Is Global Warming Due to Human Actions - Coursework Example

Is global warming due to human actions and can the human race take actions to stop it? Tashah Miller Dependence of Man on the Environment SCI207 Haleh Kehtka 05 October 2011. Is global warming due to human actions and can the human race take actions to stop it? From many unprecedented calamities to extreme weather changes occurring lately, scientists over the globe are getting increasingly worried and preoccupied with the catastrophic issue of global warming and its many bizarre effects on the living beings and the world itself. From uncontrolled cutting of the trees and exaggerated burning of fossil fuels to release of poisonous gases in the atmosphere as a result of the industrial revolution, variations in climate extremes to shrinking extent of Arctic sea ice and rising sea levels, the issue of global warming has explicitly marred many potential positive aspects of life. This paper is primarily based on contemplating the ins and outs of the grave issue of global warming and its effects on a sustainable world. The discussion about if or if not there is any role played by humanity in increasing the incidence of global warming is also presented, while the existential possibility of any ways in which humans can or cannot acquire control over the grave consequences produced by this greatest environmental rival of all times also forms a part of the argument. Facts and discussion presented in this paper are meant to illuminate the reality of the claim that “with the agricultural and industrial revolution, land-use change, and an increase in greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, the issue of global warming has regardless strengthened and acts like recycling, energy conservation, and tree plantation can help reduce this.” Beginning with discussing the definite impact created by global warming on the Earth both environmentally and geographically, it is worth mentioning that while the industrial revolution has helped the humanity by providing employment opportunities, it has also impacted the world environment in a highly deplorable way. Less reliance on energy consumption and increased burning of fossil fuels with industrial emissions which increases the CO2 gas concentration in the atmosphere have directly played a massive role in increasing the Earth’s temperature. The rate with which the human population has been increasing so tremendously over the past many years also adds to the severity of the issue of global warming because with an extraordinarily large human population, there seems to be no apparent end to the ongoing use of land, energy, and fossils, thus environmental scientists tend to be at loss of designing any useful strategy for acquiring a long-lasting control over this dramatic and urgent environmental emergency. Research studies mention that since the beginning of the industrial revolution, massive amounts of nitric oxide and carbon dioxide gas have been released in the atmosphere continuously due to which the global temperature is also on a constant rise with the result that the issue of global warming has unequivocally succeeded in influencing the Earth both environmentally and geographically in a way that no one can remain oblivious to it. Over the past many years, the extent of Arctic sea ice has been declining and reportedly, millions of square kilometers of sea ice have been lost due to increasing temperatures. Such disrupted Arctic climate patterns have led to increased wastage of the sun’s energy which normally has to be recycled back towards space, but with the ice melting at an unprecedented pace in the Northern Hemisphere, the ocean waters absorb most of the sun’s energy and this explains why the global average sea levels are increasing. Now, the rising sea levels is seen as one of the worst consequences of global warming brought on by rapidly melting ice caps which has led a large number of people to move away from the coastal areas and settle down somewhere else. The increase noted in the evapotranspiration rates due to the constant rise in global warming is also worth mentioning because with this drastic trend, less water reaches the rivers and extreme water shortage occurs causing ultimate distress and pain for the local population. According to a research study done by the US climate scientists, “global warming threatens to leave a billion people high and dry despite the fact that ice caps are gradually melting” (Vastag, 2005). According to (Turk & Bensel, 2011, pp. 9-10), fossil fuel use has increased tremendously over the recent years and about 40% of the Earth’s land has been converted into agricultural land and cities today and despite this increased consumption, resources remain unequally distributed. Increasing global population is also a human activity which has played a potential role in setting the global warming on a steady rise over the past years. The world resources are already reported to be decreasing significantly owing to the negative balance between resources availability and resources consumption. There are many moths to fees while there seems to be no action going on for saving energy and resources. Actually, the nature of the climate change occurring in the past any years consistently needs to be analyzed accurately by the environmental scientists so that authentic facts and strategies could be laid out about the climate-based disruptions of the food cycle and weather systems along with defining the true problematic nature of myriad other factors which produce appalling changes. The disruptions in food cycle and weather regimes are also because of the extensively large global population and human industrial activity. With the frequent negative changes occurring in the global temperature sometimes as much as by 5 to 10%, it remains a credible reality that the dramatic changes seen in the Earth’s temperature are directly related to the decreasing trend in the Earth’s albedo, which is regarded as the ultimate ability of a surface to reflect light. As already mentioned, with the increased wastage of the sun’s energy which gets nearly totally absorbed by the ocean waters, very less energy remains to be recycled back towards space by the Earth’s surface. Focus should definitely remain on maintaining the Earth’s albedo since it helps in maintaining the average Earth’s temperatures as a result. The onset of grave and catastrophic changes occurring in the Earth’s temperature can definitely be blamed on myriad human activities like agricultural and industrial revolution, trees removal, land-use change, and an increase in the poisonous gases in the atmosphere. Due to all these human activities, greenhouse warming results leading to “melting of the arctic icepack, snowfields, and glaciers, which causes a decrease in Earth’s albedo, therefore throwing off the balance of our climate” (Turk & Bensel, 2011, p. 12). Talking about