Global Warming Research Paper

The subject matter and argumentative direction of your research argument are open to your choice. You must, however, research and write about a matter of contemporary American public controversy. In recent classes, students have written about gun control, immigration policy, educational access, environmental concerns, and stem-cell research—just to name a few potential topics. Due to the complexity of many of these areas of controversy, you’ll want to identify a subject that you are passionate about early in the course and begin accumulating resources and refining your views. I recommend that you develop a series of research questions that will help you to clarify your position and organize your writing.

Composition Guidelines
Your research argument should be ten pages in length. Because you will also include a “Works Cited” page at the conclusion of your work, the final document that you submit for a grade will stretch to eleven total pages in length.

You need to incorporate a minimum of at least ten resources in supporting your work. I recommend a mixture of academic resources (journal articles, reference texts, or chapters from academic books) and popular resources (newspaper and magazine articles, TED Talks, or podcasts) for your essay.

Your essay must be formatted to meet MLA standards. Please review Module 5 for information on citing resources with MLA documentation principles.

Please use either the Times New Roman or the Courier New font for your work. Depending on the length of your essay, you can use 10, 10.5, 11, 11.5, or (preferably) 12-pt font size. Your work should be double spaced. Please do not include an extra space between paragraphs.

Do not include a cover page for this assignment (some instructors may ask for one in other classes).

Up to three reasonably sized images (charts, graphs, and photographs) are acceptable. Please re-size them so that the images are not pixelated, and center them in your document with text above and below. Label them Figure 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3 (for images) or Table 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3 (for charts and graphs). You can use both images and charts, of course, but just make sure that you label them accordingly.

ANSWER

Global Warming

Introduction

The environment plays an essential role in supporting life on earth. All living things, plants, and animals depend on a healthy and clean environment to have higher survival chances. Unfortunately, the world, more so the United States, is facing a massive fall in the domain’s quality. The United States is the third-largest nation globally, and the citizens here have a high living standard, which has dramatically affected the environment (Franzen & Dominikus 1004). In the world, the United States is ranked as the number 2 country in CO2 emissions. In addition to CO2 emissions, there are other environmental problems that the United States is facing. These problems may include water and air pollution, global warming, acidification of ocean water, and overpopulation, to mention a few. All these concerns on the environment are widely affecting the population by causing cancer and heart-related diseases.

For this reason, the United States, among other nations, should work hard to curb these environmental issues to control, if not altogether avoid severe outcomes shortly. Human activities are the main factors that lead to environmental concerns in the United States. Various challenges affect the environment, which in return affects the livelihood of people in the United States. In this essay, I will focus on global warming as the leading environmental issue. Global warming is an increase in the temperature of the earth due to greenhouse effects. Today, most human activities like burning fossils are the leading cause of global warming.

During the combustion of fossils, carbon dioxide, greenhouse gases, and methane are released into the earth’s atmosphere (Sathre 676). Despite these factors, greenhouse gases are the leading cause of global warming. As these gases are released into the atmosphere, they prevent the ground heat from dissipation into space. Industrial activities often produce the gases.

Causes of Global Warming

Greenhouse Gases

As earlier mentioned, the leading cause of global warming is greenhouse gases. Some gases on the atmosphere of the earth trap the heat that comes from the sun and prevents it from leaking back into space (Montzka et al. 47). It is essential to note that most of these gases naturally occur in the atmosphere. However, human activities are continually increasing some of these gases’ concentration in the atmosphere. The most commonly increased gases by human activities are carbon dioxide, fluorinated gases, and methane, to mention a few. Carbon dioxide is the number one greenhouse gas that human activities produce, and it is vital to remember that it contributes to 64% of the earth’s human-made global warming. However, the other greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere in small quantities are also responsible for trapping heat more than carbon dioxide. Other times these gases become a thousand times stronger than CO2. Figure 1-1 below illustrates how greenhouse gas effects work. Over the past few years, people worldwide have been cutting down trees forgetting that trees are the primary absorbent of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Therefore, it has resulted in the abundance of gas in the atmosphere as they cut trees and not replace them.

