Increases in Earth’s average temperature over an extended period are called global warming. Greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere have recently increased. This study will examine whether global warming is a genuine phenomenon or a theory. Greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide are the primary contributors to climate change and global warming, which is not a stable condition. In 1988, the World Meteorological Organization was established with the express purpose of reviewing the scientific literature on the subject of global warming (Al‐Ghussain 15). Observable climate change and global warming have occurred during the previous few years. Damage has been done in several parts of the world due to the extreme weather that has affected those areas. The combustion of fossil fuels is a direct human action that has increased greenhouse gases. Loss of sea ice, higher sea levels, droughts, overall warming of the planet, and an increase in the frequency and intensity of cyclones are all negative consequences of the current temperature rise.
To prevent further climate change, the international community and other global institutions should take action to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. On the contrary, those who argue against global warming point to things like greenhouse gas emissions as proof that human activity cannot alter Earth’s climate. They do not back the evidence presented by those in favor of global warming because they claim it is all based on flawed models, skewed research, and dubious data. This view holds that natural causes stimulate global warming. Sunlight’s heat and ocean currents are two such examples. The former president of the United States, Barack Obama, tweeted that climate change and global warming are real, associated with human activities, and harmful. Nearly all liberal-leaning Democrats acknowledge that global warming is a serious phenomenon. Eighty-four percent agree with the assertion that human activity is a major contributor to global warming (Alfonso et al. 1499). Members of Congress, such as United States Senator James Inhofe, have argued that global warming is a fallacy and does not happen anywhere. The senator concurred that natural climatic fluctuations are happening.
Greenhouse gas emissions are a major environmental concern, and the Green New Deal urges the federal government to take strong action to mitigate this. Similarly, the Sunrise Movement is a political action organization in the United States that campaigns for legislation to address climate change. The sparked discussion about global warming has gone so far as to call climate change an existential threat and a disaster (Zandalinas et al. 592). Climate change has led to intolerable global warming and has been a central issue for the Democratic camp. Consequently, a tax on carbon emissions was implemented to control rising levels of this gas. As evidenced by the United Nations Landmark study, climate change has worsened since the industrial revolution began. If the globe heats by an extra half a degree, severe climate change could occur, causing coral reefs destruction and island nations to flood.
Approximately 70% of Americans acknowledge the existence of climate change. Representative scientists around the world have proposed a resolution calling for a nationwide mobilization to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote a low-carbon economy (Frölicher et al. 362). Green New Deal had nearly unanimous support among Democratic candidates for the 2020 US elections. There have been initiatives to raise awareness about climate change attributable to global warming. Oil and gas corporations are examples of companies that have already committed to supporting climate change mitigation efforts. Rapid global warming acceleration makes it impossible for humankind to guarantee its survival.
Largely, human activities are to blame for the planet’s warming trend. Scientists raise the ominous potential that the planet will warm to an unsafe level by 2030 if amicable mitigation efforts are not applied. Ensuing danger includes floods, heat waves, and higher than normal sea levels. Fossil fuels account for the vast majority of the world’s energy needs, with coal having the highest carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon dioxide contains both the inorganic chemical elements carbon and oxygen, making it an essential building component for all forms of life (Tebaldi et al. 749). An independent agency of the United States government, The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), affirmed that carbon dioxide is a vital gas for thermal insulation. Human activities, such as cutting down trees and using fossil fuels, could contribute to carbon dioxide emissions. Increases in global warming are linked to higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Albeit beneficial in small amounts, excess carbon dioxide is hazardous to life.
Talking about global warming nowadays is also conversing about climate change. Despite the dominance of winter weather, global warming is a major issue when it comes to climate change. Historically, scientists have blamed atmospheric circulation and associated changes for global warming rather than human-caused carbon emissions. Burning fossil fuels is contributing to a rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide. Consequently, the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere causes global warming. Similarly, NASA maintains that a rise in carbon dioxide levels is responsible for a general warming of the planet and a subsequent shift in the weather pattern (Frölicher et al. 363). In response to these claims, Richard Lindzen, a meteorologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said that computer-generated models are not credible or reliable and that natural processes would cancel out the effects of carbon dioxide on global warming.
