Global Warming. Western States Increasing Temperatures - Research Proposal Example

?Introduction Global warming has proved to be a vital problem in the scientific world and has tremendously and adversely affected the climate of the world and in particular the United States of America (Johanes, 2004; Brooden, 2007). Global warming is majorly caused by the upsurge of the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere due to the increased emission of carbon gases in to the atmosphere. With the increasing nature of industrialization in the world, there has been increasing amount of carbon compounds and gases that have been released to the atmosphere (Montzaka, Dlogukencky, & Butler, 2011). These carbon gases constitute most of the green house gases, which have caused lots of havoc in changes of weather conditions and caused extensive changes in the climatic conditions of the world. Global warming has been found to cause the increase of world temperatures, thereby affecting the vegetation and the human activities, which the world population is indulged into. Global warming is also associated with natural disasters such as extended torrential rains, melting of ice in the arctic and Antarctic regions, which have increased levels of the oceanic waters. These climatic changes have caused extensive changes in the vegetation of the world leading to drought and conditions being experienced in most regions of the United States and the World in general (Johanes, 2004). The study will narrow down its research to the natural disasters that global warming has been causing in the West states of the country. This is due to the observed and recorded rise of the natural disasters that have been befitting this region of the country in the recent past. This is extremely related and associated with global warming by scientists who have carried out extensive studies on this topic (Mooney, 2007). The most productive regions in the Western part of the United States, including California, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Montana have been adversely affected by the outcome of global warming. Due to the natural disasters, the economic and social aspects of human beings are affected. The research tries to get the relationship between the increasing temperatures of the atmosphere due to greenhouse gases and the climatic menace of global warming (Weart, 2003). It will also be aiming at establishing the relationship between the global warming and the natural disasters, which have befitted these regions of the United States. Global warming has been found to be the major cause of natural disasters including the rising levels of the sea and ocean waters resulting into tsunamis, extensive melting of ice fields in the Greenland nations, extensive climatic changes in the increase of temperatures and reduction of rainfall in the African region. Moreover, global warming is the main cause of the many extensive wildfires, which have destroyed lots of vegetation and forests in the United States especially in the western States of Colorado and California (Mooney, 2007). Purpose Statement The purpose of this survey study will be to test the problem of the western United States increasing temperatures, which relates to past and future climate in the surrounding areas current climate. The independent variables will be defined as (i) increasing temperatures in the mountains are affecting snow melt, (ii) pronounced droughts are the effects of warmer temperatures in the southwestern United States, and (iii) simulations of present and future climates performed with four regional climate models. The dependent variable will be defined as current climate. Statement of the Problem This study aims to prove the relations of global warming to the rising natural disasters in the western United States. It addresses the following questions in the study: 1. What is the relationship of global warming to changes in the climactic condition of the Western States? 2. What is the current temperature in the mountainous area of the western States? 3. How is the temperature in the mountains affect the melting of glaciers in Glacier National Park? 4. What is the temperature of the western United States that leads to drought since 2000? 5. What is the number of incidences that natural disasters such as wildfires happened in the western United States? 6. What is the percentage of glaciers that melted in Glacier National Park? 7. What are the effects of temperatures to the vegetation in the regions of the western States? 8. How is the global warming related to the increasing occurrence of natural disasters in the Western States? Hypothesis Null Hypotheses 1. There is no significant relationship between the increasing incidence of natural disasters and global warming. 2. There is no significant relationship between global warming and the current temperature of the western States including the independent variables such as increasing temperature in the mountains, pronounced droughts, and simulation of present and future climates. Significance of the Study This study is significant to the government and to people affected by the rising temperatures. The result of the study will be utilized to encourage and push the government to limit the usage of technology that emits carbon, which harms the earth’s atmosphere. The government’s role is to motivate people to follow environmental regulations strictly especially the waste management, which contributes to land pollution. Furthermore, this will increase their knowledge on the existence and capability of global warming to affect the sustainability of the earth. Finally, this will fill the gap on the negative effect of wildfires to the balance in the ecosystem, which adds the world’s temperature. Research Design and Methods Research Design and Instrumentation To avoid confusion on the terms used in this study, the research will define the variables involved in the hypothesis. Global warming is the continuous rise of earth’s temperature. Moreover, temperature is the extent of heat in the earth that affects the ice in Greenland and causes natural disaster. In this study, natural disasters refer to the phenomenon that is brought by the natural forces, which can be influenced by human activities. This research aims at the regions of the western States including Arizona, California, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, and Wyoming. The sampling procedures to be utilized are simple random sampling wherein farmers are given equal chances to be