Climate

Geography November 29, 2010 Dire Predictions : Student Edition Chapter one of Dire Predictions Understanding Global Warming does exactly like the title says, it gives the reader the essential basics of understanding the Global Warming issue. Chapter one gives essential information covering a wide range of things including: the natural and human impacts on climate, definition of a greenhouse gas and how it affects temperature, positive and negative feedback loops, threatening human byproducts that affect the ozone, ways scientists study ancient climates, and it gives possible future Earth outcomes due to global warming.

It is a really loaded chapter I know, but this information proves to be very valuable when learning about global warming. In fact, the information is so valuable that it can’t be covered by just stating a quick overview of the chapter, but needs a more detailed summary. Some natural variables that potentially affect the Earth’s climate include the sun, volcanic eruptions, and Earth’s orbit. But how exactly does something like a volcanic eruption effect climate?

This is because “Explosive volcanic eruptions modify the composition of the atmosphere by injecting small particles called aerosols into the atmosphere layer. ” These released aerosols block the solar radiation that would have reached Earth’s surface and consequently, it has cooling effect on Earth’s surface. The more talked about topic in chapter one however is the non-natural, or human induced impacts causing global warming. Humans burning of fossil fuels and release of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s) are both examples of human variables that affect global warming.

CFC’s are a kind of gas that is released by cooling apparatus’ such as the refrigerator. These gasses have been proven to destroy the ozone. Furthermore, the book goes on to prove that the major impacts causing global warming are not natural but mostly human made. It states that the hole in the ozone is not mostly caused by a natural increase in CO2 gasses but the release of CFC-11 and CFC-12 gasses by humans into the environment. As proof of the gasses affect on the ozone it states that the average temperature of the globe has gone up from 13. degrees Celsius to 14. 5 degrees Celsius. It seems like a small amount of temperature increase but even one degree average increase can have a major influence on global warming. Finally, chapter one goes on to describe what happens if these patterns persist. So what will happen if these patterns persist, and what effects will it have on agriculture and man? To better understand what will happen to us, we have to understand what the ozone layer does. The ozone layer protects us from harmful ultraviolet radiation.

If these patterns persist the ozone will protect less and less ultraviolet radiation from entering Earth’s atmosphere. If this happens then the ice caps will melt which will be catastrophic to man and agriculture. According to http://www. tropical-rainforest-animals. com/Global-Warming-Effects. html some effects of global warming will be: Floods Droughts, Heat waves, Extreme winter cold and snow fall, Tornadoes, Extreme storms, Tropical cyclones, hurricanes, and typhoons. You don’t have to be a geography major to know that these types of effects will deal a devastating blow to people and plants.

Precipitation patterns will also change everywhere, messing up normal agricultural growth. Some more effects global warming will have on agriculture and animals is it will make trees produce leaves earlier, it will cause earlier greening on vegetation, it causes re-distributions of algae that will kill animals that eat it to survive, and the ultraviolet radiation will ultimately poison humans and animals and destroy plants everywhere. If we have no ozone life will be unsustainable on Earth. But wait, all these horrible things don’t have to happen; we can do things to prevent global warming.

We can start to help this not to happen by burning up less fossil fuels, thus reducing emissions into the ozone. Scientists and mechanics have recently been working together to make cars that produce less waste and are better for the environment. We can help by buying these kinds of cars and investing in this type of research. Another way to help is if we as a world unite and we set goals and laws that require fewer emissions from each country. Also, it may seem small but a way we can all help is by recycling things which cuts down the waste it takes to make whole new things.

More ways you can help are by: using less air conditioning and heat, changing light bulbs to more energy efficient ones, buying energy efficient products, driving less or carpooling, using less hot water, and finally planting a tree. Although planting a tree or changing a light bulb may seem like a small way to help, if everyone in the world followed these suggestions emissions would be greatly reduced which could save the Earth. Scientists have worked together to try to understand the problem.

By constantly recording new data and looking at old data they have come to a better understanding of what we use that causes these emissions and the way it affects us and our planet. A way scientists have studied the ancient atmosphere is by drilling into the ice caps and examining the trapped air. Also scientists are constantly observing the ozone layer to see any changes that might come. Scientists also look at what kind of molecules the ozone is made of and gasses that could destroy it. Learning about the problem is half the battle so we are on our way to a brighter tomorrow.

I think the information given in the book was good information based on scientific truths. The information in this book was very easy to follow as almost every page had a corresponding graph or picture to help you understand the information given. However one of the problems I had with the information in this book is I felt that it was really quick to discredit the other side of the argument with not much detail. When faced with an opposing point the author just basically says that all other views are wrong and moves on.

Also, the information in this book jumped to something completely different every other page. But that being said I did learn a lot from reading this book. The thing I found most interesting in the book were some of the statistics given throughout the chapter. For example thought how long the gasses CFC-11 and CFC-12 last and how much more potent it is that carbon dioxide. Even after five hundred years after CFC-12 is released, it is still 5,200 times more potent than carbon dioxide. And five hundred years after CFC-11 is released, it is 1,620 times more potent that the carbon dioxide (Dire Predictions, p. 9). With CFC gasses and other harmful gasses lasting this long it is important to stop the release of these harmful gasses as soon as we can. Another thing I found interesting in the book was the change in Mount Kilimanjaro snow coverage over time. First, it shows Mount Kilimanjaro during the year 1912 and it is covered in snow. That picture is followed by a picture of Mount Kilimanjaro during the year 2007, and the snow cover has almost all disappeared. Another statistic I found very interesting in chapter one is the graphs on page thirty-three.

