argumentative essay about global warming introduction

Argumentative Essay Writing

Argumentative Essay About Global Warming

Crafting a Powerful Argumentative Essay about Global Warming: A Step-by-Step Guide

Published on: Mar 2, 2023

Last updated on: Jan 31, 2024

Argumentative Essay About Global Warming - Explained

An argumentative essay is a type of writing in which the author presents an opinion on a certain topic or issue.

In this case, you'll be writing about global warming and its effects on the planet.

Your goal in this essay will be to present your own argument as to why global warming is happening. You need to explain what solutions can be implemented to combat it, and why people should take action.

How to Make an Outline For an Argumentative Essay on Global Warming

Outlining is an important part of writing any essay, and for an essay about global warming, it can be especially helpful.

To get started on your outline, include four main sections:

Introduction
Thesis statement
Body paragraphs
Conclusion.

Check out this amazing blog on argumentative essay outline to craft perfect outlines.

Argumentative Essay On The Global Warming Mind Map

Argumentative essays on global warming are complicated and vast, which is why it is important to create a mind map.

A mind map can help you organize the various arguments and pieces of evidence that will be included in your essay.

Here are some steps to get started:

1. Brainstorm ideas related to the topic. 2. Create a basic outline. 3. Create a mind map. 4. Revise and edit your mind map.

Argumentative Essay on the Global Warming Introduction

An introduction should provide an overview of the issue.

It should include a statement indicating your position on the topic, such as that global warming is real and must be addressed.

Provide evidence to support this stance, such as facts about climate change or personal stories from people impacted by it.

The introduction should also set up the structure of the essay, such as a thesis statement and any subsections that will be discussed.

Argumentative Essay on the Global Warming Introduction

How To Write an Argumentative Essay on the Global Warming Thesis Statement

Your thesis statement should clearly state your position on the issue of global warming.

It can be as simple as

"Global warming is real and must be addressed"

or more complex, such as

"Global warming is caused primarily by human activity and can only be solved through immediate action from governments and individuals alike."

Your thesis statement should provide a roadmap for the rest of your essay. It should be a thought-provoking statement that will engage the reader.

Argumentative Essay on the Global Warming Body Paragraphs

The body of your argumentative essay should provide evidence to support your thesis statement.

This can include facts, statistics , expert opinions, or personal anecdotes.

Each body paragraph should focus on one point and contain an introductory sentence, supporting evidence, and a concluding sentence.

Make sure to use transition words to move from one point to the next.

Check out this video to learn how to write perfect body paragraphs!

Conclusion for an Argumentative Essay on the Global Warming

Your conclusion should wrap up your argument and provide a clear call to action.

Sum up your main points, restate your thesis statement, and leave the reader with something to think about.

For example, you could conclude by urging readers to take action.

By presenting a clear argument, you can make your readers feel empowered to join the fight against global warming.

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Examples Of Argumentative Essays About Global Warming

CollegeEssay.org has put together a collection of argumentative essays about global warming.

These essays provide an overview of the topic, as well as examples of arguments made by experts and everyday citizens.

Reading these pieces can help you to get a better understanding of the issue, as well as gain insight into how to craft your own argumentative essay.

The essays can be read online or downloaded as PDFs, so you can consult them at any time.

Check out the CollegeEssay.org Collection of Argumentative Essays on Global Warming for more.

Free Argumentative Essay About Global Warming

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Check our extensive blog on argumentative essay examples to ace your next essay!

Argumentative Essay Topics About Global Warming

Here is a list of interesting and engaging argumentative essay topics about global warming:

Is global warming real?
What are the causes of global warming?
What are the effects of global warming on humans and the environment?
How can we reduce our carbon footprint in order to combat climate change?
What would be an effective international agreement to address global warming?
How can individuals and communities take action to combat global warming?
What are the economic impacts of global warming?
How is global warming impacting different countries and regions around the world?
What role does technology play in reducing emissions and combating climate change?
Is there a potential for renewable energy sources to help mitigate global warming?
What steps should governments take to address global warming?
How can we create a more sustainable future for all?

Check our comprehensive blog on argumentative essay topics to get more topic ideas!

Now that you know how to write an argumentative essay about global warming, itâs time to put your skills to the test.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What causes global warming.

Global warming is caused by a variety of factors, including the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and changes in land use.

All of these activities release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, trapping heat and raising global temperatures.

How can individuals help combat global warming?

Individuals can take action to help combat global warming by reducing their carbon footprint.

Simple steps such as recycling, using public transportation, and conserving energy can all have a positive impact on the environment.

In addition, individuals can educate themselves about global warming and take part in initiatives that raise awareness of climate change.

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Essay on Disaster

Argumentative Essay On Global Warming

Type of paper: Argumentative Essay

Topic: Disaster , Atmosphere , Carbon Dioxide , Earth , Global Warming , World , Environment , Environmental Issues

Words: 1600

Published: 02/20/2020

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What is Global Warming

What is global warming, and how is it affecting the Earth and its inhabitants? Global warming is sometimes referred to as the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is the absorption of energy radiated from the Earth's surface by carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere, causing the atmosphere to become warmer. The greenhouse effect is what is causing the temperature on the Earth to rise, and creating many problems that will begin to occur in the coming decades.

Effects of Global Warming

For the last 10,000 years, the Earth's climate has been extraordinarily beneficial to mankind. "Humans have prospered tremendously well under a benign atmosphere," (Bates 28). Today, however, major changes are taking place. People are conducting an inadvertent global experiment by changing the face of the entire planet. We are destroying the ozone layer, which allows life to exist on the Earth's surface. All of these activities are unfavorably altering the composition of the biosphere and the Earth's heat balance.

If we do not slow down our use of fossil fuels and stop destroying, the forests, the world could become hotter than it has been in the past million years. Average global temperatures have risen 1 degree Fahrenheit over the last century. If carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases continue to spill into the atmosphere, global temperatures could rise five to 10 degrees by the middle of the next century. The warning will be the greatest at the higher latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, with the largest temperature rises occurring in winter. Most areas will experience summertime highs well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. New temperature records will be set each year.

History of Global Warming Effects

Global warming is a recent spectacle that has emerged to world prominence only towards the end of 20th century. However, the pollution caused by man has prominently been known to have effects to the planet climate change system since long time ago (early 19th Century). In the year 1863, it was initially suggested that the atmospheric composition changes as a result of pollution had a high likelihood of resulting in climate change. It was 23 years later that Svate Arrheis, a Swedish scientist made initial calculation of the greenhouse warming affects that estimated the possibility of carbon dioxide resulting in doubling of the global temperature (Houghton, 1994). As a possible prelude to global warming, the decade of the 1980's has had the six hottest years of the century (Erandson 18-22). Atmospheric disturbances brought on by the additional warming will produce more violent storms and larger death tolls. Some areas, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere, will dry out and a greater occurrence of lightning strikes will set massive forest fires. The charring of the Earth by natural and man-made forest fires will dump additional quantities of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Changes in temperature and rainfall brought on by global warming will in turn change the composition of the forests. At the present rate of destruction, most of the rain forests will be gone by the middle of the next century.

This will allow man-made deserts to encroach on once lush areas. (Bassett 1-2). Evaporation rates will also increase and circulation patterns will change. Decreased rainfall in some areas will results in increased rainfall in others. In some regions, river flow will be reduced or stopped all together completely. Other areas will experience sudden downpours that create massive floods.

What Causes Global Warming

The central portions of the continents, which normally experience occasional droughts, might become permanently dry wastelands. Vast areas of once productive cropland could lose topsoil and become man-made deserts. Coastal regions, where half the human population lives, will feel the adverse effects of rising sea levels as the ice caps melt under rising ocean temperatures. If the present melting continues, the sea could rise as much as 6 feet by the middle of the next century (Bassett 1-2). Large tracks of coastal land would disappear, as would shallow barrier islands and coral reefs. Low-lying fertile deltas that support millions of people would vanish.

The sea would reclaim delicate wetlands, where many species of marine life hatch their young. Vulnerable coastal cities would have to move farther inland or build protective walls against the angry sea, where a larger number of extremely dangerous hurricanes would prowl the ocean stretches. Forests and other wildlife habitats might not have enough time to adjust to the rapidly changing climate. The warming will rearrange entire biological communities and cause many species to become extinct. Weeds and pests could overrun much of the landscape. Since life controls the climate to some extent, it is uncertain what long-term effects a diminished biosphere will have on the world as a whole. It is becoming more apparent, however, that as man continues to squander the Earth's resources, the climate could change in such a way that it is no longer benevolent to mankind. The greenhouse effect and global warming both correspond with each other. The green house effect is recalled as incoming solar radiation that passes through the Earth's atmosphere but prevents much of the outgoing infrared radiation from escaping into outer space.

The global warming refers to a long-term rise in the average temperature of the Earth. How do they correspond with each other? Simply, because without one, the other doesn't exist. The natural greenhouse effect has kept the Earth's average surface temperature around 33 degrees Celsius, warmer than it would be if there were no atmospheres.

