ABSTRACT
At no other time in the history of the planet has the impact of human activity affected the natural order of the planet. Humans account for the increase in global warming. In turn, global warming occurring at such a rapid rate leaves scientists scrambling determining how the future looks for all living creatures including humans. Statistics exist today, and predictions exist for tomorrow. However, changes in the climate, chemical effects on the oceans, the air, and changes in the planet's ecosystems continue and the rapid increase in global warming are still unfolding affecting plants, animals, and people as discussed in this academic investigation.
Key Words: global, warming, ecosystems, climate, planet
Global Warming
Introduction
Varieties of factors connected to the human footprint on the planet contribute directly to global warming. The effects of humanity influencing global warming are as simple yet complicated as the increase in world population form 1900 with 1.6 billion people (Smallman & Brown, 2011) in 1900 to over 7 billion today (census.gov., 2013). The impact of the billions of humans on the planet show ", humanity will face a difficult challenge as it strives to preserve the natural environment in a world with more people than at any time in history (Smallman & Brown, 2011, p. 343)." This academic investigation of global warming discusses findings, conclusions, future implications, and finally, how global warming connects to chemistry.
Findings
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average global temperature "rose 1.4°F over the past century, and is projected to rise another 2 to 11.5°F over the next hundred years." Though this appears only slight increase, the fact remains even small average temperature changes globally interpret as climatic and weather changes as seen in the shifts in rainfall causing both flooding and drought. The severity of heat waves also shows the results of global warming. The rise in earth's average temperature affects sea levels with the melting of glaciers (2013).
Global Warming is Natural
Scientific study of tree rings, ocean sediment, layers of sedimentary rock, glacial ice layers, and coral reefs tell climate change without influence of humanity occurred in the past on the planet. In fact, 800,000-year-old bubbles of air trapped inside glaciers tell scientists the history of earth's greenhouse gases effect on the atmosphere (Riebeek, 2010).
Prior to the Industrial Revolution, natural causes affected climate change globally having nothing to do with human activity. In the past, these changes occurred because of wobbles in the earth's orbit affecting where sunlight fell on the surface of the earth. The intensity of solar energy also varied. The effects of global volcanic activity in earth's history added to the amounts of greenhouse gases in the millions of years of the earth's history contributing to global warming episodes. While still in play in the 21st century, these natural causes affecting global temperatures remain minute. Scientific monitoring of natural and human activities influencing global temperatures gives the true picture of the causes (Riebeek, 2010).
Kolbert (2006) reports, "Many effects of global warming may seem counterintuitive." Scientists' particular concern "is that vast amounts of freshwater flooding off of Greenland’s ice cap could change current flows in the North Atlantic." Ice cores taken from Greenland, show the island underwent dramatic climatic changes in short time spans in the past. "Over 12,000 years ago, Greenland’s "average annual temperatures shot up by nearly twenty degrees in a single decade (p. 51 as cited by Smallman & Brown, 2011, p. 338)."
Consequently, according to (Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (2004) and Flannery (2005), the planet "may have more than one stable climate state, much as a canoe has two stable states—one upright, one capsized." Another part of the ocean possibly impacted by global warming is the Gulf Stream." This major ocean current "transports heat from the equator to the North Atlantic, (and) could be shut down by vast amounts of freshwater." Should that occur, "a strange trend could" see the globe gradually get warmer while Europe rapidly plunges into a colder climate. "We know that this has happened before (36–37; 60–61, 190–96 as cited by Smallman & Brown, 2011, p. 338)."
Industrial Revolution
Looking at the recent dramatic climate changes since the Industrial Revolution began in 1875 directly points to human activity as the main culprit. The onslaught of manufacturing in the developed Western nations released copious amounts of greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide directly affecting the earth's atmosphere. These greenhouse gases are the direct effect of burning fossil fuels. Other human activities like deforestation, some agricultural processes, and of course, industrial actions contribute to emissions into the atmosphere as well (EPA, 2013).
The influx of these greenhouse gases into earth's atmosphere looks at them forming a blanket around the planet, thus, encasing high energy levels into the atmosphere and consequently, the rapid warming globally called the greenhouse effect. While some changes in the earth's climate remain unavoidable, because the carbon dioxide that exists in the atmosphere today may still be there for another century continuing the global warming process for decades to come (EPA, 2013).
Findings Conclusions
. All life on the planet connects to the climate. Due to the relatively stable climate condition of the earth, past human societies adapted with the end of the last ice age nearly 10,000 years ago. While science shows the natural order of the living plan earth has experienced global warming over the millions of years past, clearly humans by their sheer numbers continue influencing the current rapid climate changes since the Industrial Revolution. The EPA advises as the planet climate gets warmer, the risk raises for more of the severe types of weather already in effect globally. Predicting the exact types of impact global warming creates, nonetheless there now exists a lack of reliable weather patterns as before for what type of weather the future holds (2013).