interviewed during data gathering. Global warming and wildfires Global warming is the leading cause of the violent infernos, which have been experienced in the west states of the United States. This is due to the rise of the temperatures that have reduced the lands, which were wet and green to dry and clear making the wild fires more pronounced and more difficult to deal with once they occur (Mooney, 2007). The extensively high heats, the dry weather conditions, and the windy conditions that characterize the western states give this disaster a good running ground to become more extensive and make the areas more prone to the infernos. The infernos that have been experienced in these states of the country have been effected by the increased heats and the dry vegetation that make the fire build up easily and extend in vast areas within a very short amount of time (McKenzie, Gedalof, Peterson, & Mote, 2004). The wildfires play a rather integral and pivotal role in the nature despite the fact that they cause havoc to humans. They are said to be disinfectants in the forest ecosystem as they remove the disease-ridden vegetation and other insects that might be harmful to human life (Johanes, 2004). Global warming and decline in crop production Due to the changes that have been observed in the recent past on the world’s climate, there have been increased levels of temperatures and reduced levels of rainfall. These two factors, which are very integral and important to the agricultural field, have caused havoc in the agricultural field since the production of the major crops such as soybeans, cotton and corn has declined steadily (“Global Warming,” 2009). It has been noted that the extreme heats that have been experienced in the recent past are the major predator and undermining factors to high crop yields. This is a matter of concern to scientists and farmers not only in the United States but also in the world in general due to the fact that United States produces almost 40% of the world’s corn and around 37% of world’s soybeans (“Global Warming,” 2009). It must be understood that global warming is the principal reason and cause of these changes, which have been observed in the agricultural sector. Data collection The research will endeavor in gathering information about the prevalence of wildfires especially by content analysis from the previously recorded instances of this disaster from regional disaster control and management records. It will use the information provided in the weather stations to be able to gauge changes that have been noted in the current weather conditions and the recent past conditions (Johanes, 2004). Data could also be obtained from written sources on the prevalence of wildfires by visiting the state disaster offices and getting recorded cases of the wildfires, thereby helping in the understanding of their causes to ascertain if it caused by human or other natural factors. To understand the effects of global warming on the agricultural production, data will have to be collected keenly to ascertain this claim. Data collection will involve methods such as conducting interviews and undertaking questionnaires as well as using content analysis as a way of data gathering. Interviews will be conducted on the country’s farmers to ascertain changes in the production levels of the major crops. Content analysis from the agricultural regions will also aid in knowing the changes that have been noted in the agricultural field majorly due to changes caused by global warming. Data Analysis In testing the null hypothesis, researchers will use statistical tools in examining the relationship of variables. In the first hypothesis, there is no significant relationship between the increasing incidence of natural disasters and global warming, simple regression analysis will be utilized. Furthermore, in the second null hypothesis, there is no significant relationship between global warming and the current temperature of the western States including the independent variables such as increasing temperature in the mountains, pronounced droughts, and simulation of present and future climates, the statistical tool to be used is Pearson Product-Moment of Correlation. References Brodeen, E. C. (2007). Sequestration, science, and the law: An analysis of the sequestration component of the California and Northeastern States' plans to curb global warming. Environmental Law, 37, 12-18. Global warning: Disaster for crop yields. (2009, August 25). UPI.com. Retrieved from http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2009/08/25/ Global-warning-Disaster-for-crop-yields/UPI-88201251228651/ Johanes, G. M. (2004, July). Global warming: Wasting the planet. Tikkun, 19, 67-75. McKenzie, D., Gedalof, Z., Peterson, D. L., & Mote, P. (2004). Climate change, wildfire, and conservation. Conservation Biology, 18 (4), 890-902. Mooney, C. (2007, September). Storm world hurricanes, warming, and scientific uncertainty: Regardless of how the scientific controversy is resolved over global warming's possible effects on hurricanes, our coastlines are increasingly vulnerable. Skeptical Inquirer, 31, 3-12. Montzka, S. A., Dlugokencky, E. J., & Butler, J. H. (2011). Non-CO2 greenhouse gases and climate change. Nature, 476, 43-50. Weart, S. R. (2003). The discovery of global warming. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Annotated Bibliography Brooden, E. C. (2007). Sequestration, science, and the law: An analysis of the sequestration component of the California and Northeastern State’s plans to curb global warming. Environmental Law, 37, 12-18. This article contains the programs implemented by the government especially in California and Northeastern states to limit the effects of global warming in climate change by legislating California Climate Action Registry (CCAR) Regional Gas Initiative (RGGI) respectively, which aim to curb carbon emissions that caused the changes in earth’s temperature. Thus, the author recommended that government must incorporate improve and develop techniques of sequestration such as forest sequestration, agricultural sequestration, and carbon capture and storage technology. This paper provides us knowledge on the gaps in the programs implemented by the government to restrict carbon emission, which has been agreed to have caused global warming. Moreover, this article supports the claim of this study that carbon emission is the primary cause of global warming and its occurrence. Lastly, the consensus of scientist focuses on the human factor that