...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 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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...Environmental Ethics December 3, 2015 Anthropogenic Climate Change and Its Impacts The Earth’s climate is immensely susceptible to perturbations of natural systems. These fluctuations are incredibly cyclic, and have been studied to shift between periods of warm and cold temperature anomalies. Although the Earth cycles naturally on its own, it is evident that excessive emission production is enhancing the greenhouse effect, and therefore causing natural climatic shifts to happen at a faster rate. People are discernibly prone to assume that since Earth’s climate cycles naturally, that Global warming is autonomous of anthropogenic impact. Global warming is not the root of climate change, but instead the medium between anthropogenic intoxication of the atmosphere, and the response of Earth’s dynamic systems. It is not the actions of one individual that have an impact on the balance of Earth’s climate system; rather, it is the actions of many people, over a long period of time that will cause a chemical imbalance of the atmosphere, resulting in climate change. Nations that emit greenhouse gases at levels beyond their fair share of safe global emissions are obligated to aid in financing reasonable adaptation essentials and unavoidable damages of low-emitting countries and individuals that have done little to cause climate change. There is no one individual that can be held responsible for the damage associated with climate change. Instead of a single cause, millions of people will...
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...atmosphere, passing through the blanket of greenhouse gases. The greenhouse effect works in the following manner (i) Energy from the sun passes though the earth's atmosphere in the form of visible light (sun light). (ii) Some of the sun's energy turns to heat and warms the earth's air and land. (iii) The rest of the sun's energy becomes infrared radiation and is re-emitted into the atmosphere. (iv) Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap some of this infrared radiation and bounce it back to the earth again, warming the planet even more. Greenhouse Gases Carbon dioxide It is considered the most predominant anthropogenic greenhouse gas, as 60% of the anthropogenic greenhouse effect is attributed to it. Carbon dioxide is dumped into the atmosphere at a much faster rate than it can be absorbed by the oceans or living things in the biosphere. Since the beginning of industrialization, in 1900s the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has increased by almost one-third in 2002 (280 ppm to 370 ppm). The reasons are found to be primarily the...
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...GLOBAL WARMING: NATURAL OR MAN-MADE? Donna Berg SCI 207: Dependence of Man on the Environment Instructor: Lincoln Simmons September 3, 2012 GLOBAL WARMING: NATURAL OR MAN-MADE There is no question that there is an increase in Earth’s temperature and we are experiencing what is referred to as global warming. The Earth has experienced this many times in history on a much larger scale, but, humans did not exist (and would not have been able to exist) at the time. The questions now are whether human actions are accelerating the process of global warming and possibly decreasing Earth’s future sustainability; and, if so, what, if anything, can we do to ensure that Earth will have the ability to sustain life for many many many future generations to come. Human activity has been linked to Earth's warming temperatures, rising seas, more intense storms, and a host of other environmental woes, because increases in greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation trap heat that would otherwise escape from Earth which results in global warming; however, global warming may just be caused by natural occurrences, such as cosmic rays, the sun, volcanic activity and the ocean. The combustion of fossil fuels input enormous emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere causing the atmospheric CO2 levels to rise radically. The academic textbook, Contemporary Environmental Issues states, “CO2 is the principal gas contributing to the enhanced greenhouse...
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...PROJECT TOPIC : GLOBAL WARMING MOHAMED HASSAN SPN150597 Contents 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 2 2. DEFINITION GLOBAL WARMING .................................................................................................. 3 3. WHY DOES GLOBAL WARMING OCCURE? ............................................................................................ 3 5. CAUSES OF GLOBAL WARMING ................................................................................................... 5 6. EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING .................................................................................................. 9 How will climate change affect you? Your community? The environment around you? .................... 12 4. SOLUTIONS FOR THE GLOBAL WARMING ............................................................................... 13 5. OTHER EFFECTIVE WAYS TO PREVENT GLOBAL WARMING ............................................. 15 1. Plant Trees and Bamboo................................................................................................................. 16 2. Ride a Bike ...................................................................................................................................... 16 3. Buy Less Stuff...................................................................................
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...higher levels emit some of the excess radiation downwards, the lower levels will warm all the way down to the surface. The imbalance will remain until the higher levels get hot enough to radiate as much energy back out as the planet is receiving. Though all natural processes, they are not always helpful. On the other side of the spectrum, we as humans are not always helpful to the processes. Because of this, we find ourselves at a time of question. What are we doing to our planet and how will it affect us? Many are attempting to take action now, others try to not believe. Eventually, however, we are all going to see what we have truly been doing. Global warming is possibly the most debated topic today, but it is also the biggest problem our world faces today. Our ignorant way of living has now become harmful to the only earth we have to live on. Although some may not see the effects now, to many this problem is surreal. Multiple species of animals have been endangered by the effects of global warming. This problem not only limits the life of...
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...low impact on climate possible? Jonathan Chenoweth Centre for Environmental Strategy, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of a range of different travel and tourism options, and quantifies the carbon-dioxide emissions resulting from international vacations, breaking down emissions categories into those resulting from transport, accommodation and recreation. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses summary data to review a range of possible vacation scenarios and examines their relative carbon-dioxide emissions in order to compare the relative climatic impact of different forms of tourism and vacation options. Findings – The paper concludes that intercontinental flights and cruise ship travel are particularly carbon-intensive, which suggests that these two forms of tourism will be particularly vulnerable to any policy initiative to curb or price carbon emissions. Ends by considering whether climatically responsible international tourism is possible, and outlines some low-carbon options. Originality/value – The paper relates data on carbon emissions to the implications for tourism arising from climate change. Keywords Climatology, Tourism, Global warming Paper type General review 274 The nature of the challenge While much of the discussion about the climate change impacts of international travel focuses upon international aviation, all forms of transport result in the emissions of carbon dioxide. Increased...