These graphs show the amount of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere before and up to 2005. The graphs show that the levels of these greenhouse gasses are pretty constant until it reaches the year 2005; When the graph line representing the gasses reaches to just before the year 2005, levels of all three of these gasses skyrocket. (Dire Predictions, pg. 33) Reading this book made me realize how serious the global warming issue is and how it is already affecting the world today. Due to global warming life as we know it could possibly come to an end.

But don’t start putting your together just yet. If we start doing things everyday to help reduce the emission of greenhouse gasses we can make sure that tomorrow is a brighter day, figuratively that is. The things stated earlier (using less air conditioning and heat, changing light bulbs to more energy efficient ones, buying energy efficient products, driving less or carpooling, using less hot water, planting trees) are all examples of everyday things we can do to help the environment and stop global warming.

Another thing that people can do to help this problem is by educating themselves about global warming. By educating yourself about global warming you can solve the problem easier because you know the causes. Also you can educate other people about the importance of taking global warming into consideration. If everyone around the world pitches in to try to help, maybe the next book we read will be Optimistic Predictions.

Works Cited Banerjee, Subhankar. “Global Warming. ” New York Times. 6 Oct. 2010. Mann, Michael E. , and Lee R. Kump. Dire Predictions: Understanding Global Warming. New York, NY: DK Pub. , 2009. Print. May, Elizabeth, and Zoe? Caron. Global warming for dummies . Mississauga, ON: J. Wiley & Sons Canada, 2009. Print. Nodvin, Stephen C. “Global Warming. ” encyclopedia of earth. 9 May. 2010. 29 Nov. 2010. . Yeatman, William. “Global Warming: Solutions/Cost/Science GlobalWarming. org | Archive | Global Warming 101 . ” Global Warming . N. p. , 9 Feb. 2009. Web. 29 Nov. 2010. .

Weather can be defined as the state of the atmosphere including movements of energy like wind and precipitation. Climate is the generally prevailing weather patterns of a region. The climate of a region is made up of the different weather patterns. The weather patterns are usually repetitive according to the seasons. Where I’m from in southwest Nebraska it snows in the winter, rains in the spring, and is hot in the summer. The question is, has the weather and climate always been like this in Nebraska? We have proof that climate has changed in the past.

Seventy million years ago there may have not been any ice on the North Pole. The region was most likely covered in forest. The amazing part of this hypothesis is that without the polar ice caps the ocean levels would be around seventy meter higher than they are now. Scientist also know that the world was in its most recent ice age about 2. 6 million years ago. If the North Pole went from forest to ice sixty-eight million years, obviously the world has seen drastic changes before. This raises the question of whether or not this could happen to us again.

Could the increases in temperature that everybody attributes to global warming just be a natural cycle of the planets climate? Most people think not. The logical answer for the steady increase in temperature is global warming due to the “Greenhouse Effect”. The Greenhouse Effect is caused by an increase in the concentration of “greenhouse gasses” in the atmosphere. Some of the most dominate greenhouse gasses are Carbon dioxide, Methane, Nitrous oxide, and Water vapor. Some people might argue that these gasses are found naturally in the atmosphere.

The concentration of the gasses could be increasing due to natural factors. The atmosphere may be holding these gasses in for an unknown reason, or the environment may be producing higher concentrations naturally. This theory is unlikely according to data recorded in past years. Ice cores show that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased dramatically since the industrial revolution. It’s no coincidence that global warming started becoming noticeable the same time humans started harvesting fossil fuels.

Burning, mining, and processing fossil fuels are the main cause of the increase in gas releases. According to Peter Singers book One World, the scientific evidence that human activities are changing the climate of our planet has been studied by the IPCC in order to provide policy makers with an authoritative view of climate change and its causes. (Pg. 15) The “Third Assessment Report” released by the IPCC in 2001 found that our planet has shown clear signs of warming over the past century.

Since 1960 snow and ice cover has decreased by about ten percent, and mountain glaciers are in retreat everywhere except near the poles. Paralleling the changes in the climate is an unprecedented increase in the concentration of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. This increase is produced by human activities such as burning fossil fuels, the clearing of vegetation, and in the case of methane, cattle and rice production. Not for at least the last four-hundred and twenty years has there been so much carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere. Pg. 15-16) What will happen if we continue to emit increasing amounts of gasses into the atmosphere, and global warming continues to increase? According to the Third Assessment Report, between 1990 and 2100, average global temperatures will rise by at least 1. 4°C, and by as much as 5. 8°C. Although these average rises in temperature might seem small, even a 1°C rise in the average temperature would be greater than any change that has occurred in a single century in the past ten-thousand years.

Moreover, some regional changes will be more extreme and are much more difficult to predict. (Pg. 16-17) If the average temperature of a major agricultural region was to rise 5°C all the dominant crops in the area may not be suited for the region anymore and major economic downfall could result. Now that everybody in the world is aware of the cause of global warming, the question arises, what are we supposed to do? I believe the best and most effective answer to that question is reduce the amount of energy that we use.

The first and simplest step is to reduce your power consumption. Creating power is one of the largest uses of fossil fuels which means the less power made, the less fossil fuels used. Everybody can use less power by simply turning off lights and unplugging appliances when not in use. Most appliances continue to consume power even after they have been turned off, if everybody just unplugged their electronics or switched off the power strip energy would become a lot more sustainable. Another huge problem with the world is automobiles.