contributes to the emission of carbon dioxide, which proves that climate changes due to environmental attribute commencing on human activities. Global warning: Disaster for crop yields. (2009, August 25). UPI.com. Retrieved from http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2009/08/25/ Global-warning-Disaster-for-crop-yields/UPI-88201251228651/ The author explains the alarming impact when the hot temperature continues to rise in the United States. This study found out that crop yields decrease when the temperature is severely hot, whereas, they increase when the temperature is average. This scenario apprehends the production of corn, soybeans, and cottons in the United States because it will not only affect the economic aspect, but it can lead to famine disaster. This article is in the form of news reporting the consequences of extreme temperature to the vegetation of the United States based on the study. It shows that global warming has an effect on the vegetation that will result to food shortage if not address immediately. This paper supports the relationship of temperature and its impact on the vegetation. Johannes, G. M. (2004). Global warming: Wasting the planet. Tikkun, 19, 67-75. This article discusses the impact of global warming on earth due to the irresponsible human behavior and argues that global warming is indeed a global problem because of the released carbon dioxide brought by industrialization. It challenges human beings to act and change their activities that harm the earth’s atmosphere. This paper associates global warming to changes in the climactic condition of the earth that affects vegetation because of water shortage. The author based this article on the film The Day After Tomorrow, which visually represents the disastrous impact of global warming to the earth that will endanger the lives of people. This paper supports the hypothesis that global warming has affected the crops and vegetation globally due to the increasing temperature of the earth’s surface. Thus, it could be the basis in constructing the hypothesis because the warming of the earth melts the snow or ice caps in the Antarctic region and Greenland. McKenzie, D., Gedalof, Z., Peterson, D. L., & Mote, P. (2004). Climate change, wildfire, and conservation. Conservation Biology, 18 (4), 890-902. This article discusses the frequent disaster of wildfires in the western United States, which is caused by the aggregation of carbon dioxide fertilization and the increase warm temperature of the earth. The authors have difficulty in confirming that global warming accounts wildfire, but they are certain that species with low tolerance to the heat are affected; hence, it destroys the balance in the ecosystem. This paper provides assumptions that wildfires may be caused by global warming because the discussion entails that the carbon dioxide absorbed by plants contributes to their growth, but excessive concentration of CO2 results to wildfires. The authors’ point could be used as a background on the effect of global warming to the ecosystem, but it needs further research on the subject. Finally, this article has a significant impact on the hypothesis because it may construe that global warming increases wildfires. Montzka, S. A., Dlugokencky, E. J., & Butler, J. H. (2011). Non-CO2 greenhouse gases and climate change. Nature, 476, 43-50. This article emphasizes the contribution of human beings in producing greenhouse gases, which influence the occurrence of global warming. The author informs lay readers that there is another method to cut carbon emissions through focusing on the non-CO2 gases such as methane and nitrous oxide. This study discovers that cutting non-CO2 greenhouse gases result to the stabilization of climate because it indicates that the warmer the earth’s atmosphere, the more it influences climate; hence, there is a need to mitigating non-GHG. This paper is substantial in ascertaining the claim that there is a linked between the earth’s temperature to its climactic conditions, and this paper has undergone reviews, which implied its limitation on its study; however, it affirms that mitigating non-greenhouse gases lead to constant climate forcing. Thus, this article is relevant in establishing the claim of this study that there is a relationship between global warming and temperature. Mooney, C. (2007). Storm world hurricanes, warning, and scientific uncertainty: Regardless of how the scientific controversy is resolved over global warming’s possible effects on hurricanes, our coastlines are increasingly vulnerable. Skeptical Inquirer, 31, 3-12. The author demonstrates the disagreeable nature of scientists in terms of looking for concrete evidences that would define the relationship of the hurricane to the climate change. However, this article suggests that no matter what they are trying to prove, and when this debate continues, scientist must focus on the implication of reality. This paper implies that government and scientist must act as leaders to aid people in uncertain times before it is too late to impose security measures. This article supplies information on the vulnerability of coastal areas due to the warming of the earth, which forms hurricanes. Although science needs evidence to support its claim, we can experience and perceive changes in the earth’s climate and temperature. This study indicates the relationship of natural disaster and global warming, but it must be subjected to further research or investigation. Weart, S. R. (2003). The discovery of global warming. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University. The author recounts the history of global warming, and why scientists have come up with similar conclusion that the world is indeed warming up. It is apparent that scientist continues to dispute over the issue of global warming due to political and financial interests. However, this book concluded that global warming is happening, and it results to disasters including drought, heat waves, and famine globally. This book thoroughly explains the impact of global warming and its relationship on the climactic condition of the world. It conveys that even rich and powerful nations cannot escape the rot brought by nature because of human activities such as burning of fossil fuels to produce energy and deforestation. Moreover, the author erases the assumption that global warming is just caused of natural factor, but it recognizes the contribution of human beings that melts the ice, which results to rising sea level. Read More