The natural gases in the greenhouse effect are water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2), ozone (O3), as well as other trace gases. Life could not exist if there was no natural greenhouse effect. The reason for the natural greenhouse effect is so that all the creatures living on Earth can live and breathe. We as inhabitants of this Earth must do our part in preserving it, or there won't be much left for our children to live on. Human activities are causing some greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide to build up in the atmosphere.

Greenhouse gases are the major causes of global warming; these gases are released due to human activities on the earth (Maslin, 2007). Experts have observed that for the whole earth, the stability radioactive temperature at the atmospheres outside is – 18o C. Therefore if the earth atmosphere is characterized by full transparency to all the radiation wave lengths, the surface temperature would be approximated at – 18o C, a very uninhabitable level. However in the radiation last steps - as the solar energy is re-radiated by the earth back to the space in the form of wave length, this upward long wave energy is absorbed by the earth. Then, long wave radiation is emitted from the atmosphere towards all the directions. Some of this radiation will automatically return to the earth resulting in addition to the original shortwave radiation that had been received in planet (Maslin, 2007).

Each time we burn gasoline, oil, coal, or even natural gas, more carbon dioxide is added to the atmosphere (Erandson 34). By cutting down the forest trees, we allow air pollution to set in. This, therefore, causes many problems in addition to many others. Now that there are no trees to help filter out pollution, we are allowing more damage to the atmosphere causing global warming. These certain gases that occur naturally in the atmosphere tend to trap the sun's heat, which is called global warming.

Markham (2009) has underlined forest for fuel (both for charcoal and wood) as a leading deforestation cause. However in the first world, human appetite for paper products and wood - the increase in the livestock grazing in the natural forests and tropical forest lands utilization for commodities such as palm oil plantations - has resulted in global mass deforestation (Maslin, 2007). Forests have been observed to store and also remove atmospheric carbon dioxide, and this deforestation results in large carbon amounts being released together with reduction of the planet carbon capture.

Works Cited

Bates, Albert K. Climate in Crisis: The greenhouse Effect and what we can do Tennessee: The Book Pub. Co. 1990. Bassett, Tony. "A Crusade against those who see a greenhouse effect." The Toledo Blade: December 6, 1995. Erandson, Jon. Greenhouse Effect: Tomorrow's Disaster Today. Pennsylvania: Tab Books. 1990. Markham, Derek. (2009). Global Warming effects and causes: A top 10 list. Retrived from http://www.planetsave.com Maslin, M. (2007). Global Warming: Causes, effects and future. Minessota: MBI Publishing, LLC Houghton, J. (1994). Global Warming: The Complete briefing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

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Essay on Global Warming – Causes and Solutions

500+ words essay on global warming.

Global Warming is a term almost everyone is familiar with. But, its meaning is still not clear to most of us. So, Global warming refers to the gradual rise in the overall temperature of the atmosphere of the Earth. There are various activities taking place which have been increasing the temperature gradually. Global warming is melting our ice glaciers rapidly. This is extremely harmful to the earth as well as humans. It is quite challenging to control global warming; however, it is not unmanageable. The first step in solving any problem is identifying the cause of the problem. Therefore, we need to first understand the causes of global warming that will help us proceed further in solving it. In this essay on Global Warming, we will see the causes and solutions of Global Warming.

Causes of Global Warming

Global warming has become a grave problem which needs undivided attention. It is not happening because of a single cause but several causes. These causes are both natural as well as manmade. The natural causes include the release of greenhouses gases which are not able to escape from earth, causing the temperature to increase.

Get English Important Questions here

Further, volcanic eruptions are also responsible for global warming. That is to say, these eruptions release tons of carbon dioxide which contributes to global warming. Similarly, methane is also one big issue responsible for global warming.

argumentative essay about global warming introduction

So, when one of the biggest sources of absorption of carbon dioxide will only disappear, there will be nothing left to regulate the gas. Thus, it will result in global warming. Steps must be taken immediately to stop global warming and make the earth better again.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Global Warming Solutions

As stated earlier, it might be challenging but it is not entirely impossible. Global warming can be stopped when combined efforts are put in. For that, individuals and governments, both have to take steps towards achieving it. We must begin with the reduction of greenhouse gas.

Furthermore, they need to monitor the consumption of gasoline. Switch to a hybrid car and reduce the release of carbon dioxide. Moreover, citizens can choose public transport or carpool together. Subsequently, recycling must also be encouraged.

Read Global Warming Speech here

For instance, when you go shopping, carry your own cloth bag. Another step you can take is to limit the use of electricity which will prevent the release of carbon dioxide. On the government’s part, they must regulate industrial waste and ban them from emitting harmful gases in the air. Deforestation must be stopped immediately and planting of trees must be encouraged.

In short, all of us must realize the fact that our earth is not well. It needs to treatment and we can help it heal. The present generation must take up the responsibility of stopping global warming in order to prevent the suffering of future generations. Therefore, every little step, no matter how small carries a lot of weight and is quite significant in stopping global warming.

हिंदी में ग्लोबल वार्मिंग पर निबंध यहाँ पढ़ें

FAQs on Global Warming

Q.1 List the causes of Global Warming.

A.1 There are various causes of global warming both natural and manmade. The natural one includes a greenhouse gas, volcanic eruption, methane gas and more. Next up, manmade causes are deforestation, mining, cattle rearing, fossil fuel burning and more.

Q.2 How can one stop Global Warming?

A.2 Global warming can be stopped by a joint effort by the individuals and the government. Deforestation must be banned and trees should be planted more. The use of automobiles must be limited and recycling must be encouraged.

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The Center for Global Studies

Climate change argumentation.

Carmen Vanderhoof, Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education, Penn State

Carmen Vanderhoof is a doctoral candidate in Science Education at Penn State. Her research employs multimodal discourse analysis of elementary students engaged in a collaborative engineering design challenge in order to examine students’ decision-making practices. Prior to resuming graduate studies, she was a secondary science teacher and conducted molecular biology research.

Subject(s): Earth Science
Topic: Climate Change and Sustainability
Grade/Level: 9-12 (can be adapted to grades 6-8)
Objectives: Students will be able to write a scientific argument using evidence and reasoning to support claims. Students will also be able to reflect on the weaknesses in their own arguments in order to improve their argument and then respond to other arguments.
Suggested Time Allotment: 4-5 hours (extra time for extension)

This lesson is derived from Dr. Peter Buckland’s sustainability presentation for the Center for Global Studies . Dr. Peter Buckland, a Penn State alumnus, is a postdoctoral fellow for the Sustainability Institute. He has drawn together many resources for teaching about climate change, sustainability, and other environmental issues.

While there are many resources for teaching about climate change and sustainability, it may be tough to figure out where to start. There are massive amounts of data available to the general public and students need help searching for good sources of evidence. Prior to launching into a search, it would be worthwhile figuring out what the students already know about climate change, where they learned it, and how they feel about efforts to reduce our carbon footprint. There are many options for eliciting prior knowledge, including taking online quizzes, whole-class discussion, or drawing concept maps. For this initial step, it is important that students feel comfortable to share, without engaging in disagreements. The main idea is to increase students’ understanding about global warming, rather than focus on the potential controversial nature of this topic.

A major goal of this unit is to engage students in co-constructing evidence-based explanations through individual writing, sharing, re-writing, group discussion, and whole group reflection. The argumentation format presented here contains claims supported by evidence and reasoning (Claims Evidence Reasoning – CER). Argumentation in this sense is different from how the word “argument” is used in everyday language. Argumentation is a collaborative process towards an end goal, rather than a competition to win (Duschl & Osborne, 2002). Scientific argumentation is the process of negotiating and communicating findings through a series of claims supported by evidence from various sources along with a rationale or reasoning linking the claim with the evidence. For students, making the link between claim and evidence can be the most difficult part of the process.

Where does the evidence come from?

Evidence and data are often used synonymously, but there is a difference. Evidence is “the representation of data in a form that undergirds an argument that works to answer the original question” (Hand et al., 2009, p. 129). This explains why even though scientists may use the same data to draw explanations from, the final product may take different forms depending on which parts of the data were used and how. For example, in a court case experts from opposing sides may use the same data to persuade the jury to reach different conclusions. Another way to explain this distinction to students is “the story built from the data that leads to a claim is the evidence” (Hand et al., 2009, p. 129). Evidence can come from many sources – results from controlled experiments, measurements, books, articles, websites, personal observations, etc. It is important to discuss with students the issue of the source’s reliability and accuracy. When using data freely available online, ask yourself: Who conducted the study? Who funded the research? Where was it published or presented?

What is a claim and how do I find it?

A scientific claim is a statement that answers a question or an inference based on information, rather than just personal opinion.

How can I connect the claim(s) with the evidence?

That’s where the justification or reasoning comes in. This portion of the argument explains why the evidence is relevant to the claim or how the evidence supports the claim.

Implementation

Learning context and connecting to state standards.

