A large majority of environmental scientists, professors, conservationists, engineers, and, in many cases, the average civilian, has realized the potential of disaster that can be caused by the rapidly-changing climate within the Earth’s atmosphere, expressing this in speeches and writings. Doing this, they are right, as one day we will witness the effects, which this paper will explain, caused by our own daily actions and the actions of other beings, including “Mother Nature”. Climate is defined as the analysis of accumulated weather data for long term patterns and trends. The Oxford Reference Dictionary defines change as, "To make or become different." Global Climate change is therefore defined as "long-term weather patterns and trends becoming
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Global climate change can occur because of, both, natural and unnatural causes. Examples of natural causes of global climate change are volcanic eruptions, variations in Earth’s orbit around the sun, and variations in solar output. Examples of human-induced causes of global climate change include industrial pollutants, combustion of fossil fuels, increase in average annual temperature due to increased urbanization and human respiration, and atmospheric “thinning” caused by deforestation of tropical rainforests. Global climate change, within the context of this article, will refer mainly to the changes caused by human activity, as these changes alter the Earth’s climate far more than natural causes, as they are far …show more content…
This radiation is then recycled and emitted as long-wave terrestrial radiation. Gases, such as water vapor and carbon dioxide, absorb this radiation, detains it in the atmosphere, and therefore maintains a warmer temperature within the Earth’s atmosphere than it would otherwise be if there wasn’t an atmosphere. This is what meteorologists refer to as the "natural greenhouse effect". Carbon dioxide “...is considered the trace gas of greatest importance because of the substantial increase in its atmospheric concentration as well as its probable continued rise due to global consumption of fossil fuels” (Rhodes, 116). It has become clear that, from reviewing evidence, carbon dioxide concentrations are increasing dramatically in the atmosphere. In fact, the carbon dioxide emissions throughout the United States have increased by nearly one million metric tons from 1990 to 2000, but fortunately have roughly decreased by half-a-million metric tons from 2007 to 2013. Although there may quite likely be several possible benefits to the effect of increased carbon dioxide concentrations within the Earth’s atmosphere, "...the main concerns have focused on the possibility that increasing carbon dioxide might
Global climate change can occur because of, both, natural and unnatural causes. Examples of natural causes of global climate change are volcanic eruptions, variations in Earth’s orbit around the sun, and variations in solar output. Examples of human-induced causes of global climate change include industrial pollutants, combustion of fossil fuels, increase in average annual temperature due to increased urbanization and human respiration, and atmospheric “thinning” caused by deforestation of tropical rainforests. Global climate change, within the context of this article, will refer mainly to the changes caused by human activity, as these changes alter the Earth’s climate far more than natural causes, as they are far …show more content…
This radiation is then recycled and emitted as long-wave terrestrial radiation. Gases, such as water vapor and carbon dioxide, absorb this radiation, detains it in the atmosphere, and therefore maintains a warmer temperature within the Earth’s atmosphere than it would otherwise be if there wasn’t an atmosphere. This is what meteorologists refer to as the "natural greenhouse effect". Carbon dioxide “...is considered the trace gas of greatest importance because of the substantial increase in its atmospheric concentration as well as its probable continued rise due to global consumption of fossil fuels” (Rhodes, 116). It has become clear that, from reviewing evidence, carbon dioxide concentrations are increasing dramatically in the atmosphere. In fact, the carbon dioxide emissions throughout the United States have increased by nearly one million metric tons from 1990 to 2000, but fortunately have roughly decreased by half-a-million metric tons from 2007 to 2013. Although there may quite likely be several possible benefits to the effect of increased carbon dioxide concentrations within the Earth’s atmosphere, "...the main concerns have focused on the possibility that increasing carbon dioxide might