Global Warming as a Problem of Modern Science - Essay Example

GEO Mid-Term Exam Galileo is an individual who made a primary contribution to the establishment of modern astronomy, by using his telescope to view the moons of Jupiter. Through his early work using scientific observation, Galileo saw through his telescope that the moons of Jupiter revolved around the planet. He looked at the moons over a period of time and noticed that at different points in time, they were on different sides of Jupiter and at different distances to the planet; from this observation, Galileo concluded that the Copernican model of the solar system was the correct one (McKnight, 2000). The moons of Jupiter provided a microcosm for the general workings of the solar system, in which moons orbited around planets, which in turn orbited around the sun. This flew in the face of dominant values of the day, which stated that the sun actually revolved around the earth, and put the earth at the center of the solar system. Galileo was labeled a heretic and persecuted. He was apparently naïve to the political consequences of his discovery because he considered it rightly to be based on scientific observation and not worth contesting. But the religious society of his day took offense at the suddenly outdated concept of an earth-centered universe, and challenged Galileo openly for his scientific inquiry and theories. Galileo, having discovered for himself and through his own scientific observations the factual nature of his theories, seeing as he had the moons of Jupiter traveling around the planet in orbit, did not fold when challenged, and stuck to his beliefs. The ultimate result of this stand that he took was that the political and religious structure of his day did not accept this fact, and used their power to have Galileo killed. 2. In terms of positive applications, the energy produced by the sun and other stars provides earth with its viability for sustaining life as we know it, by providing the energy necessary for plant photosynthesis. Without photosynthesis, humans would not be able to breathe in the earth’s atmosphere. The sun also provides solar energy, a renewable energy source, through the use of photo-voltaic cells and other technologies. On the negative side, rays from the sun can cause skin cancer, and in desert climates, the sun can be relentless and dangerous. In some extreme northern areas where there are prolonged periods of sunlight and darkness, people also tend to develop sleeplessness and psychological problems. 3. The terrestrial planets are primarily composed of rocks and metals, while the Jovian planets and moons are primarily gaseous in their composition (McKnight, 2000). It is more likely that the terrestrial planets will support life, because they are more capable of having atmospheres as we know them, and they are also more likely to be protected from solar wind, since their metal cores provide a greater magnetic field against the sun’s radiation. 4. The moon does not have a magnetic field, so it is vulnerable to meteors and solar radiation in a way that the earth is not. Because of the earth’s magnetic poles, due to its metal core, it is protected from a lot of space debris. Also, when meteorites do hit earth and make craters, natural erosion takes care of them. On the moon, with no atmosphere, there is no wind or erosion (McKnight, 2000). So, craters from meteorites which struck the moon millions of years ago, are the same today. On earth, however, the process of erosion and change is more chaotic. 5. The earth’s atmosphere provides creatures with air to breathe, through containing rich nitrogen, oxygen, and other compounds. The process of photosynthesis involves the sun causing plants to make energy, turning carbon dioxide into oxygen: in turn, this makes the atmosphere breathable. Without plants, animals and humans would not be able to breathe on earth. 6. Adiabatic temperature changes are not based on the actual addition or negation of heat or cold; they are based on air pressure changes which then cause the temperature change (McKnight, 2000). Therefore, in Sacramento, the changes produce a cooling wind; in the Central Valley, the air becomes warmer, and also in Las Vegas, the air becomes warmer because of compression. When the air expands, however, it becomes cooler. 7. I think that the El Nino effect is already changing the jet stream over the US, causing it to dip up further north into Canada during the winters, which may make winters harsher in the Northeastern US. I think that jet streams will always move in the same direction from west to east over the US, but they may vary greatly in their movement north and south. If there were a drastic change in the jet stream, it would definitely affect earth’s weather and climate patterns. 8. Global warming has been a concern of science for more than a century, perhaps beginning with the description of the “hothouse effect,” in which early scientists predicted that the Earth’s atmosphere raised the temperature of the Earth’s surface; many scientists also posit the existence of a period of catastrophic global warming that occurred in the Triassic period (Global, 1997). In the 20th century, the problem was seen to have worsened measurably with increasing industrialization and the burning of fossil fuels. “Without this natural ‘greenhouse effect,’ temperatures would be much lower than they are now, and life as known today would not be possible” (Global, 1997). It is very important for this issue to be reasonably solved in the future so that future generations don’t suffer. 9. The population of New Orleans did not respond appropriately to Katrina; many were not evacuated, and still others chose to stay without taking the warning seriously, or had to stay because they could not find transportation. It is very important for the population to take these warnings seriously, and for the infrastructure of the city to provide adequate evacuation transportation. Especially for stronger storms, mandatory evacuation may be the best choice. 10. In occlusion, cold and warm fronts come together (McKnight, 2000). An occluded front usually indicates the death of a mid latitude cyclone, because it robs the cyclone of its energy source. The cyclone cannot create more energy because it lacks the same air temperature. 11. People today are better able to predict tornadoes, warn populations, and monitor tornadoes than they once were. Building materials and public education has also improved, so that today, there are fewer fatalities and less destruction. Tornadoes are generally less of a mystery today. 12. I would want to live in a Mediterranean climate, because it seems most ideal for humans. I do not see that this indicates a problem in looking at climates. For the climate to be ideal, it would have to present the least amount of risk and potential harm to the society in question. 13. Even though the water in the Pacific is relatively cool in marine west coast climates, the air that comes in from the ocean, combined with the geographical diversity of California and the proximity of coastal mountain ranges, causes relatively mild temperatures in this region. Also, in southern marine west coast areas, the Santa Ana winds from Mexico add to the warmth. In addition, much of southern California is a desert type climate. 14. Oceans regulate carbon dioxide through the photosynthesis performed by oceanic plant life. This plant life then contributes to photosynthesis. The presence of life affects the physical environment of a planet in many ways. The mutability of evolving life has an impact on the development of ecosystems and niches within the supportive environment put forth by the planet. 15. Global warming is something that raises national and international consciousness to areas of concern like air pollution and the possibility of a greenhouse effect in the upper atmosphere of the earth; global warming may be responsible for glacier melts, and represents a problem that is primarily seen as an effect of air pollution due to controllable human factors. A common criticism of globalization is that profit, rather than social justice and ecological as well as environmental accountability and responsibility, is the bottom line. But others strike back saying that global warming may be just a natural process of climate change. People care about global warming more today than they may have in the past, because it is an issue that has gone recently from counterculture to mainstream cultural awareness. REFERENCE McKnight and Hess (2000). Physical Geography Ninth Edition, A Landscape Appreciation, Global warming (1997). UN Chronicle Read More