CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING

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English 231

CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING

Attention required
Maybe tomorrow will be too late. Throughout its long history, Earth has warmed and
cooled time and again. These variations are due to subtle shifts in its orbit, a change in the
atmosphere or in the suns energy. Without this natural greenhouse effect the average surface
temperature on Earth would be 00 F (NASA, n.d.). Then why is global warming a problem?
According to NASA, global warming is the unusually rapid increase in Earths average surface
temperature over the past century. The rate of temperature increase has nearly doubled in the last
50 years. The National Resources Defense Council (n.d.) describes the effect of GHGs as a
thickening blanket that traps the suns heat and warm up the planet. It means that heat stays into
the atmosphere for a long time. This heat can alter life on Earth in many ways. Scientists all over
the world have tried to explain the causes of global warming by studying how natural cycles and
events affect the Earths temperature. They concluded that greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted by
humans play an important role (NBC, 2013.). By making lives easier, humans are polluting and
destroying their ecosystem in a non-renewable way. Global warming has many causes and
effects, but humans are capable of changing them in a positive way.
The first cause of global warming is the combustion of fossil fuels in cars, factories and
electricity production. Burning fossils fuels contribute to a huge rise in carbon dioxide (CO2) that
is present in the atmosphere. There are other types of GHGs causing global warming, but CO2 is
the most common (National Geographic n.d.). Lansing State Journal (1994) from the Michigan
State University explains that CO2 doesn't absorb the energy from the sun, but it does absorb
some of the heat energy released from the Earth. When a molecule of carbon dioxide absorbs
heat energy, it goes into an excited unstable state. It can become stable again by releasing the
energy absorbed. Natural processes can only absorb half of the heat that CO2 produces, so, the
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rest of it stays in the atmosphere and warms the Earth. Since the Industrial revolution began,
levels of CO2 have increased nearly 38%. (NASA, 2009). There are other GHGs but, scientists
tend to talk about all in terms of the equivalent amount of CO2.
Decomposing garbage produces methane raises on Earths temperatures and also
contributes to global warming. Methane (CH4) is released during the anaerobic decomposition of
organic matter in landfills. Even when its lifetime in the atmosphere is shorter, a molecule of
methane produces 20 times more heat than CO2. The United States Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA n.d.) says that methane is the second most prevalent GHGs emitted from human
activities. According to this agency, recycling and composting can diminish methanes impact on
global warming. Methane emissions also occur during the production and transport of fossil fuels
(EPA, n.d.). Grazing animals liberate methane as a waste of their digestion. Typically, cattle
confined in feedlots or in intensive confinement dairy operations are fed an unnatural diet of
concentrated high-protein. Cattle may gain weight rapidly when fed this diet (Pollan, 2002), but
it may also lead to increase its CH4 emissions (EPA, 1998). Johnson, K.A. and Johnson D.E.
(1995), state that ruminant livestock can produce 250 to 500 liters of methane per day. Farmers
can implement different techniques to lower methane release. Some landfills even capture
methane and use it for energy. It can be used to fuel power plants, manufacturing facilities,
vehicles, homes, and more (EPA n.d.).
Loss of forests can increase the amount of carbon dioxide on air, so it has an effect in
global warming. Plants need CO2 to produce their own food in a process called photosynthesis.
As a result they release oxygen into the atmosphere. Clearing Earths forest on a massive scale
(deforestation), often results in damaging the quality of the land, as stated by National
Geographic. Deforestation also drives climate change. Forest soils are moist, but without
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protection from sun-blocking tree cover they quickly dry out. Trees also help perpetuate the
water cycle by returning water vapor back into the atmosphere. Their canopies block the sun rays
during the day and keep the heat at night (National Geographic, n.d.). That is, without trees, the
soil with dry quickly, there will be less oxygen and more CO2 in the atmosphere, sun rays will
heat the ground in more places, hence Earths temperature raises. To create a worse scenario,
humans have been cutting down carbon-absorbing forests for the last 250 years (NASA, n.d.).
An increase in the usage of chemical fertilizers is another cause of global warming. Since
agriculture demands massive production, farmers prefer to use synthetic fertilizers in order to
harvest in shorter time. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is emitted when people add nitrogen to the soil
through the use of those fertilizers. Bacteria living in the soil fed from that nitrogen and produce
more nitrous oxide. EPA states that N2O is not as common as CO2 or CH4, but its molecule stays
longer in the atmosphere. The impact of 1 pound of N2O on warming the atmosphere is over 300
times that of 1 pound of CO2. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
states that nitrous oxide has now become the largest ozone-depleting substance emitted through
human activities. When N2O reaches the stratosphere it helps destroy the ozone layer, resulting in
higher levels of UV radiation (NOAA, 2009). Nitrous oxide is also generated in the production
of adipic acid, which is used to make fibers, like nylon, in sewage treatments and, is used by
dentists as an anesthetic (EPA, 2005). Unfortunately N2O emissions are not easy to eliminate
since nitrogen is part of proteins and we need them in our diet, but, with some effort from people
and government agencies it can be controlled.
Because of global warming glaciers are melting down. As a consequence, sea levels rise
and more earthquakes occur. National Science Foundation and other organizations are studying
the phenomena of the melting glaciers and its long term consequences on cities like New York,