the effective ways by which human beings can make themselves capable of reducing the rising rate of global warming, (Casten, 1998) clearly lays stress on the undeniable importance of energy conservation and the definite role it can play in controlling the massive CO2 and nitric oxide gas concentration in the atmosphere, thus directly influencing the Earth’s temperature in a positive manner and producing eco-friendly results. This is a fact that the human race can definitely play a role in reducing the impact produced by global warming on the Earth’s population and environment so that water shortages could be suppressed as well. Humans should not wait for the government and official authorities to take actions to reduce the grave consequences produced by global warming, rather actions should be taken at the grass-root level so that every individual could be involved in controlling this urgent emergency due to which many precious animal and bird species are even getting extinct. US and other powerful nations around the globe must invest in the high-level programs running for proposing solutions to this harmful environmental disaster and should analyze the importance of energy conservation while taking steps to enhance the efficiency of energy utilities. This is because a clearly visible improvement made through energy efficiency programs can lead to a significant reduction in electric prices by 30-40% with markedly reduced carbon dioxide emissions, and this may even translate into a 13% drop in total UK CO2 gas emissions in a span of six years as electric prices in UK have been reduced by 15-20%. (Casten, 1998, p. 220). Though much research has been done on the issue of global warming with the result proposed that human contribution cannot be overlooked while analyzing the severity of the rise in Earth’s temperature, there are still many proponents who disagree on the role played by humans in setting the Earth’s temperature on a constant rise and argue that global warming is not due to human contribution of carbon dioxide gas. The viewpoint of the proponents is that linking the issue of global warming and burning of fossil fuels is a concept based on myth and with passing time, there will be an increase in the realization among the global warming research community that the issue of global warming is not primarily due to harmful human activities, rather the rise in global temperature should primarily be blamed on natural causes rather than overrating the mankind’s role. According to a study done on the root cause of global warming, (Farris, 2008) mentions that the environmental scientists at MIT are baffled by the conventional global warming theory saying that the changed patterns seen in the Earth’s temperature are not caused by humans. Actually, the scientists at MIT have conducted a research based on recording the rise in methane levels for some years which has found to be fairly consistent and the recorded data goes against the traditionally accepted theories stating that the role of mankind in increasing the greenhouse effect and hence global warming is undeniable. Considering the fact that it takes almost one year for the gases generated in the industrial northern hemisphere zone to reach the southern hemisphere and since all worldwide levels are also seen on a constant rise simultaneously, “it is now believed this may be part of a natural cycle in mother nature – and not the direct result of man’s contributions” (Farris, 2008). Proponents of the widely accepted theory that human race can definitely take steps to propel down the increasing rates of Earth’s temperatures argue that humans are too stupid and not yet evolved enough to prevent as complex situation as climate changes which radically influence the human lives. It is also certainly too late to stop the widespread and powerful climatic changes now which are highly capable of whipping up extreme weather events. It is certainly impossible enough to get all the humans united on the point that global warming can be reduced by suppressing some human activities and engaging in constructive eco-friendly activities, let alone getting them feel responsible enough to plant trees in this age of excessive self-involvement. Though, efforts can be made by the environmental scientists to maintain or stabilize the greenhouse gases atmospheric concentration, it would still be hard to cope with the dangerous time lags. These lags in organizing effective plans to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions have already led to several decades of global warming. The actions taken so far for controlling this dramatic world issue have only managed in producing marginal effects and if big changes are made, then the human population will definitely find it harder to adjust to those changes and give up the addiction to carbon fuels. (Pearce, 2007). Summing up, this remains a reality considering the above discussion that the portrayal of the role played by humans in increasing the rate of global warming is not definitely hyped by the media and researchers, rather there are some potentially harmful activities like cutting trees on a large scale and turning more natural areas in the world into industrial cities which lead to irregular changes in the global temperatures and which cannot be always predicted. Humans need to maintain economic stability so that resources could be saved from getting extinct and need to ensure greenery on Earth on a large scale so that environmental setup could be made healthier and largely free of poisonous gases. Getting every individual on the Earth feel responsible enough to plant at least one tree can produce miraculous results and significantly reduce the influence of global warming on the Earth’s environment and water resources. Global warming leads to changing climatic patterns which play a crucial role in determining the geographical distribution of some plant and animal species and major shifts seen recently in the habitat of some animal and plant species are capable of potentially threatening the global biodiversity. References: Casten, T. R. (1998). Turning off the heat: why America must double energy efficiency to save money and reduce global warming. USA: Prometheus Books. Farris, R. (2008). Global Warming? MIT says not caused by humans… Retrieved from http://royalfarris.wordpress.com/2008/10/31/global-warming-mit-says-not-caused-by-humans/ Pearce, F. (2007). Climate myths: We cant do anything about climate change. Retrieved from http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn11658-climate-myths-we-cant-do-anything-about-climate-change.html Turk, J. & Bensel, T. (2011). Contemporary Environmental Issues. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Vastag, B. (2005). Warming May Cause Widespread Water Shortages, Studies S. Retrieved from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/11/1121_051121_warming_water.html Read More