Free Essays on Global Warming

The earth’s temperature is constantly changing and thus causes environmental determinism where man must change his lifestyle to adapt with the environment. The constant changing of the environment due to natural effects as well as hazards caused by humans such as pollution and abuse of natural resources is affecting the earth as well as man. Mankind lives heavily depend on the environment. For survival humans consume food from the natural environment and use other natural resources for other basic survival needs. Environment defined by the Webster’s dictionary is â€Å"Surrounding conditions, influences, or forces.† The state of the environment is heavily dependent on mankind. With the constant abuse put upon the earth, the natural resources of the earth, deterioration is going to occur. Global warming is a process that is becoming more serious as the green house affect takes place. The definition of global warming according to the Encarta online dictionary is â €Å"an increase in the world’s temperatures, believed to be caused in part by the greenhouse effect and depletion of the ozone layer.† This process increases the earth’s temperatures causing the melting of ice glaciers and other detrimental effects to plague the earth. Fossil fuel burning, disintegration of the ozone layer and deforestation all play factors in the dangerous global warming process. With the constant degradation of the environment by man, global warming is inevitable. The burning of fossil fuels and exhaust emissions increases air pollution, which effects global warming. A fossil fuel is any carbon containing fuel for example coal, peat, petroleum, and natural gas derived from the decomposed remains of prehistoric plants and animals. The United States accounts for 25% of worldwide energy consumption, while it has less than 5% percent of world’s population. Fossil fuels are primarily used to produce energy for automobiles, to provide heat, and fuel indu... Free Essays on Global Warming Free Essays on Global Warming Is global warming a problem? The answer to this question is a resounding .... maybe. The reason I say maybe is that the debate over global warming is a mix of solid scientific facts and subjective interpretations of those facts. Aside from the uncertainties in the scientific information on the physical aspects of global warming, there is considerable 'wiggle room' for a wide range of subjective interpretations of the science and the implications of its uncertainties. During conferences, in the hallowed halls of Congress, in the media, and, increasingly, around the dinner table, people are discussing whether global warming IS a problem and, if so, is it a problem societies can cope with either through prevention or adaptation? The outcome of much of this discussion becomes centered on what the meaning of the word "is" is. The following paragraphs are responses to questions often raised by one group or another, either to clarify or to undermine the various opposing views on global warming of the atmosphere and the role, if any, of human activities in that warming trend. Is global warming happening, as we speak? It appears that all observers agree that the global climate has warmed up in the past few decades. However, some argue that the warming began with the onset of the Industrial Revolution, in the early 1800s, and continues today. They agree that there have been ups and downs in the trends of global average temperature, but those fluctuations do not undermine the basic tenet that the global climate is warmer today than in past decades. Others (the "naysayers" or non-believers in climate change) agree that there is a warming trend over the past few decades but that the variability of recent global climate falls within the range that might be expected from the behavior of "normal" climatic conditions over longer periods of time, such as centuries. Thus, they downplay the view that human activities are affecting global climate. ... Free Essays on Global Warming Canada is one of the best places to live in the world because it has so much to offer. There are ten provinces and three territories, and it is the second largest country in the world with over thirty million people and growing. There are two official languages, English and French; however, it is so culturally diverse that a variety of ethic groups can coincide together, as they strive for a better life. Canada has one of the highest literacy rate, as well as good health care and education systems, which means that they have a high standard of living. The citizens of Canada live in a democratic society where they are all equal and are given the freedom of speech, without fear of an oppressive government. Another benefit that Canada presents is their ability to move with technology, which plays an important part in their future as well as their current state in the booming economy. It would appear that Canada is an ideal place live, yet in order to succeed and live in this fast past e nvironment, a few unknowingly sacrifices have been made. Canada is one of the main contributors of emission and other deadly gases, which leads to global climate change and therefore should take a more aggressive approach in finding solutions. By not concentrating on finding ways to reduce emission gases, the ozone layer continues to deplete, and therefore causes the climate to change world wide. Nevertheless it is also important to understand how exactly climate can change. Climate change, or global warming as it is other wise known as, is the result