...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...
Words: 3794 - Pages: 16
...* * * * ShareThis * Print friendly The study of earth’s history is not a subject of idle curiosity. We need to know more if we hope to solve the environmental crises that face humanity. That’s one reason that a biblical perspective on history is so important. It helps us make sense of the problems we face today and prepare for the future. Global Warming: A Scientific and Biblical Expose of Climate Change (DVD) These days it seems you can hardly turn on the TV, go online, or open your morning newspaper without being confronted with the idea of global warming. In his 2006 Oscar-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore presents global warming as an imminent threat to the planet and paints an alarming picture of a future in which mankind ultimately destroys life on earth. But global warming is far more intricate than one 48-minute film can convey, and most people are simply not getting some of the most important information. It’s clear that global warming is a complex and emotionally charged issue, one that cannot be ignored in today’s cultural and political climate. New claims and counter-claims appear in the press with numbing regularity, leaving many Christians uncertain what to believe. Rather than getting lost in the details, it is necessary first to uncover the basic facts and then to understand the assumptions that drive the interpretations of those facts. Although many people may think otherwise, all of us...
Words: 726 - Pages: 3
...Article Rebuttal: Global Warming and Climate Change Jeffrey Rohde BCOM/275 April 1, 2012 Edward D’Avola Global Warming and Climate Change A controversial and heavily debated topic in the media today is global warming and climate change. Countless articles have been written about the impact of global warming on the climate changes. A majority of the global warming claims are based on either human factors or natural cycles. I came upon a recent article by Nina Chestney titled “Global warming close to becoming irreversible”. The article claims the global warming is a result of “the world's temperature looks set to rise by six degrees Celsius by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions are allowed to rise uncontrollably” (Chestney, 2012). The temperature increase is the result of human activities. The purpose of this essay is to challenge the claims made by the author of the article. The rebuttal will be made by analyzing the credibility and validity of the author and their claims. The author’s credibility on the subject can be debated because of the lack of references listed. The points presented are, in a relative sense, true, but highly generalized. The author claims “the world's temperature looks set to rise by six degrees Celsius by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions are allowed to rise uncontrollably”(Chestney, 2012). The author fails support the claim with data. The article discusses several negative impacts on the global climate: loss of...
Words: 761 - Pages: 4
...Review & Personal Reflection on Global Warming When talking to my family over thanksgiving break about school and my current class load for the semester, one of the more interesting topics that was brought up was the debate over global warming. It was interesting to hear the viewpoints of my mother’s side and fathers’ side of the family. For the most part my mothers’ side of the family are hardcore republicans and use faith as a basis for most of their political positions, while my fathers’ side (not my father however) tend to lead more towards the democratic viewpoint on politics. While I am a catholic and would consider myself to lean towards more of a conservative viewpoint, I try to separate faith from politics and focus more on what I believe is the core of the issue being debated and how it can be solved, not necessarily to benefit the majority, but rather what would be a fair compromise between to the two arguing sides. With this being said my two sides of the family did not see eye to eye on global warming (side note: these conversations were at two different family parties as I would never try to talk politics especially given the circumstance of two very different viewpoints in my family). After talking a lot about global warming my uncle told me about a book he had read about it entitled Climate of Extremes. I decide to read this book and write a report on it, to obtain more knowledge on the subject of global warming. Like stated above the title of the...
Words: 1234 - Pages: 5
...JoAnn Stephens Lower Division Capstone AIU Online Abstract U.S. Vice President Al Gore has already received the Nobel Prize in his efforts to raise awareness about global warming. To further the effort of awareness a whit paper will be prepared to enhance his credibility. It will then be presented to the U.S. Congress to convince them about the two opposing viewpoints. An outline will presented for an easier understanding on the structure of the paper. The white paper will then follow the outline with supporting evidence of both viewpoints. Outline 1. Global Warming and what it is A. The Two Opposing View Points 1. Global Warming occurrence by mankind 2. Global Warming a natural occurrence 3. Global Warming is it fact or fiction Global Warming and what it is Is Global warming fact or fiction? For this answer there must be an understanding of what global warming is. Let’s consider the definition “an average increase in the temperature of the atmosphere near the Earth’s surface and in the troposphere which can contribute to changes in global climate patterns “is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Definition. Greenhouse effect is heat absorption by certain natural gases, trapping the heat in the lower atmosphere. The gases in the atmosphere are carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor and nitrous oxide including others that are synthetic. Synthetic gases are manmade that include chlorofluorocarbons, hydro fluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride (NOAA). Natural...
