Nicole Alexis S.
Sintin
Final Draft: Extended Definition
Global Warming
Global Warming, also known as global climate change, is a natural phenomenon
where there is an average increase in temperature near the Earth's surface and in the
lowest layer of the atmosphere due to effect of greenhouse gasses, such as carbon
dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels or from deforestation, enables the heat to
exit from the atmosphere. According to Dickinson suggested by Broecker (1987)
temperature is a basic measurement for describing the climate, and the temperature in
particular places have wide-ranging effects on human life and ecosystem.
According to Goldstein and Harrison (Global Issues page 6) Global warming can
have many different causes but it is most commonly associated with human
interference, specially the release of excessive amount of greenhouse gasses. Human
activity such as burning fossil fuels causes more greenhouse gases to build up in the
atmosphere. As the atmosphere thickens with more greenhouse gases, more heat is
held in. Fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas are high in carbon and, when
burned, produce major amounts of carbon dioxide or CO2. A single gallon of gasoline,
when burned, puts 19 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Naturally occurring greenhouse gases are good in naturally occurring amounts
it's when people start contributing excessive amounts of them that greenhouse gasses
become a problem. With excessive greenhouse gas buildup, the Earth's atmosphere
warms to unnatural temperatures which causes, among the things; sea level to rise.
Global warming also causes sea surface temperatures to rise, rainfall patterns to
change. According to Ramanathan and Victor (Global Warming page 74) this doesn't
mean that humanity would not have to deal with CO2 emissions and would not be
storing up future trouble by continuing to emit at our present pace but it would interrupt
and, perhaps even more importantly, significantly reduce the chances of catastrophic
climate change.
REFERENCE
Ramanathan, V., & Victor, D. (2012). Advancing the science of Climate Change:
America's Climate Choices. California: Publishing Solutions.
Goldstein, N., & Harrison, K. (2010). Global Issues: Global Warming. New York, New
York: Infobase Publishing.
Dickinson, R. (1989). Climatic Change:Uncertainties of Estimates of Climatic Change.
Dordrecht, Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.