While most people love their cars and don’t want to lose the freedom to go anywhere their thoughts might be changed when they look at all the negatives cars produce. First, is all the time, energy, and resources used to make a car. Most car parts are made from expendable ores and minerals and then shipped across the globe. This not only uses up mineral reserves in the production of the parts but consumes large amounts of petroleum energy in the transportation process. Then, as everybody knows all these cars consume huge amounts of energy in the form of gas every day, this will deplete our oil supply in no time.

Cars also need roads to drive on. Roads are the leading consumer of the United States mineral resources, and the take up very large amounts of space in cities and agricultural areas. People in cities can ride the bus and everybody can ride the train on long distance trips. If we could all cut the amount we drive in half the sustainability of many of the world’s resources would increase dramatically. Turning off your lights and taking the bus aren’t the only way people can reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses they contribute.

Factories produce a large amount of pollutants every day. Factory products can also contribute to atmospheric pollution because everything made requires resources to be produced. And after a product is used up it becomes waste and must be disposed of in some way. We can lower the amount of waste that is being put into landfills by buying goods that aren’t over packaged. Many goods are jazzed up with large and fancy packaging but in the end people just throw the package away. If the same product can be purchased in a smaller package it will cost less and take up less space as waste.

Consumers should try to buy fresh produce from local stores. While fresh goods are not usually over packaged, buying local also helps to cut down on the amount of transportation and the energy wasted while the item was stored in large warehouses. Another step in the environmental preservation process is to recycle everything possible. This is more easily said than done for most people but it is becoming easier and more convenient all the time. Recycling bins are popping up all over in convenient locations and the incentives to recycle are getting greater all the time.

It isn’t that hard to separate easily recyclable materials like cans and bottles in your home and take them to the proper recycling center. Another easy was to recycle is take your plastic shopping bags back for recycling or get a reusable bag. If resources are conserved, then naturally the amount of gasses being released into the atmosphere will be decreased. In conclusion, global warming is a major global problem. If a sufficient remedy isn’t found soon enough the world may never be the same. Finding a means to curve the rise of global warming is easier than most people think.

Topic: “There is nothing that we as individuals can do to ”. During last several decades, industrialization and human activities have produced greenhouse gases (mainly carbon dioxide). These gases make the earth’s temperature higher that leads to more serious events, such as ice smelting, floods, storms and droughts. This is called “climate change”.

Climate change would have significant impacts on environment, economy and the way we live so it needs to be prevented. In my opinion, there are several things that everybody as individual can do to reduce pollution and prevent climate change, including reducing greenhouse gases, saving energies and reducing waste. Firstly, we can use car less by using some alternative means, such as public transport, sharing a ride, walking or cycling.

We also can buy locally products so we can reduce goods transportation. Therefore, we can help reduce gas consumption and reduce carbon dioxide. Secondly, we can save energies to decrease the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. For example, we can replace a regular bulb with a compact one; turn off all electrical equipment when they are not in use; wash our clothes in cold water instead of hot water and try to use sun light to dry clothes instead of a dryer.

Thirdly, we can limit the amount of waste to reduce pollution. We should recycle many things like paper, cans, and glass bottles and avoid using products with a lot of packaging. We can also use reusable shopping bags instead of plastic bags. These things not only help us save money but we also help protecting environment. For all above reasons, I think everybody as an individual can do many things to prevent climate change.

Global Warming:

From the findings of experts on Global Warming and Climatology, it can be concluded that Global Warming has a direct effect on our current global economy and the instability of the future.

Introduction

I. Background

• A. The study of Environmental Economics
• B. Economic issues and relations to past and future global warming estimates

II. The effects on GDP

• A. Increase of natural disasters
• B. Impact on agriculture
• C. Rise in health care cost

1. Heat waves
2. Spread of disease

• D. Further subjugation those who have a lower standard of living

III. Opposing arguments

• A. Efforts to prevent global warming are to costly
• B. Low Winter mortality rate
• C. Possible Profit lies in the Arctic

IV. What is being done to counteract climate change’s affects and plans for the future

• A. Kyoto Protocol

1. Acceptance/Refusal
2. Funds created

• B. “Green Collar”

Jobs and Alternative Energy Sources

1. Wind/Water Power
2. Fuel efficient automobiles
3. Carbon Capture

Conclusion

It’s affects on the economy In considering climate change policies, the fundamental trade-off principal that society faces is between, consumption today and consumption in the nearing future. It is a question of economics; the return on this environmental investment is lower damages and thus higher consumption in the future. Now is the time that nations must decide whether or not they will make investments in understanding the economics of the environment and act accordingly to slow the climate change over the coming centuries.

According to the National Bureau of Environmental Research (NBER) environmental economics is defined as “… studies of the economic effects of national or local environmental policies around the world, including effects on pollution, research and development, physical investment, labor supply, economic efficiency, and the distribution of real income. ” It is the desirable option to have policies that are economically efficient so that the environmental objectives can be achieved in a least cost approach, but then the question arises how long should we wait until an optimal climate-change policy is fabricated? pic] This chart explains the forecasted increase in Earth’s average surface temperature according to a series of climate change situations. It is, of course, impossible to predict with certainty what permanent economic effect global warming will have, but many economists and scientists agree the past and present effects can serve as a guide as to what can be expected. From the findings of experts on Global Warming and Climatology, it can be concluded that Global Warming has a direct effect on our current global economy and the instability of the future.