Figure 1- 1

Human Activities

Different human activities are currently increasing CO2, nitrous oxide, methane, and halocarbons concentrations in the atmosphere. Halocarbons are chemically produced greenhouse gases (Montzka et al. 49). The human-generated gases facilitate the natural greenhouse effects and warm the earth’s surface. Also, to the direct impacts, the body of the earth warming may come from increased concentrations of greenhouse gases that have lived longer in the atmosphere in case there are amplification processes. Other human activities that may lead to increased global warming are agricultural. These are mainly agricultural activities that facilitate the production of food to humans. Agricultural activities entail both the use of organic and commercial fertilizers. These fertilizers, in return, produce nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas.

Industrial Activities

A more significant part of global warming is often attributed to our dependence on industrial activities in the last few years. In the last few decades, industries have grown swiftly, and people have not realized that it might have been the beginning of our climate change problem (McCright & Riley 164). However, before going any further, it is vital to remember that industries use fossil fuels and burn them. Since the Industrial Revolution era, humans have burned fossil fuels like petroleum and coal for energy. As these fossil fuels burn, carbon dioxide is released, and it goes to the atmosphere. The combustion of fossil fuels increases greenhouse gas production, and greenhouse gases are the leading causes of global warming. The amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere is further used for transportation and other industrial processes. The released CO2 is also used for cement production, agriculture, and gas and oil production. These named processes are also responsible for releasing greenhouse gases like methane and CFC.

Deforestation

Deforestation is the decrease of forest areas in the world for the sake of other uses like mining activities, urbanization, and agricultural lands, to mention a few. Since the 1960s, deforestation rates have become higher because of human activities. People do not realize the impacts forests have on the environment, and as a result, the natural ecosystem, the climate, and biodiversity have been negatively impacted by this. People have also cleared trees to fulfill the demands for dairy and meat cattle’s creation of feeds. Logging for paper and wood has also accelerated the rates at which trees are cut, whether illegally or legally. However, most people are not aware that one tree alone can absorb 48 pounds of carbon dioxide annually. Unfortunately, 3.5 to 7 billion trees are cut every year. If trees were as available as they used to be before and people planted more than they cut, the amount of CO2 released in the atmosphere would be absorbed by trees as soon as they got there, hence lower global warming and climate change. Deforestation is contributing to 15% of the available greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. It is so because the more gases are released into the atmosphere, the more they stay because the world is slowly becoming a desert without trees. Fig 1-2 below illustrates how deforestation emits CO2 into the atmosphere.

Apart from forests, vegetation plays a vital role in absorbing CO2 in the atmosphere. Desertification and deforestation lead to global warming since there is a decrease in vegetation cover, which would generally absorb the available carbon dioxide. When vegetation cover decreases because of deforestation, there is often an increase in local albedo. Albedo is the amount of light one surface can absorb instead of absorbing. When this happens, local albedo, in return, causes surface cooling. Naturally, dark characters have a lower albedo as compared to lighter surfaces. Therefore, if the land has dark-colored vegetation, it will have a lower albedo and have higher chances of absorbing most earth radiations. Changes in land cover have occurred over the years, and just like deforestation, the land vegetation can no longer absorb the earth radiations hence the higher global warming chances.

Fig 1-2

Changes in Sun’s Intensity

The final cause of global warming is the variations that occur to the intensity of the sun. Usually, the sun is the primary source of the earth’s warmth. The energy from the sun passes via space before hitting the earth’s atmosphere. However, not all of this energy that comes from the sun succeeds and reaches the earth’s surface. The remaining energy is often absorbed by the atmosphere or reflected into space. In the past, the energy from the sun was one of the leading causes of warming. It does this because the output of the sun’s life is not constant, and as a result, it causes climate problems.