Kyoto, Japan, held a conference attended by over 161 countries, and the primary focus was the greenhouse gas emissions treaty negotiations. By signing the Kyoto Protocol, the world’s most powerful leaders made a legally binding commitment to reduce their respective industrialized nations’ greenhouse gas emissions by about 5% (Zandalinas et al. 594). The former president of the United States, George Walker Bush, eventually withdrew America from the protocol. This was due to the Senate’s opposition to the pact and the belief that enforcing limits on emissions of greenhouse gases would be detrimental to and even threaten the American economy. The speakers at an international forum hosted by the Heartland Institute stated that global warming is a natural phenomenon. All the orators possess doctorates in climatic studies and teach at some of the world’s top universities.
The goal of the agreement signed by 114 nations, including the United States and China, was to keep global temperatures from rising by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. Donald Trump, a former President of the United States, intended to withdraw from the Paris Agreement in 2017. In contrast, after 2017’s climate talks, Germany and Syria opted to join the Paris Climate Agreement (Zandalinas et al. 595). When this eventually happened in 2020, the United States became the only country in the world to withdraw from the international pact. Human activities on Earth will be severely affected by catastrophic shifts in the climate, and industrial civilization will collapse unless greenhouse gas emissions are drastically reduced.
Scientists have established that the planet has warmed by roughly one degree Celsius since the advent of the industrial revolution. Since 2014, four or five of the hottest years on record have occurred, yet society has done little to stop this trend (Zandalinas et al. 596). According to scientists, more rapid and extreme global warming will have more severe implications. Flooding, wildfires, and scorching temperatures are not the only effects of global warming; it also kills off species. Skeptics assert that global warming is an urban tale and that scientists’ predictions are neither accurate nor trustworthy. In 2009, it was discovered that data had been manipulated by scientists pushing human-associated global warming to bolster their case, which could lead some to question the veracity of scientists’ predictions and beliefs.
Global warming refers to a steady rise in Earth’s average temperature over a number of years. There has been an increase in greenhouse gases because of human activity, specifically burning fossil fuels. The current temperature rise has negative repercussions, including loss of sea ice, rising sea levels, droughts, overall warming of the planet, and an increase in the frequency and intensity of cyclones. Humanity cannot ensure its survival in the face of a rapid acceleration of global warming. It is imperative that greenhouse gas emissions be drastically reduced to prevent catastrophic changes in the climate and the subsequent collapse of industrial civilization on Earth. Some people think global warming is fictitious, and they do not believe the predictions made by scientists. However, this study demonstrates that global warming is real and that inaction would lead to global disaster, based on the opinions of those interested in the topic. Since carbon dioxide is a global warming agent, industrialized countries that emit much of it should look for other ways to generate their products.
Works Cited
Alfonso, Sébastien, et al. “Temperature Increase and Its Effects on Fish Stress Physiology in the Context of Global Warming.” Journal of Fish Biology, vol. 98, no. 6, 2021, pp. 1496-1508, Web.
Al‐Ghussain, Loiy. “Global Warming: Review on Driving Forces and Mitigation.” Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy, vol. 38, no. 1, 2019, pp. 13-21, Web.
Frölicher, Thomas, et al. “Marine Heatwaves under Global Warming.” Nature, vol. 560, no. 7718, 2018, pp. 360-364, Web.
Tebaldi, Claudia, et al. “Extreme Sea Levels at Different Global Warming Levels.” Nature Climate Change, vol. 11, no. 9, 2021, pp. 746-751, Web.
Zandalinas, Sara, et al. “Global Warming, Climate Change, and Environmental Pollution: Recipe for a Multifactorial Stress Combination Disaster.” Trends in Plant Science, vol. 26, no. 6, 2021, pp. 588-599, Web.