Although scientists generally agree on the probable rise in the average global temperature over the next century foretelling the change in a specific region is more complex. Due to the fact that the forecast models used in determining global warming’s affects are just that, models, they cannot be taken as fact and are subject to change. According to the Stern Review, a report created by the former Chief Economist of the World Bank Nicholas Stern, “the cost of climate change could be equivalent to a permanent loss of around 0-3% in global world output” (Stern ix).

This would take humans into unknown territory which is the essential factor in the Stern Review which develops the basis that climate change will affect everyone, not just those whose greenhouse gas emissions are elevated. The report conveys the costs of extreme weather conditions could decrease the “…world Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by . 5-1% per annum… ” (Stern viii) before the middle of the century. In regards to the models Stern used in his report, the USA could expect a double of annual natural disaster costs due to the increase in hurricane wind speed attributable to the rise of sea temperature.

This should serve as Americas warning considering one of the most costly hurricanes, Hurricane Katrina, hit our shores in 2005. As Al Gore, former Vice President and long time Environmentalist, points out in his book An Inconvenient Truth, “Hurricane Katrina caused approximately $60 billion in insured losses” (Gore 102). A further impact on the world economy would concentrate in the UK who will be heavily affected by the melting of glaciers, whose “annual flood losses alone could increase from 0. % of GDP today to 0. 2-0. 4% of GDP once the increase in global average temperatures reaches 3 or 4 degrees Celsius” (Stern viii). Along with the devastation that will follow the increase in natural disasters, global warming will soon prove to be a burden on our agricultural market as well. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the “changing climate could cause soils to become drier and drier, and crop failures could become more widespread. ” What burdens will this place on the global economy?

It will affect the poorest countries first, mostly due to the fact that the majority of these “poor” countries have a high dependency on agriculture as a means of living and trade. Another affect on our agriculture will be the disruption in our food supply according to author and Boston Globe editor Ross Gelbp, “global warming could result in insect related crop damage. ” With the information presented pertaining to the rising level in carbon dioxide it should be inferred that although plant growth accelerates in areas with elevated carbon dioxide concentration and to some would seem like an opportunity to initiate in mass harvesting and ncrease yields but it should be considered that many scientist along with Gelbp predict, “these initial increases will soon flatten, and a long-term diet of concentrated carbon dioxide will weaken plants,” (Gelbp 37) resulting in a less full-bodied, nutritious product. The fall in farm industry will ultimately pilot the increase of illness, death, and poverty, especially in third world countries. As briefly mentioned before, global warming will not only have an affect on our economy but also our health care system.

Naturally the rise of global temperature can be dangerous for humans because of the extreme weather conditions that are bodies are not accustomed to. A study by the EPA shows that an increase in “…the concentration of ozone at ground level due to higher air temperatures…” may lead to severe complications “for people with asthma and other lung related diseases”. Logically higher air temperatures could seriously impact those who live in southern areas of the world.

The EPA estimates that in Atlanta, for example, even a warming of about two degrees(F) would increase heat-related deaths from currently 78 people annually to anywhere from 96 to 247 people per year, which if translated into a global scene it would be a travesty. The Stern Review points out a shocking yet “scared straight” statistic for some, it expressed that the heat wave in Europe of 2003 killed 35,000 people and is estimates show that if temperatures increase 2 or 3 degrees(C) this number can come close to doubling.

Also the EPA has speculated that global warming will promote insect life in farther northern areas that were once unable to facilitate growth. In terms of providing medicine for the various diseases carried by the insects such as Malaria, Dengue fever, Nile virus, and Yellow fever, it worries me if government or medical help will be able to offer aid to enough people considering it’s hard enough to get an adequate amount of Flu vaccinations in a single season; imagine an extension of warm seasons with infected insects spreading and establishing themselves in “unknown territories,” this could be the next modern epidemic.

In the Heat Is On, a striking fact the author uses to convey a similar point of that of above is “A side effect to global warming are insect attacks. A study shows that Alaskan forests have suffered from severe outbreaks of bark beetles, which have devastated several million acres of forest” (Gelbp 141). With an increase in severe weather conditions, spread of disease, decline inhabitable land, and sea levels raising many people will be forced to flee their homes. In a 60 Minutes special one of the worlds leading authorities on climate control, Bob Corell, told the world that “98 percent of the world’s mountain glaciers are melting. This is a startling fact considering the impact that will have on coastal cities around the world. Corell proceeded to explain that sea levels around the world will increase three feet within 100 years. Melting glaciers will inevitably increase flood risk and water supplies around the world. Thus approximately “one-sixth of the world’s population” (Stern vi) will be threatened with drinkable water shortages and displacement. Being unable to produce food or purchase necessities, it is estimated that “tens to hundreds of millions of people, with warming of 3 or 4 degrees(C) will have to relocate” (Stern vi).

Although it is often thought just those in Africa, Asia, and small islands will be affected it should be known that large cities such as New York, Tokyo, London, and Cairo all possess an equal risk. An estimate put forth by the Stern Report states that “…by the middle of the century, 200 million people may become permanently displaced…” all of which can be attributed to rising sea levels, strong floods, and soil and water salinization. Increases in extreme weather patterns “could reduce global gross domestic product by up to 1%… A two to three degrees Celsius, up to 10% of global output could be lost…” (Stern Review).