of when the levels of greenhouse gases rise and less infrared light, or heat, escapes the earth’s atmosphere. The earth’s atmosphere is made up of seventy-eight percent of nitrogen and twenty-one percent of oxygen. That means that one percent of gas that is left comes from water vapor, carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), nitrous oxide, and methane, which are other wise known as trace gases. Hu... Free Essays on GLOBAL WARMING Have you ever wondered what happens when too much carbon dioxide gets omitted into the Earth’s atmosphere? Well, if you’re anything at all like me you probably haven’t nor have you yet realized how serious that is. The condition is called global warming. This might sound familiar to most of you, but to those of you who share my cluelessness of environmental issues global warming is the rising of the Earth’s surface temperature due to chemicals in the atmosphere. Yes, this issue is as serious as it sounds and in order for you to fully grasp the importance of this issue I will discuss why the Earth is getting hotter and what will happen if the warming continues. The Earth is kept warm enough to support life through a process known as the â€Å"greenhouse effect.† Our only source of heat is the Sun, whose rays warm the surface of the Earth. The Earth reflects this heat back into the atmosphere. If all of the heat escaped into space, our planet would be too cold for us to survive. Fortunately heat is trapped in the atmosphere by so-called "greenhouse gases", and some of the warmth finds its way back to the surface of the globe via the troposphere, the lower part of the atmosphere. Unfortunately, many modern human activities produce greenhouse gases as waste. Carbon dioxide, which is one of the most common, is produced in vast quantities by industrialized nations like ours, and as more and more countries are becoming industrialized, the volume of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing. Another important contributor to the problem is methane, which is released by farm animals and rotting trash. All these gases in the air have started to increase the global temperature and will ultimately lead to a change in the Earth’s climate. Another cause of the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is deforestation. If we all stayed awake in Biology class we learned that trees take in carbon dioxide and release oxyg... Free Essays on Global Warming Global warming is the warming near the earth's surface that results when the earth's atmosphere traps the sun's heat. The earth is getting warmer. The changes are small, so far, but they are expected to grow and speed up. Within the next fifty to one hundred years, the earth may be hotter than it has been in the past million years. As oceans warm and glaciers melt, land and cities along coasts may be flooded. Heat and drought may cause forests to die and food crops to fail. Global warming will affect weather everywhere, plants and animals everywhere, people everywhere; humans are warming the earth's atmosphere by burning fuels, cutting down forest, and by taking part in other activities that release certain heat trapping gases into the air. One major cause of global warming is the use of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas that were formed from the remains of plant material deposited during the earth's carboniferous period. We have known for only a few thousand years that coal, oil, and natural gas can be burned to provide energy. It was not until the mid-1800s, however, that we began to burn very large quantities of these fossil fuels. The worldwide consumption of fossil fuel has increased dramatically. The world now burns at least five billion tons of fossil fuel each year. As this carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels enters the atmosphere, some of it is taken up by photosynthesizing plants, and the oceans absorb some. But because we are burning so much fossil fuel at such a rapid rate, we are putting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere much faster than these natural processes are taking it out. There is no longer a balance between the amount of carbon dioxide being added to the air an d the amount of carbon dioxide being removed. As a result, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air is steadily increasing. Unfortunately, burning fossil fuels is not the only thing that we humans are doin... Free Essays on Global Warming Global Warming Most of the world today regards the â€Å"global warming† as both real and dangerous. Many aspects, however, have already been discounted by the scientific community. Fears of massive sea level increase, accompanied by many early discussion about global warming. Scientist afraid the sea level would increase onto land due to the melting of ice. It is now widely agreed that even the potential contribution of warming to sea level rise would be swamped by other more important factors (Moran, 1999). These factors include hazardous gases and pollutants. We are entering a period of global warming as a result of burning vast amounts of fossil fuels. By burning fossil fuels, â€Å"we are putting into the air more gases that act like a globe of glass around the planet† (National Geographic, 1990). The ‘globe of glass’ is a mixture of all the fuels that remains permanently on the surface of Planet Earth. It is called glass because it prevents cooling air from entering causing the Green House Effect. Many scientists believe that human processes are contributing to global warming regardless of impact of natural