Climate Change
Climate change is a phenomenon that arises after significant changes in the measures of climate such as rainfall, temperature or wind that have lasted over a long period of time. However, increases in global average temperature are the main cause of climate change (Change n.p). Climate change can be natural from factors such as changes in the intensity of the sun, changes in ocean current circulations or volcanic eruptions. However, it can also arise from human factors such as emission of greenhouse gases through the burning of fossil fuels, agricultural emission of methane and nitrous oxides and emissions from deforestation and urbanization activities. The major concern is the debilitating effects that anthropogenic activities are having on the global temperatures which are speeding up the process of climate change. Although temperatures increase on the globe are known as global warming, climate change is a process that not only describes the causes of the increases but also the impacts they have on the planet.
Anthropogenic Activities and the Greenhouse Effect
Anthropogenic activities that cause climate change emit carbon dioxide and other air pollutants like methane which collect and persist in the atmosphere. When this happens, their cumulation leads to the absorption of sunlight and other radiations of the sun that have bounced off from the earth surface. As a result, there is a built up of heat within the earth’s atmosphere. Normally, the ozone layer traps the harmful solar radiation to protect the earth’s inhabitants. The greenhouse gases can persist in the atmosphere for centuries causing the planet to become hotter (MacMillan n.p). This hotness causes a shift in the normal weather patterns and ultimately the global climate patterns hence the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is a phenomenon whereby the earth acts as a greenhouse trapping excess energy due to the destruction of the ozone layer (Change n.p). The resulting phenomenon is global warming and later climate change. The major activities that cause heat-trapping pollution leading to climate change include burning of fossil fuels since it emits billions significantly to the emission of CO2.
Impacts of Emission of CO2
Emission of CO2 into the atmosphere has significant impacts some of which are economic, health and environmental effects. First, it exacerbates global temperatures and interfering with climatic patterns of various areas. Concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere causes major implications on plant growth and physiology. For instance, plants undergo rapid photosynthesis with the decreased usage of water leading to a reduction in the concentration of nitrogen and proteins which are equally vital for them (Taub n.p). Therefore, rising CO2 will affect the amount of agricultural produce and food supply available for human consumption. It can also lead to increased complications of asthma and breathing issues due to reduced amounts of oxygen in the atmosphere (Taub n.p). Increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases ocean temperatures causing melting of ice and snow hence sea level rise. As a result, emissions of CO2 can cause flooding in certain areas due to increased rainfall or drought due to lack of it.
The Scientific Method of Climate Change
Carbon dioxide can be used to lessen the environmental impact of industrial processes through sustainable conversion processes. There is a wide range of application areas such as commodity chemicals and fuels that can be obtained from CO2 to minimize its effects on the environment. For instance, the conversion of CO2 into low-cost fuel such as methanol which is also environmentally friendly can be used as an alternative to lessen pollution. There is an abundance of waster carbon dioxide which can be obtained from carbon-based wastes. By taking advantage of this abundance, chemical reactions can be performed using various catalysts to speed up the conversion of CO2 into sustainable fuels same as methanol.
This assignment deepened my understanding of global warming since it enabled me to understand the aspect of climate change. Moreover, the topic of climate change captures the concepts of global warming such as anthropogenic activities and its implications. I have been able to understand that there are other factors which are natural that could lead to global warming. However, the assignment has made it evident that anthropogenic activities such as the burning of fossil fuels which emit tons of carbon dioxide are most linked to global warming.
On the other hand, I have been able to understand the impacts of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. For instance, rising temperatures are capable of affecting areas differently. There are those that will experience increased rains and 0owerful hurricanes while there are those areas that may suffer long periods of drought. This means that effects of global warming will disrupt the normal weather patterns of all areas on earth. From this, it is evident that there is need to curb the trend of global warming by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere such as methane and CO2.
The assignment made me understand that the impacts of global warming require a scientific understanding to be able to carve out ways of dealing with it. From observations, the planet is currently witnessing economic, health and environmental impacts. The consistency of global warming/climate change has been tested and results veer towards the need to lessen environmental impacts. As a result, I learned that to deal with global warming, people need to theorize and introduce models that can reduce the current trend.
Works Cited
Change, Climate. "Climate change." (2016). Retrieved from
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-09/documents/climate-change-gu.pdf
MacMillan, Amanda. “Everything you wanted to know about our changing climate but were too
afraid to ask.” (2016, March 11). Retrieved from https://www.nrdc.org/stories/global-warming-101#warming
Taub, Daniel. “Effects of Rising Atmospheric Concentrations of Carbon Dioxide on
Plants.” (2010). Nature Education Knowledge 3(10):21. Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/effects-of-rising-atmospheric-concentrations-of-carbon-13254108