Words: 1385 - Pages: 6
...Global Warming Global warming is the warming of the earth's atmosphere. For many years humans have been blamed for causing global warming. Global warming, however, can be caused by natural effects. One reason is that the earth is constantly going through periods of warming and cooling. Second the two most abundant greenhouse gases water vapor, and carbon dioxide both occur naturally. Third the earth is not the only planet that has had a change in temperature over the past few years, other planets have also had changing temperatures. I belief that global warming is caused by natural things and not humans. The first reason why I belief humans are not the cause of global warming is that the earth is constantly going through periods of warming and cooling. The earth has a yearly cycle it goes through. People that think that global warming is manmade say that we are in the hottest period in history . This is not the hottest period in history the Medieval Warm period, which occurred from around A.D. 900 to 1300, was a period of substantial climate warmth . After the Medieval Warm period there was a period of climate cooling known as the Little Ice Age. The Little Ice Age occurred around A.D. 1300 to 1850. Today the...
Words: 447 - Pages: 2
...Global Warming “The Earth's climate has changed throughout history. Just in the last 650,000 years there have been seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat, with the abrupt end of the last ice age about 7,000 years ago marking the beginning of the modern climate era — and of human civilization. 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.” (NASA.GOV) Going through the history in our planet’s timeline, global warming seems to be an issue that is rising as time moves forward. People are more focused on materialistic things and are less worried with the planet. Not thinking about the future but only about what we are living in the present, we as human beings are considered selfish. Unfortunately, the imbalance that we are creating between our lives and earth is already showing the catastrophic signs in the form of cyclones, flood, tsunami, etc. If the imbalance continues to increase, one day the conditions will put a question mark on the existence of this planet. Several current trends clearly show that global warming is directly impacting the sea levels, the melting of ice caps and significant worldwide climate changes. “When it comes to connecting the dots between climate change, extreme weather and health, the lines are clear.” (NRDC.ORG) In short, global warming represents a fundamental threat to all living things on earth. We need to start to think not only about ourselves...
Words: 1220 - Pages: 5
...aggressive and immediate action to show global warming. Any environmental change should have both positive benefits and negative effects. For example, theory predicts and observations confirm that human-induced warming takes place primarily in winter, lengthening the growing season. Satellite measurements now show that the planet is greener than it was before it warmed. There were two periods of global warming in the last century. The first ended around 1940 and was caused by the sun's warming up. Temperatures then cooled slightly, until the early 1970's, before warming again. In the first warming, 45 percent of Kilimanjaro's ice cap disappeared. When the planet subsequently cooled, it lost another 21 percent. In the recent warming, another 12 percent has gone, the slowest rate of loss in the last 100 years. Some 4,000 to 7,000 years ago, the earth was a degree or two warmer than it is today, and yet Kilimanjaro's glaciers were greatly expanded compared to the current era. Bullet point: 1. Comparing to the present and the past, the geological history records the temperature in around 26 degrees Celsius/80 degrees Fahrenheit is the prosperous time of biology, therefore global warming can lead the ecosystem more stable. 2. Global warming is causing the global temperature increase, it extents the range of crops. In addition, it makes the density of carbon dioxide is higher, and the water vapor in air will increase. Therefore, global warming is good for the agricultural development...