This interdisciplinary unit can be used in an earth science class or adapted to environmental science, chemistry, or physics. The key to adapting the lesson is guiding students to sources of data that fit the discipline they are studying.

For earth science , students can explain the difference between climate and weather, describe the factors associated with global climate change, and explore a variety of data sources to draw their evidence from. Pennsylvania Academic Standards for earth and space science (secondary): 3.3.12.A1, 3.3.12.A6, 3.3.10.A7.

For environmental science , students can analyze the costs and benefits of pollution control measures. Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Environment and Ecology (secondary): 4.5.12.C.

For chemistry and physics , students can explain the function of greenhouse gases, construct a model of the greenhouse effect, and model energy flow through the atmosphere. Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Physical Sciences (secondary): 3.2.10.B6.

New Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Connections

Human impacts and global climate change are directly addressed in the NGSS. Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI): HS-ESS3-3, HS-ESS3-4, HS-ESS3-5, HS-ESS3-6.

Lesson 1: Introduction to climate change

What are greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect? (sample answer: greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane contribute to overall heating of the atmosphere; these gases trap heat just like the glass in a greenhouse or in a car)
What is the difference between weather and climate? (sample answer: weather is the daily temperature and precipitation measurements, while climate is a much longer pattern over multiple years)

Drawing of the greenhouse effect – as individuals or in pairs, have students look up the greenhouse effect and draw a diagram to represent it; share out with the class

Optional: figure out students’ beliefs about global warming using the Yale Six Americas Survey (students answer a series of questions and at the end they are given one of the following categories: alarmed, concerned, cautious, disengaged, doubtful, dismissive).

Lesson 2: Searching for and evaluating evidence

Compare different data sources and assess their credibility
Temperature
Precipitation
Storm surge
Ask the students to think about what types of claims they can make about climate change using the data they found (Sample claims: human activity is causing global warming or sea-level rise in the next fifty years will affect coastal cities like Amsterdam, Hong Kong, or New Orleans).

Lesson 3: Writing an argument using evidence

Claim – an inference or a statement that answers a question
Evidence – an outside source of information that supports the claim, often drawn from selected data
Reasoning – the justification/support for the claim; what connects the evidence with the claim
Extending arguments – have students exchange papers and notice the strengths of the other arguments they are reading (can do multiple cycles of reading); ask students to go back to their original argument and expand it with more evidence and/or more justification for why the evidence supports the claim
Anticipate Rebuttals – ask students to think and write about any weaknesses in their own argument

Lesson 4: Argumentation discussion

rebuttal – challenges a component of someone’s argument – for example, a challenge to the evidence used in the original argument
counterargument – a whole new argument that challenges the original argument
respect group members and their ideas
wait for group members to finish their turns before speaking
be mindful of your own contributions to the discussion (try not to take over the whole discussion so others can contribute too; conversely, if you didn’t already talk, find a way to bring in a new argument, expand on an existing argument, or challenge another argument)
Debate/discussion – In table groups have students share their arguments and practice rebuttals and counterarguments
Whole-group reflection – ask students to share key points from their discussion

Lesson 5: Argumentation in action case study

Mumbai, india case study.

Rishi is a thirteen year old boy who attends the Gayak Rafi Nagar Urdu Municipal school in Mumbai. There is a massive landfill called Deonar right across from his school. Every day 4,000 tons of waste are piled on top of the existing garbage spanning 132 hectares (roughly half a square mile). Rishi ventures out to the landfill after school to look for materials that he can later trade for a little bit of extra money to help his family. He feels lucky that he gets to go to school during the day; others are not so lucky. One of his friends, Aamir, had to stop going to school and work full time after his dad got injured. They often meet to chat while they dig through the garbage with sticks. Occasionally, they find books in okay shape, which aren’t worth anything in trade, but to them they are valuable.

One day Rishi was out to the market with his mom and saw the sky darken with a heavy smoke that blocked out the sun. They both hurried home and found out there was a state of emergency and the schools closed for two days. It took many days to put out the fire at Deonar. He heard his dad say that the fire was so bad that it could be seen from space. He wonders what it would be like to see Mumbai from up there. Some days he wishes the government would close down Deonar and clean it up. Other days he wonders what would happen to all the people that depend on it to live if the city shuts down Deonar.

Mumbai is one of the coastal cities that are considered vulnerable with increasing global temperature and sea level rise. The urban poor are most affected by climate change. Their shelter could be wiped out by a tropical storm and rebuilding would be very difficult.

Write a letter to a public official who may be able to influence policy in Mumbai.

What would you recommend they do? Should they close Deonar? What can they do to reduce air pollution in the city and prepare for possible storms? Remember to use evidence in your argument.

If students want to read the articles that inspired the case study direct them to: http://unhabitat.org/urban-themes/climate-change/

http://www.bloomberg.com/slideshow/2012-07-06/top-20-cities-with-billions-at-risk-from-climate-change.html#slide16

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-26/smelly-dumps-drive-away-affordable-homes-in-land-starved-mumbai

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/05/asia/mumbai-giant-garbage-dump-fire/

Resources:

Lines of Evidence video from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine http://nas-sites.org/americasclimatechoices/videos-multimedia/climate-change-lines-of-evidence-videos/
Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN)
Climate maps from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Sources of data from NASA
Explore the original source of the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences (PNAS) study

Differentiated Instruction

For visual learners – use diagrams, encourage students to map out their arguments prior to writing them
For auditory learners – use the lines of evidence video
For ESL students – provide them with a variety of greenhouse gases diagrams, allow for a more flexible argument format and focus on general meaning-making – ex. using arrows to connect their sources of evidence to claims
For advanced learners – ask them to search through larger data sets and make comparisons between data from different sources; they can also research environmental policies and why they stalled out in congress
For learners that need more support – print out excerpts from articles; pinpoint the main ideas to help with the research; help students connect their evidence with their claims; consider allowing students to work in pairs to accomplish the writing task

Argument write-up – check that students’ arguments contain claims supported by evidence and reasoning and that they thought about possible weaknesses in their own arguments.

Case study letter – check that students included evidence in their letter.

References:

Duschl, R. A., & Osborne, J. (2002). Supporting and promoting argumentation discourse in science education.

Hand, B. et al. (2009) Negotiating Science: The Critical Role of Argumentation in Student Inquiry. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

McNeill, K. L., & Krajcik, J. (2012). Claim, evidence and reasoning: Supporting grade 5 – 8 students in constructing scientiﬁc explanations. New York, NY: Pearson Allyn & Bacon.

Sawyer, R. K. (Ed.). (2014). The Cambridge handbook of the learning sciences. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

https://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/basics/today/greenhouse-gases.html

http://unhabitat.org/urban-themes/climate-change/

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Climate Change and Global Warming Introduction

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by Anup Shah
This page last updated Sunday, February 01, 2015
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What are the main indicators of climate change, what is the greenhouse effect, the greenhouse effect is natural. what do we have to do with it, the climate has always varied in the past. how is this any different, doesn’t recent record cold weather disprove global warming, has global warming paused due to recent surface temperature drops, most global warming is going into the oceans, 2014 warmest year since records began, rapid changes in global temperature, small average global temperature change can have a big impact, super-storms, extreme weather events on the increase, ecosystem impacts, rising sea levels, increasing ocean acidification, increase in pests and disease, failing agricultural output; increase in world hunger, agriculture and livelihoods are already being affected, women face brunt of climate change impacts, differences in greenhouse gas emission around the world, the united states is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases per capita, the previously 15-member european union is also large emitter, stalling kyoto protocol gets push by russia, canada pulls out of kyoto, rich nation emissions have been rising, rich nations have outsourced their carbon emissions, developing countries affected most, greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, bush administration accused of silencing its own climate scientists, many sources of greenhouse gases being discovered, warming happening more quickly than predicted, what is global warming and climate change.

Global warming and climate change refer to an increase in average global temperatures. Natural events and human activities are believed to be contributing to an increase in average global temperatures. This is caused primarily by increases in greenhouse gases such as Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ).

A warming planet thus leads to a change in climate which can affect weather in various ways, as discussed further below.

As explained by the US agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there are 7 indicators that would be expected to increase in a warming world (and they are), and 3 indicators would be expected to decrease (and they are):

Air temperature near surface, humidity, temperature over oceans, sea surface temperature, sea levels, ocean heat content and temperature over land are all increasing, while glaciers, snow cover and sea ice are all decreasing.

The term greenhouse is used in conjunction with the phenomenon known as the greenhouse effect .

Energy from the sun drives the earth’s weather and climate, and heats the earth’s surface;
In turn, the earth radiates energy back into space;
Some atmospheric gases (water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases) trap some of the outgoing energy, retaining heat somewhat like the glass panels of a greenhouse;
These gases are therefore known as greenhouse gases;
The greenhouse effect is the rise in temperature on Earth as certain gases in the atmosphere trap energy.

Six main greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane (CH 4 ) (which is 20 times as potent a greenhouse gas as carbon dioxide) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O), plus three fluorinated industrial gases: hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF 6 ). Water vapor is also considered a greenhouse gas.