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New Orleans, Miami, London and Shanghai. According to the National Geographic, global
warming is not only melting glaciers, it is also shifting precipitation patterns and setting animals
on the move. Consequences include loss of coastal wetlands and barrier islands, and a greater
risk of flooding in coastal communities (NDRC, n.d.). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (2013) concludes that sea levels could rise nearly three feet by the end of the century, if
greenhouse gas emissions remain the same. A previous revision of The Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change, in 2007, put the sea level rise between seven to twenty four inches, but
scientists criticize it for being a conservative one. They think that the actual report is more
realistic and accurate (NBC, 2013). Global warming is also triggering earthquakes and may
cause more in the future as ice continues to melt worldwide (National Geographic, 2010).
Researchers estimate that the melting of the ice releases pressure that was built up in Earths
crust. A study made by Ruhr University Bochum in Germany shows that earthquakes are
"suppressed in presence of the ice and promoted during melting of the ice" (National
Geographic, 2008).
Extreme climate changes have been recorded due to global warming. According to
NRDC, a warmer atmosphere can hold and dump more moisture, contributing to more intense
weather events. NOAA (2013) states that anthropogenic warming by the end of the 21st century
will likely cause hurricanes globally to be more intense on average. This change would imply an
even larger percentage increase in the destructive potential of a storm. That is, since weather
conditions are favorable, hurricanes and storms will be stronger, hence more dangerous. NRDC
brings to attention another issue about storms. They explain that warming temperatures,
alternating periods of drought and floods contribute to more widespread outbreaks of infections.
Heavy rainfalls can wash pathogens from contaminated soils into drinking water supplies.
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According to this, people are at risk not only during a storm, earthquake or hurricane but also by
the events afterward. Hurricane Katrina itself was responsible for the death or long-term health
problems of 200,000 people. Warning signs today include hurricane Katrina, Japans tsunami and
latest Philippines typhoon.
Human health is being affected because of global warming. NRDC states that it increases
smog pollution in some areas, intensifying the currency of asthma or allergies. According to this
agency, scientific studies demonstrate that higher levels of CO2 promotes an increase in the
growth of weeds whose pollen triggers allergies and asthma. Another air polluter is diesel, which
exhausts particles that can interact with pollen. When these particles attach to pollen they can be
delivered deeper into the lungs making them even more dangerous to health (NRDC). Another
consequence of global warming is that pathogens are surviving in formerly inhospitable areas
and spreading quicker. NRDC reports that dengue disease-carrying mosquitoes are now able to
live in higher altitudes. Malaria has also been detected in higher elevation areas of Indonesia and
Africa. Some bacteria can grow faster in high temperatures, so global warming is suitable for an
outbreak. NRDC comments about an incident in Alaska, where people who ate raw local oyster
got infested with V. parahaemolyticus. What is strange about this case is that the foodborne
bacteria are native of subtropical regions.
Many species will extinguish because of the impact of global warming. Chris Thomas, a
conservation biologist at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom is the lead author of a
study published in the science journal Nature. Thomas and 18 other scientists worked
independently trying to predict how 1,103 species would be affected by Earths temperatures.
They find out that 15-37% of them will be at risk of extinction (National Geographic, 2004). As
global warming interacts with other factors such as habitat-destruction, invasive species, and the
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carbon dioxide present in the landscape, the risk of extinction increases even further, they say.
The U. S. Geological Survey has predicted that two-thirds of the world's polar bear subpopulations will be extinct by mid-century due to melting of the Arctic ice cap (NRDC). Polar
bears are drowning since they have to swim longer gaps to reach a solid ground. NRDC reports
that penguin populations have diminished by 33% due to declines in their habitats. That is, since
there is less artic land, the resources are less too and surviving becomes harder for individuals.
On their online site, NRDC explains that due to carbon dioxide emissions, oceans become more
acidic. Because of this, species with hard calcium carbonate shells, like coral reefs, are
vulnerable. Coral reefs are vital to ocean ecosystems. Scientists predict that a raise of almost 40 F
would wipe out 97 % of the world's coral reefs (NRDC).
In conclusion, global warming is destroying Earth in many ways. We need to do
something now to control the damage we are causing to our planet. CO2, CH4 and N2O emissions
due to many human activities heat the atmosphere at a rate higher than they are deflected. Most
of CO2 emissions come from burning fossil fuels in cars, factories and electricity production.
Trees provide shade and a place to live for many species, along with oxygen production, which is
vital to life. Cutting them down diminish the capacity of the planet to get rid of CO2 in the
atmosphere. N2O emissions are hard to control since nitrogen plays an important role in human
nutrition. We may not be able to eliminate all GHGs emissions but we can reduce them
significantly. We can make more efficient and cleaner cars, generate electricity from
nonpolluting sources, reforest, recycle and put pressure on governments to take action now.
Global warming has been an issue for more than 25 years. There are some skeptical people who
dont believe it is actually happening. It is imperative to learn about the facts and consequences
of climate change because the damage done cant be undone. Changes due to global warming are
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happening quickly and species may not be able to adapt at the same rate. Climate change is a
complex phenomenon and its impacts are hard to predict but with a bit of common sense and
responsibility people can protect their ecosystem from a possible ecological disaster.