Global Warming Persuasive Essay

A hot button issue in current society is Global Warming. According to Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary global warming is “the recent increase in the world 's temperature that is believed to be caused by the increase of certain gases in the atmosphere” (Merriam). Global warming as it stands is a scientific fact, as opposed to a theory. The legitimacy of Earth’s rising temperature isn’t where all the heated debates lie though. The debate is centered around whether or not humans are the cause of the current temperature fluxuations. Earth’s temperature depends on the balance between energy entering and leaving the planet’s system . When energy from the sun is absorbed by Earth, Earth warms. When the sun’s energy is reflected back into space, Earth avoids warming. When energy is released back into space, Earth cools. Many factors, both natural and human, can cause changes in Earth’s energy balance.
A professor of atmospheric sciences, Richard Lindzen, believes the recent global warming is just yet another phase in the life cycle of Earth. He believes the current warming trend is the result of natural phases, where a planet goes through warming and cooling and the human contribution to it is slim to none (Future). We all know that at one point or another Earth has
had Ice Ages, and the globe isn’t currently one big mass of ice. Which means at some point or another global warming took effect. Scientists understand that Earth has natrually gone through cycles of global warming and global cooling over millenniums of time.
The temperatures were relatively unchanged from 1880 to 1910.
They rose till about 1945, cooled until about 1975 and have risen steadily to present day. (A Natural). There are several possible reasons for the warming. A change in the Earth 's orbit. Tiny wobbles in Earth’s orbit can alter when and where sunlight falls on Earth’s surface. The intensity of the Sun 's radiation could change, triggering warming or cooling.Variations in the Sun itself could increase and decrease the amount of solar energy reaching Earth. In the past, volcanic eruptions have generated particles that reflect sunlight. Volcanic activity has also increased greenhouse gases over millions of years, causing phases of global
warming.
Climate change is a natural process by itself, but with the addition of human interaction most scientists believe that this process has been sped up quite significantly. Climate changes before the Industrial Revolution, in the 1700’s, can be explained by natural causes, such as; changes in solar energy, volcanic eruptions, and natural changes in greenhouse gas concentrations. Recent climate changes, however, cannot be explained by natural causes alone. Scientists say that natural causes are “very unlikely” (Featured) to explain most global warming, especially since the mid-20th century. Scientists believe human activities can explain most of global warming.
Historically, Earth’s climate has changed slightly by a few hundredths of a degree celsius during different natural occurrences. Since 1975, the Earth’s temperature has risen six tenths of a degree celsius. Mankind’s most abundant contribution to global warming is the release of fossil fuels into the atmosphere. These gases [mainly made up of CO² (carbon dioxide)] act as a blanket wrapped tightly around Earth. The blanket effectively keeps heat from escaping Earth’s atmosphere, and simultaneously reflects more of the Sun’s radiation. This effect is titled the Greenhouse Effect. The Greenhouse Effect is not limited to human activities though. Active volcanoes around the world emit carbon dioxide, but the amount of carbon dioxide they release is extremely small compared to human emissions. On average, volcanoes emit between 130 and 230 million tons of carbon dioxide per year. By burning fossil fuels, people release about 26 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year (The Greenhouse). On a smaller scale a single gallon of gasoline, when burned, puts 19 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (A Natural). Activities that emit these fossil fuels include but are not limited to; driving cars, running power plants on coal and oil, and burning forests and trash.
Global warming has put a fire under the seats of some researchers. The United Nations commissioned a group of 1300 scientific experts to assess the situation over time. In the recent, Fourth Assessment Report, the panel concluded that there’s a more than 90 percent chance human activities alone have warmed our planet. The industrialization that our civilization depends on has raised atmospheric CO² levels from 280 ppm (parts per million) to 379 ppm in the last 250 years (Causes).
The Earth is trying to tell us something. The recent natural disasters are linked with Global Warming, and everyone is looking for someone to blame. The evidence speaks for itself in this case. The party guilty of polluting the Earth with excess amounts of greenhouse gasses, thus causing the Earth’s global temperature to rise is you and I and every other person on this planet. We as a population are singularly responsible for Global Warming.

Works Cited
"Causes of Climate Change." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
"Future Climate Change." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2013.
"Global Warming: A Natural Cycle or Human Result?" CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2013.
"Global Warming." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2013.

"Global Warming : Feature Articles." Global Warming : Feature Articles. NASA, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
"Global Warming Is Human Caused." - National Wildlife Federation. NWF, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
"Global Warming Timeline." Global Warming Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
"The Greenhouse Effect." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.