Nations worldwide must see the broader economic and security factors of global warming. “The melting Artic is the proverbial canary in the coalmine of planetary health and a harbinger of how the warming planet will profoundly affect U. S. national security” (Borgerson 9). With an economy in distress such as the United States, investing in energy efficiency should seem like the logical step forward in the nation’s history but lobbyists and those who oppose, with their isolationist instinct, look to seek a profit and mask the environment’s downward spiraling transformation.

It is time we “…get on with the important work of mitigation and adaptation by managing the consequences of the great melt” (Borgerson 9) however this proves to be harder than environmentalists expected. Opposition to “green energy” has currently caused much debate, with slandering advertisements from both extremes of the spectrum. One combatant idea stems from the “respected economic analysts GlobalInsight, their estimations, in 2002, concluded that meeting the Kyoto target would reduce Germany’s GDP by 5. 2%, Spains by 5. 0%, the U. K. ’s by 4. %, and the Netherlands by 3. 8%” (Horner 259). These speculated values stressed the idea that cleaning the environment was just not worth the lost incurred with following the protocol. Another suggestion opponents of environmental cleanup is “Spain and Britain would lose a million jobs, while Germany would lose nearly 2 million jobs, thanks in part to 40% increase in electricity and heating cost” (Horner 259), an proposal that has proved to be false, although they have seen a loss in GDP many analysts believe it is due to rising fuel costs.

Since the estimations of those who consider global warming too large of a problem to deal with, surfaced to be a fallacy, a new concept was pushed into the media, thus influencing the public in their favor. “Between 2004 and 2005, the Artic lost 14 percent of itsperennial ice—the dense, thick ice that is the main obstacle to shipping. In the last 23 years, 41 percent of this hard, multiyear ice has vanished. ” (Borgerson 2).

To many this may seem like a grim glance into the future, but for commercial industries and government this is an opportunity to exploit our land. The artic region located near Alaska would be a prime spot for accessing gas reserves. President Bush has proposed that a three way treaty between the United States, Russia, and Canada should be created and refineries put in place. It would seem as if “big business” is blind to what must occur in order for them to have their chance at producing fuel from the gas reserves.

This plan is supported by the fact that it will lessen the dependency on foreign oil. Climate change will have an un-proportionate positive to negative effect ration except for idealists in the market looking to turn a profit. The Stern Report addressed argument that global warming will have a constructive role in the future for instance; places such as Russia and Canada will be beneficiaries of a 2 or 3 degrees (C) in the sense that climate change will lessen winter’s harshness eventually leading to lower winter mortality, and heating costs.

It is also believed that the surge of warmer climates may also increase tourism to once barren artic tundra regions. An efficient response to global climate change will depend on the actions of an internationally collaborative effort. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has realized this and formatted a treaty entitled the Kyoto Protocol. This protocol sets forth for almost every industrialized nation, except the United States and Kazakhstan, a guideline as to how much greenhouse gas they may emit within a year.

It proposes that countries with higher emissions of greenhouse gases be held responsible and require them to pay for more energy efficient activities in less developed countries, thus managing not so much limiting, the amount of harmful gases released and funding countries in need of further energy efficient program development. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, “over 50 nations representing 55 percent of industrialized nations’ emissions have agreed to ratify the protocol. ” To many economists this places the United States in the middle of the “war on global warming” and sees the U.

S. soon being forced to participate or face global environmental isolation. “Every country will need to adapt to climate change…” (Walker 163) although it will be much easier for some than others. Countries who barely produce enough GDP will find it harder to allocate funds to environmentally safe practices rather than an industrialized nation whose profits soar and money is easily set aside to research and development of “green” methods. “Already 3 global funds are aimed at aiding the least developed countries to adapt” (Walker 163).

As of April 2006, the Least Developed Country Fund has collected a sum of $89 million in actual funds. While the Special Climate Change Fund has received $45 million towards alternative manners of conduct and the estimated by the World Bank state the Clean Development Mechanism will have obtained close to $500 million by the year 2012 (Walker 163). It is ostensibly and economically understandable why so many countries fear the reduction of emissions the cost of mitigation, the loss of jobs, the public will become discontent with government.

However a transition to renewable energy would create millions of jobs globally and facilitate less fortunate nation’s raise of living standards without negatively compromising economic conditions of established countries. The transition from a high to a low greenhouse gas polluting economy will promote competitiveness and opportunity growth. For instance, Britain, within the next twelve years, has a targeted 20% increase in energy efficiency, 10% of vehicle traffic being powered by bio-fuels, and 15% of energy derived from renewable sources (Black).

Currently Sweden obtains about 5% of its electrical energy from water, this is called tidal power. Tidal power creates energy from the sea water that moves landwards, the current drives turbines which in effect generate energy. Another way to counteract global warming is the use of wind. Wind power is produced by use of wind mills, often clustered together on a wind farm, the force of the wind converts natural energy into a useful form such as electricity. Wind energy is easily harnessed, renewable, and is responsible for about 1% of world wide electricity use (Black). The importance of change is illustrated by the fact that world economic energy efficiency is presently improving at only half the rate of world economic growth” (U. S. Department of Energy). Another option to offset or maybe even neutralize the affects of global warming lies in the ideas set forth by an economic analyst Cliff May. May believes an “open standards” fuel law should be sanctioned that would require all new cars sold in the U. S. be Flexible Fuel Vehicles. Flexible fuel cars are automobiles that run not just on gasoline but a variety of alcohol and ethanol based fuels.