cycles also causing climate change (Keller, 1999). The earth’s climate is predicted to change because human activities are altering the chemical composition of the atmosphere through the buildup of greenhouse gases – primarily carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. The heat-trapping property of these gases is undisputed. Although uncertainty exists about exactly how earth’s climate responds to these gases, global temperatures are rising. Scientists on Hawaii’s Mauna Loa have recorded steady increase in human activities such as burning fossil fuels. Most believe that the rising CO2 level will lead to higher global temperatures and significant climate change (National Geographic, 1990). Some scientists do not be... Free Essays on Global Warming The earth’s temperature is constantly changing and thus causes environmental determinism where man must change his lifestyle to adapt with the environment. The constant changing of the environment due to natural effects as well as hazards caused by humans such as pollution and abuse of natural resources is affecting the earth as well as man. Mankind lives heavily depend on the environment. For survival humans consume food from the natural environment and use other natural resources for other basic survival needs. Environment defined by the Webster’s dictionary is â€Å"Surrounding conditions, influences, or forces.† The state of the environment is heavily dependent on mankind. With the constant abuse put upon the earth, the natural resources of the earth, deterioration is going to occur. Global warming is a process that is becoming more serious as the green house affect takes place. The definition of global warming according to the Encarta online dictionary is â €Å"an increase in the world’s temperatures, believed to be caused in part by the greenhouse effect and depletion of the ozone layer.† This process increases the earth’s temperatures causing the melting of ice glaciers and other detrimental effects to plague the earth. Fossil fuel burning, disintegration of the ozone layer and deforestation all play factors in the dangerous global warming process. With the constant degradation of the environment by man, global warming is inevitable. The burning of fossil fuels and exhaust emissions increases air pollution, which effects global warming. A fossil fuel is any carbon containing fuel for example coal, peat, petroleum, and natural gas derived from the decomposed remains of prehistoric plants and animals. The United States accounts for 25% of worldwide energy consumption, while it has less than 5% percent of world’s population. Fossil fuels are primarily used to produce energy for automobiles, to provide heat, and fuel indu... Free Essays on Global Warming The main gases that cause the greenhouse effect are water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane, which comes mainly from animal manure. Other gases like nitrogen oxide and chloroflurocarbons, man made gases, get caught in the atmosphere as well. The decay of animals and respiration are two main natural sources of carbon dioxide. In my opinion, we the people of the world should try to slow down the emission of greenhouse gases and/or find ways to balance the gases so the climate doesn’t change so rapidly. If it did, we would be forced to adapt to the new climate that we brought upon ourselves. If we had an international cooperation to put a damper on the production of chloroflurocarbons and slowed down the use of fossil fuels it would dramatically slow done the process of "global warming". Carbon dioxide pollution from the increase of industry and transportation is a major cause of global warming. These two causes are connected with the growth in the world population. As the population grows the necessity for food and other products increase, therefore industry must grow to keep up with the demand. The increase in transportation is directly due to the growing population and the need for jobs and the growing congestion on our highways. Another cause in global warming is deforestation. Trees remove carbon dioxide from the air as they grow. The carbon dioxide is released back into the air as they are cut and burned. The forest ability to reduce the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is decreasing due to massive deforestation around the world. These causes seem simple and fixable, but if they are not cut down, the Earth and its inhabitants will feel the effects. Over the last hundred years, the global temperatures have been increasing slowly, but steadily. Since 1980, the temperature has risen 0.2 degrees Celsius (0.4 degrees Fahrenheit) each decade. Scientist predict that if we continue putting the same amount of gas into the atmos... Free Essays on Global Warming Global Warming Global Warming is an important ecological issue because it has several negative effects upon our environment. Global Warming, or what has been called the Greenhouse effect, is the result of a fourfold ecological process. 1-Sunlight radiates from the sun, through space, to Earth’s atmosphere. 2- The sunlight enters the atmosphere and hits Earth. Some of it turns into heat energy in the form of infrared light. The heat gets absorbed by surrounding air and land, which in turn makes it warm. 3- Infrared rays, that are remitted into the atmosphere are trapped by greenhouse gases. 