Task 1

Some think nothing can be done to reduce global warming as it is a natural

phenomena that takes place as and when the earth ages with time. Do you agree or

disagree? Support your position with at least three logical arguments.

1. INTRODUCTION

What is global warming? Global warming actually refers to an average increase in

the Earth's temperature, which in turn causes changes in climate. A warmer Earth may

lead to changes in rainfall patterns, a rise in sea level, and a wide range of impacts on

plants, wildlife, and humans. When scientists talk about the issue of climate change, their

concern is about global warming caused by human activities.

The earth is really getting hotter although local temperatures fluctuate naturally,

over the past 50 years the average global temperature has increased at the fastest rate in

recorded history. And experts think the trend is accelerating: the 10 hottest years on record

have all occurred since 1990. Scientists say that unless we curb global warming

emissions, average U.S. temperatures could be 3 to 9 degrees higher by the end of the

century.

In my opinion, I totally disagree that nothing can be done to reduce global warming

as it is a natural phenomenon that takes place as and when the earth ages with time.

Global mean surface temperature anomaly

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 1850 to 2006 relative to 1961-1990

2. CAUSES OF GLOBAL WARMING

2.1 Many countries are the sources of global warming pollution

The United States is the largest source of global warming pollution. Though

Americans make up just 4 percent of the world's population, we produce 25 percent of the

carbon dioxide pollution from fossil-fuel burning -- by far the largest share of any country.

In fact, the United States emits more carbon dioxide than China, India and Japan,

combined. Clearly America ought to take a leadership role in solving the problem.

The table below shows the major causes of global warming, and lists them in order

based on the percentage of global warming they have caused.

Activity Percent Contribution to Global Warming

Energy use and production 57%
Chlorofluorocarbons 17%
Agricultural practices 14%
Changes in land use 9%
Other industrial activities 3%

2.1.1 Table shows the major causes of global warming

Source: C&EN, March 27, 1989, p. 22, from the US Environmental Protection Agency.

At the top is energy production, which far outranks any other source of global

warming and accounts for more than half of all global warming.

Energy production creates greenhouse gases through the burning of fossil fuels.

Until renewable, non-polluting methods of energy production are developed, energy

production will likely remain at the top of this list.

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 Chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, rank second in the list. In recent times, public

awareness about the dangers of CFCs has increased in some of the more developed

countries. As a result, people are beginning to call for decreases in the consumption of

products that produce CFCs.

2.2 Human Activities and Greenhouse Gases

Climatologists (scientists who study climate) have analyzed the global warming that

has occurred since the late 1800's. A majority of climatologists have concluded that human

activities are responsible for most of the warming. Human activities contribute to global

warming by enhancing Earth's natural greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect warms

Earth's surface through a complex process involving sunlight, gases, and particles in the

atmosphere. Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere are known as greenhouse gases.

When sunlight reaches Earth's surface some is absorbed and warms the earth and

most of the rest is radiated back to the atmosphere at a longer wavelength than the sun

light. Some of these longer wavelengths are absorbed by greenhouse gases in the

atmosphere before they are lost to space. The absorption of this longwave radiant energy

warms the atmosphere. These greenhouse gases act like a mirror and reflect back to the

Earth some of the heat energy which would otherwise be lost to space. The reflecting back

of heat energy by the atmosphere is called the "greenhouse effect".

The major natural greenhouse gases are water vapor, which causes about 36-70%

of the greenhouse effect on Earth (not including clouds); carbon dioxide CO2, which

causes 9-26%; methane, which causes 4-9%, and ozone, which causes 3-7%.While many

greenhouse gases occur naturally and are needed to create the greenhouse effect that

keeps the Earth warm enough to support life, however, human use of fossil fuels is the

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main source of excess greenhouse gases. By driving cars, using electricity from coal-fired

power plants, or heating our homes with oil or natural gas, we release carbon dioxide and

other heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere. Most of the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil,

and natural gas) occurs in automobiles, in factories, and in electric power plants that

provide energy for houses and office buildings. The burning of fossil fuels creates carbon

dioxide, whose chemical formula is CO2. CO2 is a greenhouse gas that slows the escape

of heat into space.

