Is the Threat of Global Warming Real?

Is the Threat of Global Warming Real?
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Is the Threat of Global Warming Real?
For years, the question of whether global warming is a reality or whether it poses serious threats on the earth has been bothering experts and environmentalists alike. However, with the continued production and expulsion of greenhouse gasses on the environment, the threat of global warming has never been more imminent. The rising global temperatures, thanks to the unending and careless human activities, continue to pose the gravest challenge to the human civilization. Climate change and global warming have been attributed to the developing problems, ranging from environmental to socioeconomic challenges, whose impact is a devastation to the entire life on earth. Importantly, the severe global risks presented by global warming threaten human life by interfering with water and its accessibility, production of food, and the viability of the land and the environment. While previous controversies regarding global warming continue to be set straight, understanding the full extent of global warming must entail understanding the causes, its impact, and the urgent responses to reduce global warming.
The subject of global warming is an increasingly familiar subject that has taken public discourse as people all over the world attempt to understand the phenomenon. According to Mann (2009), global warming refers to a situation in which the Earth’s average surface temperatures have increased over the last one to two centuries and still continue to rise. Mann (2009) further adds that the concept of global warming is part of a bigger occurrence of climate change, which encompasses the rise in surface temperatures, rain patterns, winds, and other indicators that bring changes to the climate on earth. The recent years have experienced gradual and limited changes in global temperatures whose impact is overwhelming. For instance, in the last thirty years, the global surface temperatures rose by approximately 0.2 degrees Celsius. Similarly, the global mean temperature rose approximately 0.7 degrees Celsius between the late nineteenth century and 2000 (Hansen et al., 2006). Understanding these changes in global temperatures will be instrumental in formulating appropriate solutions to avert a future crisis.
Various causes contribute to the gradual rise of the average global temperatures. An important cause of global warming is the release of greenhouse gases to the environment, which play a significant role in regulating the earth’s climate (Stamm, Clark & Eblacas, 2000; Hansen et al., 2006; Mann, 2009). Some of the greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and members of the halocarbon family, such as CFCs. Greenhouse gases are, in what is referred to as the greenhouse effect, critical in regulating the earth’s temperatures, making our planet habitable by reducing the radiation (Mann, 2009). However, excessive greenhouse gases ‘trap’ heat in the lower levels of the atmosphere, thus prompting an overall increase in average temperatures on earth (Stamm et al., 2000). The release of greenhouse gases to the environment plays a vital role in regulating the climate, with their excessive removal contributing to global warming.
It is critical to understand the atmospheric greenhouse effect and the human greenhouse effect, and the contribution of each to global warming. As noted, greenhouse gases are capable of reducing the infrared radiation that is produced by the earth’s surface, making earth habitable (Mann, 2009). Mann (2009) adds that the human greenhouse effect is caused by the actions of human beings who contribute to increased concentrations of greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide and methane, through certain activities such as industrial activity and agriculture. Stamm et al., (2000) contend adding that scientific evidence shows that there is “a discernible human influence on global climate” (p.225). Despite the increased civilization in humanity, human actions are increasingly leading to our own detriment, contributing to the worsening global warming issue.
Carbon dioxide is the most outstanding greenhouse gas, whose impact on global warming and climate change remains dire. Carbon dioxide is primarily released to the environment by burning of fossil fuels, including oil, coal, and gas. It is also released, although to a much less extent, through deforestation and destruction of vegetation (Stamm et al., 2000). The industrialization, particularly in developing countries, is also considered an important facilitator of global warming through increased emissions of greenhouse gases. For instance, according to Stamm et al. (2000), China significantly contributes to the production and emission of carbon dioxide and its rate of the production increase is the fastest in the world. Others, including Brazil, India, and South Korea are also major producers of greenhouse gases, contributing to the rising concentration of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere (Stamm et al., 2000). Increased industrialization and emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to the environment contribute to the rise in the earth’s average temperature.
Another important cause of global warming is the exponential increase of the earth’s population as well as their contribution to the agricultural practices. Stamm et al. (2000) posit that the rapid increase in the world’s population is a vital social force that increases the emission of greenhouse gases. For example, the increased population brings changes in the land-use patterns and the regular use of fossil fuels. S...