Words: 565 - Pages: 3
...Survey of Science and Technology in Society Global Warming: Crisis or Conspiracy What is global warming? Or climate change for that matter? How did it start? How will it continue? What will happen to humanity? Will it one day be gone, due to our own ignorance? These are some of the questions raised by a percentage of the society who believe in the facts and evidences presented by the scientists and environmentalists. While the other part of the society seem divided over this issue, these groups of skeptic individuals, strongly deny the theory that global warming is a big issue and require urgent attention. Their beliefs are based on scientific facts too. So what’s right and who’s wrong? The debate doesn’t seem to stop. To begin with, Global warming is the continuing rise in the average temperature of the earth’s climate system, forcing it to change. Though change in climate is nothing new for the earth, according to the evidence and facts provided by the article “Global Climate Change” posted in NASA’s official website, the Earth's climate has changed throughout history. Just in the last 650,000 years there have been seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat. 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 current warming trend, however, is of particular significance because most of it is very likely human-induced and proceeding at a rate that is unprecedented in...
Words: 1136 - Pages: 5
...because during the course of this historical period, the enforces of lefty-wing agenda had succeeded in throwing milliards of dollars in the air, on the account of a variety of purely imaginary technological, environmental and health care-related scares. For example, we all remember public paranoia, associated with Y2K. Some especially 'progressive' activists used to refer to anticipated effects of Y2K as such that would result in the end of the world, as we know it. In her article Technomillennialism: A Subcultural Technomillennialism: A Subcultural Response to the Technological Threat of Y2K, Andrea Tapia states: "Predicted scenarios (on account of Y2K) ranged from a few days of inconvenience, similar to a bad snowstorm, to that of complete global shutdown and resulting chaos" (2003, 483). Yet, on January 1, 2000, it became clear to just about anyone that Y2K was nothing but a sham. As of today, public still remains unaware of what happened to the milliards of dollars, spent by Western governments to mitigate the expected effects of Y2K. A decade earlier, the anticipated 'end of the world' was being discussed within the context of thinning of ozone layer over Antarctica – thus, resulting in creation of 'ozone holes'. In its turn, the thinning of ozone layer was believed to have been caused by aerosol sprays as such that contain chemical ingredient freon. Within the matter of very short time, after the beginning of 'ozone scare', the freon-containing sprays were prohibiting worldwide...
Words: 1772 - Pages: 8
...Global Warming: Challenging the “Settled” Science In December of 1997, political leaders gathered in Kyoto, Japan to contemplate a world treaty restricting human production of “greenhouse gases,” in particular carbon dioxide (CO2). They worried that CO2 would result in a severe and sudden increase in earth’s temperatures, leading to environmental disasters on a global scale. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the preeminent body for the assessment of climate change, humans are responsible for the majority of global warming since 1900, including virtually 100% of the warming since 1970 (IPCC, 2007b, p. 39). In the years since Kyoto, there have been major efforts to bring about worldwide agreement to the treaty, including a recent climate summit—much publicized for its failings—held in Copenhagen. But not everyone is going along with the IPCC. Despite a continuing maelstrom of media hype and alarmist politics, the idea that the earth is warming at an unprecedented rate, due primarily to human influence, is quickly losing ground. This global warming backlash is due in large part to a growing chorus of skeptics and climate experts willing to challenge the prevailing science at the core of the movement. Over 31,000 scientists, including over 9,000 PhDs, have raised concerns over the IPCC’s findings. They have signed a petition stating that the organization’s claims are extreme, that the climate system is more complex than what is now known, and...
Words: 4241 - Pages: 17
...“The earth has a fever and the fever is rising … We are what is wrong, and we must make it right.” In the context of global warming, discuss the extent to which you agree with this statement. (40 Marks) Global warming refers to the way that heat is being trapped in the atmosphere due to the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is when heat is trapped in our atmosphere by gases such as Carbon Dioxide. The greenhouse effect is actually a good thing because without it, the Earth’s global temperature would be around 33 degrees’ cooler which would mean life on earth would be completely different as ecosystems etc. would have to adapt to this. However, global warming is when there is too much of the greenhouse effect so too much heat is being trapped in our atmosphere and therefore causing the global climate to increase in heat. “The earth has a fever and the fever is rising … We are what is wrong, and we must make it right.” suggests that humans are the reason that the temperature has risen in the last century. Over the last 100 years (since 1900), the global surface temperature has risen by around 0.85°c (1.53°F). Although this doesn’t sound like a huge difference, it is around 10 times faster than average. Since the 1950s, the earth’s atmosphere has also increased in temperature, by roughly 0.1°c per decade (a similar rate to the earth’s surface), as well as the oceans absorbing heat and are now about 0.4°c warmer than in 1969. The fact that the atmosphere has also...