This would force consumers to buy these new cars that burn fuels cleaner than gasoline. One way of creating a demand for theses flex fuel cars would be to offer tax breaks as incentives for both the producer and consumer. An advantage that comes from alternative fuel such as ethanol is it is made from corn, sugar cane, sweet potatoes, and just about any starchy crop. Along with crops as possible “green” fuel sources, biomass for instance grass, crop residue, fallen leaves, weeds, and trash, all can serve a higher purpose and consequently are in abundance in the U. S. Before long, billions of dollars that we are now sending over seas could be going into the pockets of Americas—farmers, auto workers, alternative fuel producers and investors” (May 8A). Not only would alternative fuels create an economic stimulus, far greater than the checks sent out by President Bush, but it would help restore the environment. .

By adding to our consumption of an emerging market, alternative fueled automobiles, investing in companies that produce these fleets of vehicles, and taking away from government spending which follows the formula in calculating GDP, the U. S. ould be ranked number one. Additionally, a solution for increasing unemployment rates would finally be achieved. Also, being one the largest manufacturers of flexible fuel automobiles will enable international trade to increase significantly along with national income. There are limitless ideas as to what can rejuvenate the economy but few have hope of standing up to an idea this enveloping. It is worth keeping in mind that our past can serve as an example of how mankind reacted too late when faced with “threats like acid rain, deforestation, asbestos, CFCs, declining fisheries, BSE” (Black).

Simply, climate change will cause damage, in the sense that in what is done for our own benefit will cause harm to those in the future. Global warming can not be predicted with complete accuracy but enough can be inferred from the information and effects already available. “Mitigation- taking strong action to reduce emissions- must be viewed as an investment” (Stern i). Economists may see the fight against global warming as a cost incurred at this moment in order to avoid the repercussions of what the future may bring. And the less mitigation we do now, the greater complexity of ongoing adaptation will be.

The production and dispersing of low carbon or “green” technologies is critical in moving the world into a more sustainable condition. “There is no reason economic development and environmental stewardship cannot go hand in hand” (Borgerson 8).

Global clime alteration comprises alterations in long-term norms of twenty-four hours by twenty-four hours atmospheric status. Likewise long-term planetary clime alterations, in that regard are shorter status clime discrepancies. These climatically discrepancy may be comprised by cyclic or periodical interchanges attach toing, eruptions, or extra displacements in the planetary agreement. Concisely, clime follows long-term form of conditions status in a specific part.

A few work forces of scientific discipline define climate the average atmospheric status for a specific portion and period of clip, by and large appropriated 30-years. It is truly a just attack form of atmospheric status for a curious country.

As work forces of scientific discipline discuss clime, they are sing mean out of precipitation, temperature, humidity, sunshine, weaving speed, phenomena such as mist, freezing, and herald violent storms, and excess measurings of the conditions status that fall out across by clip period in a primary mark.

For case, later sing rain pot information, lake and unreal lake grades, and orbiter informations, work forces of scientific discipline can state whenever during a summertime, a part represented drier than ordinary status. If it stays drier across the way of several summer times, than it would expected to demo a convert in the clime.

Harmonizing to Encarta dictionary fluctuation in planetal conditions status forms: A long-term alteration in worldwide conditions figures, peculiarly growings in temperature and violent storm action, looked upon an expected result of the greenhouse event.

Literature Review

IPCC ( International Panel for Climate Change ) says unequivocally that the positions of technological idea represents that universe clime is being bore upon by human actions. Human Acts of the Apostless are altering the denseness of atmospherically factors that occupy or disperse bright energy. Almost the noticed warming up across the reasoning 50 ages comprises the increase in nursery emanation densenesss. Policy-makers and the mediums, particularly in the U.S.A, Oftentimes insist that clime scientific subject represents extremely doubtful. A few clasp this for a argument versus geting unobtrusive Numberss to cut back nursery emanation. Numerous inside information virtually on clime cardinal interactions are non well realized, and there are plentiful cause for go oning enquiry to supply a finer foundation for recognizing clime dynamicss. ( Oreskes, 2004 ) .

Climate:

Harmonizing to the lexicon, clime is defined as:

” The complex or by and large predominating upwind conditions of a part, as temperature, air force per unit area, humidness, precipitation, sunlight, cloud cover, and air currents, throughout the twelvemonth, averaged over a series of old ages ” .

Weather:

Whereas, conditions can be defined as:

” The province of the ambiance at a given clip and topographic point, with regard to variables such as temperature, wet, air current speed, and barometric force per unit area ” .

Global Heating:

Harmonizing to Botkin and Kelle R ( 2007 ) , Global Warming can be defined as:

” Addition in mean planetary temperature ”

or

” Global heating is when the Earth heats up ( the temperature rises ) . It happens when nursery gases ( C dioxide, H2O vapour, azotic oxide, and methane ) trap heat and visible radiation from the Sun in the Earth ‘s ambiance, which increase s the temperature ” . This contributes to the assorted environmental job and it does hold positive facets excessively. These all are discussed in later in the argument on both sides of the issues.

Green House Consequence:

Another natural procedure is the green house consequence. Greenhouse consequence is good every bit long as it is go oning at its moderate degree. But when the bound of Green House Effect increases, it is toxic for the human existences.

Global Dimming:

Mobile pinpoints in the air, discharged since the beginning of the technological revolution, think of lower sunlight contacts the orbiter aboveground. These microscopic pinpoints reflect the sunlight heat back off to distance – planetary dimming.