Deforestation is another significant source of greenhouse gases, because fewer

trees mean less carbon dioxide conversion to oxygen. Trees and other plants remove CO2

from the air during photosynthesis, the process they use to produce food. The clearing of

land contributes to the buildup of CO2 by reducing the rate at which the gas is removed

from the atmosphere or by the decomposition of dead vegetation.

Deforestation is responsible for 25% of all carbon emissions entering the

atmosphere, by the burning and cutting of about 34 million acres of trees each year. We

are losing millions of acres of rainforests each year, the equivalent in area to the size of

Italy. The destroying of tropical forests alone is throwing hundreds of millions of tons of

carbon dioxide into atmosphere each year. We are also losing temperate forests. The

temperate forests of the world account for an absorption rate of 2 billion tons of carbon

annually. In the temperate forests of Siberia alone, the earth is losing 10 million acres per

year.

During the 150 years of the industrial age, the atmospheric concentration of carbon

dioxide has increased by 31 percent. Over the same period, the level of atmospheric

methane has risen by 151 percent, mostly from agricultural activities such as raising cattle

and growing rice.

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 Figure show the Greenhouse Effect

Human activities add significantly to the level of naturally occurring greenhouse gases:

• Carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere by the burning of solid

waste, wood and wood products, and fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal).

• Nitrous oxide emissions occur during various agricultural and industrial

processes, when solid waste or fossil fuels are burned.

• Methane is emitted when organic waste decomposes, whether in landfills or

in connection with livestock farming.

2.3 Population growth contributes to global warming

2.3.1 Graph shows population grows from 1950 to 1993

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 The intellectual powers that we enjoy has enabled us to make effective use of

technology and thereby changed the environment. Technology is partly responsible for

explosive population growth and responsible for the resulting damage to Earth's resources.

The industrial revolution caused a rapid increase in the Population growth, as oil and gas

fuels were exploited for our use. There is a clear link between the problems of global

warming and overpopulation, as increases in CO2 levels follows growth in population.

Presently, we have too many people on Earth, who are using technologies that are

destructive for the Earth. We cannot continue to grow, and make use of limited natural

resources.

3. Conclusion

The identification of humans as the main driver of global warming helps us

understand how and why our climate is changing, and it clearly defines the problem as one

that is within our power to address. Because of past emissions, we cannot avoid some

level of warming from the heat-trapping emissions already present in the atmosphere,

some of which (such as carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide) last for 100 years or more.

However, with aggressive emission reductions as well as flexibility in adapting to those

changes we cannot avoid, we have a small window in which to avoid truly dangerous

warming and provide future generations with a sustainable world. This will require

immediate and sustained action to reduce our heat-trapping emissions through increased

energy efficiency, expanding our use of renewable energy, and slowing deforestation

(among other solutions).

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4. References

• Longman,K.A.Dan Jenik,J.1995.Hutan tropika and persekitarannya.(terjemahan

Noraini Mohd.Tamin).Dewan Bahasa and Pustaka,Kuala Lumpur..

• Jonathan Baron,(2006).Thinking About Global Warming.SpringerLink:Climatic

Change,77(1-2),137-150. In SpringerLink (OUM Digital Collection)

http://www.springerLink.com.cewdc.oum.edu.my/content/063t6197tlmm8m... 27-10-

2007

• Mizue Ohe & Saburo Ikeda,Global Warming:Risk Perception and Risk-Mitigating

Bahevior in Japan. SpringerLink: Mitegation & Adaption Strategi for Global

Change,10(2),221-236. In SpringerLink (OUM Digital Collection).

http://www.springerLink.com.newdc.oum.edu.my/content/1156760638132...27-10-

2007.

• EcoBridge, Causes o f Global Warming.(Online)

Available:http://www.ecobridge.org/content/g_ese.htm.(2007-10-23)

• Global arming – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, Global Warming .

(Online)

Available:http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming (2007 -10-23)

• News in Science – Night flights are worse for global warming .(Online). Available:

http://www.nexus.edu.au/TechStud/gat/morrisson.htm.(2006,Jun.15).

• Simulation from National Geographic ,What is Global Warming? Available:

(http://green.nationalgeographic.com/environment/loba-warming/gw-overview.html)

Simulation from National Geographic.

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