Words: 1023 - Pages: 5
...Global Warming Global warming has been one of the most fervently debated and scientifically challenging topics of the 21st century. According to NASA, as early as 1904, Swedish scientist, Svante Arrhenius, was among the “first persons acknowledged to investigate the effects of doubling atmospheric carbon dioxide and how this would affect the global climate”. (1) As technology and scientific studies progressed throughout the 1900’s and into the 21st century, the effect of human civilizations on climate change was thrust into public spotlight. While fluctuations in the earth’s climate is a natural phenomenon, the vast amount of greenhouse gases expelled into the environment due to anthropogenic influence likely enhances, or acts as a catalyst, for overall climate change. Numerous studies exist that show increases in carbon dioxide levels throughout history via direct sampling as well as ice core analysis. In 1957, “Charles Keeling began measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide from an observatory on the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii. He soon identified what became known as the ‘Keeling Curve’ – a graph that showed atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide increasing year by year.” (2) A quick view of the Keeling Curve, even by the untrained eye, shows a strong correlation between human industrialization and the sudden increase in greenhouse gases, See Figure 1. While the increases in CO2 alone does not point to human intervention, the clearly recognizable rise in...
Words: 661 - Pages: 3
...Axia College, University of Phoenix [COM 220- 08 March 2009] Have you ever watched a television program, or read an article about Global warming? A person would be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t. The news is hard to ignore since the information that is given to us comes from scientists or experts in the field of global warming. We are continually bombarded with information that the Earth is experiencing a warming trend, and human activity is to blame. The pollution that man creates is adding to the earth’s greenhouse gases. The resulting affect of global warming is triggering warmer temperatures around the world, and ecosystems are taking the toll. One of the most publicized looming catastrophes is the plight of the polar bears. Once the glaciers are gone, the polar bear will be extinct in the wild. Although, scientists say it is caused by the pollution that humans are creating, global warming is a natural phenomenon. Snow capped mountains are a wondrous sight to behold, and can be found on every continent. But, these massive ice shelf’s have a purpose that many people take for granted. Many people do not realize that glaciers are responsible for part of the world’s water supply. Revkin (2003) states “The melting is likely to threaten water supplies in places like Peru and Nepal” (¶ 19). The result from the melting glaciers will raise water levels and potentially create devastating floods over time. The eventual outcome that these countries...
Words: 2039 - Pages: 9
...Climate Change is a Natural Cycle: Global Warming is a Hype Terra Nova is a new American TV series on the Fox network, which airs on Mondays and has caught the attention of a wide audience for its science fiction suspense. The show is intriguing because it relates to a huge debate going on right now amongst scientist, politicians and environmentalist; Global Warming. Is it real and if so, are humans the cause. In Terra Nova it is year 2149 and Earth is being destroyed to extinction due to air quality and overpopulation therefore, it has become impossible for humanity to survive and almost no vegetation exists. This leads humans to scramble and figure out a way to survive by trying to go back in time and not make the same mistakes. Although, Terra Nova is just a show many believe the concept is true even though there is no conclusive proof that humans are the cause of global warming. Scientist on both sides of the debate, agree that global warming exist but the argument is whether or not humans are the cause by the burning of fossil fuels and if it will destroy Earth. There are many factors that contribute to the warming of Earth, but man-made global warming is just a theory that has been hyped up because scientist cannot disprove that climate change is a natural cycle that has been happening for thousands of years. It is clear that the man-made global warming campaign has exploded and many people are benefitting from it regardless of how little scientific data there is to...
Words: 1614 - Pages: 7
