GLOBAL WARMING

Global Warming

Global Warming

Introduction

“Global warming” is the now commonly used term for the rapid rise in the average temperature of the earth's surface, including air and ocean, for the past century or more. The increase is widely attributed to the phenomenon known as “the greenhouse effect,” whereby the atmospheric buildup of excess concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, chlorofluorocarbons, and nitrous oxide—known as greenhouse gases (GHGs)—prevents infrared energy from escaping and traps heat at the earth's surface. Although there remains a minority of staunch skeptics, global warming is almost universally regarded as a fact in the scientific community and generally linked to human activity, in particular the burning of fossil fuels. In the context of the culture wars, the debate over global warming has centered on the extent of the problem and whether or not a proactive federal response, such as strict but costly regulations and programs that subsidize clean-energy technologies over carbon-based ones, is imminently needed. This paper discusses if global warming is due to human actions or not and is it possible for the human race to take action to stop global warming.

Discussion

Crowded landfills, polluted water, and poor air quality are just a few of the environmental problems that affect both industrial and developing nations. Perhaps less obvious but no less ominous a threat to the environment is the general increase in temperatures worldwide and the resulting climate changes. This phenomenon, known as global warming, could have serious negative effects on humans and all other living things on earth. Global warming is a complex problem, and governments have had great difficulty deciding how to address it. (Bate, 2004)

Global warming has been the subject of much debate since the 1990s. Modern records dating back to the mid-nineteenth century indicate an increase in average global temperature of about 1.5 degrees over the past 150 years. Whether this increase is the result of human activities or whether such changes are part of natural climate variations is at the center of the debate. In deciding the validity of the arguments on both sides it is essential to evaluate the evidence; advocates on both sides of the debate, however, appear to be selective in the evidence they use to support their arguments. (Weart, 2011)

Scientists attempt to determine historical temperatures in a variety of ways. One is to study the rings of ancient trees. Wider tree rings indicate a period of greater growth, which is usually a result of warmer temperatures. Ice core samples from glaciers and ice sheets also provide data about atmospheric gases and other climate indicators. Different types and amounts of oxygen in the water of the ice can suggest temperatures at the time the water froze. Archaeological evidence is also examined as scientists try to reconstruct ancient climates. For example, records kept by European vintners between A.D. 1100 and 1300 indicate that the climate then was sufficiently warm to allow for a thriving grape-growing industry in such currently unsuitably cold locations such as northern England, northern Germany, and northern ...