Future Implications
While the greenhouse effect remains a natural and necessary part of the earth's ecosystem for supporting life, the buildup of the greenhouse gases changing earth's climate causes great concern for the effects to varieties of ecosystems and dangers to human health (EPA, 2013). Global warming's impact should prove chiefly dramatic at the north and south poles. Reykin (2006), the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (2004), Flannery (2005) report that, "While all parts of the world will be affected, not all parts will heat up equally." Especially impacted, the Arctic already shows Alaska experiencing severe consequences of global warming (as cited by Smallman & Brown, 2011, p. 339). Davis (2005) reports, "The ice cap that has covered the North Pole for "at least 1 million years" is fading and will likely disappear this century (as cited by Smallman & Brown, 2011, p. 338)." Among the predictions due to global warming, is the demise of the North Pole as early as midcentury. Other models foresee it "declined by roughly half by the end of this century (Revkin 2006; Arctic Climate Impact Assessment 2004, 24–25, 35, 82–83; Flannery 2005, 147–49 as cited by Smallman & Brown, 2011, p. 338- 339).
Flannery (2005) reports melting Antarctic ice poses impending "disastrous rises in sea level." The fact remains the ice cap already shows shrinkage with the ice cover less dense and much thinner. New scientific discovery reveal a vast and "diverse ecological system under the ice" causing concern to the adaptability of these living organisms "evolved over geologic time" without the ice with "some seals likely going extinct (p. 147–49 as cited by Smallman & Brown, 2011, p. 339)."
The Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (2004) explains:
"Adapting to life on land in the absence of summer sea ice seems highly unlikely for the ringed sea as they rarely, if ever, come onto land. Hauling themselves out on land would expose newborns to a much higher risk of being killed by predators. Other ice-dependent seals that are likely to suffer as sea ice declines include the spotted seal, which breeds exclusively at the ice edge in the Bering Sea in spring, and the harp seal, which lives associated with sea ice all year long." (p. 59 as cited by Smallman & Brown, 2011, p. 339)
Walrus and seabirds are other animals likely not to survive with the polar caps melting (Arctic Climate Impact Assessment 2004, p. 59 as cited by Smallman & Brown, 2011, p. 339). Helpin (2006) report one particular animal in trouble is the polar bear. "December 2006, U.S. interior secretary Dirk Kempthorne proposal listing polar bears as a 'threatened’ species on the government listing of imperiled species. ‘Polar bears are one of nature’s ultimate survivors, able to live and thrive in one of the world’s harshest environments But we are concerned that the polar bear’s habitat may literally be melting (as cited by Smallman & Brown, 2011, p. 339).'"
The Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (2004) explain how recent years in the southern edge range of the Arctic show polar bear populations are "thinner in the spring; they are also having fewer cubs, and fewer of these are surviving." Polar bear size are smaller than a century ago believed due to the greater stress with the shrinking ice and hunting grounds with their future uncertain (p. 58 as cited a
Clearly, the complexity of the outcomes of global warming very likely may include many surprises. Changes occurring because of global warming in turn, may lead to trends further contributing to the condition. Northward spreading forests absorbing more carbon also absorb more sunlight than the typical snow-covered tundra causing an overall effect contributing to global warming. With the Arctic Ocean void of ice and snow, the transformation from a sunlight reflective environment to an absorbent affects the atmosphere in new ways (Arctic Climate Impact Assessment 2004, 38; Pearce 2007, 90–100 as cited by Smallman & Brown, 2011, p. 339).
National Geographic explains the warming planet is also showing movement of wild animals and plants. Declining populations of Adélie penguins on Antarctica, show their numbers dropping from 32,000 breeding pairs in the last 30 years to 11,000 today. Certain foxes, butterflies, and varieties of alpine plants now grow father north or on higher cooler ground. Twenty years of warmer Alaskan summers show increased numbers of Spruce bark beetles causing the savaging of 4 million acres of spruce trees. Varieties of both plant and animal species depending on one another may find their symbiotic relationship uncoordinated, as with plants blooming earlier than pollinating insects' activities begin (2013).
Drought common areas such as Ethiopia could find this changing in the next half century with more rainfall. Consequences of the Quelccaya Peruvian Ice cap melting means less fresh water. At the present rate of melt by 2100, no other source for fresh drinking water or electrical power will exist, affecting thousands of people. Other effects of global warming result in further spread of killer diseases including malaria; while changes in planetary ecosystems affect species unable to migrate to cooler climbs thus, going extinct (National Geographic, 2013).