Many of these greenhouse gases are actually life-enabling, for without them, heat would escape back into space and the Earth’s average temperature would be a lot colder.

However, if the greenhouse effect becomes stronger, then more heat gets trapped than needed, and the Earth might become less habitable for humans, plants and animals.

Carbon dioxide, though not the most potent of greenhouse gases, is the most significant one . Human activity has caused an imbalance in the natural cycle of the greenhouse effect and related processes. NASA’s Earth Observatory is worth quoting the effect human activity is having on the natural carbon cycle, for example:

In addition to the natural fluxes of carbon through the Earth system, anthropogenic (human) activities, particularly fossil fuel burning and deforestation, are also releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. When we mine coal and extract oil from the Earth’s crust, and then burn these fossil fuels for transportation, heating, cooking, electricity, and manufacturing, we are effectively moving carbon more rapidly into the atmosphere than is being removed naturally through the sedimentation of carbon, ultimately causing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations to increase. Also, by clearing forests to support agriculture, we are transferring carbon from living biomass into the atmosphere (dry wood is about 50 percent carbon). The result is that humans are adding ever-increasing amounts of extra carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Because of this, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations are higher today than they have been over the last half-million years or longer.

Another way of looking at this is with a simple analogy: consider salt and human health:

A small amount of salt is essential for human life;
Slightly more salt in our diet often makes food tastier;
Too much salt can be harmful to our health.

In a similar way, greenhouse gases are essential for our planet; the planet may be able to deal with slightly increased levels of such gases, but too much will affect the health of the whole planet.

The other difference between the natural carbon cycle and human-induced climate change is that the latter is rapid . This means that ecosystems have less chance of adapting to the changes that will result and so the effects felt will be worse and more dramatic it things continue along the current trajectory.

Throughout Earth’s history the climate has varied, sometimes considerably. Past warming does not automatically mean that today’s warming is therefore also natural. Recent warming has been shown to be due to human industrialization processes.

John Cook, writing the popular Skeptical Science blog, summarizes the key indicators of a human finger print on climate change:

Less heat escaping to space, shrinking thermosphere, cooling stratosphere, rising tropopause, less oxygen in the air, more fossil fuel carbon in the air, 30 billion tonnes of C02 per year, more heat returning to Earth, nights warming faster than days, and more fossil fuel carbon in coral are all signs of human-induced climate change.

This graph, based on the comparison of atmospheric samples contained in ice cores and more recent direct measurements, provides evidence that atmospheric CO 2 has increased since the Industrial Revolution:

Only in the past few decades has the amount of Carbon Dioxide dramatically increased to levels not seen in the past 650,000 years

The above covers hundreds of thousands of years and shows how atmospheric CO 2 levels have dramatically increased in recent years. If we zoom in on just the past 250 years, we see the following:

Emissions significantly increase in the past 100 years. The graph almost looks like an exponential curve

NASA’s Goddard Institute of Space Studies (GISS) tracks atmospheric global temperature climate trends. As environmental engineer, D Kelly O’Day, explained on ProcessingTrends.com (link no longer available): To facilitate assessments of long term trends, climatologists compare the mean for a base period with the annual mean. Differences between the annual mean and baseline mean are called anomalies. GISS uses the 1951 - 1980 period for their baseline period. They use the difference between the annual mean and the baseline mean to determine the global temperature anomaly for the year.

O’Day originally produced a chart showing global temperature anomalies between 1800 and 2006 using data from NASA. I updated the chart he provided to include recently updated data up to 2014:

In the 1880 - 1935 period, the temperature anomaly was consistently negative. In contrast, the since 1980 the anomaly has been consistently positive. The 1909 temperature anomaly (-0.47oC) was the lowest year on record. Since 1909, global temperature has warmed, with the most recent years showing the highest anomalies of +0.6 oC in the past 120 years.

A NASA’s GISS animation also shows how most parts of the world have experienced this warming, recently:

And, as Sir David Attenborough explains, natural variability alone does not explain recent temperature rise:

As well as the links above, see also Skeptical Science , which, while examining the arguments of global warming skepticism, provides information on causes of anthropogenic global warming.

In different parts of the world, there have been various weather events that at first thought would question global warming. For example, some regions have experienced extremely cold winters (sometimes record-breaking), while others have experienced heavy rain, etc.

The confusion that sometimes arises is the difference between climate change and weather patterns. Weather patterns describe short term events, while climate change is a longer process that affects the weather. A warming planet is actually consistent with increasing cold, increasing rain and other extremes, as an overall warmer planet changes weather patterns everywhere at all times of the year.

To get an idea of how looking at short term changes only can lead to a conclusion that global warming has stopped, or doesn’t exist, see Alden Griffith’s has global warming stopped ?

(As an aside, those crying foul of global warming claims when going through extremely cold weather in Europe for example in 2010, later found their summers to be full of heat waves. The point here is that a specific short period such as a cold winter — or even a hot summer — is not proof alone that global warming has stopped (or increased); short term variability can mask longer term trends.)

This means, for example, increasing temperatures can actually mean more snowfall — at least until it becomes too warm for significant snowfall to happen.

The additional concern, as meteorology professor Scott Mandia explains, it can take decades for the climate temperatures to increase in response to increased greenhouse gas emissions . So up until now, perhaps it has been easier for skeptics to deny climate change is occurring or that humans are responsible.

As the IPCC’s fifth major report draws to a conclusion in 2013 it notes that scientists have increased their certainty of human-induced warming to 95%. It was extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century , as summarized by the IPCC.

As their fifth report started to come out, a number of climate skeptics and media outlets were arguing that the slowdown shown in surface temperatures in recent years proved global warming had stopped or paused. Yet, this slowdown was in surface temperatures only even though the overall trend (using a more longer period which is more valid in climate change analysis) showed an increase in temperatures. Two simple graphs help illustrate this:

The dip in warming in recent years is surface temperatures only. When looked against a sufficiently and more appropriately larger time frame, and compared to the much larger warming occuring in the oceans, that dip is miniscule

The next graph is an animation from Skeptical Science showing how time-frames to interpret climate data is significant:

For further information on the above see also Does the global warming pause mean what you think it means? , from Skeptical Science.

As this infographic shows, most of the warming is going into the oceans:

Over 93% of global warming is going into the oceans

As John Cook, creator of the graphic above says (see above link), Just as it takes time for a cup of coffee to release heat into the air, so to it takes time for the ocean to release its heat into the atmosphere. .

The implications of this is further explained with Inter Press Service’s freezer analogy: The world’s northern freezer is on rapid defrost as large volumes of warm water are pouring into the Arctic Ocean, speeding the melt of sea ice .

Indeed, as this chart also shows, the warming in the oceans has been occurring for quite some time:

One of John Bruno’s colleagues, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, talks about the impact climate change will have on ocean ecosystems. A summary of the video here says that

Rapidly rising greenhouse gas concentrations are driving ocean systems toward conditions not seen for millions of years, with an associated risk of fundamental and irreversible ecological transformation. Changes in biological function in the ocean caused by anthropogenic climate change go far beyond death, extinctions and habitat loss: fundamental processes are being altered, community assemblages are being reorganized and ecological surprises are likely.

D. Salmons also has a post at Skeptical Science that explains the impact of warming Arctic’s relation to the very cold recent winters further, using the following NASA map:

As Salmons explains,

the Arctic has been heating up, and studies show that is happening at two to three times the global average. This rising temperature in the Arctic has served to reduce the region’s floating ice layer by more than 20%. And as you would expect, when the reflective ice and snow layer is stripped away, it leaves a dark blue sea. Now, what does the effect of the dark blue sea being exposed have on the Arctic area? Well, the ice and snow layer reflects the majority of the sun’s rays harmlessly back into space. But the dark blue of the exposed sea absorbs the rays, aiding the heating process.

NASA’s GISS Surface Temperature Analysis graph shown earlier (from 1800 to 2014) shows that temperature anomalies since 1980 have all been positive; i.e. it has been constantly hotter than normal.

As the same data shows, the hottest years have all been since 1998:

What are the impacts of Global Warming?

For decades, greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide have been increasing in the atmosphere. But why does that matter? Won’t warmer weather be nicer for everyone?

Increased greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect has contributed to an overall warming of the Earth’s climate, leading to a global warming (even though some regions may experience cooling, or wetter weather, while the temperature of the planet on average would rise).

Consider also the following:

While year-to-year changes in temperature often reflect natural climatic variations such as El Niño/La Niña events, changes in average temperature from decade-to-decade reveal long-term trends such as global warming. Each of the last three decades has been much warmer than the decade before. At the time, the 1980s was the hottest decade on record. In the 1990s, every year was warmer than the average of the previous decade. The 2000s were warmer still.

At the end of the 1990s, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) had noted that not only was the 1990s the warmest decade but at the time, the 1900s was the warmest century during the last 1,000 years.

It is the rapid pace at which the temperature will rise that will result in many negative impacts to humans and the environment and this why there is such a world-wide concern.

