Andrew Su

Global What?
An explanation to the global climate crisis.

The News
Global warming and climate change are no news. Yet, they have hit the news plenty of times and have been the topics on the political stage for years. It's been the focus of heated debate; it's been the focal point for both economic and scientific development; over all, it's a rather big thing. There's no denying that. Yet, why haven't we done anything about this problem yet? We have clearly had enough time to look at it though. We see evidence of record temperatures, stronger storms, extensive droughts, warmer oceans, etc. etc. and all have been linked to global climate change and global warming. It almost looks like we are neglecting this problem as a whole, as the situation is becoming more and more drastic. However, solving the global climate process isn't a one-step solution. It isn't simple, and it certainly isn't easy. Moreover, the entire view of global climate change isn't simple in itself. People can't grasp the whole concept of what is happening here, especially on such a large scale. Most people contribute these changes to be the effect of CO2 and the burning of fossil fuels. Yet, these things are just one factor, and don't make up for a lot of what is going on with climate change. You might remember Al Gore and his "Inconvenient Truth" which addresses the global warming and climate issue and points the big finger at fossil fuels and CO2 emissions, and quite frankly, that has become the public opinion. Activists have been shouting "We shouldn't depend of foreign nations for fossil fuels", "We should reduce and eventually lose fossil fuels", "We need to reduce our carbon emissions." These are all good ideas, don't get me wrong, but none of them truly solve the problem of global warming and climate change in its entirety. This problem can't be solved with just one fix in our system. As said before, global warming and climate change are a set of complex situations that contain multiple components to their function. There is, in fact, other reasons why these problems are there. Blaming CO2 and fossil fuels for all of it is not going to help fix it. Don't get pulled on to the "environmentalist" bandwagon without first knowing the whole of the story.

The Other Half

One of the things advocates don't want to mention are the facts that go against their case. People who preach global warming and climate change aren't always going to be right, not to say opposition won't be either. But, all of the facts aren't being brought up to the news stage, so it is hard to understand what the truths of global warming and climate change are. There is much discrepancy on the global warming and climate change issue, but there are some things I think have been "hidden" from public view and deserve attention. 1. CO2 levels are rising after temperature increases, not the other way around.

So when the temperature goes up, CO2 levels rise some time later. "Climate of Fear", narrated by Glen Beck, talks about the research and data that showed this. Al Gore tried to show that CO2 levels caused temperatures to rise. The graph he used showed both of them rising at steady rates, almost coinciding with each other. Yet, the real data shows that the temperature increase precedes the CO2 increase. These two things are related, but not in the way the advocates say it does. To give the scientific background on this, it is due to the solubility of CO2 in water. It might sound strange that it is this way. The carbon cycle is what determines this trend. The heating of the earth and oceans causes CO2, originally stored, to be released into the atmosphere. The main focal point of this process is in the oceans, where a large amount of CO2 can be stored in solution. In fact, the oceans are where much of the CO2 on the earth is stored. When the oceans warm up, lots of CO2 comes out of the water and into the atmosphere because as the temperatures rise, the solubility of gasses in water, and the oceans, decrease. It can no longer hold as much CO2 as it could when it was cooler. Another thing that happens is that the oceans absorb almost half of the CO2 emissions that humans create, creating a natural buffer. However if the earth keeps heating, less and less CO2 can be absorbed by the ocean, reducing the buffer from CO2 that the oceans create as well as continuously releasing CO2 into the atmosphere. Now, CO2 is a proven greenhouse gas. There's no denying that. So as more CO2 goes into the atmosphere, the warmer the earth gets. Then, it goes back to the oceans releasing CO2. This is a vicious cycle of heating of the earth. It's not just humans releasing CO2, it's also the natural cycle coming into play. However, humans are still to blame as we are, in fact, heating up the earth with our own actions. Even if we cut down or stop our CO2 emission, CO2 levels will still continue to rise as the global temperature rises.

2.

We are releasing heat into the atmosphere, and not just from burning fossil fuels.

As said above, the heating of the earth is a main problem in the release of CO2 into the atmosphere. If unrestricted amounts of heat are left to warm up the earth, it will only further the disastrous effects of global warming and climate change. People put too much blame on the effects of CO2 when there are other verdicts as well. Temperature is another one of them. A great human invention: how to make fire and heat. On small scales and limited usage, it is what got the species so far, at least in stories. However, on such a massive scale, these things are really becoming destructive. All the energy that is stored as potential energy inside the earth and in other places is now being used to do tasks for human beings. The natural cycle of energy usage is being overwhelmed by civilizations intervention. The storing and usage process of energy is now just becoming the usage process. This doesn't just include heat directly, but also other applications of energy. Most common one we know is electricity. It's the pillar of modern life. So many good things have come out of it, such as computers, light, refrigeration, air conditioning, etc. Yet, we have come to rely on it so much that we barely have enough sources to supply it. People are trying to say that we should revert our reliance on fossil fuels for energy. Some say to eliminate nuclear power as well. Yet will changing the source of our electricity be the solution to global warming and climate change? Take what was said before and now think, "What if we keep heating the earth without restraint?" Almost all of our appliances and systems are highly energy-based. Just because it's not direct heat, doesn't mean it won't become it. Refrigerators cool the insides, but create much more heat on the outside. Air conditioners are the same. Electricity creates resistance as it moves, and that resistance creates heat. Lights create small amounts of heat, but with how much we are using, the cumulative amount is quite a lot. We use electric heaters, we run generators, we're using high-powered jets and planes. We still burn things, even if they are not fossil fuels. Energy doesn't go away. It's always there and can't be destroyed. The energy that we use is transferred somewhere else, and it's not always where we want it to be. Overall, human energy usage is affecting the earth as we speak. We will still demand for the same amount of energy even if fossil fuels are replaced. CO2 emission can still increase even if we don't directly release it. As temperatures rise, so will CO2 levels; as we continue to use energy at extreme rates, the global climate will continue to change. Fossil fuels can't be our only problem.

