Essay links and reserch

Human beings have increased the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere by about thirty percent, which is an extremely significant increase, even on inter-glacial timescales. It is believed that human beings are responsible for this because the increase is almost perfectly correlated with increases in fossil fuel combustion, and also due other evidence, such as changes in the ratios of different carbon isotopes in atmospheric CO2 that are consistent with "anthropogenic" (human caused) emissions. The simple fact is, that under "business as usual" conditions, we'll soon reach carbon dioxide concentrations that haven't been seen on Earth in the last 50 million years.

Combustion of Fossil Fuels, for electricity generation, transportation, and heating, and also the manufacture of cement, all result in the total worldwide emission of about 22 billion tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere each year. About a third of this comes from electricity generation, and another third from transportation, and a third from all other sources.

This enormous input of CO2 is causing the atmospheric levels of CO2 to rise dramatically. The following graph shows the CO2 levels over the past 160 thousand years (the upper curve, with units indicated on the right hand side of the graph). The current level, and projected increase over the next hundred years if we do not curb emissions, are also shown (the part of the curve which goes way up high, to the right of the current level, is the projected CO2 rise). The projected increase in CO2 is very startling and disturbing. Changes in the Earth's average surface temperature are also shown (the lower curve, with units on the left). Note that it parallels the CO2 level curve very well.


Date: Abailable in 4 of september 2014
Link http://www.nmsea.org/Curriculum/Primer/Global_Warming/fossil_fuels_and_global_warming.htm

For some, it’s easier to know more about the opposing viewpoints on the matter than to truly understand just what global warming entails. So let’s go over the basics.

In a nutshell, global warming refers to the average rise in temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans. This is caused by an abnormal amount of greenhouse gasses produced in the form of smog and other air pollutants that damage our atmosphere and cause the sun’s heat to intensify.

Sounds like a pretty big deal, right? Except you would be surprised how little people are willing to consider the matter or even acknowledge it. Well, maybe you wouldn’t. The fact of the matter is that the initial change was so gradual we really barely noticed it. And, of course, there are those that believe that there is no such thing as global warming – that it’s some liberal pseudoscience concocted by the democratic agenda.

However, the fact remains that, in recent years, our greenhouse gas production was grown exponentially and, with it, we have seen almost instantaneous and detrimental effects on the environment. To say that these two things are unrelated would be scientific blasphemy of the highest kind.

Date : March 10, 2012

Link : http://www.climateexchangeplc.com/2012/03/10/seriously-just-what-exactly-is-global-warming/