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Cory Britton

Dr. Anne Canavan

ENGL 2010-444

23 September 2017

Climate Change

Imagine Florida submerged under the ocean, while countries on the equator are too hot

for human survival. Some experts claim this could be our future if we do not cut back on our

contribution to the release of greenhouse gasses. Views differ significantly between the argument

that climate change is nonexistent, to the idea that mankind will perish if climate change is not

corrected. Does man made climate change exist and is the changing of the Earths climate simply

a natural evolution that the Earth goes through? Some believe that since we broke a ten-year

record snow storm last year, that it proves climate change to be untrue. People may believe that

the Earth naturally goes through ice ages and greenhouse stages and yet others believe that if

climate change is not corrected we will face rising seas, floods and possibly a planet with a run-

a-way climate like Mars or Venus. An ice age can be just as catastrophic.

An ice age is a long period of time where the Earths temperature is reduced resulting in

the expansion of the polar ice sheets. Our most recent ice age was called the Pleistocene era.

National Geographic claims During the Pleistocene Ice Age, nearly one-third of the Earths

land was covered by glaciers. Today, about one-tenth of the Earths land is covered by glacial

ice. The difference of ice presence on Earth between our last ice age and our current year is in

fact very dramatic. The Laurentide Ice Sheet was almost 3 kilometers (2 miles) thick and

covered North America from the Canadian Arctic all the way to the modern U.S. state of
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Missouri (Ice Sheet). The opposite of ice ages are warming periods called greenhouse Earth

and they can be just as fierce.

Greenhouse Earth is the opposite of an ice age, in fact during a greenhouse Earth period,

the Earth can be completely void of all land ice. We have long known that the poles were ice-

free in dinosaur times. Early studies indicated that the equator then was not much hotter than

today (Greenhouse). However, early studies using isotopic composition of planktonic

foraminifera may have given and indicator of warm (comfortable to humans) when in fact the

equator was hot (uninhabitable to humans). Recent studies using more advanced techniques are

showing the equator as hot. Greenhouse to Icehouse goes on to say that studies are ongoing and

not yet reached a full consensus on just how hot the equator was, stating The work is ongoing

and a full consensus is not in, but tropical temperatures so hot that un-air-conditioned humans

would have found it uncomfortable or even fatal to live on much of the planet now seem possible

or even likely. To much of the scientific community this raises grave concern.

Many experts argue that the warming of our atmosphere is caused by greenhouse gases.

Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide (C02) and methane, trap energy

from the sun, letting it get to the planet's surface but not letting it reflect back into outer space

(Reuss 35). Greenhouse gasses come from both human and natural sources. Natural sources

include ocean release; the cooler the ocean the more carbon dioxide it holds and the warmer the

ocean the faster it releases carbon dioxide.

Human sources of greenhouse gasses come from the burning of fossil fuels like gas, coal,

and oil. Deforestation and cement production also play a large part. The burning of fossil fuels is

the largest source of man-made greenhouse gasses. Whats your impact states: 87 percent of all

human-produced carbon dioxide emissions come from the burning of fossil fuels like coal,
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natural gas and oil. The remainder results from the clearing of forests and other land use changes

(9%), as well as some industrial processes such as cement manufacturing (4%). In 2011, fossil

fuel use created 33.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide. Coal released the most

carbon out of all fossil fuels. For every ton of coal burned, approximately 2.5 tons of C02 are

produced. Due to the high use in coal powered power plants, coal is the largest source of carbon

dioxide emissions, with petroleum second.

The transportation sector with its use of petroleum is the second leading human caused

release of C02 into the atmosphere. Whats your impact claims that transporting people and

goods around the world produced 22% of fossil fuel related carbon dioxide emissions in 2010.

The transportation sector is very energy intensive and it uses petroleum based fuels (gasoline,

diesel, kerosene, etc.) almost exclusively to meet those needs. Since the 1990s, transport related

emissions have grown rapidly, increasing by 45% in less than 2 decades. Automobiles, light duty

trucks and semis account for the largest portion of transportation carbon dioxide emissions.

Road transport accounts for 72% of this sector's carbon dioxide emissions. Marine shipping

comes in second with 14%. Marine ships burn the dirtiest fuel on the market marine shipping is

responsible for over 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Ships can burn fuel that is so

unrefined, it can be walked on at room temperature. Global aviation accounts for the last 11%;

international flights accounting for 62% and the remaining 38% to domestic flights. The

emissions from the transportation sector has surpassed that of the industrial sector at an alarming

rate.

There are many industrial processes that contribute to greenhouse gasses which causes this sector

to be the third largest contributor of human pollution. This sector (industrial) produced 20% of

fossil fuel related carbon dioxide emissions in 2010 (Whats your impact). The industrial sector
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includes construction, mining, manufacturing, and agriculture. Its main contribution to the Earths

C02 levels stem from the heat and steam needed at various stages of production. The breaking

down and the combining of elements usually require heat. One example is the process of creating

cement They have to heat up limestone to 1450C to turn it into cement, which is done by

burning fossil fuels to create the required heat. Decomposition and respiration are also

considered human resources of C02. Livestock such as cows and other farm animals release the

greenhouse gas methane, which is also a greenhouse gas.