3.

We are in between ice ages, a.k.a. a warming period.

The has naturally had cool and warm periods dating back before life even existed. There's been a sinusoidal (up and down) trend of temperatures and matching CO2 levels. However, as advocates do say, the current era has a massive spike in the natural cycle. You see the numbers fly straight up on the charts. Yet, this just shows how during time periods, you get the natural cycle of rising temperatures=rising CO2 levels. It also represents the inverse. Humans are just feeding into this equation. CO2 levels AND temperatures are rising. The natural cycle cannot handle the extremes that we force onto it. Just in the past century, the CO2 levels have increased exponentially, and less outspoken are the temperature levels. Ever since the industrial revolution, the human use of machines has constantly been applying pressure and stress on the natural carbon and energy cycles. You can see the spike in the CO2 and temperature trends from around there. Now, we find that this problem isn't something that we can just ignore. The whole industrialization and urbanization overcoming the human population is getting ever more so frequent, and with it, the danger of global warming and climate change. We can just expect to see the same trends if we don't do something about it. This will seem like I'm acknowledging the other side, but I need to because I agree that we do need change. However, we need the right kind of change. And I believe that CO2 and fossil fuels don't fulfill all the requirements.

4.

What else are we responsible for?

Of natural causes, it would be animal respiration, biomass decomposition, volcanoes and earth metamorphism, burning of biomass through wildfires, and, of course, CO2 coming out of solution from the oceans. These are natural causes that nature has been able to control and handle properly and easily. What are human causes? What the advocates will say is burning fossil fuels is the main one. It does in fact contribute to most of the CO2 output. But what else? Deforestation to create land is one of them. Not only does it release CO2, but it also destroys plant biomass which absorbs CO2 and Nitrogen compounds. This creates an even greater imbalance. Not just deforestation, but any type of removal of nature to create space will reduce the amount of CO2 that the Earth will hold.

Another rather common one is the creation of cement. The cement structures that we see every day are derived from human hands. The decomposition of limestone to cement creates a lot of CO2 and some heat, both of which can end up impacting the Earth. Cement doesn't last forever, so there is a continuing supply and demand for it. Steel and Iron production has similar effects. Another greenhouse gas not yet mentioned is the creation of methane (CH4). Animals naturally create it. But a large part is released because of humans. Agriculture and livestock make up the bulk of the release, and waste decay for another portion. Is methane more dangerous? Yes and no. Methane is a stronger greenhouse gas than CO2, in fact, one of the strongest. Yet, methane doesn't last in the atmosphere and eventually is destroyed by natural processes. But the short-term effects are visible. It's another cause for global warming and climate change and unlike CO2, it doesn't dissolve well in waters, so there is no natural buffer. And again, we are heating up the planet from our pure energy usage.

What can we do?

All these effects combine to one to show us what impact we have on the global climate. It is no natural phenomenon, and there is no one source to blame. But it is the cumulative effects of the ever-growing, ever-advancing human race. We have progressed and achieved great things in other areas, but now, we need to put our efforts into sustain the Earth. As all advocates, environmentalists, and activists say, "We only have one Earth." It is precious to us, it is probably the biggest pillar in our lives, and it is our home. I am also one to say, we need to do something to keep it healthy. But, what I don't believe in is the focus we try to put on just fossil fuels and their effects of CO2 and rising temperatures. There are many other things that play a role in the phenomenon of global warming and climate change. If we just get rid of those things, are we really fixing the problem. We might be fixing part of the problem, but not all of it. I'm not saying that we should abandon all efforts to reduce fossil fuels and CO2 levels. I advocate for that too. But I say that we also use our efforts to fix the other areas that play a part in global warming and climate change. If we do nothing, it might be too late. If we don't put enough effort into solving the problem, it might not go away. And if we put our efforts into the wrong place, it might not fix anything.

In the end, I'm also an advocate for change, because we need it. I'm also an advocate for the right change, because we need it. To solve the crisis of global warming and climate change, humanity will require a LOT of changes, and we'd better start thinking on solutions in the right areas than wasting our time on plans that are misconstrued. We're running out of time, and the argument certainly isn't helping. I hope that I could expand your views and your knowledge of this issue, not to impose an opinion, but to help you. To help you be able to fulfill your role in the solution of global warming and climate change. Now you can decide on what you believe is the right way to fix this problem. It could still be ridding fossil fuels. It could still be reducing our carbon emissions. But it could also be a lot of other things.

Additional resources: http://www.skepticalscience.com/climate-models.htm