Climate scientists admit that the chances of the world keeping average global temperature at current levels are not going to be possible (humanity has done little to address things in the past couple of decades that these concerns have been known about).

So, now, there is a push to contain temperature rises to an average 2°C increase (as an average, this means some regions may get higher temperatures and others, lower).

Even just a 2°C increase can have impacts around the world to biodiversity, agriculture, the oceans etc (detailed further below). But in the lead up to important global climate talks at the end of 2009, some delegates are skeptical that temperature rises can be contained to a 2°C rise (or C0 2 levels of 350 ppm ) .

On October 22, 2009, the British Government and the UK’s Met Office (UK’s National Weather Service) unveiled a new map, showing what would happen if we allowed average global temperatures to increase to 4°C above pre-industrial levels (the high end of the UN IPCC projections ):

In short, we would not be able to cope with a 4°C average increase .

As the Met Office noted,

The poster shows that a four degree average rise will not be spread uniformly across the globe. The land will heat up more quickly than the sea, and high latitudes, particularly the Arctic, will have larger temperature increases. The average land temperature will be 5.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. The impacts on human activity shown on the map are only a selection…. Agricultural yields are expected to decrease for all major cereal crops in all major regions of production. Half of all Himalayan glaciers will be significantly reduced by 2050, leading to 23% of the population of China being deprived of the vital dry season glacial melt water source.

Extreme Weather Patterns

Most scientists believe that the warming of the climate will lead to more extreme weather patterns such as:

More hurricanes and drought;
Longer spells of dry heat or intense rain (depending on where you are in the world);
Scientists have pointed out that Northern Europe could be severely affected with colder weather if climate change continues, as the arctic begins to melt and send fresher waters further south. It would effectively cut off the Gulf Stream that brings warmth from the Gulf of Mexico, keeping countries such as Britain warmer than expected;
In South Asia, the Himalayan glaciers could retreat causing water scarcity in the long run.

While many environmental groups have been warning about extreme weather conditions for a few years, the World Meteorological Organization announced in July 2003 that Recent scientific assessments indicate that, as the global temperatures continue to warm due to climate change, the number and intensity of extreme events might increase.

The WMO also notes that New record extreme events occur every year somewhere in the globe, but in recent years the number of such extremes have been increasing. (The WMO limits the definition of extreme events to high temperatures, low temperatures and high rainfall amounts and droughts.) The U.K’s Independent newspaper described the WMO’s announcement as unprecedented and astonishing because it came from a respected United Nations organization not an environmental group!

Mentioned further above was the concern that more hurricanes could result. The link used was from the environmental organization WWF, written back in 1999. In August/September 2004 a wave of severe hurricanes left many Caribbean islands and parts of South Eastern United States devastated. In the Caribbean many lives were lost and there was immense damage to entire cities. In the U.S. many lives were lost as well, some of the most expensive damage resulted from the successive hurricanes.

In its wake, scientists have reiterated that such super-storms may be a sign of things to come. Global warming may spawn more super-storms , Inter Press Service (IPS) notes.

Interviewing a biological oceanography professor at Harvard University, IPS notes that the world’s oceans are approaching 27 degrees C or warmer during the summer. This increases the odds of major storms.

When water reaches such temperatures, more of it evaporates, priming hurricane or cyclone formation.
Once born, a hurricane needs only warm water to build and maintain its strength and intensity.

Furthermore, as emissions of greenhouse gases continue to trap more and more of the sun’s energy, that energy has to be dissipated, resulting in stronger storms, more intense precipitation and higher winds.

There is abundant evidence of an unprecedented number of severe weather events in the past decade, [professor of biological oceanography at Harvard University, James] McCarthy says. In 1998, Hurricane Mitch killed nearly 20,000 people in Central America, and more than 4,000 people died during disastrous flooding in China. Bangladesh suffered some of its worst floods ever the following year, as did Venezuela. Europe was hit with record floods in 2002, and then a record heat wave in 2003. More recently, Brazil was struck by the first-ever recorded hurricane in the South Atlantic last March. Weather records are being set all the time now. We’re in an era of unprecedented extreme weather events, McCarthy said. Historical weather patterns are becoming less useful for predicting the future conditions because global warming is changing ocean and atmospheric conditions. In 30 to 50 years’ time, the Earth’s weather generating system will be entirely different, he predicted.

Looking at 2010 as a whole year revealed a variety of extreme weather events. A panel of climate and weather experts ranked the top 10 global weather/climate events of 2010 which included heat waves to droughts to negative arctic oscillation (a climate pattern where cold Arctic air slides south while warmer air moves north, bringing snow storms and record cold temperatures to much of the Northern Hemisphere) show that a variety of weather events can occur as a result of changing climate:

With global warming on the increase and species’ habitats on the decrease, the chances for various ecosystems to adapt naturally are diminishing.

Many studies have pointed out that the rates of extinction of animal and plant species, and the temperature changes around the world since the industrial revolution , have been significantly different to normal expectations.

An analysis of population trends, climate change, increasing pollution and emerging diseases found that 40 percent of deaths in the world could be attributed to environmental factors.

Jaan Suurkula, M.D. and chairman of Physicians and Scientists for Responsible Application of Science and Technology ( PSRAST ), paints a dire picture, but notes that he is only citing observations and conclusions from established experts and institutions. Those observations and conclusions note that global warming will lead to the following situations, amongst others:

Rapid global heating according to a US National Academy of Science warning;
Dramatic increase in greenhouse gas emissions;
Ozone loss aggravated by global warming;
Ozone loss likely to aggravate global warming;
Warming of the oceans leads to increased green house gasses;
Permafrost thawing will aggravate global warming;
Oceanic changes observed that may aggravate the situation;
A vicious circle whereby each problem will exacerbate other problems which will feedback into each other;
Massive extinction of species will aggravate the environmental crisis;
Sudden collapse of biological and ecological systems may occur, but will have a very slow recovery;
While effective measures can decrease global warming and other problems the World community has repeatedly failed to establish cooperation.

The vicious circle Suurkula refers to is worth expanding. In his own words, but slightly reformatted:

The ongoing accumulation of greenhouse gasses causes increasing global warming. This causes a more extensive destruction of ozone in the polar regions because of accentuated stratospheric cooling. An increase of ozone destruction increases the UV-radiation that, combined with higher ocean temperature, causes a reduction of the gigantic carbon dioxide trapping mechanism of the oceanic phytoplankton biomass; This accentuates the warming process. When the warming has reached a certain level, it will release huge amounts of greenhouse gasses trapped in the permafrost. This will enhance the global warming, and the polar destruction of ozone, and so on. The observed decrease of the thermohaline circulation [the various streams that transport warm and cold waters around the world and therefore has an important stabilizing effect on world climate] further aggravates the situation. This is a global self-reinforcing vicious circle accelerating the global warming.

Water expands when heated, and sea levels are expected to rise due to climate change. Rising sea levels will also result as the polar caps begin to melt.

Rising sea levels is already affecting many small islands .

The WorldWatch Institute reports that [t]he Earth’s ice cover is melting in more places and at higher rates than at any time since record keeping began . (March 6, 2000).

Rising sea levels will impact many coastlines, and a large mass of humanity lives near the coasts or by major rivers. Analysis by the World Wildlife Fund has found that many cities are unprepared for climate change effects such as rising sea levels.

Although it has gained less mainstream media attention, the effects of increasing greenhouse emissions — in particular carbon dioxide — on the oceans may well be significant.

As explained by the US agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the basic chemistry of ocean acidification is well understood.

These are the 3 main concepts:

More CO 2 in the atmosphere means more CO 2 in the ocean;
Atmospheric CO 2 is dissolved in the ocean, which becomes more acidic; and
The resulting changes in the chemistry of the oceans disrupts the ability of plants and animals in the sea to make shells and skeletons of calcium carbonate, while dissolving shells already formed.

Scientists have found that oceans are able to absorb some of the excess CO 2 released by human activity. This has helped keep the planet cooler than it otherwise could have been had these gases remained in the atmosphere.

However, the additional excess CO 2 being absorbed is also resulting in the acidification of the oceans: When CO 2 reacts with water it produces a weak acid called carbonic acid, changing the sea water chemistry. As the Global Biodiversity Outlook report explains, the water is some 30% more acidic than pre-industrial times, depleting carbonate ions — the building blocks for many marine organisms.

In addition, concentrations of carbonate ions are now lower than at any time during the last 800,000 years. The impacts on ocean biological diversity and ecosystem functioning will likely be severe, though the precise timing and distribution of these impacts are uncertain. (See p. 58 of the report.)

Although millions of years ago CO 2 levels were higher, today’s change is occurring rapidly , giving many marine organisms too little time to adapt . Some marine creatures are growing thinner shells or skeletons, for example. Some of these creatures play a crucial role in the food chain, and in ecosystem biodiversity.

Some species may benefit from the extra carbon dioxide, and a few years ago scientists and organizations, such as the European Project on OCean Acidification , formed to try to understand and assess the impacts further.

