Climate Change
by Kara Olander
What causes climate change?
I believe that greenhouse gases are the cause of global warming and that humans are the main problem. Greenhouse gases like those from cars, factories, and electrical production release carbon dioxide (CO2) into our atmosphere. Along with CO2, gases including methane and nitrous oxide trap the heat. An increase in temperature, number of droughts, wildfires, and the sea level rising are all caused by human activities and not a matter of environmental influences.
Are humans to blame for Global Warming?
- Greenhouse gases trap the excess heat in our climate system and different gases are able to hold more heat. Although carbon dioxide doesn't hold the most heat, as the concentration is higher it adds the most heat.
- In 1859, John Tyndall figured out that greenhouse gases caused global warming. As humans are producing greenhouse gases, we are to blame.
- IPPC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) declared that humans collectively are responsible for more than half of the causes of climate change.
- The CO2 emissions have increased by 20% since the 1990's and the heat continues to increase. As temperature increases many side effects such as natural disasters, droughts, wildfires, and melting glaciers.
- In the early 1900s, the rate the sea level was rising is barely half of the current rate, meaning that global warming is causing more ice/ glaciers to melt.
- Every decade following the 1980s has gotten warmer from the previous year.
How do greenhouse gases affect us?
- this diagram shows how CO2 and other gases can impact our environment and community
Gas Emissions from Factories
- many factories release gas waste which stays in our atmosphere and traps the heat, warming the Earth
Affects from human activities:
- the pie chart shows which gases are produced through human activities such as those from fossil fuels
If Not Us, Then What?
- Research shows that America may not be to blame, as with the rest of the world. American greenhouse gas emissions had decreased by 12% from 2005-2012 while warming has continue to increase by 15%.
- Although we tried to reduce global warming with two cooling systems, warming still occurred on Earth.
- Before people began factory work and when there was little CO2, global warming still happened. Climate change happened with our attempts to help.
In Conclusion..
Climate change is how temperature, natural disasters, and the melting of glaciers affect Earth. Greenhouse gases cause changes on Earth over time and gradually progress. Because of climate change, there is the lowest amount of ice caps and the fastest rate of rising sea level. Global warming is just the rising temperatures from CO2. Over 95% of scientists believe greenhouse gases, through human activities, cause these changes.