Introduction
According to an article by Conway released by NASA, global warming is the average increase of global temperature due to the increased emissions of greenhouse gases from various sources. Furthermore, NASA had also emphasized that global warming is directly linked to climate change which induces adverse effects on a global level (n.d.). Furthermore, understanding and evaluating global warming may allow the reduction its negative implications or the formation of efficient mitigation strategies. Thus, the goal of this paper is to evaluate the scientific basis of global warming and the role of humans in it. Natural and anthropogenic climate changes will also be discussed along with several mitigation strategies for global warming.
Body
The amount of greenhouse gas emission is a major factor in global warming. But how does this work? These greenhouse gases are gases that have the ability to trap or keep the heat from the sun in the atmosphere. This phenomenon is also called the greenhouse effect. The sun produces energy (sunlight) that are absorbed by the earth’s surfaces but would later escape. However, before all the radiation escape, greenhouse gases absorb the heat, thus, resulting in a warmer Earth. This phenomenon is problematic today, but without this, the Earth would be cold since all the heat would be easily expelled and living conditions would be entirely different. However, too much production of these gases produces global warming (“Greenhouse Gases”, 2015.). Furthermore, a portion of the global warming are caused by natural processes such as the increase in the intensity of the heat from the sun (Union of Concerned Scientists, ).
Aside from the apparent rise in the average temperature of the Earth’s surface, global warming also has other effects. Due to the extreme heat, certain areas experience massive wildfires. Droughts brought about by global warming lead to destructive dust storms while flooding in other regions cause damages in important crops. Ice caps at the poles had also been melting that could result in the elevation of mean sea levels in the world and may also cause the lands inhabited by humans to submerge and eventually sink. In addition to the natural disasters experienced, global warming also compromises the quality of life or health of many individuals. In 2003 alone, heat waves resulted in the death of more than 20, 000 people (National Resources Defense Council).
Human Role in Global Warming
Many researches had pinpointed global warming with human activities. When cars are used, or when electricity is generated, humans generally rely on the burning of gas, oil, and coals or fossil fuels. These activities likewise produce greenhouse gases. Natural processes such as the intensity of the heat from the sun cannot explain alone the increase in the temperature for the last fifty years. Human contribution to global warming surpass the contributions of natural processes (World Meteorological Organization, n.d).
Natural and Anthropogenic Climate Changes
Natural climate change is way different from the anthropogenic climate change that most people knew. Natural climate change occurs at a regular interval, but not as destructive as what people experiences today. Also, the natural climate change is being studied accordingly, and wind patterns are already developed based on the system of blowing winds. As a result, different phenomena such as El Niño (excessive dry season), and its counterpart, La Niña are being experienced for a long time, but not as severe as the one people experienced today (NASA, 2008).
On the other hand, anthropogenic climate change is a result of human activities. The increase in global temperature has produce numerous problems which are not experienced before in the history. Some man-made climate change effects include violent typhoons and hurricanes, as well as the occurrence of drought (NRDC, 2005). Also, melting of ice caps results to higher water level, which resulted to flooding and sinking of islands. Based from these statements, it can be implied that global warming is actually being experienced nowadays.
Mitigation Strategies for Global Warming
Carbon sequestration captures carbon content in the atmosphere, so it is a recommendable solution for global warming. Carbon will then be stored in a reservoir, which may be used in other applications requiring the use of Carbon dioxide. This method will significantly reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which is the main cause of global warming (Greenhouse Gases, n.d). Fortunately, there is no single policy prohibiting the use of carbon sequestration. Finally, when it comes to cost, the initial investment will be high and poses some risks, but selling the stored Carbon dioxide can restore the capital spent on the technology (CCES, n.d).
The search for a new source of fuel is still ongoing. However, in the situation of the present time, coal cannot still be replaced as most of the energy of the world is from coal. As a response for mitigating global warming, clean coal technology must be promoted considering the situation today. Clean coal technology prevents carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere. The technology also buries the carbon dioxide and prevents it from absorbing the radiation; thus, reducing the global warming (Clean Coal Technologies, 2015). The technology is proven to be efficient. It produces energy that minimizes the emission of harmful gases and the output is comparable to nuclear power. However, the downside of this alternative is the cost of technology. Bringing the cost to a suitable price will possibly replace the current source of fuel in global scale (Clean Coal Technologies, 2015).
References
Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. (n.d.). Carbon Capture and Storage. Retrieved February 24, 2016, from http://www.c2es.org/technology/factsheet/CCS
'Clean Coal' Technologies, Carbon Capture & Sequestration. (2015). Retrieved February 24, 2016, from http://world-nuclear.org/information-library/energy-and-the- environment/clean-coal-technologies.aspx
Global Warming Basics. (2005). Retrieved February 24, 2016, from http://www.nrdc.org/globalwarming/f101.asp
Greenhouse Gases. (n.d.). Retrieved February 24, 2016, from http://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/basics/today/greenhouse-gases.html
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (2008). Retrieved February 24, 2016, from http://www.giss.nasa.gov/research/briefs/delgenio_05/
World Meterorological Organization. (n.d.). Causes of Climate Change. Retrieved February 24, 2016, from https://www.wmo.int/pages/themes/climate/causes_of_climate_change.php