Methane emissions from livestock total 12% of the human contribution to greenhouse gas

to the atmosphere. The bulk of the emissions 55 percent came from beef cattle. Dairy

cows, buffalo, sheep and goats accounted for the rest (Singh). Contrary to the belief that this

methane derives from the flatulence of cows, it is in fact the belches that hold the most methane.

As people eat more beef and drink more milk, more cows are necessary, which in turn adds to

the amount of methane produced by cattle. NPR states that

Methane from livestock rose 11 percent between 2001 and 2011. Cutting down methane

from cattle can be as simple as changing their diet. corn and soy that most cows eat

makes them especially gassy, so feeding them alfalfa and supplements could reduce how

much they belch. More research on how to optimize what we feed livestock could help

farmers reduce emissions.

As third world countries develop, they tend to raise and eat more cattle. This is turn will add

more emissions but in turn helps these societies tremendously. What the cattle is fed will make a

huge impact now and more in the future.

Land use changes also contribute prominently to greenhouse emissions. From 1850 to

2000, land use and land use change released an estimated 396-690 billion tons of carbon dioxide
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to the atmosphere, or about 28-40% of total anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions (Whats

your impact). Trees and other vegetation help capture C02 and change it into oxygen by a

chemical process called photosynthesis. The more trees on Earth the more C02 they can

consume. Clearing forests to make way for farmers to raise cattle not only takes away some of

the Earths natural resources to help combat growing C02 emissions, but also contributes to more

methane being released into the atmosphere. Deforestation itself also contributes as the downed

trees are often burned or left to rot, releasing C02 into the atmosphere.

Some experts claim that natural occurring sources of c02 emissions far outweigh those of

humans. The oceans contain 37,400 billion tons (GT) of suspended carbon, land biomass has

2000-3000 GT. The atmosphere contains 720 billion tons of CO2 and humans contribute only

6 GT additional load on this balance (Climate). Although human contributions to the Earth

C02 levels are tiny in comparison, studies show it is enough to tip the scales far enough beyond

the natural cycle that it will continue to accumulate. However, according to the union of

concerned scientists we can help cut our carbon footprint to see if we can get the Earth back on

its normal track. If this is necessary is still to be determined.

The Paris Agreement is an agreement between 195 countries to work together to limit

global warming. For those countries in the Paris agreement, it is felt that renewable energy is one

of the most productive ways of cutting our carbon footprint. Renewables include solar, wind,

hydroelectric, geothermal, and biomass. The United States has the natural resources to provide

its power needs many times over. In 2012, NREL found that together, renewable energy sources

have the technical potential to supply 482,247 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. This

amount is 118 times the amount of electricity the nation currently consumes (Benefits).

Renewables today only provide a small amount of resources to the United States. Studies have
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shown that renewable energy could be deployed rapidly to provide a huge amount of our energy

needs. Renewable energy is also very labor intensive which in turn could help create jobs.

Renewable energy already supports thousands of jobs in America. For example, in 2011,

the wind energy industry directly employed 75,000 full-time-equivalent employees in a variety

of capacities, including manufacturing, project development, construction and turbine

installation, operations and maintenance, transportation and logistics, and financial, legal, and

consulting services(Benefits). Solar energy employs even more than wind. In 2011, the solar

industry employed approximately 100,000 people on a part-time or full-time basis, including

jobs in solar installation, manufacturing, and sales. However, the number one provider of

renewable jobs is hydroelectric, which employs roughly 250,000 people (Benefits). This

source argues that increasing renewable energy will give a dramatic increase to our economy as a

positive side effect. 195 countries around the world have agreed this to be a good idea.

The Paris Agreement has helped tremendously in building foreign relationships to work

together to limit global warming. Before and during the Paris conference, countries submitted

comprehensive national climate action plans (INDCs). These are not yet enough to keep global

warming below 2C, but the agreement traces the way to achieving this target (Paris).

Governments agree to come together every five years to set more ambitious goals as well as track

and report their progress. The agreement also states that each country acknowledges the need

to cooperate and enhance the understanding, action and support in different areas such as early

warning systems, emergency preparedness and risk insurance. When people within their various

countries work together it is amazing what can be accomplished. The EU plays a huge role in the

Paris Agreement being the first major economy to submit an intended contribution to the cause.

The EU has been at the forefront of international efforts towards a global climate deal. Following
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limited participation in the Kyoto Protocol and the lack of agreement in Copenhagen in 2009, the

EU has been building a broad coalition of developed and developing countries in favor of high

ambition that shaped the successful outcome of the Paris conference (Paris). The United States

has pulled itself out of this agreement on the claim that climate change is a hoax and not real.

