Is Global Warming Due to Human Actions?

Table of Contents

Introduction3

Thesis Statement3

Discussion3

Global Warming is Caused Due to Human Actions3

Global Warming is Not Caused Due to Human Actions5

Conclusions5

References6

Is Global Warming Due to Human Actions?

Introduction

The science now firmly believes that global warming is happening. Yet the alleged “climate skeptics” are now recognizing this fact. However, the debate continues that whether global warming is caused due to human activities or not. Thus, the facts and figures prove that human actions are pretty much involved in causing global warming.

Thesis Statement

At this post-industrial age, human activity is the major cause of highly observed global warming.

Discussion

Global Warming is Caused Due to Human Actions

The global population has grown to such an extent in absolute numbers and in per capita footprint that extensive surface changes have been created by human activity. For example, the intense development found in cities is so pronounced that a new set of climatic conditions is created, called the urban heat island effect (Godrej, 2001). Because global wind patterns and ocean currents effectively redistribute heat energy, the climate of the entire planet is being altered. In fact, higher latitudes are experiencing far greater warming than are lower latitudes. Such extensive change has the potential to move our planet to a new stage unknown in human history, and to entirely revise socioeconomic systems.

In the developed world, economies are largely driven by fossil fuels. The developing world is increasingly relying on fossil fuels as well. The preponderance of electricity is generated through coal-fired power plants. Crude oil is used to provide space heat in homes and office buildings, and is refined to make gasoline to power automobiles and trucks. Fossil fuels were formed over the course of millions of years, when organic matter became covered with sediments and became buried in fossil rock (McKibben, 2007). When those fuels are drilled, mined, and burned, the carbon that was stored for eons is released back into the atmosphere very rapidly. Presently, the burning of organic compounds is adding far greater amounts of CaO2 to the atmosphere than photosynthesis on land or in the oceans can remove. Approximately 8 billion tons of CO2 are added to the atmosphere each year, and about half is removed by the oceans and vegetation on land. Consequently, approximately 4 billion tons of CO2 are added to the atmosphere annually. By the year 2025, the amount of CO2 added annually is expected to increase to between 9 and 15 billion tons. For years beyond 2025, estimates are highly variable, due to uncertainties about whether the countries with major emissions will take steps to reduce their output of greenhouse gases. If not, emission levels by 2100 could be five times as high as today. The present CO2 content of the atmosphere is higher than at any other time in at least the past 650,000 years. The concentration is now nearly 40 percent more than in the preindustrial era, and is increasing at an average rate of about 1.8 ppm annually. However, in 2007, world emissions of CO2 ...