climate-related changes have already been observed globally and in the United States. These include increases in air and water temperatures, reduced frost days, increased frequency and intensity of heavy downpours, a rise in sea level, and reduced snow cover, glaciers, permafrost, and sea ice. Longer ice-free periods on lakes and rivers, lengthening of the growing season, and increased water vapor in the atmosphere have also been observed. The U.S. average temperature has risen by a comparable amount and is very likely to rise more than the global average over this century, with some variation from place to place. Several factors will determine future temperature increases. Increases at the lower end of this range are more likely if global heat-trapping gas emissions are cut substantially. If emissions continue to rise at or near current rates, temperature increases are more likely to be near the upper end of the range. Volcanic eruptions or other natural variations could temporarily counteract some of the human-induced warming; slowing the rise in global temperature, but these effects would only last a few years. Reducing emissions of carbon dioxide would lessen warming over this century and beyond. Earlier cuts in emissions would have a greater effect in reducing climate change than comparable reductions made later. That’s why “In 1988 a major conference of scientists in Toronto concluded that anthropogenic climate change posed a major risk for the security of many nations. Sea levels would rise, uprooting millions of refugees; heat waves would harm agriculture and perhaps bring famines; the damage might provoke deadly conflicts. The conference report called on the world’s governments to set specific targets for rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”(Weart, 44) In addition, reducing emissions of some shorter-lived heat-trapping gases, such as methane, and some types of particles, such as soot, would begin to reduce warming within weeks to decades.

Increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere may alter the surface temperature through the “greenhouse effect, in which fossil-fuel gases trap heat in earth’s atmosphere, warming the planet” (Tigay, 746), and the sea, leading to so called global warming. Globally amount of CO2 in 2010 was      389.0 ppm and the escalation from the previous year was 2.3 ppm¹. This growth rate is higher than the average for the 1990s (~1.5 ppm/year) and the average for the past decade (~2.0ppm/year), (WMO). Carbon dioxide concentration has increased due to the use of fossil fuels in electricity generation, transportation, and industrial and household uses. It is also produced as a by-product during the manufacturing of cement. Deforestation provides a source of carbon dioxide and reduces its uptake by trees and other plants. Globally, over the past several decades, about 80 percent of human-induced carbon dioxide emissions came from the burning of fossil fuels, while about 20 percent resulted from deforestation and associated agricultural practices. Methane concentration has increased mainly as a result of agriculture; raising livestock, mining, transportation, and use of certain fossil fuels; sewage; and decomposing garbage in landfills. Methane concentrations have risen from 715 parts per billion to 1,774 in 2005 (WMO). About 70 percent of the emissions of atmospheric methane are now related to human activities. Nitrous oxide concentration is increasing as a result of fertilizer use and fossil fuel burning. The average of nitrous oxide as of 2010 was 323.2 ppb, which is twenty percent above the pre-industrial level². Halocarbon emissions come from the release of certain manufactured chemicals to the atmosphere. Examples include chlorofluorocarbon, which were used extensively in refrigeration and for other industrial processes before their presence in the atmosphere was found to cause stratospheric ozone depletion. Ozone is a greenhouse gas, and is continually produced and destroyed in the atmosphere by chemical reactions. These gases undergo chemical reactions to produce ozone in the presence of sunlight. In addition to trapping heat, excess ozone in the troposphere causes respiratory illnesses and other human health problems. With many countries edging toward greenhouse gas emission constraints, it clears that any restrictions that are put forth must balance the needs of the environment with the needs of industry. Unfortunately, any restrictions implemented will hurt many economies, the only question is which countries it will pose a threat to, and by how much. This makes it clear that sub-global reduction of emission restrictions will nullify the efforts of those who are working towards greenhouse gas emission control.

As natural systems experience variations due to a changing climate, social and economic systems will be affected. Food production, water resources, forests, parks, and other managed systems provide life support for society. Their sustainability will depend on how well they can adapt to a future climate that is different from historical experience. At the same time, climate change is exposing human health and the built environment to increasing risks. Among the likely impacts are an expansion of the ranges of insects and other animals that carry diseases and a greater incidence of health-threatening air pollution events compounded by unusually hot weather associated with climate change. In coastal areas, sea-level rise and storm surge threaten infrastructure including homes, roads, ports, and oil and gas drilling and distribution facilities. In other parts of the country, floods, droughts, and other weather and climate extremes pose increasing threats. Careful observations along with climate and Earth system models run with a range of emissions scenarios can help society evaluate these risks and plan actions to minimize them.

Human-induced climate change is happening now, and impacts are already apparent. Greater impacts are projected, particularly if heat-trapping gas emissions continue unabated. The reports show the latest understanding of how climate change is already affecting important sectors and regions. A lot of recent studies examine how climate change and its effects are projected to continue to increase over this century and beyond. Choices about emissions now and in the coming years will have far-reaching consequences for climate change impacts. A consistent finding is that the rate and magnitude of future climate change and resulting impacts depend critically on the level of global atmospheric heat-trapping gas concentrations as well as the types and concentrations of atmospheric particles. Lower emissions of heat-trapping gases will delay the appearance of climate change impacts and lessen their magnitude. Unless the rate of emissions is substantially reduced, impacts are expected to become increasingly severe for more people and places. Similarly, there are choices to be made about adaptation strategies that can help to reduce or avoid some of the undesirable impacts of climate change. There is much to learn about the effectiveness of the various types of adaptation responses and how they will interact with each other and with mitigation actions. Responses to the climate change challenge will almost certainly evolve over time as society learns by doing. Determining and refining societal responses will be an iterative process involving scientists, policymakers, and public and private decision makers at all levels. Implementing these response strategies will require careful planning and continual feedback on the impacts of mitigation and adaptation policies for government, industry, and society. 

Work Cited

Chanan, Tigay. “Extreme Weather. Is global warming causing severe storms?” CQ Researcher 21.31 (2011): 733-756. CQ Researcher. Web. 15 Nov. 2011.

“The State of Greenhouse Gases in the Atmosphere Based on Global Observations through 2010”. WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin. 0.7 (21 Nov. 2011): n.pag. World Meteorological Organization. Web. 3 Dec. 2011.

Spencer, Weart. “Global warming: How skepticism became denial.” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 67.1 (2011): 41-50. SAGE. 3 Dec. 2011.

¹ ppm is a number of molecules of the gas per million molecules of dry air

² ppb is a number of molecules of the gas per billion of molecules of dry air.