Essay Sample on Climate Change: Human vs Natural Causes

Introduction

Climate change debate in the media is divided into two sides. One side contends that human factors are responsible for the causes whereas the other side argues on natural factors. The case for global warming and climate change rests on human activities. In many cases, it is clear that carbon dioxide from the greenhouse is produced by human activities. At the same time, since the pre-industrialized times, there has been an unprecedented amount of carbon dioxide, which is emitted from the industries and then concentrates in the atmosphere hence leading to climatic change. To that fact, scientific understanding of climatic change has justified that various countries need to take action and control all human activities that involve the emission of gases. Therefore, it is explicit that human activities produce carbon dioxide, which increases the level of greenhouse gases, pollution, and contamination.

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Climate change has fluctuated considerably over time up to the fact that nobody understands why the climate varies. Whether scientists agree that there are unknown reasons because of internal variability, human activities give enough evidence of the changes that are experienced in the world today. Natural processes in the emission of gases like carbon dioxide give a balance to the gases produced in the atmosphere. Other causes can be juxtaposed to changes in the concentration of greenhouse gases (Boykoff and Boykoff 1204). The high amount of gases emitted partake to pollution hence explaining the causes for the current global warming. Similarly, a high rate of carbon dioxide results in temperature fluctuation something that changes the normal solar activity.

Scientists are basing their predictions that climate change is caused by the new ice age an indication that was disapproved in the 1970s (Wang and Chameides 3) Actually, scientists avow that the planet is warmed by greenhouse gases hence increasing carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere. This lead to fluctuations other than the ones that were caused by the ice ages. The resulting is the changes in global temperature an indication that can clarify that humans interfere with the normal system of the climate. Atmospheric temperatures are halting and turning headlines in the global press as compared to imminent age. However, the skeptics fail to admit that global warming is a serious issue and concern which in turn require global cooling. Gases produced from the greenhouse impact the climate and energy balance. The gases particularly carbon dioxide make the atmosphere warmer and disturbs the balance between the incoming and output energy adding to more problems in the atmosphere. They prevent the escape of excess heat into space hence contamination and pollution.

Many common daily activities, such as heating, cooling buildings, industrial combustion, driving automobiles, and combustion of fossil fuels release carbon dioxide through increased biomass decay. These activities also increase the levels of greenhouse gases such as Carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, and water vapor. As a result of that, the global atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide are currently at thirty percent, which is above the pre-industrial levels. In the United States alone, combustion of fossil fuels such as gas, oil, and coal account to nearly eighty percent of carbon dioxide emissions (Olah 493). Due to the increase of greenhouse gases in the troposphere, the earth's climate has been changing. The reason is greenhouse gases erode the ozone layer and ultraviolet rays penetrate through the atmosphere to the earth surface causing global warming. Additionally, due to a chemical reaction between sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxides with water in the atmosphere causes acid rain which reduces the level of oxygen in water surfaces for sea creatures, and hinders the nitrogen fixation process in plants. It is all attributed to the increase in greenhouse gases which emanates from human activities.

Methane is also an example of greenhouse gas, and it emanates from human activities such as activities in the natural gas industry, landfills, and gas emitted by increased livestock keeping (Olah 490). Use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which were used in refrigerants and aerosol propellants. Plastic bags have serious effects on the eco-system as once they get into the soil, they tend to slowly release toxic chemicals such as methane which deteriorates the ozone layer (Olah 490). The effects of the greenhouse gases on the planet include; changes in temperature, raising the sea level, changes in precipitation and weather patterns could be detrimental to the health of children.

According to research done by an intergovernmental panel on Climate Changes and the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates declining air qualities in major cities by 2025. It will be attributed to the growing number of human activities which are increasing the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (Bartra 7). For instance, in 2007, an estimated sixty-five percent of children in the United States resided in nations which the eight-hour ozone layer standard was exceeded on at least one day per year. Rising temperatures may reduce the air quality through augmenting the formation of the ground-level atmosphere which is the main cause of urban smog. These kinds of exposures may cause adverse health effects in children, such as wheezing, chest pains, shortness of breath, and short-term infections like bronchitis.

The timing, frequency, and duration of weather patterns may be hampered by an increase in carbon emission which may elicit extreme weather conditions such as heat waves, hurricanes, floods, and droughts (Sheffield 296). Increased human activities especially channeling of waste in water bodies may be risky to humans as they will be subjected to water and food-borne diseases, due to the breakdown of sewer systems and sanitation caused by clogging of plastic materials, needles which do not decompose (Perera 14). According to research done by the CDC, infectious diarrhea is responsible for an estimated 1.7 million child mortality annually, mostly affecting children in developing countries (Perera 12). According to another survey done from 1992 to 2007 shows that the incidence of Lyme disease is augmenting in children age 6-15 years. Most kids are susceptible to tick bites since they tend to play outside and close to the ground. These are the effects that human activities can cause once the greenhouse gases are emitted in the atmosphere.

In order to deviate from reducing the quality of air further, it is our responsibility to ensure we opt to greenways that will ensure the greenhouse gas emissions are reduced (Enkvist 34). Such ways include; afforestation practices, purchasing products that can be reused, recycled, and reduce waste in the atmosphere, purchasing energy-efficient products (Hoffman 40). Using less heat during combustion, and using off-switch methods will help reduce global warming through switching off lights when leaving the room.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our understanding of climate change can now be evidenced in human causation rather than natural factors. The facts above are sufficient to develop an action plan which can monitor human activities that emit gases to the atmosphere. Global warming and climate change result in environmental problems that make the atmosphere unfit for human stay. At the same hand, rapid heating needs to be stopped in order to trap solar radiation, which is entirely all greenhouse activities. These are among the activities that result in the atmosphere becoming warm hence climate changes. The cause of climate change is both natural and artificial but human activities are more shattering.

Works Cited

Bartra, J., et al. "Air pollution and allergens." J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol 17.Suppl 2 (2007): 3-8.

Boykoff, Maxwell T., and Jules M. Boykoff. "Climate change and journalistic norms: A case-study of US mass-media coverage." Geoforum 38.6 (2007): 1190-1204.

Hoffman, Andrew J. "Climate change strategy: The business logic behind voluntary greenhouse gas reductions." California Management Review 47.3 (2005): 21-46.

Olah, George A., Alain Goeppert, and GK Surya Prakash. "Chemical recycling of carbon dioxide to methanol and dimethyl ether: from greenhouse gas to renewable, environmentally carbon neutral fuels and synthetic hydrocarbons." The Journal of organic chemistry 74.2 (2008): 487-498.

Perera, Frederica. "Pollution from fossil-fuel combustion is the leading environmental threat to global pediatric health and equity: Solutions exist." International journal of environmental research and public health 15.1 (2017): 1-17

Plambeck, Erica L. "Reducing greenhouse gas emissions through operations and supply chain management." Energy Economics 34 (2012): S64-S74.

Sheffield, Perry E., and Philip J. Landrigan. "Global climate change and children's health: threats and strategies for prevention." Environmental health perspectives 119.3 (2010): 291-298.

Wang, James, and Bill Chameides. "Are Humans Responsible for Global Warming?." A review of the facts. Environmental Defense, New York (http://www. pdf. org/home. com) (2007).