Abstract
World leaders were forced to hold discussions in Kigali, Rwanda, in late 2016 to establish a deal addressing mechanisms to be adopted to curb global warming. Although nature is responsible for harboring harmful elements that trigger climatic changes, it is alarming that all talks seem to agree that human beings are to blame for the observed considerable rise in global temperatures. This paper confirms that indeed human activities such as the burning of fossil materials and the high rate of production of vehicles and other household devices, all of which emit greenhouse gasses such as CO2 and HFCs, are behind the observed dying of the planet.
Introduction
Scientists agree that global warming is indeed being observed across the world. Detrimental particles released into the atmosphere are slowly killing the planet by trapping the sun’s heat rays from the surface of the earth. Such radiations would normally disappear into space. However, the increased amount of heat trapped by greenhouse gasses has led to high temperatures that are interfering with flora and fauna. Despite the agreement that the world is being subjected to the greatest levels of greenhouse emission gasses ever such as carbon dioxide (CO2), hyrdrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and other harmful elements that trigger global warming, scientists and other interested parties continue to debate on whether such air particles result from humans’ fault or natural occurrences. Nonetheless, this research suggests that although nature may have a share in the global warming issue, the observed rise in temperatures in all countries is significantly attributable to human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, people’s involvement in projects that produce HFCs, and emissions from the worldwide transportation industry.
Humanity’s Fault
Human Activities Trigger the Production of HFCs
The last five decades have been associated with the highest levels of average international temperatures ever to be witnessed in the history of humanity. MacMillan (2016) reveals a rather worrying issue that such temperatures are expected to rise if measures are not put in place to curb the root of global warming. In particular, the U.S. may record an increment of more than 10oF in the coming 10 decades (MacMillan, 2016). This trend cuts across all nations around the world, implying that the planet is gradually “dying”. An article by Sumner (2016) presents human beings as authors of global warming. In particular, people’s efforts to manufacture items such as “air conditioners, refrigerators, and insulating foams” (Sumner, 2016, p. 13) with the hope of making their lives comfortable has resulted in an expected use of materials that turn out to increase worldwide temperatures. A single molecule of HFCs that are used as raw materials during the production of the above household items triggers global warming 100 times more compared to a particle of CO2. The destructive nature of these chemicals informed the decision to have a conference held in Rwanda where stakeholders agreed to cut their (chemicals) utilization levels by approximately 85% before 2050, a plan that would lead to a reduction of global temperatures by almost 33oF by the end of this century (Sumner, 2016). Nonetheless, although one may blame nature as the source of these elements and, consequently, the cause of global warming, this claim is refutable because such gasses find their way into the atmosphere through the facilitation of human beings.
Human Activities Trigger the Emission of Methane (CH4)
The excessive involvement of countries such as the U.S. in the burning of fossil elements is regarded as one of the biggest contributors to global warming. In this country alone, electric energy generated through fossil fuels is linked to more than 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide released annually (MacMillan, 2016). A study by Finkel and Law (2016) reveals CH4 as one of the gasses produced during the fossil fuel drilling process in America. The gas is “estimated to have a global warming potential that is 25 times greater than carbon dioxide” (Finkel & Law, 2016, p. 1729). Fossil fuels have been tapped to meet the world’s 81% energy requirements, for instance, electricity, transportation, industry, residential, and even commercial demands (Clerici & Alimonti, 2015). This figure reveals a worrying situation of the level of greenhouse gasses that have so far been released into the atmosphere in the process of accessing and processing such fuels.
Human Activities Trigger the Emission of CO2
Despite efforts by governments to reduce emissions in their respective transportation sectors by encouraging the use of eco-friendly fuels, it is still alarming that the industry is contributing substantially to global warming. A study by Antoni, Perić, and Čišić (2015) indicates that this industry produces roughly 25% of carbon dioxide emissions internationally. This level of CO2 is substantial and capable of combining with other gasses already released such as methane to obstruct heat waves from escaping into the atmosphere. Consequently, one realizes the extent to which human beings have contributed to the current impacts of global warming on the environment in the effort to enhance their living standards through the exploration and processing of fossil fuels, which, in turn, have ended up ruining the ecosystem.
Conclusion
Global warming is being witnessed around the globe following the emission of high levels of greenhouse gasses that are responsible for obstructing heat waves from disappearing into the atmosphere. Despite arguments that nature is responsible for the rise in temperatures, this paper has offered a detailed investigation that shifts a bigger share of this blame to human beings because of their involvement in activities, which are linked to harmful gasses that trigger global warming.
References
Antoni, A., Perić, M., & Čišić, D. (2015). Green logistics – Measures for reducing CO2. Scientific Journal of Maritime Research, 29, 45-51.
Clerici, A., & Alimonti, G. (2015). World energy resources. Web.
Finkel, M., & Law, A. (2016). The rush to drill for natural gas: A five-year update. American Journal of Public Health, 106(10), 1728-1730.
MacMillan, A. (2016). Global warming 101.
Sumner, T. (2016). Climate-friendly coolants needed: Deal will phase out refrigerants that cause global warming. Science News, 190(11), 13.