Effects of Global Warming

Unfortunately for planet earth, global warming is the primary environmental stress of the 21st century. It is expected of global warming to have not only far-reaching but also long-lasting effects on the planet. Already as it is, global warming has various impacts on the earth, and these effects may include the following.

Effects of Global Warming on the Weather 

For years now, meteorologists have been observing the impacts of global warming on weather. The most common effects that global warming has caused include hurricanes, droughts, natural disasters like storms and hurricanes, to mention a few.

Increased temperature and temperature extremes

Increased average temperatures are the most prominent and evident effect of global warming in the United States and today. In the last 100 tears, the average temperature has increased by approximately 0.8 degrees. For instance, 2016 was recorded as the hottest year according to the data given by NASA. For the United States, 2016 was considered the second warmest on their record; it was also the 20th consecutive year in the US with its surface temperature above 122 degrees. Things have changed in the United States, and the summers and winters are not as they were previously.

Extreme Weather Patterns

Another weather effect of global warming is extreme weather patterns. For instance, America has been experiencing the hottest summers and the coldest winters, unlike before. It is the result of climate, and it is for this reason, some states in America can have short cold snaps and colder winters. It is also essential to note that extreme weather patterns may include much more than extreme hot and weather events. For instance, because of global warming, there may be changes in the formation of hurricanes. Due to high greenhouse gases released in the atmosphere, the extreme weather changes are likely to last for a long time. The United States Environmental Protection Agency argues that these changes are likely to stay longer than expected. For example, in the Northeastern part of the United States, these changes are likely to increase annual rainfalls. In the Pacific Northwest, there is an expectation of a decrease in summer rainfalls.

Ocean Acidification and Sea Levels

Generally, sea levels are often on the rise when the ice melts. The World Meteorological Organization stated that in 2014, there was an acceleration in the sea level rise worldwide. During this time, it was reported that it rose at an average of 3 millimeters annually. According to EPA, global sea levels have continuously been increased by about 8 inches, and the increment rate is expected to accelerate and grow more in the coming years (Geisler & Ben 325). Unfortunately, most coastal areas where the more significant part of the world population lives will experience inundation if these trends happen and keep up. In addition to sea level rises, the excessive emission of CO2 to the atmosphere has resulted in acidification of seawater. It is so because when carbon dioxide dissolves in water, it becomes carbonic acid. According to the EPA, there has been a 25% increment in water ocean acidity since the Industrial Revolution. The edge of seawater affects the organisms that habituate in these water bodies. The higher the amount of carbon dioxide released in the sea bodies, the more un-conducive the environments become to the microorganisms that live here. In addition to this, if these trends continue, coral reefs will increases in places like the United States that they are familiar with.

Effects on Plants and Animals

The impacts of global warming on the ecosystem are widespread and all over. Due to warming temperatures, most animal and plant species are moving northwards or to areas where there are higher altitudes. As compared to the 20th century, migratory insects and birds arrive in summer while nesting and feeding days or weeks earlier today than they did in the last century (Crimmins et al., 324). It is vital to remember that global warming warmer temperatures give room for many disease-causing pathogens to multiply and spread quickly. These disease-causing pathogens were previously confined to subtropical areas are now widespread and killing plant and animal species that were once protected. If unchecked and uncontrolled, global warming will end up clearing and eliminating half of the earth’s plants and a third of animal species in the next fifty years. With the continuous changes, the agricultural sector will also be affected. As we all know, agriculture is the primary source of food production globally, and if it is involved, then we are likely to starve from the diverse effects of environmental and climate changes.

How to prevent the Issue of Global Warming

Even though there are various causes and impacts of global warming, the best news is that as humans, there are different ways we can prevent and save ourselves from his issue. However, before starting any solutions to the problem, it is essential to remember that it cannot wholly be stopped. Still, we can gradually slow it down to eliminate the negative impacts on our lives. The first step to slow global warming down is that every person on the planet earth needs to understand that the problem exists and take part in fixing this problem, the problem we have all contributed to in one way or another.

Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The leading cause of global warming is greenhouse gas emissions that are released into the atmosphere. Therefore, the first solution to the problem is to reduce and control the greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. The most common harmful and production way of greenhouse gases is fossil fuels and gasoline burning. It is possible to reduce the discharge of gasoline and fossil fuels by purchasing and using E-vehicles. These are vehicles that operate with electricity, and they do not use gas like regular vehicles. Doing so will prevent the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Renewable Energy

The most effective way to fight climate change and global warming is through the use of renewable energy. We can do this by avoiding the use of fossil fuels as the primary source of life. The most suitable alternatives to fossil fuel are wind-solar, geothermal, and biomass. For instance, if we generate electricity from these sources like solar and wind, there will be a significant slowdown in the process of global warming.

Recycling

Suppose we adopt recycling and reusing more and more and educate the coming generations on its importance. In that case, it will play a significant role in slowing down the global warming process. The more a person recycles, the lesser wastes they release into the environment hence more secondary pollution. Fig 1-3 below indicates the most essential Rs in the environmental conservation

Fig 1- 3

Forest Management and Sustainable Agriculture

Deforestation is one of the leading causes of global warming. Forests are the homes of most animal species, but the trees play an essential role in absorbing the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. Therefore, the more trees people cut down to fulfill their earthly desires, the more they give room for carbon dioxide to stay longer in the atmosphere. Most people cut down trees without planting new ones because they do not understand trees’ importance to the environment. They do not know the amount of carbon dioxide a tree absorbs in a year, and as a result, they fail to see the essence of planting one to replace the one they cut. Therefore, people must be encouraged to use natural resources in better ways and to stop deforestation. It is also essential for agricultural producers to make agriculture more efficient and greener. As earlier learned, vegetation also plays a role in preventing global warming.

Conclusion 

The human race is selfish, and for us to survive this crisis we have caused, we need to change our ways and become better people for the sake of the coming generations and us. We depend on the environment for various reasons, and it is the human race and other living things like plants. Climate change is one of the leading environmental concerns in the United States and the world today. However, most people are not aware of the impacts we are causing to the environment. Things need to change, and we need to develop various interventions to prevent further damages and save the environment. We need to understand that cutting down trees and burning fossil fuels as a source of energy is killing the planet earth, and we need to rethink our ways and come with a solution as soon as possible to save ourselves. Some of the effects of climate change and global warming may not affect us directly or may take time to present themselves, but we should work hard to save both plants and animals before they become extinct. People should start living their lives more cautiously and take various measures to prevent further damages. For instance, people should reuse and recycle more to reduce the waste released into the environment. To top it up, the coming and younger generations should receive the necessary education on the importance of recycling and reusing so that as they grow up, they know what best suits them and at the same time saves the environment.

Woks Cited

Crimmins, Shawn M., et al. “Changes in climatic water balance drive downhill shifts in plant species’ optimum elevations.” Science 331.6015 (2011): 324-327. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/49771949_Changes_in_Climatic_Water_Balance_Drive_Downhill_Shifts_in_Plant_Species’_Optimum_Elevations

Franzen, Axel, and Dominikus Vogl. “Two decades of measuring environmental attitudes: A comparative analysis of 33 countries.” Global Environmental Change 23.5 (2013): 1001-1008.

Geisler, Charles, and Ben Currens. “Impediments to inland resettlement under conditions of accelerated sea level rise.” Land Use Policy 66 (2017): 322-330. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0264837715301812

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 Quarterly 52.2 (2011): 155-194. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1533-8525.2011.01198.x

Montzka, Stephen A., Edward J. Dlugokencky, and James H. Butler. “Non-CO 2 greenhouse gases and climate change.” Nature 476.7358 (2011): 43-50.

Sathre, Roger. “Comparing the heat of combustion of fossil fuels to the heat accumulated by their lifecycle greenhouse gases.” Fuel 115 (2014): 674-677.

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