One example of recent findings is a tiny sand grain-sized plankton responsible for the sequestration of 25–50% of the carbon the oceans absorb is affected by increasing ocean acidification . This tiny plankton plays a major role in keeping atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations at much lower levels than they would be otherwise so large effects on them could be quite serious.

Other related problems reported by the Inter Press Service include more oceanic dead zones (areas where there is too little oxygen in the sea to support life) and the decline of important coastal plants and forests, such as mangrove forests that play an important role in carbon absorption. This is on top of the already declining ocean biodiversity that has been happening for a few decades, now.

Scientists now believe that ocean acidification is unparalleled in the last 300 million years , raising the possibility that we are entering an unknown territory of marine ecosystem change.

An increase in pests and disease is also feared.

A report in the journal Science in June 2002 described the alarming increase in the outbreaks and epidemics of diseases throughout the land and ocean based wildlife due to climate changes.

One of the authors points out that, Climate change is disrupting natural ecosystems in a way that is making life better for infectious diseases.

The Guardian summarizes a United Nations warning that, One in six countries in the world face food shortages this year because of severe droughts that could become semi-permanent under climate change.

Drought and desertification are starting to spread and intensify in some parts of the world already.

Failing agriculture in the future have long been predicted.

Looking to 2100, scientists who looked at projections of global warming’s impact on the average temperatures during the growing season fear that rising temperatures will have a significant impact upon crop yields , most noticeably in the tropics and sub tropics.

While warm weather can often be good for some crops, hotter than average temperatures for the entire season is often not good for plants.

This would affect at least half the world’s population that either live in the region or rely on food coming from that region.

IRIN (Integrated Regional Information Networks), part of the United Nations, has produced a series of short videos showing how some regions are already being affected by climate change and are trying to adapt as a result:

Changing crops

Melting glaciers, worsening floods, creeping deserts.

One example is farmers in Nepal finding that cultivating rice isn’t as productive as before, and are changing to other crops as a result:

In the Himalayas, melting glaciers means less water for local villages:

(South Asia in general is also seriously affected by rapidly retreating Himalayan glaciers which feed the mighty rivers that have created the various South Asian civilizations.)

In Mozambique, rains are becoming heavier and causing floods, which affect crops and people’s livelihoods as they are displaced and have to change their way of life quickly.

It is feared that globally, there will be mass migrations in the future as climate change makes conditions worse in some regions of the world, and these challenges will play itself out on a much larger scale, with much more human movement. (And if Western attitudes towards immigration are negative now, they could be even worse in the future.)

In Mauritania, by contrast, there is the problem of increasing desertification, creeping ever closer to people who have had to change their way of life, focusing more on searching for water.

In some cases, improved agricultural techniques may help, such as rainwater harvesting and drip irrigation. Some also believe genetically modified crops may be essential to deal with changing climates. Yet, there are many other crucial issues that affect agriculture, such as poverty , political and economic causes of world hunger , global trade policies (which create unequal trade and affect the poorest countries the most), etc.

See IRIN’s videos on climate change impacts in Africa and Asia for more short clips.

It is recognized that poorer nations will suffer the worst from climate change, either because of geographical reasons, and/or because they will have less resources to cope with a problem (mostly caused by emissions from rich countries over the past decades).

In addition to poor countries, women are likely to suffer the worst, as the United Nations Population fund explains:

Women—particularly those in poor countries—will be affected differently than men. They are among the most vulnerable to climate change, partly because in many countries they make up the larger share of the agricultural work force and partly because they tend to have access to fewer income-earning opportunities. Women manage households and care for family members, which often limits their mobility and increases their vulnerability to sudden weather-related natural disasters. Drought and erratic rainfall force women to work harder to secure food, water and energy for their homes. Girls drop out of school to help their mothers with these tasks. This cycle of deprivation, poverty and inequality undermines the social capital needed to deal effectively with climate change.

The UNFPA also captures this in some videos that accompanied their 2009 report.

The first one is the above-described effects occurring in rural areas of Bolivia. The second one is on the impact on women in Vietnam.

Greenhouse gases and emissions resulting from human activity

Every few years, leading climate scientists at the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have released major, definitive reports detailing the progress in understanding climate change. From the outset they have recommended that there be emission reductions. This body is comprised of hundreds of climate scientists around the world.

At the beginning of January 2007, the IPCC’s fourth major report summarized that they were even more certain than before of human-induced climate change because of better scientific understanding:

Global atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide have increased markedly as a result of human activities since 1750 and now far exceed pre-industrial values determined from ice cores spanning many thousands of years. The global increases in carbon dioxide concentration are due primarily to fossil fuel use and land-use change, while those of methane and nitrous oxide are primarily due to agriculture. … The understanding of anthropogenic warming and cooling influences on climate has improved since the Third Assessment Report (TAR), leading to very high confidence that the globally averaged net effect of human activities since 1750 has been one of warming. Most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations.

Their definition of very high confidence and very likely is a 90% chance of being correct. (Their 2001 report claimed a 66% certainty.)

This report was produced by some 600 authors from 40 countries. Over 620 expert reviewers and a large number of government reviewers also participated, according to the IPCC’s media advisory .

As Inter Press Service notes, although the IPCC has become the gold standard for global scientific collaboration, their reports are inherently conservative :

The IPCC operates under the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and does not fund any research itself. It collects, evaluates and synthesises scientific data. Any U.N. country can be a member of the IPCC and can challenge the findings in its reports. And consensus is required for every word in the Summary for Policy Makers section included in each report. It’s an inherently conservative process, with oil-rich countries like Kuwait and Saudi Arabia always trying to tone down the conclusions and emphasise uncertainties and unknowns, said Weaver.

As the World Resources Institute highlights there is a huge contrast between developed/industrialized nations and poorer developing countries in greenhouse emissions, as well as the reasons for those emissions. For example:

In terms of historical emissions, industrialized countries account for roughly 80% of the carbon dioxide buildup in the atmosphere to date . Since 1950, the U.S. has emitted a cumulative total of roughly 50.7 billion tons of carbon, while China (4.6 times more populous) and India (3.5 times more populous) have emitted only 15.7 and 4.2 billion tons respectively (although their numbers will rise).
Annually, more than 60 percent of global industrial carbon dioxide emissions originate in industrialized countries , where only about 20 percent of the world’s population resides.
Much of the growth in emissions in developing countries results from the provision of basic human needs for growing populations , while emissions in industrialized countries contribute to growth in a standard of living that is already far above that of the average person worldwide. This is exemplified by the large contrasts in per capita carbons emissions between industrialized and developing countries. Per capita emissions of carbon in the U.S. are over 20 times higher than India, 12 times higher than Brazil and seven times higher than China.

At the 1997 Kyoto Conference, industrialized countries were committed to an overall reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases to 5.2% below 1990 levels for the period 2008—2012. (The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said in its 1990 report that a 60% reduction in emissions was needed…)

The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) is an organization — backed by the UN and various European governments — attempting to compile, build and make a compelling economics case for the conservation of ecosystems and biodiversity.

In a report titled The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity for National and International Policy Makers 2009 , TEEB noted different types of carbon emissions as colors of carbon :

But a mitigation approach needs to consider all these forms of carbon they note, not just one or two:

Past mitigation efforts concentrated on brown carbon, sometimes leading to land conversion for biofuel production which inadvertently increased emissions from green carbon. By halting the loss of green and blue carbon, the world could mitigate as much as 25% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with co-benefits for biodiversity, food security and livelihoods (IPCC 2007, Nellemann et al. 2009). This will only be possible if mitigation efforts accommodate all four carbon colors.

Around 2007, China surpassed the US as the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases in terms of total output. Per person ( per capita ), however, China’s emissions are much smaller.

Until recently, the United States was the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases. However, it remains the largest emitter when measured in terms of emissions per person.

Due to its much longer period of industrialization, the US has emitted far more into the atmosphere than China (greenhouse gases such as CO 2 linger on in the atmosphere for decades).

In addition, the US:

Accounts for roughly four percent of the world’s population;
Accounts for approximately 20% of global emissions and some 40% of industrialized country emissions;

The previously 15 member-nations European Union (E.U.), if considered as a whole (for it is more comparable to the U.S.):

Accounts for roughly 3 percent of the world’s population;
Accounts for around 10% of global emissions and 24% of industrialized countries’ man-made emissions of the six main gases;
It is not near the level required;
For the second consecutive year, in 2003, emissions from EU countries have actually increased slightly (though still remaining slightly lower than 1990 levels).

The Kyoto Protocol was the climate change treaty negotiated in 1997, setting targets for emissions of greenhouse gases.

In order to be binding under international law, the treaty would need ratification from the countries responsible for around 55% of the global greenhouse gas emissions of 1990.

The U.S. being the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, pulled out in 2001, leaving treaty ratification dependent on Russia, responsible for 17% of world emissions. Russia has to cut emission levels from the Soviet days, and their emissions in the past decade has been far less, so it should not pose as much of a problem to reduce such emissions.

