One controversial topic we have today is whether Global warming and greenhouse gases are real. Through tons of research, we have found out that it is true but some people still believe it isn’t. In this essay, various topics on global warming and greenhouse gases will be discussed. Global warming has been around for a while now it goes as far back to the 1890s. “In 1896 the Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius published a new idea. As humanity burned fossil fuels such as coal, which added carbon dioxide gas to the Earth’s atmosphere, we would raise the planet’s average temperature” (Weart). Although this idea was published that didn’t stop the scientist from doing research and it was said that the fumes we create do not affect the climate and will not, so no change was done. Around the 1930s is when people started feeling the effects of global warming because of the heat that was reflecting off the earth’s atmosphere.
According, to Shaftel in 1881 the global temperature was at -1.0 degrees Celsius. Now, in 2017 the global temperature is at 0.90 degrees Celsius. The temperature has been below -1.0 degree, the lowest it’s ever been was -0.43 degrees Celsius in 1911. The highest the temperature has ever been was 0.99 degrees Celsius which was in 2016. So with the graph that Shaftel had provided us, you can see the significant amount that the temperature has risen in the last 136 years.
Through the research that has been done, we can find out what causes the heat to occur. There are many different gases and materials that cause global warming. Greenhouse gases are the main cause for global heating to occur. Many people think greenhouse gas is one gas in particular but it isn’t. Greenhouse gases are “any of the gases whose absorption of solar radiation is responsible for the greenhouse effect, including carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and fluorocarbons” (Greenhouse). When greenhouse gases and other pollutants enter the earth’s atmosphere and get trapped and are not released so they stay in the atmosphere and make earth warmer.
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Many sources of global warming are caused by greenhouse gases but some of those greenhouse gases are actually man-made gases. For instance, GCSE mentions that CO2 gases are caused by humans. The burning of fossil fuels gases CO2 to enter the earth’s atmosphere. Also, big factories ran by humans and cars driven and made by humans give off the CO2 gas. Humans raising cattle to sell for meat is also a source that contributes to global warming. Clark said “ 22% of our global warming problems come from livestock. By 2050 we will need to reduce the water use for farming animals by 5% in order to be able to feed the extra 20 billion people we are expected to have. By eating less meat we will be able to make this change happen.” Another man-made contributor is paddy rice farms because of the amount of water that is needed to let the rice soak in the fields. Throughout time all of these different manmade sources of global warming have increased and helped increase the effects of global warming.
The scientists believes the earth is heating up because they can see the changes and even feel the changes. Ice caps are melting which makes sea levels rise and that’s how floods are causes. In California, we had a drought because of all the heat that was being caused because of global warming. In Los Angeles, Santa Rosa, Santa Barbara had wildfires due to the heat which interfered with people’s lives significantly. These reasons and research that scientist have done makes them believe that the earth is heating up.Field test used to determine the heating effects of global warming can take a very long time. In an article by Explainer, it says “…scientists combine measurements from the air above land and the ocean surface…”.
In order to be able to see a change in temperature scientist have to have data for over one-hundred years to actually be able to measure the data and see a change. Explainer also said “…satellites can collect data from the bottom 10 kilometers of Earth’s atmosphere…” which is another way to measure the temperature of the earth. Taking data from both sides of the planet. There are many test and fieldwork that is done to measure the heating of the earth. Each way has its own advantages but disadvantages as well. One field test might be better than the other but in a certain category of the study. Scientist need to do all the field test that there are to be able to find the accurate temperature of the planet.
Let’s say a family goes camping and they take some ice in an ice chest but leave the ice chest open in the hot sun, what do you think would happen? As we all know the ice would melt. In Antartica, we have big ice sheets that are sitting in the boiling sun and are melting. Before I started writing my paper I didn’t understand the importance of sea levels rising. Shaftel said that the risings of sea level means “expansion of seawater.” When thinking about what that means it means more floods will be caused, it means more tsunamis or hurricanes could be nearby and destroy homes and communities. Not only will have a problem with sea levels rising because of the Antarctic ice sheets melting, we will have a problem with animals becoming extinct. Polar bears would either have to leave where they live and can walk into warmer climates and die because of that. Some animals can not swim and can die if on a melting ice glacier.
Currently, our federal government isn’t doing anything to help support the research for global warming. MacMillan wrote an article discussing how Obama signed us into an agreement called the Paris agreement which deals with climate change and global warming. The Paris agreement stated that “…agreed to pollution-cutting provisions with a goal of preventing the average global temperature from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times” (MacMillan).Unfortunately, our new President pulled us out of that agreement because he does not believe in global warming and thinks too much money is given to climate change programs. The only thing to do is convince the government that we care about the effects of global warming and they should too. Global warming and greenhouse gases are a serious problem. It amazes me that there are people in this world who think global warming is a theory or hoax even though we have scientific evidence that it does exist.
Shaftel provides us with all the evidence we need it shows us that our sea levels are rising, global temperatures are rising which makes our seas warmer. We can see that we have extreme events happening like droughts and wildfires. We have never had extreme measures until now and we need to change as a whole. The United States needs to help other developing countries who are unaware of the causes of global warming so they can change their ways as well and make a plan to help reduce global warming. In conclusion, the global temperature has risen and fallen through history but as of right now it is continuing to rise and rise. As a nation, we need to do what we can to help reduce global warming. The research that has been done by the scientist over the last 200 years can show you that global warming is real and it is caused by greenhouse gases. Global warming needs to be taken seriously and people need to be aware of the side effects it gives our planet.
