Climate Change seemed to be a common term as perhaps everyone even a ten-year-old kid may have an idea of what is it. However, Climate change that scientists are talking and worries are certainly different from the concept that many people have. Climate differs from weather and it changes naturally. The Climate Change referred in this paper is the global warming of weather temperature due to the Greenhouse effect because of increased greenhouse concentrations in the atmosphere. The global climate change according to Eileen and Vicki Arroyo Cochran is largely a result of human activities.
This paper sees the collective involvement effort of a nation as the significant factor in reducing the impact and continued danger of global warming to earth.
Climate Change and the Global Warming
In the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) a joint project of The World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Program, it cited that the surfaces of the land warm faster than the ocean. The IPCC explained that in order for our planet not to be burned by the light energy there is a need for a balance between the sunlight energy and infrared heat energy. The infrared heat energy is the warm temperature generated by the warming of the land surface, and it has to be reflected outside of the earth’s atmosphere (Gad-el-Hak, 2002, p. 212). However, man- made, and other natural gasses in the atmosphere, such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, and ozone trapped the infrared heat energy causing trouble for this harmful energy getting out to space (Roberts & Ingram, 2001, p. 43). This is a natural process and is known as the greenhouse effect. Thus, the more carbon dioxide and other man-made gasses are emitted into the atmosphere; the more it causes global warming that results to climate change.
The gradual Impact of Global Warming
According to the article published by the Global Climate Change, entitled What do we Know about Global Climate Change, the evident effect of global warming is that high temperature will melt frozen water, land-based ice sheets, and glaciers. Scientist fears melting land-based ice will contribute to the rise of sea level that will cause flooding and sinking of many parts of the world. Bette Hileman and C&N Washington cited that mountain glaciers elsewhere in the world are receding, and snow covering land areas, are now beginning to melt down. Since 1900, records show that sea levels have risen 10 to 20 centimeters. Furthermore, the increase of global warming have lead to an intense warm climate that are causing severe droughts in Asia and Africa and even in some parts of Europe and the United States (Kumar, Sivakumar, Ndiang’ui, 2007, p. 241). Among the seriously damaging weather brought by climate change, which is caused globally by warming is the El Niño events and the periodic warming of the tropical pacific that affects weather patterns around the world (Norwine, J., Giardino, J., Krishnamurthy, S. & Sayavedra, L, 2004, p. 153).
The Impact of Global Warming in the Polar Region
Hileman and Washington stated that the most remarkable evidence of climate change has emerged in the arctic during the past thirty years. Year-round sea ice in the North Polar Region has decreased for the last thirty years by 3%. On the other hand, ice sheet in Greenland surface that melted during summer has dramatically decreased (Parry, M., Canziani, O., & Palutikof, J., 2008, p. 793). Even the tundra, which previously covered twenty-four percent of land in Northern Hemisphere, has declined steeply causing warmer climate during summer and winters in the region (Steffen, W., Sanderson, A., Tyson, P., Jager, J., Matson, P., Moore, B., Ongfield, F., Richardson, K., Schellnhuber, H., Turner, B., & Wasson, R., 2005, p. 26).
Climate change is a natural occurrence, however, with the earth’ continues warming many scientist worries that this will soon lead to many catastrophes not only on the world’s ecosystem but also on human survival, and marine lives (Cumming, 2001, p. 258). Records show that since 1900, global warming has been observed. Researchers agree that ocean temperature has increased essentially since the middle of 1880. Hilman and C& En Washington stated that continues burning of fuel fossil will rose global warming due to increased greenhouse gasses effect.
The Anticipated impact of Global Warming on the planet Earth
The climate change issue, which is associated with global warming, is an alarming trend as evidence of destructive impacts poses threats not only to the world’s ecosystem but also in the whole creation, is, therefore, an important topic of discussion on how everyone can help prevent more damaging weather condition brought by climate change. The article published by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution entitled ‘Is Global Warming Changing the Arctic?’ stated that over the past five years scientists testified that many Greenland glaciers are fast sliding into the sea and melting at their borders. The article cited that the build-up of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere would accelerate melting. Another internet article entitled Earth’s Fidgeting Climate cited that connection among rising carbon dioxide levels and the temperatures of the global surface shows that our planet is on a one-way warming trend caused by human activity. It means that our planet is destined for a hot future if the problem on carbon dioxide emission and other man-made pollutants will not be addressed.
Conclusion
The Article Published by the Science Daily entitled Climate Change Only One Symptoms of a Stressed Planet Earth that Climate change is just one of the indications displayed by planet earth under pressure from human activities. If indeed this is the case, then it is the collective human activities too that can help prevent more calamities and disasters caused by climate changed. If everyone is a concern about the future of our planet and contribute to the efforts of reducing carbon dioxide emissions and other atmosphere pollutants, the problem of global warming can be addressed. However, the possibility of controlling the global warming is obvious, yet, it may cause trillions of dollars according to Lomborg (cited by Posner, 2004, p. 43).
Work Cited
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