4- The gas then absorbs the light and is remitted back to the Earth’s surface and warms it even more. Left on it's own this natural process keeps our planet warm enough for habitation, but with the increases in temperature, caused by modern industry, our current way of life could become threatened. Over the past 100 years the emissions of greenhouse gases have been increasing due to increases in tec hnology and human developments. Modern factories and production plants have been responsible for depositing large amounts of gas into the atmosphere. These gases, to name a few, include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone depleting substances such as CFCs, also known as Chlorofluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons, and perfluorocarbons. Activities such as fossil fuel combustion, waste disposal, the use of refrigerators, agricultural and industrial activities, and the cutting down of forests have all played a significant role in the spread of these gases. These, and other human practices, have changed the chemical make up of the atmosphere. Between pre-industrial times and today, carbon dioxide concentrations have been on the rise. With these higher levels of gas concentration in our atmosphere the Earth's climate is slowing changing for the worse. The temperature of the Earth’s surface is as warm, if not warmer than it has been in any oth... Free Essays on Global Warming Global warming by definition is an increase in the average temperature of the earth's surface. Since the late 1800's, the average temperature has increased about 0.5 to 1.5 Fahrenheit degrees (0.3 to 0.8 Celsius degree). Scientists disagree about the causes of this warming trend. Some say that the warming trend is a natural occurrence; they say that natural process could cause the rise in temperature. Changes in the path of revolution of the Earth around the sun could cause global warming. Orbital variation changes how sunlight is distributed on the surface of the planet. But, evidence suggests that human activities have caused this unusual change in climate. The greenhouse effect is the major cause. Energy from the sun heats the earth's surface and in turn heat energy is radiated back into space. Greenhouse gasses trap some of this outgoing energy to retain heat and heat the planet. Without this natural process, the global temperature would be much lower than it is now. The problem is that these valuable and necessary greenhouse gases build up in the atmosphere and cause more and more heat to be trapped. This causes a long term warming of the planet. When excess amounts of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide (the greenhouse gasses) are released into the atmosphere, the greenhouse effect is increased. These gasses trap more and more heat and raise the global temperature. Emissions of carbon dioxide or CO2 are increasing the greenhouse effect. Natural conditions can release large amounts of CO2 and cause these fluctuations. Forrest fires and volcanic activity produce large amounts of CO2. Global warming is caused primarily by human activities most importantly - the burning of fossil fuels. When coal gas and oil are burned, they release CO2 in the atmosphere. This coincides with industrial development. Deforestation and the clearing of land reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that trees and other vegetation remove from the atm... Free Essays on Global Warming Global Warming Several issues concerning the environment are brought to the public’s attention every year, but none has more of a direct effect on earth and its environment than global warming. Coincidentally it appears to be the least of the populations concern. Global warming is the theory that our planet is getting hotter due to an increase in the greenhouse effect brought about by the increase of carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere. Global warming is caused by the greenhouse gases and has several consequences that could occur if this problem is left ignored by most of the world and our nations leaders. Such consequences include our planet getting hotter, melting of large glaciers, wildlife suffering or even the inverse effect which could trigger an ice age. With that, we should take global warming step by step and educate people about it because most people do not even know what it is or that there is a problem. Our earth is protected by a large ozone (o3) lay er in the atmosphere which deflects life threatening UV rays that are given off by the sun. Without this layer we wouldn’t be able to exist as an ecosystem and all life would go extinct. â€Å"Greenhouse gases, which have built up to unnaturally high levels in the atmosphere, trap heat. They include carbon dioxide, which is emitted when fossil fuels are burned, and other gases produced by human activity EWatson 2). These gases besides trapping heat, created a hole in our ozone layer which will continue to increase in size if the level of gases remain too high. A hole in the ozone layer means that there is no ozone to protect us within that given size of the hole. Whether the hole is big or small it does have an effect on earth which we call global warming, which in turn can have several effects on the planet. One possible effect that can be attributed to global warming is the melting of large glaciers. This is serious because â€Å"The Earth’s ice cover acts as a ... Free Essays on Global Warming In the past one hundred and forty years, the average temperature of the globe has increased by approximately 0.6 °C. (Zwiers, 200) More recently, the 1990s was the hottest decade that has been recorded during this one hundred and forty year period. At first glance, this change may not appear to be significant. However, this seemingly small