Manufacturing units like industries and conveyance are cutting down discharges, which is amending air quality. This could cut down the worldwide darkening result, and intend planetary heating might go on faster and be more terrible.

Events Of worldwide darkening

The impacts of worldwide darkening are tragical. It has already defeated bing beings on heavy grade. The reflective back up of heat energy has converted the organic structure of H2O of northern cerebral hemisphere colder. With organic structures of H2O temperature depressing lower rainfall is rendered and the demanded step of rainfall is ran out to carry through The Sahel, northwards Africa. It is at present discovered that the composite famine ‘s of 1970s and 1980s were stimulated by the lower sum of rains down. The BBC docudrama movie reasoned out that the smoke looking from human dynamos and pipages of northern U.S.A. and Europe is responsible for the devastation of 1000000s of populate in Africa although constructing the life of more than 50 million multitudes which were hapless. It is figured that one million millions of multitudes in Asia will be impacted by the worldwide blackening. The monsoon rain of Asia supply rain to virtually one-half of the earths population. If world-wide blackening will be capable to decrease the sum of rainfalls so one-half of the humanistic disciplines ( around three billion people ) will be hungering.

Positive consequence of Global Dimming

The advantageous position of worldwide darkening comprises that it compensates the forceful results of worldwide warming. It is anticipated by the planetary clime alteration examples that the temperature of land will derive by five points by the undermentioned century. The affair has soon underrated the effect of worldwide warming.

The most critical mark in that discourse is the world that if thrusts are made up to look into worldwide darkening than world-wide warming will be in turn disclosed. The beams of visible radiation of Sun can be recalled upon Earth by runing the discharge from diligences but it will be directed to increasingly worldwide warming as the nursery emanations are on manus in abundance in the air. To unclutter up on the instance let us reexamine the case of Europe in 2003. Europe drives to do clean the ambiance from pollutants without bearing in head the overweening measure of nursery emanations. As an result, the sum of harmful pinpoints came down where the figure of nursery emanations stayed indistinguishable. It without uncertainty reduced the strength of feminine in Sahel by turning the figure of rainfalls but it besides produced the awful heat energy axial rotation in 2003 that shot down 1000s of multitudes in Portugal and France and affected the celibate with a figure of extra events.

Small nomadic molecules ( aerosols ) from natural roots, such as blowholes, wildfires, dust, sea-salt sprayer and desert littorals every bit good hold a chilling system consequence on the planet so deducing the affect of wholly all instances of aerosols on the clime is important.

Argument on clime alteration

There are fundamentally two types of positions when it comes to the grounds of the planetary heating. The first position is that planetary heating is happening of course and has nil to make with human ingestion and activities. Whereas, the 2nd position is that Human activity causes planetary heating. Largely, groundss are on the side that human activity causes planetary heating. As, NASA says in the universe book that most of the scientists who are climatologists, they believe that human activity causes planetary heating. The anthropogenetic activity causes planetary warming in such a manner that the increased usage of fossil fuels and deforestation leads to the increased green house consequence which finally leads to the planetary heating, The combustion of fossil fuels create C dioxide which is a green house gas. This C dioxide so goes into the ambiance and lead to the green house consequence. In the same manner, glade of trees from land besides leads to the accretion of C dioxide in the ambiance and contributes to planetary heating.

The other position provinces that addition in the sum of green house gases is non that massive that it leads to planetary heating. This procedure has occurred of course as the sum of heat emitted by Sun is increased. This natural phenomenon can be the ground of planetary heating, the scientists against this construct says that increased in the radiation of Sun has lead to the recent warming non planetary heating.

Furthermore, in the clime argument of ” what ‘s warming us up? Human Activity or Mother Nature ” on scientific discipline day-to-day intelligence, there are no protagonists of merely one side, instead bulk in the Inter-governmental International Panel on Climate Change IPCC and Non-governmental International Panel on Climate Change ( NIPCC ) are the protagonists of both scenarios. They say that human ingestion and natural warming both wholly are the grounds of the planetary heating and non merely one alone can be the ground of planetary heating.

The argument can be farther categorized by the information in favour of clime alteration and against the clime alteration.

Information in favour of clime alteration

A Paper was issued by United Nations in february that grounds out that worldwide warming is traveling on and will transport on since 100s. The article likewise expressed with big certain thing that the human activities has followed the basic ground of accelerative temperatures during the past old ages, on those coatings and the findings of other work forces of scientific discipline that worldwide warming up is present and will transport on into the predictable clip to come. ( Rosenberg, 2010 ) .

A more distinguished works life development and gentler clime is assumed by scientists in Arctic, Antarctic, Siberia, and extra glacial parts of universe as a effect of planetary clime alteration. It is similarly pretended that the undermentioned glacial period perchance be kept from taking topographic point. Climate convert succeeds energy outgo to a lesser extent to warm up cold points. Cold conditions status makes less deceasing or injuries when equated to ramping atmospheric status. Warm conditions conditions consequences in enhanced agrarian output in some localised parts. Hot conditions bring in mountains gain in height because of runing down glaciers, traveling more high as they bounce versus the dropping weight of the ice. Global clime alteration sets an terminal to Boundary challenges between provinces across lowland islands. ( Rosenberg, 2010 ) .

