Global warming and climate change are not new concepts. In his book, The Discovery of Global Warming (New Histories of Science, Technology, and Medicine,) September 2003, Spencer R. Weart presents documented evidence that proves scientists have questioned man’s impact on the planet and have linked that to climate change as far back as the 19th century.
www.aip.org/history/climate/index.html
“In the latter 19th century scientists disagreed on whether a given change in land use brought more rain or less. 'It seems almost a psychological puzzle,' an expert complained in 1890, 'that for one and the same country serious scientists have at every step insisted on climate changes which are mutually exclusive.... We have to admit that even today we are still far from a definite answer'..."
Ekholm, Nils (1901). "On the Variations of the Climate of the Geological and Historical Past and Their Causes." Quarterly J. Royal Meteorological Society 27: 1-61.
“Svante Arrhenius was one of the first scientists to suggest that sometime (thousands of years from now) we might have produced enough CO2 by burning fossil fuels to warm the atmosphere. In a popularizing book of 1908 he wrote, '...we may hope to enjoy ages with more equable and better climates, especially as regards the colder regions of the Earth, ages when the Earth will bring forth much more abundant crops than at present, for the benefit of rapidly propagating mankind'."
Arrhenius, Svante (1908). Worlds in the Making. New York: Harper & Brothers.
“In 1938, G.S. Callendar presented sketchy evidence that the use of fossil fuels could be causing global warming through the greenhouse effect of carbon dioxide gas (CO2)."
“Callendar recalled how nearly every expert on climate rejected his arguments. 'The idea that man's actions could influence so vast a complex,' he wrote, 'is very repugnant to some'."
Callendar, G.S. (1938). "The Artificial Production of Carbon Dioxide and Its Influence on Climate." Quarterly J. Royal Meteorological Society 64: 223-40.
Callendar, G.S. (1939). "The Composition of the Atmosphere through the Ages." Meteorological Magazine 74: 33-39.
“As Time magazine put it in 1939, ‘gaffers who claim that winters were harder when they were boys are quite right... weather men have no doubt that the world at least for the time being is growing warmer’.”
Time (1939). "Warmer World." Time, 2 Jan., p. 27.
Subsequent articles published on the topic:
Time (1951). "Retreat of the Cold." Time, 29 Oct., p. 76.
Time (1972). "Another Ice Age?" Time, 13 Nov., p. 81.
Time (1974). "Another Ice Age?" Time, 26 June, p. 86.
Time (1974). "Weather Change: Poorer Harvests." Time, 11 Nov., pp. 80-83.
Time (2001). "Feeling the Heat." Time, 9 April, pp. 22-39.
Spencer R. Weart, is the Director of the Center for History of Physics of the American Institute of Physics (AIP) in College Park, Maryland, USA. He is a noted historian specializing in the history of modern physics and geophysics.
The National Climatic Data Center,www.ncdc.noaa.gov, reports that last year was the warmest on record in the United States. The mild temperatures in the last half of December, alone, contributed greatly. It was the sixth-warmest year on record worldwide. They are unsure if the current warming trend is a result of greenhouse-gas induced climate change or the current El Nino warming of the Pacific Ocean.
Are El Niños related to global warming?
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NCDC), http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/globalwarming.html#Q4,
“El Niños are not caused by global warming. Clear evidence exists from a variety of sources (including archaeological studies) that El Niños have been present for hundreds, and some indicators suggest maybe millions, of years. However, it has been hypothesized that warmer global sea surface temperatures can enhance the El Nino phenomenon, and it is also true that El Niños have been more frequent and intense in recent decades. Recent climate model results that simulate the 21st century with increased greenhouse gases suggest that El Niño-like sea surface temperature patterns in the tropical Pacific are likely to be more persistent.
So, is global warming a serious concern, and if so, how serious and what can/or is being done about it?
This issue is apparently serious enough to have prompted the establishment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988 by two United Nations organizations, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) to assess the "risk of human-induced climate change."
IPCC reports are cited in most debates regarding climate change. The UN climate panel is regarded internationally as authoritative.
Following the discovery of the Antarctic ozone hole in late 1985, The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer came into force on January 1, 1989. It was ratified by 29 countries and the EEC at that time, and since then, several other countries have ratified it.
http://ozone.unep.org/Treaties_and_Ratification/2B_montreal_protocol.asp
As of the panel’s 2005 report, there has been a marked decrease in ozone depleting emissions, but much more research needs to be done to measure/predict the long term practical implications/benefits. An updated report with the panel’s latest findings is scheduled to come out sometime soon.