increase in global mean temperatures has caused some important changes in our earth’s landscape, in the 20th Century alone. Mean sea levels have increased by two millimeters annually, putting many low-lying nations in increasing danger during tropical storms. The incidence of tropical storms and other extreme weather events have dramatically increased. Temperature and precipitation shifts have forced many plants and animals to adjust their ranges upward in elevation and towards their respective poles. (Cunningham, 2000) Glaciers have been retreating at an alarming rate, and lake ice covers in the higher latitudes of the Northern He misphere last fourteen fewer days than they did at the beginning of the century. In the Northern Hemisphere, warming has caused earlier migration of birds, earlier breeding seasons, earlier plant flowering, and earlier emergence of insects. Growing seasons in the northern latitudes have been extended since the 1960s, and coral reefs in the southern latitudes have been bleached by the increased temperatures. (Cunningham, 200) Many of these observations correlated with global climate change are projected continue into the next century. In fact, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world’s authority on climate change, predicts that the 21st Century will see a warming much more drastic than that seen during the 20th Century. Global mean temperatures are projected to increase (depending on various scenarios) by a range of 1.4 °C to 5.8 °C, with a corresponding rise in sea levels of 9 millimeters to 880 millimeters. This would place an even greater s... Free Essays on Global Warming Global Warming / Climate Changes Int’l Global Warming is shorthand for the climate changes that may result from excessive heat being trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere by so called green house gases. Global warming as defined in out test is â€Å"the gradual rise in world temperature, a suspected consequence of greenhouse gases trapping heat emitted from Earth that would otherwise escape in outer space† (380). This climate change can be attributed to several different possibilities both natural and forced through human activity. â€Å"The general state of the Earth’s climate is controlled by the balance of energy the earth releases back to space†(Colls). One natural action, which can cause change, is the Earth’s shift in orbit rotating around the sun, this changes the amount of energy we receive from the sun. Other natural causes are within the oceans, atmosphere, ice sheets and volcanic eruptions to name a few. Such natural causes have created a series of ice ages on Earth. Over more recent years humans have caused many changes to the Earth which is a major cause for global warming. The burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, landfills, methane from rice cultivation and cattle raising are all examples of man-made greenhouse effect and global warming. The Greenhouse effect more specifically is the effect of â€Å"Warming of the Earth’s atmosphere caused by the presence of certain heat-trapping ‘greenhouse’ gases in the atmosphere†(Colls). Over the past few decades scientist have been reviewing the changing weather patters due to global warming. The amount of rainfall, temperature and humidity are all showing significant change. Over the past two decades the Earth’s temperature has substantially increased as is expected to increase more. Mountain glaciers have retarded dramatically while sea levels are rising. This could cause flooding and loss of much land in years to come. In other areas there ... Free Essays on Global Warming Global warming occurs when the levels of greenhouse gasses rise and less infrared light, or heat, escapes the earth's atmosphere. Thus, the temperature experienced on Earth begins to rise. Climate change is a part of the Earth's history. There have been dramatic fluctuations in overall average temperature for the past 150,000 years that suggest a direct association with carbon dioxide levels. In the past the temperature highs and lows have been in tandem with carbon dioxide level highs and lows, this does not seem to be a mere coincidence. Carbon dioxide currently accounts for 0.03% of the gas content within the atmosphere. However, it has a disproportionate impact on the earth's temperature. Thus, minor fluctuations in the percentage of atmospheric carbon dioxide will likely have a significant effect on the global temperature. The percentage of atmospheric carbon dioxide has risen over the past century at an alarming rate. Industrial civilization is essentially driven by fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gasoline all major contributors to the raise in carbon dioxide emissions. Deforestation also releases carbon dioxide via burning and exposing the soil to sunlight. Also, since trees are a major factor in the natural processing of carbon dioxide, needing it to make up their mass, when they are cut down they can no longer serve to absorb carbon dioxide. Our practices are altering the environment and endangering society in return. Carbon dioxide is put into the atmosphere in many ways; some of which are naturally occurring and others are from human activity. Over 95% of the carbon dioxide emissions are from natural sources, and would occur even if humans were not on Earth. However, Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, due to the cyclic nature of the carbon cycle, would change little if not for human activities that produce so much every year. The present addition of 3% annually to emission...