There are many concerns about the changes in the overall climate of the earth. One of these dangerous climate problems is referred to as global warming. Global warming refers to the recent and ongoing rise in global average temperature near Earth 's surface. However, global warming itself represents only one aspect of climate change. Some people think that these changes are a result of natural events; others think it is human activity and some think it is a combination of both. In this paper we will discuss what is climate change, the human contributions, natural causes, consequences and what can be done regarding global warming. Global warming is a big issue nowadays but before we start going into the causes of climate change we first
…show more content…
The main reason for human contributions to climate change is by releasing billons of carbon dioxide and other heat trapping gasses into the atmosphere every year. Every year, almost 7 billion tons of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere by human activity. Humans have been releasing greenhouse gases by burning fossil fuels, clearing out the forests, fertilizing crops, and storing waste in landfills. All of these factors have been contributing to the climate change. Another way humans contribute to climate change is by agriculture and road construction. According to the EPA, urban areas are often much warmer than surrounding, less populated areas. This phenomenon is called urban heat islands. According to the book Reducing Urban Heat Islands, the annual mean air temperature of a city with one million or more people can be 1.8 to 5.4°F (1 to 3°C) warmer than its surrounding cities. This is because the more people who live in an area, the more carbon dioxide they release into the atmosphere. A big contribution to carbon dioxide release is the burring of gasoline. It is scary to think that just a single gallon of gasoline that is burned, puts about 19 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. With too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, it acts like a blanket which will then trap heat and in return will warm the planet. Over the years this carbon dioxide blanket has been getting worse …show more content…
The frequencies of heat waves have been increasing. Unless we take action to stop this, these global warming affects will continue to grow and get worse. We need solutions to prevent these future projections. There are some ways that everyone can help reduce global warming. One thing is to reduce, reuse and recycle. This means choose reusable products, buy minimal packaging, and always recycle. Another small thing that people can do is to use less heat and air conditioning. Adding insulation to your walls can lower heating costs to more than 25 percent. You can also turn down the heat while you are sleeping at night or when you are away during the day to lower you electrical bill. People can also replace light bulbs with compact florescent light bulbs. According to West’s article, if every U.S family replaced one regular light bulb with a compact florescent one, it would eliminate 90 billion pounds of greenhouse gases, which is the same as taking 7.5 million cars off the road. That would be a huge beneficial impact on the environment if we could get everyone to change their light bulbs. Another small but beneficial thing that people can do is to drive less, walking and biking is always an option but if people need to use cars then you should always make sure that your car is running efficiently. For example keeping your tire properly inflated can improve gas mileage by more than 3
The main reason for human contributions to climate change is by releasing billons of carbon dioxide and other heat trapping gasses into the atmosphere every year. Every year, almost 7 billion tons of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere by human activity. Humans have been releasing greenhouse gases by burning fossil fuels, clearing out the forests, fertilizing crops, and storing waste in landfills. All of these factors have been contributing to the climate change. Another way humans contribute to climate change is by agriculture and road construction. According to the EPA, urban areas are often much warmer than surrounding, less populated areas. This phenomenon is called urban heat islands. According to the book Reducing Urban Heat Islands, the annual mean air temperature of a city with one million or more people can be 1.8 to 5.4°F (1 to 3°C) warmer than its surrounding cities. This is because the more people who live in an area, the more carbon dioxide they release into the atmosphere. A big contribution to carbon dioxide release is the burring of gasoline. It is scary to think that just a single gallon of gasoline that is burned, puts about 19 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. With too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, it acts like a blanket which will then trap heat and in return will warm the planet. Over the years this carbon dioxide blanket has been getting worse …show more content…
The frequencies of heat waves have been increasing. Unless we take action to stop this, these global warming affects will continue to grow and get worse. We need solutions to prevent these future projections. There are some ways that everyone can help reduce global warming. One thing is to reduce, reuse and recycle. This means choose reusable products, buy minimal packaging, and always recycle. Another small thing that people can do is to use less heat and air conditioning. Adding insulation to your walls can lower heating costs to more than 25 percent. You can also turn down the heat while you are sleeping at night or when you are away during the day to lower you electrical bill. People can also replace light bulbs with compact florescent light bulbs. According to West’s article, if every U.S family replaced one regular light bulb with a compact florescent one, it would eliminate 90 billion pounds of greenhouse gases, which is the same as taking 7.5 million cars off the road. That would be a huge beneficial impact on the environment if we could get everyone to change their light bulbs. Another small but beneficial thing that people can do is to drive less, walking and biking is always an option but if people need to use cars then you should always make sure that your car is running efficiently. For example keeping your tire properly inflated can improve gas mileage by more than 3