Numerous multitudes think that human-caused discharges of nursery emanation will direct to more high-pitched temperatures and exaggerated precipitation during the 21st 100. Likewise, it is conceived that these displacements might bear an invasion on economical public assistance. Newly geographic expedition or findings cast off current visible radiation with unitary important position. It is seen that changes in temperatures and precipitation prefigure by the acceptable forms of planetary clime alteration will in world do good to agribusiness in U.S.A.. They discover that the drawn-out developing times of twelvemonth and contributed precipitation entailed by the virtually quoted world-wide clime interchange will be given to step-up agriculture end products and thereby raise the favorableness of agribusiness. The forms of planetary clime alteration anticipate that, ordinary temperatures will originate from about 50F and precipitation will eventually average out around eight inches much yearly. Using these prediction, aggregated with the effects of agone hesitations in temperature and precipitation, it is reasoned out that farming productivity in the United States is in all chance to go up slightly around 4 per centum referable to climate alteration, bring forthing profitable net incomes. ( Benjamin, 2007 ) .

A Modern examines by Spiegel searches the favourable chances of worldwide warming. Following are a few inside informations which will bear informant that worldwide warming will do northwards intellectual hemisphere more light-green:

The effect of age long study by work forces of scientific discipline discovers the world that the flora in northern cerebral hemisphere gets expanded 8 to 12 per centum over in the North America and Eurasia. This demonstrates that at the continent-wide ordered series, atmospherical C dioxide, temperature, and precipitation reply for for 49 % , 31 % , and 13 % of the growing ingrowing clip of twelvemonth. Brought up dumbness of C dioxide heightens fertilisation consequence, that will work wonders upon workss that employ wholly three of the taking bio chemic piece of lands of photosynthesis The productivity of herbs can be supercharged about a 3rd in reaction to a 300ppm growing in the air ‘s C dioxide substance. Contrarily, ligneous works will exhibit an add-on in development of 50 % .

A study carried by National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientists on equatorial forests in Africa, Asia, and the Amazon exposed that the new displacements in atmospherical C dioxide and clime advanced planetal gross. Worldwide warming up ballads out with opportunities and takes exclusion.

Information Against Climate Change

Climate alteration leads to defy Ocean circulation which causes unidentified results on universe clime. Greater low-lying caputs to overruning of low-lying evidences and devastations and disease from downpour and riddance takes topographic point. Deserts acquire dry go forthing to increased desertification. Transportations to farming end product that can head to alimentary deficits. Climate alteration causes H2O supply dearths in already water-scarce countries Famishment, malnutrition, and enhanced deceasing ascribable to alimentary and harvest shortages. More utmost conditions and an increased frequence of terrible and ruinous storms is the result of such a planetary alteration. It leads to raised disease in human existences and other life animals. Enhanced deaths from heating moving ridges are caused.

Extinction of more species o f animals and works life. Want of animate being and works life place evidences are good seen. More frequent exile of those from lower lands move to more flush to seek better or non-deadly fortunes. It requires a auxiliary exercising of energy resourcefulness for temperature decrease. Raised air taint is one of its effects.Expanded allergic reaction and bronchial asthma gaits ascribable to earliest blossoming. Dissolving of permafrost foliages to desolation of societal construction, landslides, and axial rotations down have become a day-to-day portion of Earth ‘s change. It induces enduring want of glaciers. Increased sourness in rainfall to great extents which have truly worst effects on environment. Destruction of woods leads to heighten forest Burnss in sizing and impregnation. ( Rosenberg, 2010 ) .

Climate alteration addresses the diffuse of disease. As northern countries warm up, disease keeping worms transmigrate north, presenting harass and disease with them. So a few work forces of scientific discipline conceive that it is because of worldwide warming that malaria has n’t eliminated. Warm clime gets heater organic structures of H2O and legion hurricanes for the temperature of seas comes up, hence will the opportunity of more regular hurricanes gets increased. This leads to spread out chance and volume of drouths and heat flourishes and some part s will endure serious drouths and heat moving ridges. Harmonizing to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, worldwide warming will decline the footings and forced wars between parts. Worldly issues of the results of anthropogenetic planetary heating wo n’t be good. Hurricanes tend to pass one million millions of dollars in equipment casualty, diseases cost gross to procedure and laterality and conflicts worsen wholly the whole. ( Simmons, 2010 ) .

” The evidences for a warming orbiter is supported by lessons of prevailing eruptions in a part called the Siberian Traps. While the orbiter warmed up, heavy measures of glacial methane gas below the sea might hold been discharged to trip off flight greenhouse warming ” , Ward said.

Ward said. ” It got hotter and hotter until it reached a critical point and everything died, ” . ” It was a double-whammy of heater temperatures and low O, and most life could n’t cover with it ” . ” More than 90 per centum of all species were wiped out ” . ( Brit, 2005 ) .

Discussion And Decision

So we have seen assorted facets of planetary clime alteration both in favour and against it. These are backed up by surveies of different people and scientists. In my position the disadvantages or drawbacks of planetary clime alteration are more of worth to detect the environmental effects so does the advantages of such alteration. Several points have been mentioned by Rosinberg, Simmons and Brit like diseases, inundations, starvations, sick nutriments, ozone depletion and deceases of life animals, which I think are more of import in a large image of environmental alterations which tend to harm the environment at most.

Hence I will reason my research study as planetary heating or planetary clime alteration have inauspicious effects on the nature and life beings. The jobs are more in figure and at extremes than the advantages of planetary clime alteration.