Global Warming: Natural or Manmade?
Amber McGraw
American Intercontinental University
Unit 1 Individual Project
BUSN300-1005A-11: Lower Division Capstone
November 11, 2010
Abstract
The impacts of global warming vary depending upon perspective and in this paper I will discuss the debate of whether global warming is caused by human activity and carelessness or whether it is just a normal part of the Earth’s natural cyclical processes.
Global Warming: Natural or Manmade? Global Warming has been an intriguing and worrisome subject amongst environmentalists, scientists and society alike, especially in the last few decades, but is global warming a topic to raise concern or just a normal phase in the nature climate cycles of Earth. In order to determine who or what is to blame for the recent change in the Earth’s climate, we must first review the findings of both sides. We must take into account the normal cycles of climate change that our planet cyclically goes through as well as the abnormal changes that have taken place since the industrial period when the impact on the climate could be attributed to humans. Scientists have been studying the climate trend on Earth for many years through the different cycles that occur here. One of the cycles is referred to as the hydrologic cycle, which is the process of Earth’s water constantly being cycled through reservoirs in the oceans, in the air and on the land (Egger, 2003). Scientists have found that the amount of water on Earth is constant and only changes or cycles during different climate periods. For instance, during warmer periods of climate change glaciers melt and in turn cause a rise in sea level, but the amount of water does not change. The water is only cycled from a solid (glacier) to a liquid (water) and when the planet is in a cooler climate period, we see glaciers grow and sea levels drop. As the sea levels rise there is more water that can be warmed by the Sun and since water expands as it gets warmer, the sea levels will
American Intercontinental University
Unit 1 Individual Project
BUSN300-1005A-11: Lower Division Capstone
November 11, 2010
Abstract
The impacts of global warming vary depending upon perspective and in this paper I will discuss the debate of whether global warming is caused by human activity and carelessness or whether it is just a normal part of the Earth’s natural cyclical processes.
Global Warming: Natural or Manmade? Global Warming has been an intriguing and worrisome subject amongst environmentalists, scientists and society alike, especially in the last few decades, but is global warming a topic to raise concern or just a normal phase in the nature climate cycles of Earth. In order to determine who or what is to blame for the recent change in the Earth’s climate, we must first review the findings of both sides. We must take into account the normal cycles of climate change that our planet cyclically goes through as well as the abnormal changes that have taken place since the industrial period when the impact on the climate could be attributed to humans. Scientists have been studying the climate trend on Earth for many years through the different cycles that occur here. One of the cycles is referred to as the hydrologic cycle, which is the process of Earth’s water constantly being cycled through reservoirs in the oceans, in the air and on the land (Egger, 2003). Scientists have found that the amount of water on Earth is constant and only changes or cycles during different climate periods. For instance, during warmer periods of climate change glaciers melt and in turn cause a rise in sea level, but the amount of water does not change. The water is only cycled from a solid (glacier) to a liquid (water) and when the planet is in a cooler climate period, we see glaciers grow and sea levels drop. As the sea levels rise there is more water that can be warmed by the Sun and since water expands as it gets warmer, the sea levels will
References: Egger, A. (2009). The Hydrologic Cycle: Water 's Journey Through Time. Retrieved 2003, from http://www.visionlearning.com/library/module_viewer.php?mid=99 Locke, W. (2010). Milankovitch Cycles and Glaciations. Retrieved from http://www.homepage.montana.edu/~geol445/hyperglac/time1/milankov.htm Mastrandrea, M., & Schneider, S. (2007). Causes of Global Warming. Retrieved from NASA website: http://www.nasa.gov/worldbook/global_warming_worldbook.html Singer, S., & Avery, D. (2005). The Physical Evidence of Earth 's Unstoppable 1,500-Year Climate Cycle United Nations Environment Program. (2006). Common Questions About Climate Change. Retrieved from U.S Whitehouse, D. (2007). Global warming - Is the Sun to blame? Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/358953.stm