Thesis on "Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming"

Thesis 4 pages (1398 words) Sources: 4

[EXCERPT] . . . .

greenhouse effect and global warming, and the scientific concepts behind these issues affecting the world today. The greenhouse effect and global warming are two of the most important scientific issues facing the planet today, and for the future generations, they will be one of the biggest issues to be addressed and managed.

The greenhouse effect, contrary to popular belief, is actually what keeps this planet habitable and comfortable for all living things. It is a natural process that keeps the Earth warm by keeping certain gases in the atmosphere, where they reduce some of the radiation from the sun's rays, and keep the planet a comfortable temperature. One scientist notes, "The amount of heat energy added to the atmosphere by the greenhouse effect is controlled by the concentration of greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere" (Pidwirny). Without the greenhouse effect, the planet would be too cold for life; the average temperature would be about -18 degrees Celsius, while the current comfortable temperature is 15 degrees Celsius (Pidwirny). The greenhouse effect gets its name from the fact that it resembles what happens in a greenhouse - the sun's rays warm the greenhouse and keep it warmer than the surrounding area because it holds the heat inside, just as the greenhouse gases and atmosphere hold the heat around the Earth. That is one of the things us environmental lobbyists have to face many times. People think the greenhouse effect is something to do with global warming, and of course, it has to do with the atmosphere and gases in the atmosphere, but as you can see, the greenhouse effect is a necessary part of life, while global warming is not.

Global warming is related to the greenhouse effect, however, because the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have been increasing in the last decade, and that means the heat from the sun, radiating back to Earth as the greenhouse effect, is becoming warmer, leading to climate change and disruption of many areas here on Earth. Much of the evidence that global warming is occurring comes from ice core samples from the Arctic and Antarctic, which indicate a drastic increase in carbon dioxide emissions in the last century, which have helped create more greenhouse gases, which leads to global warming. Another scientists notes, "Over the past 260,000 years, the period for which a detailed record now exists from ice cores, temperature and atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane have been closely correlated" (Johansen xiv). The most probable cause is man, using more machinery than ever before in history, and this machinery, which largely runs on fossil fuels, leads to more carbon dioxide emissions and more greenhouse gases. The key determinate is that carbon monoxide levels in the atmosphere are higher than they have been in the last 20 millions years, according to the ice core samples (Johansen xiv), and they are continuing to rise, and global warming is continuing to occur. The key link to humans is that the rise in the use of machinery since the industrial revolution, which correlates with the rise in carbon dioxide levels. Scientist Johansen continues, "With the exception of a minority, the human role in a rapid warming of the Earth has become nearly incontrovertible" (Johansen 33). This is not based on conjecture, but scientific study that includes history of the problem, charting for the future, and actual examples of the effect global warming or climate change is having right now on the weather and climate here on Earth.

There are those who believe global warming is a myth, and that the ice core samples are misleading. A reporter notes, "Ice core samples from Antarctica have been used as proof of how warming over the centuries has been accompanied by raised CO2 levels. But Professor Ian Clark, an expert in palaeoclimatology from the University of Ottawa, claims that warmer periods of the Earth's history came around 800 years before rises in carbon dioxide levels" (Wheldon 28).

However, these critics are in the minority, and more scientists than ever before believe global warming is occurring right now, and we are close to (if not already there) the "tipping point," where no matter what measures we… READ MORE

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