Acknowledging Climate Change in America

Over the past quarter century, we have come to realize that there is more to life

than material goods and services, that "some of the best things in life are free." The

pleasure we derive from breathing fresh air, drinking pure water, and enjoying the

beauty that nature has provided is priceless and must not be sacrificed. We have come

to appreciate the importance of our environment. So, why then, is the issue of climate

change not universally accepted? Although it has begun to be the topic of widely

controversial discussion in recent years, not everyone is familiar with the true definition

of climate change. The term climate encompasses many aspects of daily weather,

including patterns of temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind, and seasons.1 Climate

patterns play a fundamental role in shaping natural ecosystems, and the human

economies and cultures that depend on them. The term climate change then, means

any significant change in any of these components for an extended period of time. It

generally is a change in the usual weather found in a region. This could be a change in

how much rain an area usually gets in a year, or it could be a change in an areas usual

temperature for a month or season.

But the climate we have come to expect is not what it used to be, because the

past is no longer a reliable predictor of the future. Our climate is rapidly changing with

disruptive impacts, and that change is progressing faster than any seen in the last 2,000

years. The global average temperature since 1900 has risen by about 1.5 degrees

1
"What Is Climate Change?" Ecy.wa.gov. Department of Ecology State of Washington, n.d. Web. 1
Apr. 2017. <http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/whatis.htm>.
Fahrenheit. By 2100, it is projected to rise another 2 to 11.5 degrees Fahrenheit. The

U.S. average temperature has risen by a comparable amount and is very likely to rise

more than the global average over this century, with some variation depending on the

geographical location. The continuing rise of temperature may be less significant if

global heat-trapping gas emissions are cut substantially. But, if emissions continue to

rise at or near current rates, is likely that temperature increases will be more drastic.

Natural variations as well as volcanic eruptions could temporarily counteract some of

the human-induced warming, slowing the rise in global temperature, but these effects

would only last a few years. In order to curb the devastating threat that climate change

poses to Earth, the government needs to publicly accept that global warming is

occurring, properly inform constituents of the potential dangers, and create legislation

that protects further damage.

What naturally causes climate change?

Earths climate is constantly changing due to a balance of energy leaving and

entering. An assortment of natural factors affects this balance, including; variations in

the suns energy reaching Earth, changes in the reflectivity of Earths atmosphere and

surface, and changes in the greenhouse effect, which affects the amount of heat

retained by Earths atmosphere.2

Changes within the sun can influence how much solar energy reaches Earth, and

thus, slightly altering the climate. This occurs in both a warming and cooling fashion,

2
"Causes of Climate Change." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 20 Mar. 2017. Web. 01 Apr.
2017. <https://www.epa.gov/climate-change-science/causes-climate-change>.
and can be caused due to periods of stronger or weaker solar intensity. Generally, the

sun follows an 11 year pattern of tiny fluctuations, so this leaves a mark but does not

create a huge impact. Although changes in solar energy still continue to affect climate,

over the last 11 year cycle solar output has been lower than it has been since the mid

20th century, which means that it simply does not explain the recent warming of the

Earth.

The suns energy received at the top of Earths

atmosphere has been measured by satellites since

1978. It has followed its natural 11-year cycle of small

ups and downs, but with no net increase (bottom). Over

the same period, global temperature has risen markedly

(top). 3

Another natural contribution to climate

change is reflectivity. Sunlight is either reflected or absorbed when it reaches Earths

surface. Just how much of that light is absorbed depends on the surface and

atmosphere. For example, light-colored objects and surfaces, like snow and clouds,

tend to reflect most sunlight, while darker objects and surfaces, like the ocean, forests,

or soil, tend to absorb more sunlight. One aspect that helps explain the relationship

between reflectivity and climate change is something called albedo. This is the amount

of solar radiation reflected from an object or surface. The current albedo of Earth as a

3
Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States, Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and Thomas C.
Peterson, (eds.). Cambridge University Press, 2009.
whole is about 30%.4 This means that 70% of the sunlight that reaches the planet is

absorbed, and warms the land, water, and atmosphere.