Noting the above, the BBC commented on this adding that Kyoto was only ever a first step — now discussions on the next, more stringent, target on greenhouse gas emissions can begin.

On December 13 2011, Canada pulled out of the Kyoto climate treaty — which it is legally allowed to do — to condemnation domestically and internationally. One of the main concerns had been the cost to the tax payer: (CAN)$14bn.

Yet, the economic costs of inaction are in the trillions :

(Some believe one of Canada’s motivations to leave Kyoto was on its desire to protect the lucrative but highly polluting exploitation of tar sands, the second biggest oil reserve in the world , as The Guardian had noted .)

The UNFCCC reported (November 17, 2008) that although industrialized nations have reduced emissions between 1990 and 2006, in recent years, between 2000 and 2006, greenhouse gas emissions have generally increased by 2.3% .

This is despite an overall decrease of 4.7% since 1990. However, the more recent period suggests the rich country emission reductions are not sustainable. Furthermore, it looks worse considering a large part of this decrease is because of the collapse of the Soviet Union. As transition economies started to recover around 2000, emissions have started to rise.

Some nations with large reductions are also seeing limits , for example:

UK (15.1% reduction) benefited by switching from coal to natural gas but that switch is largely in place now.
Germany (18.2% reduction) has certainly invested in greenhouse gas emission reductions, but has been helped in large part because of reunification (East Germany, like much of eastern Europe and former Soviet states had economic problems, hence less emissions at the time).
Other reductions have come in part from relocating manufacturing to other places such as China, which now claims at least one third of its emissions are because of production for others .

(See also this Climate Change Performance Index from German Watch and Climate Action Network Europe, which attempts to rank over 57 nations that account for 90% of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions, including industrialized nations and emerging economies.)

Global trade is an important feature of the modern world. The production and global distribution of manufactured products thus form a large portion of global human carbon emissions.

The Kyoto Protocol assigns carbon emissions to countries based on where production takes place rather than where things are consumed.

For many years, critics of the Kyoto Protocol have long argued that this means rich countries, who have outsourced much of their manufacturing to developing nations have an accounting trick they can use to show more emissions reduction than developing nations.

The BBC noted back in 2005 that this outsourcing was already taking place , but this idea started way before the Kyoto Protocol came into being.

In 1991 Larry Summers, then Chief Economist for the World Bank (and US Treasury Secretary, in the Clinton Administration, until George Bush and the Republican party came into power), had been a strong backer of structural adjustment policies . He wrote in an internal memo:

Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging more migration of dirty industries to the LDCs [less developed countries]?… The economic logic behind dumping a load of toxic waste in the lowest wage country is impeccable, and we should face up to that… Under-populated countries in Africa are vastly under-polluted; their air quality is probably vastly inefficiently low compared to Los Angeles or Mexico City… The concern over an agent that causes a one in a million change in the odds of prostate cancer is obviously going to be much higher in a country where people survive to get prostate cancer than in a country where under-five mortality is 200 per thousand.

Although the discussion above wasn’t about carbon emissions, the intention was the same: rather than directly address the problem, off-shoring dirty industries to the developing nations and let them deal with it.

More recently, The Guardian provided a useful summary of the impacts of this approach: carbon emissions cuts by developed countries since 1990 have been canceled out by increases in imported goods from developing countries — many times over.

They were summarizing global figures compiled and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the US . And the findings seemed to vindicate what many environmental groups had said for many years about the Kyoto Protocol as noted earlier.

In more detail:

According to standard data, developed countries can claim to have reduced their collective emissions by almost 2% between 1990 and 2008. But once the carbon cost of imports have been added to each country, and exports subtracted – the true change has been an increase of 7%. If Russia and Ukraine – which cut their CO2 emissions rapidly in the 1990s due to economic collapse – are excluded, the rise is 12%. … Much of the increase in emissions in the developed world is due to the US, which promised a 7% cut under Kyoto but then did not to ratify the protocol. Emissions within its borders increased by 17% between 1990 and 2008 – and by 25% when imports and exports are factored in. In the same period, UK emissions fell by 28 million tonnes, but when imports and exports are taken into account, the domestic footprint has risen by more than 100 million tonnes. Europe achieved a 6% cut in CO2 emissions, but when outsourcing is considered that is reduced to 1%. … The study shows a very different picture for countries that export more carbon-intensive goods than they import. China, whose growth has been driven by export-based industries, is usually described as the world's largest emitter of CO2, but its footprint drops by almost a fifth when its imports and exports are taken into account, putting it firmly behind the US. China alone accounts for a massive 75% of the developed world's offshored emissions, according to the paper.

In addition, as Climate News Network notes, Asian countries have been cutting emissions faster than Europe and the US . At the same time, there are signs of progress in Europe and the US, too. Germany for example is known to be pushing for renewables more than most. While recently the US has seen a drop in carbon emissions while seeing some economic growth.

It has been known for some time know that developing countries will be affected the most. Reasons vary from lacking resources to cope, compared to developed nations, immense poverty, regions that many developing countries are in happen to be the ones where severe weather will hit the most, small island nations area already seeing sea level rising, and so on.

German Watch published a Global Climate Risk Index at the end of 2011 listing nations that would be affected the most from climate change based on extreme weather such as hurricanes and floods.

Between 1991 and 2010 they found these were the most affected nations:

Dominican Republic
Philippines

Much of Asia, as well as wealthier areas such as the US, Russia and Australia have also experienced specific incidents of very damaging extreme weather that the climate risk index captures:

Into 2013, November saw possibly the largest ever typhoon, Hiayan, make landfall and cause incredible devastation to parts of the Philippines with at least 10,000 feared dead and more than 9 million affected.

Hiayan struck just days before the start of a major UN conference on climate change perhaps acting as a wakeup call to the negotiators regarding potential impacts of inaction. While no single event can easily be attributed to climate change, as the Institute for Public Accuracy notes, this devastating typhoon demonstrates how the Global South pays the price for emissions historically from the North .

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) noted in November 2013 that the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached a new record high in 2012 , continuing an upward and accelerating trend which is driving climate change and will shape the future of our planet for hundreds and thousands of years.

Carbon dioxide, mainly from fossil fuel-related emissions, accounted for 80% of this increase. The atmospheric increase of CO2 from 2011 to 2012 was higher than its average growth rate over the past ten years.

(The International Energy Agency, IEA, also reported this earlier in the year.)

So despite increased global warming concerns and calls for action, little seems to have been achieved due to the political challenges, and skepticism that abounds.

Skepticism on Global Warming or That it can be human-induced

For a very long time, something of contention and debate in the U.S. had been whether or not a lot of climate change has in fact been induced by human activities, while many scientists around the world, Europe especially, have been more convinced that this is the case.

In May 2002, the Bush Administration in the U.S. did admit a link between human activities and climate change. However, at the same time the administration has continued its controversial stance of maintaining that it will not participate in the international treaty to limit global warming, the Kyoto Protocol, due to economic priorities and concerns. (More about the Kyoto Protocol, U.S. and others’ actions/inactions is discussed in subsequent pages on this section.)

Throughout the 1990s, especially in the United States, but in other countries as well, those who would try and raise the importance of this issue, and suggest that we are perhaps over-consuming, or unsustainably using our resources etc, were faced with a lot of criticism and ridicule . The previous link is to an article by George Monbiot, writing in 1999. In 2004, he notes a similar issue, whereby media attempts at balance has led to false balancing where disproportionate time is given to more fringe scientists or those with less credibility or with additional agendas, without noting so, and thus gives the impression that there is more debate in the scientific community about whether or not climate change is an issue to be concerned about or not:

Picture a situation in which most of the media, despite the overwhelming weight of medical opinion, refused to accept that there was a connection between smoking and lung cancer. Imagine that every time new evidence emerged, they asked someone with no medical qualifications to write a piece dismissing the evidence and claiming that there was no consensus on the issue. Imagine that the BBC, in the interests of debate , wheeled out one of the tiny number of scientists who says that smoking and cancer aren’t linked, or that giving up isn’t worth the trouble, every time the issue of cancer was raised. Imagine that, as a result, next to nothing was done about the problem, to the delight of the tobacco industry and the detriment of millions of smokers. We would surely describe the newspapers and the BBC as grossly irresponsible. Now stop imagining it, and take a look at what’s happening. The issue is not smoking, but climate change. The scientific consensus is just as robust, the misreporting just as widespread, the consequences even graver. … The scientific community has reached a consensus, the [U.K.] government’s chief scientific adviser, Professor David King, told the House of Lords last month. I do not believe that amongst the scientists there is a discussion as to whether global warming is due to anthropogenic effects. It is man-made and it is essentially [caused by] fossil fuel burning, increased methane production… and so on. Sir David chose his words carefully. There is a discussion about whether global warming is due to anthropogenic (man-made) effects. But it is not—or is only seldom—taking place among scientists. It is taking place in the media, and it seems to consist of a competition to establish the outer reaches of imbecility. … But these [skeptics and illogical points against climate change] are rather less dangerous than the BBC, and its insistence on balancing its coverage of climate change. It appears to be incapable of running an item on the subject without inviting a sceptic to comment on it. Usually this is either someone from a corporate-funded thinktank (who is, of course, never introduced as such) or the professional anti-environmentalist Philip Stott. Professor Stott is a retired biogeographer. Like almost all the prominent sceptics he has never published a peer-reviewed paper on climate change. But he has made himself available to dismiss climatologists’ peer-reviewed work as the lies of ecofundamentalists. This wouldn’t be so objectionable if the BBC made it clear that these people are not climatologists, and the overwhelming majority of qualified scientific opinion is against them. Instead, it leaves us with the impression that professional opinion is split down the middle. It’s a bit like continually bringing people on to the programme to suggest that there is no link between HIV and Aids. What makes all this so dangerous is that it plays into the hands of corporate lobbyists. A recently leaked memo written by Frank Luntz, the US Republican and corporate strategist, warned that The environment is probably the single issue on which Republicans in general—and President Bush in particular—are most vulnerable… Should the public come to believe that the scientific issues are settled, their views about global warming will change accordingly. Therefore, you need… to make the lack of scientific certainty a primary issue.

