Global Warming and Human Influence
Global Warming and Human Influence
Global warming can be defined as; “An increase in the earth’s atmospheric and oceanic temperatures widely predicted to occur due to an increase in the greenhouse effect resulting especially from pollution” (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, 2008). According to University of Phoenix Global Warming (2008), the data accumulated from daily measurements indicate that the Earth’s average surface temperature in 2005 was the third highest since the mid-1800s. Apparently the last two decades of the 20th century were its warmest.
Humans have mostly contributed to the cause of global warming. Burning carbon-containg fossil fuels accounts for most human-made CO2. Land conversion, like when tropical forests are logged or burned, also releases CO2. By 2050 the concentration of atmospheric CO2 may be double what it was in the 1700s (University of Phoenix, 2008, para 4).
Gasoline is a perfect example of a product that we purchase that affects global warming. The combustion of the gasoline in your car’s engine releases not only CO2 but also nitrous oxide, which triggers the production of tropospheric oxide. Other industrial processes, land-use conversion, and the use of fertilizers also produce nitrous oxide. Global warming occurs because these gases absorb infrared radiation-that is, heat energy-given off by Earth’s surface. This absorption slows the natural flow of heat into space, warming the lower atmosphere. Some of the heat from the lower atmosphere is transferred to the ocean and raises it’s temperatures as well (University of Phoenix, 2008, para. 5-6).
There are a many nonliving and living factors that global warming and climate changes contribute to. Scientists suspect a link between climate change and the 1993-1994 hantavirus outbreaks. Hantavirus is a very deadly disease that affects the lungs and is spread by carriers like deer mice. People contract the disease by breathing in the virus that has gotten into the air through rodent
Global warming can be defined as; “An increase in the earth’s atmospheric and oceanic temperatures widely predicted to occur due to an increase in the greenhouse effect resulting especially from pollution” (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, 2008). According to University of Phoenix Global Warming (2008), the data accumulated from daily measurements indicate that the Earth’s average surface temperature in 2005 was the third highest since the mid-1800s. Apparently the last two decades of the 20th century were its warmest.
Humans have mostly contributed to the cause of global warming. Burning carbon-containg fossil fuels accounts for most human-made CO2. Land conversion, like when tropical forests are logged or burned, also releases CO2. By 2050 the concentration of atmospheric CO2 may be double what it was in the 1700s (University of Phoenix, 2008, para 4).
Gasoline is a perfect example of a product that we purchase that affects global warming. The combustion of the gasoline in your car’s engine releases not only CO2 but also nitrous oxide, which triggers the production of tropospheric oxide. Other industrial processes, land-use conversion, and the use of fertilizers also produce nitrous oxide. Global warming occurs because these gases absorb infrared radiation-that is, heat energy-given off by Earth’s surface. This absorption slows the natural flow of heat into space, warming the lower atmosphere. Some of the heat from the lower atmosphere is transferred to the ocean and raises it’s temperatures as well (University of Phoenix, 2008, para. 5-6).
There are a many nonliving and living factors that global warming and climate changes contribute to. Scientists suspect a link between climate change and the 1993-1994 hantavirus outbreaks. Hantavirus is a very deadly disease that affects the lungs and is spread by carriers like deer mice. People contract the disease by breathing in the virus that has gotten into the air through rodent