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...The global warming hypothesis originated in 1896 when Svante Arrhenius, a Swedish chemist, developed the theory that carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels would cause global temperatures to rise by trapping excess heat in the earth’s atmosphere. Arrhenius understood that the earth’s climate is heated by a process known as the greenhouse effect. While close to half the solar radiation reaching the earth’s surface is reflected back into space, the remainder is absorbed by land masses and oceans, warming the earth’s surface and atmosphere. This warming process radiates energy, most of which passes through the atmosphere and back into space. However, small concentrations of greenhouse gases like water vapor and carbon dioxide convert some of this energy to heat and either absorb it or reflect it back to the earth’s surface. These heat-trapping gases work much like a greenhouse: Sunlight passes through, but a certain amount of radiated heat remains trapped. The greenhouse effect plays an essential role in preventing the planet from entering a perpetual ice age: Remove the greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and the earth’s temperature would plummet by around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. However, scientists who have elaborated on Arrhenius’s theory of global warming are concerned that increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are causing an unprecedented rise in global temperatures, with potentially harmful consequences for the environment and...
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...What is climate change? Climate change, or global warming, is the gradual increase of the temperature of the earth. Climate change has been a topic that has been talked about for awhile now. If it is happening, if it is not, if humans cause it, and if it is happening naturally. Humans could be causing it by the many things we do, but the earth could be going through natural cycles which is causing climate change. There is evidence to support all of these arguments. Even scientists are having arguments about whether it is occuring or not. It’s weird to think that so many people, like scientists, disagree on one thing. Some people think that climate change is caused by humans. Some ways humans can cause climate change is by deforestation, burning fossil fuel, driving cars, even breathing. Of course breathing isn’t the biggest contributors to climate change but it contributes some. And then some people think that climate change is happening naturally. Things that would cause this would be volcanoes, and some of the natural cycles that the earth goes through could cause climate change. Then, there are people who think that climate change is not happening. I am going to tell you everything that you should know about climate change. There is a lot of evidence that shows climate change is happening yet some people still believe that it is not happening....
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...vs. Traditional Education COM/156 June 3, 2012 2 Climate Cylcles Inexplicable weather changes, devastating tsunamis, earthquakes in unusual places, seasons seemingly being skipped or prolonged, floods amongst several other abnormalities in the way the world we know have been occurring more frequently, more powerfully and more frighteningly. As humans, naturally we question, fear and seek to explain all of these deadly and destructive anomalies. Some claim an apocalypse is coming, some say we are heading toward an ice age, some believe we have accelerated a change in the Earth’s climate cycles by our own actions. Any view taken, is one of fear and trepidation. As a factual and unbiased paper, we will not take the Apocalypse theory into account for the fact that there are concrete facts or evidence. Regardless of why we believe something is wrong or changing, it is undeniably fact that the world is changing on many levels. The purpose of this paper is explore and attempt to find the reasons why this is happening, and what we, as mankind, can do to be prepared, and to attempt to mitigate any effect we may have on the acceleration of these changes Pollution and human consumption of fossil fuels, trees and other natural resources have been the scapegoat for “global warming” for several years now. How is it that, specifically, carbon emissions from vehicles allegedly has caused or sped the rate of global warming? Carbon emissions have been in existence since fossil fueled...
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...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...
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...A. How does the change of water vapour in the atmosphere affect the climate and environment? How can we help prevent these changes if there are any? Since humans began to use coal, oil, and natural gasses and other fossil fuels as main power sources, there have been major changes to the climate; these changes are mostly damaging to the environment and have caused irreversible affects that have damaged the environment. One of these changes is global warming. Global warming is one the main affects that the use of fossil fuels has created. Global warming is an climate change that has its own consequences; it has created many secondary effects. By heating up the planet the ice caps have begun melting; this in turns increases the amount of water...
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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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...The Changing Climate 1. “Earth’s climate has always been changing; it is the rate of change that is of current concern to scientists.” With reference to Figure 1, and other evidence which you have come across, discuss the validity of this statement. Firstly, global climate change is defined as “a change in the long-term weather patterns that characterize the regions of the world.” From Figure 1, we can see that the Earth’s climate has always been changing (at least temperature-wise), as evidenced by the large fluctuations in temperature as shown in the graph, starting from 150000 years ago. Figure 1 [IMAGE]As shown in the graph, the average global temperature dropped for around 15000 years, and then started to increase sharply for around 10000 years, after which it dropped at remained relatively constant, although it continued to fluctuate by around 1-2oC. The average temperature then dropped sharply around 80000 years ago, and then rose again, followed by another 35000 years or so of relative constant temperature. After that, the temperature dropped steadily until around 15000 years ago, after which it began to rise sharply, with only a small decrease in the rate of increase in the past 2000 years. Hence, from figure 1 alone, we can see that the rate of change in the Earth’s global average temperature has been increasing over the past 15000 years, and even though the rate of change decreased somewhat during the past 5000 years or so, the worldwide...
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