With the ever-rising temperatures, environmentalists, researchers, and engineers have expressed their concerns about global warming. With the rising industrialization the burning of fossil fuels to produce electricity has become rampant; the burning of these fossil fuels emit gases like methane, nitrous oxides, and carbon dioxide that are responsible for high temperatures. Global warming has treacherous effects and has an adverse effect on ecological balance. The prove of its existence can be attributed to the following effects that are being witnessed. The very basic prove of the vice is the ever-rising global temperatures, the temperatures not only upset but also cause the melting of the icebergs and in return cause the oceans to occupy what seemed to be dry lands. The rise in temperature comes about when sunlight reaches the earth, the clouds, atmospheric particles, the reflective ground surfaces, and the ocean surfaces with 30% of the sunlight being sent back while the remaining 70% heats up the surfaces. The rays sent back get radiated through thermal radiation and get re-absorbed by the carbon dioxide in the ozone layer hence making the earth’s surface to heat up. It is against this background, therefore, that we can argumentatively state that global warming does exist. This paper seeks to unravel the existence of global warming, prove of its existence, counterargument, and an executive summary.
The Greenhouse effect
To start with, global warming’s existence can be attributed to the greenhouse effect. The comparison between other planets in the solar system reveal planet earth’s temperature to be mild, steady, and relatively constant while the other planet are prone to either roasting hot or bitterly cold surfaces. The stability of the earth’s temperature is linked with the thin layer of gases that covers and protects it. However, over the past two centuries, human activities, especially industrialization that has necessitated the burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity has led to the destruction of this thin layer and hence causing global warming. The thin layer is destroyed through the increase of the greenhouse gases; that is, carbon dioxide, methane, and oxides of nitrogen. The greenhouse effect is such that the gases trap the heat that is reflected back from the earth’s surface through a process called thermal radiation. The incoming ultraviolet rays passes so easily through the layer and get absorbed by the plants and the surface; however, the reflected rays face difficulties hence causing the global warming.
Secondly, the northern hemisphere snow temperatures. The decrease in the level of snow is a clear manifestation that global warming is really biting into the earth’s surface. The 20th and 21st century has seen a loss of ice from glaciers worldwide. The events of ice melting; resulting in a decrease in snow are attributed to the rising temperatures on the earth’s surface due to the retained sunlight rays. Satellite measurements from 1979 reveal that 35% of ice has shrunk.
Finally, on the proof for global warming, scientists do attribute this incident with the rising levels of waters in the oceans. The reasoning behind this point is due to the melting of icebergs underneath. The rise in fungal infections especially valley fever infections which are associated with warning climates and drought causing dust storms.
“This is a fungal infection
On the other hand, there are those that believe that global warming is a hoax. Being a change in temperature and climate, then it should be experienced all over the globe. The argument of global warming being a hoax is arguably referred by this group as a fake a science, however, a small group do agree but not to the extent that is explicitly brought out. Those who oppose the existence of global warming cite the following reason;
Their own experiences
The personal experiences of the residents of American Midwest proves that much as there is global warming, they have kept on experiencing snow and ice during winter. Their claims go further to down play the existence of global warming by stating that if climate change ever existed then their experience of witnessing ice could have vanished. However, there exist a group that believes in a small change in global warming and they cite a milder change in ice during winter. Also, the summer starts earlier and that it feels hotter and more humid.
No real proof
In the recent past, an article by Huffington Post, quoted president Donald Trump claiming that he did not believe in climate change due to lack of scientific evidence. To a large extent he claimed that the issue is propagated by those who want to change the public opinion. Also, there is a distrust of science especially by those allied to religion; this group of people believe that everything in the planet was created by God and that it is not possible for science to prove anything. In addition, there is no known cause of global warming, and that scientists cannot come to an agreement on its existence or not.
In conclusion, therefore, based on the above reasons both for and against, it is prudent to acknowledge the fact that the recent past has witnessed a change in global temperatures, there has been an increase in the waters in the seas and oceans, there has been a decrease in the degree of snow and ice especially in arctic regions.
Works cited
Baer, Hans A., and Merrill Singer. The anthropology of climate change: An integrated critical perspective. Routledge, 2018.
Hansen, James, et al. "Ice melt, sea level rise and superstorms: evidence from paleoclimate data, climate modeling, and modern observations that 2 C global warming could be dangerous." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics16.6 (2016): 3761-3812.
McCright, Aaron M., and Riley E. Dunlap. "The politicization of climate change and polarization in the American public's views of global warming, 2001–2010." The Sociological Quarterly52.2 (2011): 155-194.
