Cause of global warming

The phenomena. Historically, all of the Earth's climate changes were attributed to natural forces such as volcanic eruptions, Earth's orbital changes, and the amount of released solar energy. That changed with the introduction of the Industrial Revolution late in the 18th century, when human activities began to alter the global climate and environment.

The Industrial Revolution

The onset of the industrial revolution has paved way for the advancement of human technology. As more people relied on technology, numerous tools and devices were invented to make life easier for men. However, the emergence of these inventions has also resulted in the dependence of man to energy. The influx of energy usage from fossil fuels, coal, oil or gas has also resulted in the inception of human-induced rapid climate change. The demand for energy around the world is currently at more than 80% of the world-wide energy demand. Most of this is from fossil fuels such as gas, oil, and coal. Since the energy demand is too high, there hasn't any other alternative source yet with this magnitude which could replace fossil fuels in the short or medium term. Thus the drastic increase in the emission of CO2 (carbon dioxide) within the last 30 years caused by burning fossil fuels has been identified as the major reason for the change of temperature in the atmosphere.

Greenhouse gases and global warming

Greenhouse gases regulate our climate by trapping heat and holding it in a kind of warm-air blanket that surrounds the planet. They are necessary for keeping the Earth's temperature warm enough to support life. This occurrence is scientifically called the "greenhouse effect." The problems related to global warming which we have encountered for decades started when human activities added more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere which disrupt and speeds up the natural process thereby warming the planet to more than the right temperature. Scientists revealed that as the concentrations of these gases continue to increase in the atmosphere, the Earth's temperature will also continue to climb above past levels eventually making the Earth become less habitable for humans, plants and animals. Burning fossil fuels by driving cars, using electricity from coal-fired power plants, or heating our homes with oil or natural gas are just some of the human activities that emit this carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in overwhelming proportion.

Global warming and its consequences

For decades, the rapid pace at which the temperature has risen had already resulted in many negative impacts to humans and the environment and this has created a world-wide concern. Most scientists believe that the warming of the climate will lead to more extreme weather patterns which may accelerate species extinction, influence the length of seasons, results in poor yield of crops, trigger flooding in costal lines, sets off abrupt climate changes and results to more frequent and violent storms.

Bjorn Lomborg: Our priorities for saving the world

Causes and Effects of Global Warming
Causes and Effects of Global Warming Causes and Effects of Global Warming
Causes and Effects of Global Warming

http://www.ted.com Given $50 billion to spend, which would you solve first, AIDS or global warming? Danish political scientist Bjorn Lomborg comes up with surprising answers.

Channel: Nonprofits & Activism
Uploaded: November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am
Author: TEDtalksDirector

Length: 17:27
Rating: 4.37
Views: 92006

Tags: "Copenhagen  "global  Bjorn  Consensus"  economics  environment  Lomborg  political  priorities  science  talks  TED  TEDTalks  warming"  

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Priceless21 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
That was quick. Extinction or sacrificed lifestyle and you choose extinction. You don't take Global Warming too seriously then.
Icix1 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
No, that takes work and initiative. You do it.
Priceless21 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
You first then. Turn off your heating and turn off your carbon burning computer and TV for a start. Then sell your car and grow your own vegies...
Icix1 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
Global warming, clearly. It has the ability to cause out extinction, not just famine or poverty.
typeclash (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
We don't wan't to solve the problems.
Sondre7 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
Its a pity Lomborg and the Copenhagen Consensus is used by climate change-skeptics to argue against the problem of climate change when the message is so much more important. He is not arguing against adressing climate change; he is arguing for adressing malnutrition, sanitation and disease with much greater emphasis!
DerekAz (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
This [cooling] trend will reduce agricultural productivity for the rest of the century -- Peter Gwynne, Newsweek 1976If present trends continue, the world will be about four degrees colder for the global mean temperature in 1990, but eleven degrees colder by the year 2000...This is about twice what it would take to put us in an ice age. -- Kenneth E.F. Watt on air pollution and global cooling, Earth Day (1970
DerekAz (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
The world is coming to an end, government must control more of our lives, scare mongering is not new. In the 70's it was global cooling.I would take even money that England will not exist in the year 2000 -- Paul Ehrlich in (1969)In ten years all important animal life in the sea will be extinct. Large areas of coastline will have to be evacuated because of the stench of dead fish.-- Paul Ehrlich, Earth Day (1970)
jroy375 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
Oh, and Animalll2003lll, I think you should check out this video:tinyurl (dot) com/2ys297
jroy375 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
And in that interview, he states, wrongly, that climate change is a 50 to 100 year problem. This is impossible to know, since even the IPCC cannot successfully predict when we will hit the climatic "tipping point". (research climate forcing and feedback)Clearly, Lomborg does not understand the basic risks of the climate crisis. If we wait, we might pass this tipping point... which would make it too late to do anything. In fact, some scientists insist we have already passed this point.
Effects of global warming

Climate Change. Scientific researches have already revealed that the effects of global warming in the 21st century and beyond are expected to be disastrous. Many of these changes are already under way. Recent studies conducted by Working Group II of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), states that the increased greenhouse gas concentrations are very likely to increase the Earth's average temperature, influence precipitation, and some storm patterns as well as raise sea levels. In addition to this, the United States National Academy of Sciences has warned that "greenhouse" warming and other human alterations of the earth system may increase the possibility of large, abrupt, and unwelcome regional or global climatic events.

Projected Impacts of Global Warming

A board organized by the U.S National Research Council in June 2006 expressed a "high level of confidence" that Earth as we know it today has experienced the hottest climate for the last 400 years, and possibly even the last 2,000 years. Studies have shown that, for the last century, there has been an increase in the average global surface temperature of roughly 0.3-0.6 degree Celsius (0.5-1 degree Fahrenheit). This global warming will potentially lead to future large-scale and possibly permanent effects at continental as well as global scales. The likelihood, magnitude, and timing is uncertain and contentious but some examples of projected impacts that will occur are more frequent and more intense heat waves, droughts, severe storms, more floods, degraded water quality, and increased spread of infectious diseases. If for the past 100 years such overwhelming effects were observed while the globe warmed up by an estimated average of merely 0.6 degree Celsius (1 degree Fahrenheit), this phenomenon will likely get worse by the year 2100. By that time, temperatures could increase by 6 degree Celsius (11 degree Fahrenheit).

Global Warming and the Society

The effects of global warming will be felt in every region worldwide and at all levels of society. Reports from the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) confirmed with 90 percent certainty that global warming is now inevitable and humans are primarily accountable for a significant portion of the heat-trapping greenhouse gases that have caused global temperatures to rise significantly since the middle of the 20th century. It also made clear that while poor people worldwide will suffer most from the effects of global warming, no person on Earth will escape its consequences.

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