What Causes Global Warming - the Ultimate Way to Stop Global Warming by Jessica Brown

Posted by Rolf Joho on December 30th, 2009 filed in What Causes Global Warming

The Earth’s surface temperature has risen by about 1 degree Fahrenheit in the past century, with accelerated warming during the past two decades. There is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities. Human activities have altered 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 uncertainties exist about exactly how earth’s climate responds to them.

Energy from the sun drives the earth’s weather and climate, and heats the earth’s surface; in turn, the earth radiates energy back into space. Atmospheric greenhouse gases (water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases) trap some of the outgoing energy, retaining heat somewhat like the glass panels of a greenhouse.

Without this natural “greenhouse effect,” temperatures would be much lower than they are now, and life as known today would not be possible. Instead, thanks to greenhouse gases, the earth’s average temperature is a more hospitable 60°F. However, problems may arise when the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases increases.

Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide have increased nearly 30%, methane concentrations have more than doubled, and nitrous oxide concentrations have risen by about 15%. These increases have enhanced the heat-trapping capability of the earth’s atmosphere. Consequently, the temperature of the planet earth is rising.

Fossil fuels burned to run cars and trucks, heat homes and businesses, and power factories are responsible for about 98% of world carbon dioxide emissions, 24% of methane emissions, and 18% of nitrous oxide emissions. Increased agriculture, deforestation, landfills, industrial production, and mining also contribute a significant share of emissions. All these have dramatically reduce the lifespan of living earth.

The quest for efficient energy affects every country on the planet. Worldwide there is an increasing interest in developing clean, reliable alternatives to petroleum fuels. Many smart, safe, and clean alternative power sources are available in the market.

People can easily install these clean power sources at their home as alternative energy to help reducing carbon dioxide emission as well as reducing their utilities bill.

In recent year, people has come up with alternative power sources run their cars in order to reduce the spending on petrol gas and of course, reduce the carbon dioxide emission.

Please play your part on global warming. It is easy and at the same time, you could save money!

About The Author

Jessica Brown has successfully installed alternative power source on her car. She never pumps gas ever since. Recently, she sold her 10 year-old car to a company.

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Scientific evidence behind Global warming is being seriously challenged.

In sharp contrast to the theory that we face unprecedented disasters across the planet, some scientists dispute that global warming is caused by mankind.

They believe Global warming is a natural occurring event that follows this process every few hundred years. They also believe the predicted disasters will not be as severe as we have been led to believe.

Neither party is in the position to refute the fact that Global warming is increasing.

We are therefore in the horns of a dilemma. Do we ignore the increase of carbon dioxide and other gases in our atmosphere because it is a ‘natural occurrence’ or, do we do our best to reduce our carbon footprint all over the planet. If we take the latter path then our carbon footprint needs to be reduced by 80% and quickly.

However, this cannot happen without total Government co-operation world wide. It also needs the full co-operation of the people of this planet: recycle, recycle, recycle.

Lets open our own Court and look at the evidence of both parties.

We will begin with the theory that the Greenhouse effect is the end result of the burning of fossil fuels since the beginning of the Industrial revolution. Firstly, we need to have a clear idea of exactly what the Global warming effects are and how they are affected by the burning of fossil fuels, if,indeed,they are.

Global warming is caused by the increase of average temperature of Earths air and oceans. This began in the mid-20th century and is mainly believed to be caused by a concentration of greenhouse gases,(carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane), in turn, caused by de-forestation and the burning of coal and other fossil fuels.

The heat from the sun is trapped in the Earths atmosphere and can’t get out. This greenhouse effect is good if it is controlled. However, if there are too many gases in the atmosphere then plants, animals and people will die.

Global warming is affecting the planets ecological system and causing breaks in the food chain. Other effects are wild weather systems: floods, typhoons, hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes. Etc. It also causes acid rain which, in turn, gradually destroys everything it touches.

Greenhouse gases are caused mainly through our need for electricity and transportation sending chemicals to pollute air, water and land, into the atmosphere. This ties in with the start of global warming commencing in the mid-20th century with new factories and transport around the globe.

Other causes of greenhouse gases are burning rubbish at landfill tips, and cutting down trees that would otherwise remove the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, using electrical equipment in our homes and driving our cars when we could walk.

This is a tiny simplistic list of manmade causes of global warming, yet, this tiny list makes a significant difference to the amount of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere.

If you believe that mankind is the cause of global warming then you can help to reverse the effects in many ways. There are numerous websites on the internet and books in the local library plus advice from councils and agencies to help you decide how you can help the Earth by reducing your carbon footprint.

Let us take a look now at the evidence provided by the scientists who believe Global warming isn’t caused by mankind but is a natural occurrence, happening every so many hundred years.

In the other camp, scientists state, among other things, that this episode of global warming is just taking the temperature of the Earths atmosphere back to what it was in Medieval times. They also argue that the magnitude of the gas emissions involved is inadequate to answer to the magnitude of the Earths temperature increase.

They state: the climate change is controlled by cyclical eccentricities, which run in 100,000, 21,000, 11 year and 206 year cycles, in Earths orbit and rotation plus differences in the heat output of the Sun. Greenhouse gases just contribute in a very minor way.

Also attributable are atmospheric causes due to clouds, polar ice caps and volcanic dust. Tectonic causes-landmass movement, oceanic currents and sea floor spreading also contribute.

During the last hundred years two cycles of warming and cooling have occurred and we are in the second warming cycle. A fact that is seemingly well hidden from us.

Whichever side you rest your case it has to be admitted that recycling, finding cleaner ways to heat our homes, offices and factories and encouraging a change to the transport system can only assist in the cooling of the Earths atmosphere however the current warming has been caused.

So, the jury is out. How do you vote?

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