Reflectivity is also affected by aerosols. Aerosols are small particles or liquid

droplets in the atmosphere that can absorb or reflect sunlight.5 Unlike greenhouse

gases, the climate effects of aerosols vary depending on the composition of the

particles and where they are emitted. Those aerosols that reflect sunlight, such as

particles from volcanic eruptions or sulfur emissions from burning coal, have a cooling

effect. Those that absorb sunlight, such as black carbon (a part of soot), have a

warming effect.

In the past, volcanic eruptions have played a part in climate change due to the

reflectivity this event causes. Some of the particles emitted by volcanoes have a cooling

effect because they reflect sunlight away from the Earth. The cooling influence is

particularly marked in the case of large eruptions able to blast sun-blocking particles all

the way up to the stratosphere, such as Mount Pinatubo in 1991, which caused a

significant dip in global temperatures in the following year or two. It is difficult to know

for sure that the cooling observed after a particular eruption is definitely the result of that

eruption, but examining the average global temperature change after multiple eruptions

displays a strong correlation.

One other natural factor that contributes to climate change is the greenhouse

effect. The exchange of incoming and outgoing radiation that warms the Earth is often

4
"Thermodynamics: Albedo." NSIDC.org. National Snow and Ice Data Center, n.d. Web. 01 Apr.
2017. <https://nsidc.org/cryosphere/seaice/processes/albedo.html>.
5
"Aerosols." Climate.ncsu.edu. NC State University, 25 June 2012. Web. 01 Apr. 2017.
<http://climate.ncsu.edu/edu/k12/.aerosols>.
referred to as the greenhouse effect because a greenhouse works in much the same

way. Incoming UV radiation easily passes through the glass walls of a greenhouse and

is absorbed by the plants and hard surfaces inside. Weaker IR radiation, however, has

difficulty escaping through the glass walls and is trapped inside, thus warming the

greenhouse. This effect lets tropical plants thrive inside a greenhouse, even during a

cold winter.6

The same idea is applied in the process of radiation warming the Earth. When

sunlight reaches the surface of the Earth, some of it is absorbed which warms the

ground and some bounces back to space as heat. Greenhouse gases that are in the

atmosphere absorb and then redirect some of this heat back towards the Earth. Gases

in Earth's atmosphere absorb about 90 percent of this heat and radiate it back to the

surface, which is warmed to a life-supporting average of 59 degrees Fahrenheit. This

necessary process is called the greenhouse effect.

All of these processes show that the climate system varies naturally over a time

period. Whether it be the amount of energy reaching Earth, reflectivity of sunlight, or the

greenhouse effect, these are all normal contributing factors. However, recent climate

changes can not be explained by natural causes alone. Scientists have predicted that

the significant warming that has occurred since the mid 20th century is primarily caused

by human activities.

How do humans affect climate?

6
"Greenhouse Effect." Hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu. Georgia State University, n.d. Web. 01 Apr.
2017. <http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/thermo/grnhse.html>.
 The heart of many recent environmental debates and discussions centers around

the concept of acknowledging just how much human activity impacts the Earth. With

over 7.1 billion people currently inhabiting the planet it is no surprise that with such a

large population comes a large amount of waste. Whether that comes in the form of

solid waste such as household garbage, recyclable waste such as plastic bottles and

used paper, or even hazardous waste that can release toxins in the air, the bottom line

is that regardless of the form, humans are producing a lot of waste. 7

Perhaps the most concerning form of waste that humans produce, is the harmful

emission of gases that result from burning fossil fuels, specifically, carbon dioxide. Over

the last two centuries, the growth of fossil fuel combustion has been closely coupled to

global growth in energy use and economic activity. Fossil fuel emissions grew by 3.2%

per year from 2000 to 2010, a rapid growth that is dominated by a surge in Asian

emissions and has exceeded all but the highest recent long-range scenarios for future

emissions.8 The focus here, however, remains on the United States contribution to said

emissions.

(keep explaining correlation between human actions and increase in global

temperature)

Call for action

7
"2. Types of Waste - Waste." Waste. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2017.
<https://sites.google.com/a/mtholyoke.edu/waste/waste/types-of-waste>.
8
"Overview of Greenhouse Gases." Epa.gov. Environmental Protection Agency, 14 Feb. 2017. Web.
01 Apr. 2017. <https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases>.
-discuss grassroots campaigns

-need to educate the public

-possible legislation