Global Warming: Myth or Reality The weather on our planet is constantly changing. Much of it has to do with many different factors. These include astronomical, geological, meteorological, oceanographic, and anthropogenic (Global Warming, 2003). Variations in solar outputs are one of the important factors that determine the Earth’s climate. Different terrestrial factors also determine how much energy from the sun is reflected back into space. These factors include speed and direction of ocean currents, variations in atmospheric composition, cloud coverage, or volcanic activity (Natural variations in temperature, 2003). One of the largest determining factors of global climate change can be contributed to anthropogenic interference from greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases that can be directly attributed to humans include sulfur hexafluoride, hydrofluorocarbons, and chloroflurocarbons (Greenhouse Gases, 2007). Chlorofluorocarbons come from aerosol sprays, refrigerators, and other sources (Polluting the Earth’s Atmosphere, 2003). Hydrofluorocarbons are a by-product of industrial manufacturing. Sulfur hexafluoride is used by the electric industry, window glazing companies, and medical community and is one of the most potent greenhouse gases because of its density compared to air. These gases help trap long-wave infra-red radiation and are gradually increasing average global temperatures by as much as 1.2°F since the middle of the 19th century according to models. Temperatures have been rising because of greenhouse gases much longer than this however, and for many different reasons. Anthropogenic climate change is not only limited to modern day greenhouse gases like CFCs and HFCs. Increases in naturally occurring gases like carbon dioxide and methane also contribute to the greenhouse effect. Forest fires in places like the Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua burn strong enough that carbon monoxide is formed at ratios as high as 360 parts per billion by volume of air (The social and political effects of global warming, 2003). These extremely dense pockets of CO cause a biogeophysical feedback altering temperatures and affecting levels of future global warming. In the past, paleoclimatologists have studied much of the same anthropogenic climate change dating back to the late Holocene (Holocene, 2006). Paleoclimatologists find a better understanding of the Earth’s climate through studying various disciplines of geology like sedimentology, paleontology, climate dynamics, and ocean physics (Paleoclimatology, 2006). Evidence suggests that as far back as 11,500 years Native Americans have been igniting massive fires, such as what we are now witnessing today in Central America that lead to overall shifts in global climate, resulting in warmer and drier conditions (Abrams & Nowacki, 2008). Positive correlations exist maintaining that Native Americans burned forests for different reasons and inadvertently participated in dramatic postglacial changes over the continent. Some of the reasons Native Americans burned large tracts of land for game management and to promote agricultural growth when farming their three major staples- squash, maize, and climbing beans or “the three sisters” because of the ways the plants favorably grow with one another. Paleoclimatologists have also been able to link increased temperatures during the past 2000 years to variations in foramineral and stable isotope records (Erbs-Hansen et al, 2012). During the mid to late Holocene, rising temperatures have been linked to the Roman Warm Period and Medieval Warm Period by studying the amounts of low-quality nutrients available to archaic flora around the Skagen Channel. This suggests anthropogenic interference led to these changes and affected climate equilibriums on a global scale causing fluctuations in temperatures leading to a mini-ice age in between these periods. This is due to thermal convections and re-stratification of the ocean’s mean surface temperatures causing massive spikes with global implications. During the Holocene Thermal Maximum, deforestation helped contribute to the opening of the English Channel and the forming of the Bering Sea land-bridge. Carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide, formed in the absence of air in higher concentrations contribute to the pendulum swinging back-and-forth between warmer and cooler climates as the Earth’s natural biogeochemical processes attempt to find their natural balance despite anthropogenic interference. There are still ways we can attempt to aid the planet find equilibrium. Exergy is a term used to describe ways to find the maximum work potential of a system to reduce wasteful emissions (Exergy Analysis of Waste Emissions, 2004). Understanding such things as environomics, and environmental pollution costs, can help engineers build better modes of transportation. Until better thermodynamic systems are developed some base measures that help steady atmospheric concentration and are currently being encouraged include national and international programs on energy conservation with tax incentives, phasing out CFCs, reversing levels of deforestation by protecting the rainforest and planting programs encouraging succession, using public transportation and raising vehicle taxes, and switching to renewable sources of energy like solar energy, water and tidal power (Carbon dioxide, 2000). Although current legislation has all but sidestepped these pressing issues, with continued vigilance and stewardship of the Earth’s precious resources we may be able to find more sustainable methods to live without causing catastrophic or cataclysmic global events that would endanger the future of our species across the globe. References Abrams, M.D., & Nowacki, G.J. (2008). Native Americans as active and passive promoters of mast and fruit trees in the eastern USA. Holocene, 18(7), 1123-1137. Carbon dioxide (CO2). (2000). In Dictionary of Environmental Science and Technology. Retrieved from credoreference.proxy.cecybrary/entry/wileyenvsci/carbon_dioxide_co2 Erbs-Hansen, D., Knudsen, K., Gary, A., Gyllencreutz, R., & Jansen, E. (2012). Holocene climatic development in Skagerrak, eastern North Atlantic: Foraminiferal and stable isotopic evidence. Holocene, 22(3), 301-312. doi:10:10.1177/0959683611423689 Exergy Analysis of Waste Emissions. (2004). In Encyclopedia of Energy. Retrieved from credoreference.proxy.cecybrary/entry/estenergy/exergy_analysis_of_waste_emissions Global Warming. (2003). In Guide to Global Hazards. Retrieved from credoreference.proxy.cecybrary/entry/philipsglobalhaz/global_warming Greenhouse Gases. (2007). In The A to Z of Corporate Social Responsibility. Retrieved from credoreference.proxy.cecybrary/entry/wileyazcsr/greenhouse_gases Holocene. (2006). In McGraw-Hill Concise Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. Retrieved from credoreference.proxy.cecybrary/entry/conscitech/holocene Natural variations in temperature. (2003). In Guide to Global Hazards. Retrieved from credoreference.proxy.cecybrary/entry/philipsglobalhaz/natural_variations_in_temperature Paleoclimatology. (2006). In McGraw-Hill Concise Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. Retrieved from credoreference.proxy.cecybrary/entry/conscitech/paleoclimatology Polluting the Earth’s atmosphere. (2003). In Guide to Global Hazards. Retrieved from credoreference.proxy.cecybrary/entry/philipsglobalhaz/polluting_the_earth_s_atmosphere The social and political effects of global warming. (2003). In Guide to Global Hazards. Retrieved from credoreference.proxy.cecybrary/entry/philipsglobalhaz/the_social_and_political_effects_of_global_warming
Posted on: Sat, 24 Aug 2013 04:09:57 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015