A large amount of science has been completed over decades and the information has been

made public from the EPA. Since January 19, 2017 all data collected regarding climate control

has since been deleted from the official EPA website by the Trump administration, making

claims that the science is inaccurate or false. Before the deletion of this data a snapshot of much

of the science was preserved at https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/climatechange_.html.

Many of the links and external websites from this site do not work anymore, but a considerable

amount of information can still be found there.

Some experts also claim climate change to not be real at all, or lacks the data to prove it

as real. Scientists who argue that climate change to not be real suggest there has not been an

upwards swing in temperature since the 1990s. An upward trend of temperature started around

1975 and ended in 1997. Since 1997 the temperature has remained the same (Conserve). Some

scientists also claim that the historical data available is not only unreliable due to the outdated

processes of testing was done, but the data is not clear enough and the quantity of data is

minimal. They also claim that the Arctic ice has increased by 50% since 2012. Not only has

Arctic ice increased, but the predictions that were made about the effects of climate change have

come and gone with nothing ever happening. For example: Al Gore predicted all Arctic ice

would be gone by 2013.

Other experts claim that the climate may correct itself on its own as it has done in the

past, following its natural progression. Although these changes may be natural, it seems humans
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may be speeding up the process tremendously. As studies show, greenhouse Earth may become

so hot that it cannot support human life. The question will remain if we are speeding up the death

of the planet, or just that of mankind.

Ice age and greenhouse Earth tend to be natural processes that the Earth goes through.

Processes that may not have happened while humans roamed the Earth. With our technical

advances can we survive an extreme ice age or greenhouse Earth? The cutting of human

emissions can potentially help by slowing down the rise in our climates temperature. Many argue

that renewables are a great place for humans to start with fighting climate change. With most of

the planet on board with cutting emissions and using renewables, it seems we may be at a point

where we can slow the rate of emissions. Whether we do it on our own, or let mother nature do it

for us is yet to be determined.

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Works Cited

Benefits of Renewable Energy Use. Union of Concerned Scientists, www.ucsusa.org/clean-

energy/renewable-energy/public-benefits-of-renewable-power#.Wcrj1tOGMdU.
Accessed 26 Sept. 2017.

Climate Science Glossary. Skeptical Science, www.skepticalscience.com/human-co2-smaller-

than-natural-emissions.htm. Accessed 26 Sept. 2017.

Greenhouse to Icehouse. Greenhouse to Icehouse | EARTH 104: Earth and the Environment,
www.e-education.psu.edu/earth104/node/1278. Accessed 23 Sept. 2017

Hilary, Benn. "Sorry, Dad You Were Wrong... For Sake of MY Grandchildren We Must Not
Walk Away from Europe." Mail on Sunday, 15 May 2016, p. 25. EBSCOhost,
libprox1.slcc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=n5h
&AN=115342979&site=eds-live.

How do we know that recent CO2 increases are due to human activities? RealClimate,
www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2004/12/how-do-we-know-that-recent-
cosub2sub-increases-are-due-to-human-activities-updated/. Accessed 1 Oct. 2017.

Ice sheet. National Geographic Society, 9 Oct. 2012,

www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/ice-sheet/. Accessed 23 Sept. 2017.

Main sources of carbon dioxide emissions. What's Your Impact, 8 July 2017,
whatsyourimpact.org/greenhouse-gases/carbon-dioxide-emissions. Accessed 23 Sept.
2017.

Mazutis, Daina and Anna Eckardt. "Sleepwalking into Catastrophe: Cognitive Biases and
Corporate Climate Change Inertia." California Management Review, vol. 59, no. 3,
Spring2017, pp. 74-108. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1177/0008125617707974. Accessed 12
Sept 2017

Paris Agreement. Climate Action - European Commission, 16 Feb. 2017,

ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/international/negotiations/paris_en. Accessed 1 Oct. 2017

Reuss, Alejandro. "Climate Change: What Is It? What Causes It? What Can We Do about It?."
Dollars & Sense, no. 317, Mar/Apr2015, p. 34. EBSCOhost,
https://libprox1.slcc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&d
b=f6h&AN=102142273&site=eds-live
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Rygve, Lavik. "Climate Change Denial, Freedom of Speech and Global Justice." Etikk I Praksis:
Nordic Journal of Applied Ethics, Vol 10, Iss 2, Pp 75-90 (2016), no. 2, 2016, p. 75.
EBSCOhost, doi:10.5324/eip.v10i2.1923. Accessed 12 Sept 2017

Singh, Maanvi. Gassy Cows Are Warming The Planet, And They're Here To Stay. NPR, NPR,
12 Apr. 2014, www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/04/11/301794415/gassy-cows-are-
warming-the-planet-and-theyre-here-to-stay.