The panel continues to assess the following possible methods for remediation:
1. Containment recovery and recycling or destruction of ozone depleting substances.
2. Alternative sources of controlled substances.
3. Costs and benefits of such strategies.
What are the short-term and long- term effects of global warming/climate change?
British scientists have recently predicted that a resurgent El Nino trend combined with higher levels of greenhouse gases could cause severe weather, ecological disasters and another record breaking year, temperature-wise, this year.
According to GRID-Arendal, www.grido.no/climate, (an official United Nations Environment Program - UNEP) “Global warming may lead to irreversible changes in the Earth's glacial system and ultimately melt enough ice to raise sea level many meters over the next millennia. It is estimated that around 200 million people could be affected by sea level rise……[and] may lead to the increase and spread of infectious disease.”
Time Magazine's interactive websbite, www.time.com/time/2001/globalwarming/splash.html, shows how global warming has already been the cause of icebergs melting and severe weather patterns. Scientists predict that the warmer the planet, the more incidences of extreme weather will occur.
A New York Times article published a few days ago notes how temperature change is melting ice and changing the geography of the coastlines in Greenland. A chain of islands once covered by Greenland’s ice sheet is now being revealed.
Arctic explorer Will Steger says, “We are already in a new era of geography. This phenomenon — of an island all of a sudden appearing out of nowhere and the ice melting around it — is a real common phenomenon now.”
Are greenhouse gases still increasing? Why?
While much has been done in recent years to reduce the amount of emissions, human beings continue to rely on the comforts and conveniences that are produced and fueled by methods in which by-products are ultimately released into the atmosphere.
The NCDC maintains, “Human activity has been increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (mostly carbon dioxide, from combustion of coal, oil, and gas; plus a few other trace gases). There is no scientific debate on this point.”
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “the addition of greenhouse gases and aerosols has changed the composition of the atmosphere. The changes in the atmosphere have likely influenced temperature, precipitation, storms and sea level. However, these features of the climate also vary naturally, so determining what fraction of climate changes are due to natural variability versus human activities is challenging.”
But, according to the EPA, there are thingss we can do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions:
www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/home.html
1. Change 5 lights
Replace conventional bulbs in your 5 most frequently used light fixtures with bulbs that have the ENERGY STAR label and you will help the environment while saving money on energy bills. If every household in the U.S. took this one simple action we would prevent more than 1 trillion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.
2. Look for ENERGY STAR labeled products
When buying new products, such as appliances, look for ENERGY STAR-qualified products in lighting, home electronics, heating and cooling equipment and appliances.
3. Heat and cool smartly
Cleaning air filters regularly and having your heating and cooling equipment tuned annually by a licensed contractor can save energy and increase comfort at home, and at the same time reduce greenhouse gas emissions. When it's time to replace your old equipment, choose a high efficiency model, and make sure it is properly sized and installed.
4. Seal up your home with better insulation and duct-work
Close up any visible cracks and gaps in your house, install adequate insulation, check that ducts are sealed and choose ENERGY STAR qualified windows when replacing old windows.
5. Use green power
Green Power is environmentally friendly electricity that is generated from renewable energy sources such as wind and the sun. There are two ways to use green power: you can buy green power or you can modify your house to generate your own green power. If you are interested, there are a number of steps you can take to create a greener home, including installing solar panels and researching incentives for renewable energy in your state.
6. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
If there is a recycling program in your community, recycle your newspapers, beverage containers, paper and other goods. Use products in containers that can be recycled and items that can be repaired or reused. In addition, support recycling markets by buying products made from recycled materials. Reducing, reusing and recycling in your home helps conserve energy and reduces pollution ad greenhouse gases from resource extraction, manufacturing, and disposal.
7. Be green in your yard
Use a push mower, which, unlike a gas or electric mower, consumes no fossil fuels and emits no greenhouse gases. If you do use a power mower, make sure it is a mulching mower to. Composting your food and yard waste reduces the amount of garbage that you send to landfills and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
8. Use water efficiently
Everyone can save water through simple actions. Municipal water systems require a lot of energy to purify and distribute water to households, and saving water, especially hot water, can lower greenhouse gas emissions. Do not let the water run while shaving or brushing teeth. Do not use your toilet as a waste basket for toiletry items - water is wasted with each flush. And did you know a leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons of water per day? Repair all toilet and faucet leaks right away.
9. Spread the Word
Tell family and friends that energy efficiency is good for their homes and good for the environment because it lowers greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.
No comments:
Post a Comment