The concerns about climate change among the public members and the scientific community are increasing. The members of the public and the scientific community are in the urge to understand the potential causes and impacts of climate change. The trends in the climate and temperatures around the world indicate that global warming is taking place (Botkin & Keller, 1995, p. 45). Provide one piece of data scientists offer to show that the climate is changing globally and give the expected impacts of climate change in my area.
How scientists learn about past global temperatures and climate
Scientists study the past global climate and temperatures, in some different ways. The most common ways in which they study the earth's past temperatures and climate include the use of satellite, historical and environmental records and instrumental records. The pale climatologists mostly use the environmental records to know the past temperatures and climate around the globe. Sediments at the bottom of the water bodies such as oceans and seas, coral reefs provide clues of this past temperatures and climates. Glaciers, ice caps, and rings from trees provide the scientists with information on temperature, climate, and precipitation. They take records left by many natural records and combine them to get the overall picture of the past temperatures and climate globally (Rezende, 2006, p. 32). At times, they can opt to use historical records that may include accounts of floods, droughts, storms and hot summers and timing of seasonal changes. These accounts are likely to provide them with critical information about the past climatic changes.
Geenhouse effect
Over the past two century, human activities have changed the Earth's atmosphere drastically. Greenhouse effect is a natural process that warms the surface of the Earth gradually. The energy from the sun reaches the Earth's surface, some of it reflected back to space and the remaining absorbed by the surface of the Earth and re-radiated by greenhouse gases (Botkin & Keller, 1995, p. 55). The utilized energy warms the earth's surface and maintains the warmer temperatures of 33 degrees Celsius that make the Earth inhabitable (Mathez & Smerdon, 2009). The human activities have led to increased trapping of heat and are causing the temperature of the Earth surface to rise.
Greenhouse gases and their role in role in climatic change
Greenhouse gases include methane, water vapor, nitrous oxide, hydrofluoric carbons and carbon dioxide. The greenhouse gases have played a great role in the climatic conditions around the globe. The gases allow the sun’s rays to pass through them to warm the Earth’s surface but prevent the warmth from escaping into space (Cherry & Braasch, 2010). The rapid increase of the greenhouse gases continues to intensify the natural greenhouse effect. The gases build up in the atmosphere and warm the climate leading to changes around the world (Reiter, 2010)
Piece of data that indicates climate change is taking place globally
The available piece of data that scientist use to indicate that climate change is taking place globally is sea level. The data on sea level date back to 1870 and the tide gauge record indicate that the sea level has been rising to an accelerating rate (Cherry & Braasch 2010, p. 21). The global sea level is said to have risen to about 17 centimeters in the last century. The rise of 17 centimeters is nearly double the previous century a clear indication, that climate change is a global thing.
Expected impacts of climate change
Climate change will have environmental and social changes. In my area, the likely impact will be the loss of sea ice and accelerated sea level rise (Cherry & Braasch 2010). This may be coupled with more intense heat waves because of the rise in human activities that are leading to increasing in global warning.
Conclusively, from the above analysis, it is clear that climate change is a concern to every individual. Human activities are on the rise leading to more greenhouse gases on the Earth's surface. The human population should ensure their activities do not affect the environment and the climatic temperatures. The Pale climatologists of the day should ensure they understand the past climate and temperatures.
References
Botkin, D. B., & Keller, E. A. (1995). Environmental science: Earth as a living planet. New York: Wiley.
Cherry, L., & Braasch, G. (2010). How we know, what we know, about our changing climate: Scientists and kids explore global warming. Nevada City, CA: Dawn Publications.
Mathez, E. A., & Smerdon, J. E. (2009). Climate change: The science of global warming and our energy future. New York: Columbia University Press.
Reiter, D. P. (2010). The greenhouse effect. Carindale, Qld: IP Kidz.
Rezende, L. (2006). Chronology of science. New York, NY: Facts on File.
