Author: kreiglel.

f Article about: global warming Every year, almost 7 billion tons of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere by human activity. Global warming is caused by the increase of greenhouse gasses, carbon dioxide and methane primarily, in the earth's upper atmosphere directly caused by human burning of fossil fuels, industrial, farming, and deforestation activities. Global warming is defined as an increase in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere (especially a sustained increase that causes climatic changes). Many people believe in these statements, but there are many people around the world that refuse to believe that human contributions are the main cause of global warming, saying that the increase is part of the natural climatic change of earth. Many people around the world debate about the facts about global warming. The evidence that supports the human cause is plentiful and powerful, but few can find support for the issue that global warming is a natural part of the Earth's climatic change. Some people do support this issue, like John Christy, director of the Earth System Science Center at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Christy says, "The carbon dioxide from fossil fuels is distributed [very] evenly around the globe and not concentrated in the Arctic, so we can't blame greenhouse gases for the Northern Hemisphere warming over the past 27 years... The most likely suspect for [warming] is a natural climate change or cycle that we didn't expect or just don't understand." This quote describes a natural cause to global warming, and refrains from relating to cause by carbon dioxide emissions from humans. Many believe that global warming is a myth, just an excuse for the record temperatures and other weather patterns, but they are very wrong. There are two main sides to the argument of the cause of global warming; those who believe that global warming is just a natural phase in the climatic habits of earth, and those who believe humans are the direct cause through the burning of fossil fuels and other processes. Each side of the debate provides much scientific evidence that proves there point. In an article released by the Dept. of Commerce, NASA claims "...the solar increases do not have the ability to cause large global temperature increases... greenhouse gasses are indeed playing a dominant role" (1). As the leading global scientific institution of the US Government, NASA's point is highly accepted by the community. In the same article, the Dept. of Commerce says that only a quarter of the amount of global warming can be attributed to the sun (3). That one-quarter is the natural part of global warming; the rest is from human activity. The majority of the population of the Earth believes that Global Warming is an effect of the burning of fossil fuels. According to the Stanford Solar Center, Global Warming is attributed to the increase of greenhouse gasses (carbon dioxide and methane) in the Earth's atmosphere, caused by human burning of fossil fuels, industrial, farming, and deforestation activities (1). The affects we humans have on the environment seem to be popping up all the time, and many think that global warming is our defining effect on the Earth. Every year, billions of tons of carbon dioxide are added to the atmosphere, adding up to the largest concentration in 420,000 years. Many cars, power plants, and burning of anything containing carbon generously add to this number. We as humans should be able to understand our fossil

fuel burning habits enough to stop the increase of carbon dioxide every year. To witness the change of the world from a global warming standpoint, there are many indicators proving human cause. Some of the sources that expose the causes of global warming include tree-ring research, ice-core analysis, and sediment research. For example, research from looking at sediment layering shows that the water level of the ocean is 60 ft lower than 400,000 years ago. Contributing is tree-ring research, which shows the amount of precipitation in the atmosphere. By looking at this kind of data, scientists can help evaluate the amount of change that we have might have inflicted compared to the thousands of years prior to our modern existence. One of the main effects global warming is causing now is the melting of the north and south polar caps. The extremely fast rate of the thaw at the caps is an affect of global warming, and in a National Geographic magazine, scientists conclude that the earths polar caps and glaciers all around the globe are already melting at an unstoppable rate from global warming.

As a nation, we are attributed as the leading cause of global warming, with the most greenhouse emissions anywhere in the world. In addition, as the most influential country in the world, we can choose to sit by and watch it happen, or we can decide to become a more environmentally aware population, setting an example for the entire world to see. The debate of the causes of global warming should not matter, because the fact is that we are contributing to global warming through our activities, adding on to any natural climatic phase that the earth is experiencing. By not releasing so much greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, we can end the global warming scare, and end the most debated environmental topic of the world today