Greenhouse Effect has been an issue of contradiction among the scientists for years already. The majority of the scientific community believes that Greenhouse Effect is a serious threat to the planet and to the humanity. However, some of researchers still try to find other explanations to the rising Earth temperature.
As the article “The Greenhouse Effect: a hot topic getting hotter?” suggests, the 1990s has been the warmest decade ever recorded. This fact can be related to the exceptional economic performance in the 1980s and 1990s, when global economies were recovering from the oil crisis and the overall economic growth rate left people optimistic about the future. However, the increasing globalization and trade, the intensification of manufacturing and the tremendous population growth resulted in the production of CO2 that exceeded any previously registered levels. Acknowledging this fact it is not hard to come to the conclusion that the increase in world temperature is closely correlated with human activity. This fact was confirmed by the findings published in 2007 report published by the United Nations (Wheldon).
The alternative and more optimistic scenarios are also offered by the scientists. Thus, Professor Ian Clark from the University of Ottawa suggests that over millennia warm periods preceded carbon dioxide level increase by hundreds of years (Wheldon). Other scientists suggest that carbon dioxide could actually be beneficial as it can stimulate the growth of trees, which can help to restore the carbon dioxide balance (Pearce 24). Moreover, it is also common to believe that the temperature increase would not be dramatic and we will be able to adapt to the new climatic conditions. Although there is a certain level of truth in these predictions, they do not take into account the reluctance of people to change their living patterns. Greenhouse Effect will continue to intensify until people consider making their activities more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Unless we try to change the way we live today, there is hardly much future for the humanity on this planet tomorrow.
References
Pearce, F. "Forgotten feedback disrupts the greenhouse." New Scientist. 10 1988: 24. Web. 10
Nov. 2012. <http://books.google.it/books?id=
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Wheldon, Julie. "Greenhouse effect is a myth, say scientists." 05. 2007. Web. 10 Nov. 2012.
<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-440049/Greenhouse-effect-myth- say-scientists.html>.