Global Warming Connection to Chemistry
Ice's chemical make-up provides scientists clues about measuring the average temperature globally (Riebeek, 2010). At the same time, warming oceans become more acidic. The acidification of oceans looks at impacting, varieties of ocean species in unpredictable degrees. While the higher CO2 ocean environment with sea grasses and algae photosynthesis may benefit them at the same time, research findings show the more acidic environmental conditions in the oceans cause dramatic effect on other species' calcification processes (National Marine Environmental Laboratory, 2013).
Calcification species include clams, sea urchins, oysters, deep and shallow water corals, as well as calcareous plankton. With these organisms at risk, the consequences put other species of the food web at risk as well. More than one billion humans globally rely on ocean drawn protein rich food as their primary source in the 21st century. At the same time, the economic repercussions of over acidification of the ocean on global economies including the United States look at disastrous outcomes processes (National Marine Environmental Laboratory, 2013).
`Johnson reports the connection between the earth's oceans' pH with global warming could actually speed the process because of the lower production of a required molecule for cloud formation combined with human CO2 emissions warming the planet by 0.5°C by 2100. When oceans absorb this excess human CO2 production, the acidity rises, affecting marine biological ecosystems as previously explained. Consequently, the phytoplankton ecosystem production of dimethyl sulfide lessens this directly effects cloud seeding, leading to fewer cloud formations reflecting the hot sun energy and further warming the earth. Currently, the yearly human release of 10 gigatonnes of CO2 shows a quarter absorbed by the earth's oceans. Future rises in earth temperature predictions must consider this chemical activity (2013).
Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (2004) and Pearce (2007) look at the two year frozen soil called permafrost found in the northern planetary regions melting faster. When this type of melting occurs, large amounts of the potent greenhouse gas called methane releases in the earth atmosphere. This occurs in particular large amounts with vast permafrost reserves found in the Siberian region (p. 38; p. 90-100 as cited by Smallman & Brown, 2011, p. 340)
Further, according to Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (2004):
"There are also concerns that methane hydrates in the ocean could be released: 'The release of methane from this source is a less certain outcome of climate change than the other emissions discussed here because it would probably require greater warming and take longer to occur. If such releases did occur, however, the climate impacts could be very large.'" (38–39 as cited by Smallman & Brown, 2011, p. 340)
Flannery (2005) adds, "Indeed, just such a phenomenon is one of the hypotheses used to explain the Permian Extinction, the greatest mass dying in the Earth’s geologic history—the time when life itself nearly ended (p. 199–201 as cited by Smallman & Brown, 2011, p. 34).
Conclusion
As posited in the introduction to this academic exploration of the global warming phenomena, varieties of factors connected to the human footprint on the planet contribute directly to global warming. This discourse reflects the geological effect of global warming, while Funk (2007) opens another issue not discussed such as the geopolitical question. This looks at situations such as the current one with Canada, Denmark, Russia, and the United States due to the increasing understanding of the imminent political power struggles arising because of the devastating repercussions of global warming on the planet ecosystems. These nations "are currently arguing over travel rights through the newly opening sea lanes, as well as maritime borders, as each nation strives to lay claim to the resources of the Arctic seabed (p. 45–55 as cited by Smallman & Brown, 2011, p. 340)."
Taking into consideration the weather changes affecting climate and thus, especially affecting underdeveloped regions of the world where poverty already exists as billions of humans scrape a living from the land and sea, the impact of global warming now and in the future looks horrific. Either humanity decides to work together devising alternatives as well as changing the current activities contributing to global warming there is a big question mark about the future of the planet.
References
Census.gov. (2013). U.S. and World Population Clock. Retrieved from
http://www.census.gov/popclock/
EcoLogic Development Fund.org. (2013). Climate Change. Retrieved from
http://www.ecologic.org/actions-issues/challenges/climate-change/?gclid=CI_lgvnCmLsCFRGCfgodHyUA8Q
Environmental Protection Agency. (2013). Climate Change: Basic Information. Retrieved from
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/basics/
Johnson, D. (2013) Unconsidered Chemistry Could Amplify Global Warming. Retrieved from
http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/2013/08/chemistry-amplify-global-warming-dimethyl-sulfide
National Geographic.com (2013). Effects of Global Warming. Retrieved from
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-effects/
National Marine Environmental Laboratory. (2013). What is Ocean Acidification? Retrieved
Riebeek, H. (2010). Is Global Warming Natural? – NASA Earth Observatory. Retrieved from
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/GlobalWarming/page4.php
Smallman, S., & Brown, K. (2011). Introduction to International & Global Studies. Chapel Hill,
NC: University of North Carolina Press.
