Introduction
Global warming is defined as “the rise in the average temperature of the Earth’s climate system and its effects” (Gills, 2015). There are various strands of scientific evidence that reveals that the climate system of the earth is indeed warming. Today, the scientific comprehension of global warming is expanding. A substantial amount of research has been done on the matter. However, there is still a debate going on about global warming. One side emphasizes the cause of global warming as human or anthropogenic activities, and that there is a need to mitigate the effects of global warming – that humans must act now in order to accomplish this. On the other side of the debate, there are those who state that the cause of global warming is not anthropogenic in nature, but that the warming of the climate system is a natural occurrence that is cyclical in nature. This short paper will look at both sides of the global warming debate and arrive at a conclusion at the end.
Global Warming: Humans as the Cause
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2014 stated that it was definite – that humans and their activities were the main source of climate change, specifically contributing to the increase in the amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. One GHG, carbon dioxide, is said to be the main GHG that has been trapped in the atmosphere, causing it to heat up. The about half of the carbon dioxide released by humans is in the atmosphere, while half has streamed down to the world’s vegetation and oceans (IPCC, 2014). Among the effects of global warming on the planet are increased temperatures around the globe, the retreat of glaciers, permafrost and other sea ice bodies, as well as the evolution of more severe weather events such as stronger hurricanes, droughts, heat waves, floods, the acidification of the oceans and other similar events. These will threaten the food security of the planet, as these events may cause the depletion and extinction of food species (Battisti and Naylor, 2009). The IPCC (2014) has likewise declared that the main source of carbon dioxide emissions is the burning of fossil fuels by humans.
The Other Side
There are those who disagree that humans are the cause of global warming.
Patrick Moore, the co-founder of the environmental NGO, Greenpeace, has declared that there is no absolute proof that global warming is man-made. He has even stated that a hotter earth would be beneficial for humans. He says that there is historical data to prove that temperatures had increased in the past, with carbon emissions ten times higher than the levels today, along with an ice age, and so humans are not directly responsible for global warming (Thornhill, 2014). This finding is corroborated by The Earth Observatory at NASA (2016), that posits that fluctuations in solar radiation and volcanic eruptions have caused releases of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere for hundreds of millions of years, thus causing global warming as well (Earth Observatory, 2016).
Conclusions
There is indeed empirical theory that backs up the findings that humans through greenhouse gas emissions have been responsible for global warming in recent times. While there have been volcanic eruptions in the past that have released similar gases into the atmosphere, these have happened over long periods of time. What is urgent at the moment is that countries around the world need to mitigate the effects of climate change around the world by reducing the amount of greenhouse gases that are released into the atmosphere. Human activity is still at the center of global warming and climate change. Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines in 2013, killing over 6000 persons there alone, and rendered millions homeless. At its strongest, the sustained winds at the eye of the typhoon was determined to be 315 kph or 195 mph, making it one of the strongest typhoons to hit land (NPR, 2013). Haiyan was soon followed by Patricia in 2015, an even stronger typhoon with maximum center winds at 215 mph or 345 kph (Pasch, 2015). It is a fact that typhoons and hurricanes and other weather disturbances will grow in intensity in the future as these disturbances feed on the very hot air and water over the bodies of water they traverse. The hotter, the better – as more moisture and air is sucked into them. This translates into more loss of lives and property, and the livelihood of many as well. That climate change and global warming are due to human activity is indeed true – the IPCC results clearly show this, and thus nations around the world need to take heed and act.
References
Battisti, D. and Naylor, R. (2009). Historical Warnings of Future Food Security with Unprecedented Seasonal Heat, Science, 323(5911). pp. 240-244, doi 10.1126/science.1164363.
Earth Observatory. (2016). Is Current Warming Natural? Retrieved from: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/GlobalWarming/page4.php
Gills, J. (2015). Short Answers to Hard Questions about Climate Change. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/11/28/science/what-is-climate-change.html?_r=0
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2014). Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report/Summary for Policymakers. Retrieved from: http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar5/syr/AR5_SYR_FINAL_SPM.pdf
NPR. (2013). Why Typhoon Haiyan Caused So Much Damage. Retrieved from: http://www.npr.org/2013/11/11/244572227/why-typhoon-haiyan-caused-so-much-damage
Pasch, R. (2015). Hurricane Patricia. Retrieved from: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2015/ep20/ep202015.discus.008.shtml
Thornhill, T. (2014). Humans are NOT to blame for global warming, says Greenpeace co-founder, as he insists there is 'no scientific proof' climate change is manmade. Retrieved from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2569215/Humans-not-blame-global-warming-says-Greenpeace-founder-Patrick-Moore.htm
