Environment/Pollution: The Issues of Climate Change
The climate changes today have been sped up due to the activities and action of humans. There have been crucial changes in the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere growing at a rapidly increasing rate. The earth faces changes in its atmosphere due to natural causes such as volcanic eruptions, ocean current, the earth’s orbital changes and the processes of the solar system. Mankind has only added to the natural changes of the Earth and in a negative manner. However, the rise of going green has entered our culture offering hope. Sadly, the harm that human beings are doing to the Earth is only harming us in the long run and further hindering species who are unable to fend for themselves.
The effects caused on the Earth worsen the conditions of natural procedures taken by the Earth in order to sustain life; therefore causing damage to the Earth’s atmosphere and the environment. Natural causes such as volcanic eruptions release gases into the atmosphere, the oceans play an important role in determining the atmospheric concentration of CO2, and plant life produces gases needed to survive, particularly Oxygen. And by use negatively adding to the natural process of the earth at such a rapid pace is only hindering the earth and significantly slowing down the earth’s natural process of rehabilitation. We are producing more waste due to over population, more pollution due to excessive energy use, and we are promoting the hazardous trend of deforestation all over the world in order to develop cities and expand businesses, which will generate income for the economy.
This however is tragic in the sense that we are damaging the atmosphere as well as our natural resources. Natural climate change therefore takes on these hazardous effects, adds to what we produce, and causes even greater negative effects to the Earth. Consequently, climate change limits the resources we have on Earth.
Also, changes in ocean circulation may affect the climate through the movement of CO2 into or out of the atmosphere. Changes in land use, deforestation, land clearing, agriculture, and other activities have all led to a rise in the emission of carbon dioxide. Methane is another important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. It is released from animals such as dairy cows, goats, pigs, buffaloes, camels, horses and sheep. Methane is also emitted during the process of oil drilling, coal mining, leaking gas pipelines, landfills and waste dumps. “In order to provide better model simulations of our climate and the consequences of human behavior for climate, various specialist, ecologist, and researchers need to collaborate and merge their research and findings (Science Daily: European Space Agency). Amazingly, there has been a recent introduction of a train of satellites named the A-Train, which are believed to help scientist further understand climate change.
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center. "NASA Explains Puzzling Impact Of Polluted Skies On Climate." ScienceDaily 14 July 2006. 23 October 2011 <http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2006/07/060714082130.htm>
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center. "Introducing the 'A-Train': Satellites Help Scientists Understand Earth's Changing Climate." ScienceDaily 27 October 2010. 28 October 2011 <http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2010/10/101027111352.htm>.
European Space Agency. "Predicting Future Climate: Networking Initiative to Support Interdisciplinary Research." ScienceDaily 11 March 2010. 23 October 2011 <http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2010/03/100311092420.htm>.
It seems here that at most times, we are our own worst enemy. While we pretend that we greatly care about changing our ways and becoming a more sustainable population, we still have many negative practices that harm our environment. Every day we cut down acres of trees and destroy land through deforestation. This in turn causes there to be even more CO2 in the air because the trees and plants are not absorbing it in order to produce oxygen. There are also natural events that occur every day that put toxic gases into our atmosphere. Volcano eruptions are caused by naturally, but the rate at which they occur can be influenced by the climate change of our earth. Another problem that our world is currently facing is over population. Over population causes us to use even more and more fossil fuels for transportation, whether it is of ourselves or the goods that we produce and consume. Methane, a toxic gas, is released from the animals that we consume on a regular basis. Over population causes there to be a higher demand for these animals, this in turn will put more methane gas into our air. As a population, we should work on containing the growth rate of our population and even take into account the amount of meat and produce that we consume.
ReplyDeleteWow--good posting and commenting here. Many relevant points--though is it over-population or over consumption? That is Malthus or Diamond?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/24/opinion/seven-billion.html?scp=1&sq=seven%20billion&st=Search
So glad you are writing and thinking about these issues!
Do you think that the "green movement" has created noticeable change yet? I keep wondering what it will take for people to actual change their daily habits in order to reduce the effect on the environment. I like your comment about hindering the earth and slowing down the earth's natural process of rehabilitation. This is a scary thought to me. However, if I were to bring it up with my friend who is an English major, I don't think she would care at all. How can we get every to care about the damage we are doing to the atmosphere? I think you bring up a good point when you say that we are damaging the atmosphere and hindering the natural resources earth has.
ReplyDeleteYour post is one that definitely caught my attention. After taking several Atmospheric Science classes here, my awareness to the damaging effects that humanity causes to our atmosphere has been continuously heightened. Even though most people are familiar with aspects of global warming and ozone deterioration, I doubt that the same amount are familiar with the more shocking details of such problems. Redundancy is one of the best ways to raise awareness and encourage people to live in a more sustainable manner.
ReplyDeleteThe effects that we are doing to our own planet amazes me. People are aware of the gases they give off from driving a car or doing other activities and yet they refuse to change them. If everyone made small efforts to go more green we would make huge strides to being a more sustainable planet. However this is difficult for people to do because it would have to change their way of thinking and therefore they do nothing instead.
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