CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate Change: Fact or Fiction



[Email address]

[930 words] Climate Change: Fact or Fiction

INTRODUCTION

Climatic change is a serious topic today. Media is focusing on it. Awareness is being created among people so that they can save the world. Climatic change is often referred as global warming. Global warming is causing many drastic changes in the planet earth. Despite the facts, there are a few fiction related to the climatic change too.

GLOBAL WARMING IS A HOAX

The article's salient points are about the human contribution towards climatic changes, the signs of global changes, the habitats affected heat wave, extreme weather and economic and political interference to make positive changes. Other points include floods, reduction carbon emissions, etc. Global warming can be clearly defined as "human-induced climate change”. Global warming takes place because of increase of greenhouse gases in the environment. These gases are abundant due to the contribution of several factors. Global warming is expected to boost the average temperature of the surface of the Earth; change precipitation patterns and raise sea levels. There are many potential impacts of these changes. The Earth could see an increase in extreme weather and will have impacts on humans, animals, and ecosystems (Cowie 2008, 94).

GREENHOUSE SIMPLICITIES

The article discusses the reality check related to the global and carbon emissions. Greenhouse gases make up less than 1% of the Earth's whole atmosphere. The most principal greenhouse gas is water vapor. Water vapor is not directly affected by human activity, but an increase in the other gases creates more surface heat, resulting in the evaporation of more water into the atmosphere. Research has shown that this has already begun to happen, with a 2% increase in the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere. Other significant greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and halocarbons (Fleagle 2004, 635).

CLIMATE CHANGE

Methane is released into the atmosphere by livestock, leaks in natural gas pipelines and coalmines, and anaerobic respiration in rice paddies. The atmospheric lifetime of methane is about 12 years. Methane is essentially removed from the atmosphere by chemical reactions. The largest factor in the release of nitrous oxide into the atmosphere is agricultural nitrogen-fertilizer. Other factors include industrial processes and livestock feed lots.

The most important halocarbon to contribute to global warming is chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). CFC is not produced naturally. They are used in aerosol sprays, refrigeration and air conditioning units, and some artificial foam. Historically, industrial nations have been ...