Monbiot’s comments above were over 5 years ago (as of writing), and yet some of those concerns, especially about false balancing, carry on today .

Gary Schmidt is a leading climate researcher working for NASA. He is also a contributor to RealClimate.org, a blog by climate scientists that attempt to dispel misinformation by climate skeptics and provide background information often missing in mainstream media. In one of his posts, he laments at the continual diversion caused by misinformation:

Recently there has been more of a sense that the issues being discussed (in the media or online) have a bit of a groundhog day quality to them. The same nonsense, the same logical fallacies, the same confusions – all seem to be endlessly repeated. The same strawmen are being constructed and demolished as if they were part of a make-work scheme for the building industry attached to the stimulus proposal.

However, (and perhaps belatedly) there is growing public acceptance of human-induced climate change as reports such as the US Global Change Research Program and the UK Met Office assert things like current climate change happening now and human-induced and that they will cause many problems.

But, as well as growing acceptance, there is also louder vocal opposition, and the repeated nonsense and logical fallacies that Schmidt was concerned about seems to have had an effect upon the general public — in the US, anyway; fewer Americans believe in global warming (as the Washington Post headlined it.

Amongst scientists, however, there is less skepticism: 11% of US scientists from any field disagree with human-induced climate change, while only 1% of US climatologists disagree, according to the following:

Asking who are among the 11% of skeptical scientists amongst all science fields, almost half are engineers.

For more detailed information, the following sites can be useful:

Scienceblogs.com provides a summary of the various claims of climate change deniers
grist.org provides a similar list as ScienceBlogs
RealClimate.org is an authoritative blog maintained by some of the world’s leading climate scientists. They often attempt to explain very technical issues to lay people and often try to address common myths and other claims
Skeptical Science is another blog that looks at various claims from skeptics and addresses them.

As revealed towards the end of January 2006, NASA’s top climate scientist said NASA and the Bush Administration tried to silence him .

While NASA said this was standard procedure to ensure an orderly flow of information, the scientist, Dr. James Hansen disagreed, saying that such procedures had already prevented the public from fully grasping recent findings about climate change that point to risks ahead.

Dr. Hansen, according to the New York Times reporting this, noted that these were fresh efforts to silence him because he had said that significant emission cuts could be achieved with existing technologies, particularly in the case of motor vehicles, and that without leadership by the United States, climate change would eventually leave the earth a different planet. (By contrast, the Bush administration’s policy is to use voluntary measures to slow, but not reverse, the growth of emissions.)

Furthermore, After that speech and the release of data by Dr. Hansen on Dec. 15 showing that 2005 was probably the warmest year in at least a century, officials at the headquarters of the space agency repeatedly phoned public affairs officers, who relayed the warning to Dr. Hansen that there would be dire consequences if such statements continued, those officers and Dr. Hansen said in interviews.

Earlier, in 2004, Dr. Hansen fell out of favor with the Bush Administration for publicly stating before the presidential elections that government scientists were being muzzled and that he planned to vote for John Kerry.

The New York Times also notes that this echoes other recent disputes, whereby many scientists who routinely took calls from reporters five years ago can now do so only if the interview is approved by administration officials in Washington, and then only if a public affairs officer is present or on the phone.

Furthermore, Where scientists’ points of view on climate policy align with those of the administration, however, there are few signs of restrictions on extracurricular lectures or writing.

And in terms of media manipulation, the Times also revealed that at least one interview (amongst many others) was canceled because it was with NPR, which the public affairs official responsible felt was the most liberal media outlet in the country. This implies a political bias/propaganda in terms of how information is released to the public, which should be of serious concern.

At the beginning of June, 2006, the BBC Panorama documentary followed up on this and found that many scientists felt they were being censored and that various reports had been systematically suppressed, even altered. In one case, a major climate assessment report was due out a month before the 2004 presidential elections, but was delayed because it had such a bleak assessment, and the Bush administration did not want it to be part of the election issues. It was released shortly after the elections were over.

Panorama also interviewed a pollster who had advised the Bush Administration when they came into power in 2000 to question global warming, that humans caused it if it existed at all, to hire skeptical scientists, and play down its impacts. (The advisor has now distanced himself away from the Bush Administration’s stance today because he felt the science was more certain than it was in 2000.)

Just weeks before hurricane Katrina devastated parts of Southern United States, Panorama reported that Another scientist from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) … had research which established global warming could increase the intensity of hurricanes. He was due to give an interview about his work but claims he was gagged. After Katrina, the NOAA website said unusual hurricane activity is not related to global warming. When a leading scientist was asked why NOAA came out with such a statement, he suggested it was ideologically driven.

(The BBC Panorama documentary is called Climate chaos: Bush’s climate of fear and as well as a summary, you can watch the actual documentary online.)

Despite attempts to discredit global warming concerns, the Bush Administration has now conceded that there is climate change and that humans are contributing to it, but Panorama reports that a lot of vital time has been lost, and that some scientists fear US policy may be too slow to carry out.

Almost a year after the story about attempts to silence NASA’s top climate scientist, many media outlets have reported on a new survey where hundreds of government scientists say they have perceived or personally experienced pressure from the Bush administration to eliminate phrases such as “climate change” and “global warming” from their reports and public statements. A US government hearing in the US is also pursuing this further as the seriousness of climate change is becoming more accepted.

There has been a similar concern in Australia. At the beginning of 2006, the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) revealed that some business lobby groups have influenced the Australian government to prevent Australia from reducing greenhouse gas emissions . This lobby group included interests from the coal, electricity, aluminum (aluminium), petroleum, minerals and cement industries. The documentary exposing this revealed possible corruption within government due to extremely close ties with such industries and lobby groups, and alleged silencing of government climate scientists.

In what would seem to be a twist to suppression of government reports, it was widely claimed that the US Environmental Protection Agency had suppressed a report that was skeptical of climate change. However, it turns out that while the report was written by an employee on EPA time, but on his own initiative and not qualified to do so, and so couldn’t be published by the EPA and therefore was not suppressed . Furthermore, as the previous link finds, the report contained large pieces of plagiarism. In addition, the report was flawed as RealClimte.org quickly showed.

The headlines about this episode talked of suppression and would likely increase the view amongst those still skeptical about climate change. Corrections to those headlines have been few, and less prominent, by comparison.

Pollution from various industries, the burning of fossil fuels, methane from farm animals, forest destruction, rotting/dead vegetation etc have led to an increased number of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. And, as international trade in its current form continues to expand with little regard for the environment, the transportation alone, of goods is thought to considerably contribute to global warming via emissions from planes, ships and other transportation vehicles. (For more about trade and globalization in its current form and how it affects the environment, as well as other consequences, visit this web site’s section on Trade, Economy, & Related Issues .)

Even sulphur emitted from ships are thought to contribute a fair bit to climate change. In fact, sulphur based gas, originating from industry, discovered in 2000 is thought to be the most potent greenhouse gas measured to date. It is called trifluoromethyl sulphur pentafluoride (SF 5 CF 3 ).

The Guardian adds that one giant container ship can emit almost the same amount of cancer and asthma-causing chemicals as 50 million cars .

Furthermore, Confidential data from maritime industry insiders based on engine size and the quality of fuel typically used by ships and cars shows that just 15 of the world's biggest ships may now emit as much pollution as all the world’s 760m cars. Low-grade ship bunker fuel (or fuel oil) has up to 2,000 times the sulphur content of diesel fuel used in US and European automobiles.

(Shipping is responsible for 3.5% to 4% of all climate change emissions the Guardian also notes.)

NewScientist.com reports (December 22, 2003) on a study that suggests soot particles may be worse than carbon dioxide in contributing to global warming . The soot particles also originate from industry, and during the industrial revolution, was quite common. While on the positive side there is less soot these days and perhaps easier to control if needed, alone, as one of the scientists of the study commented, It does not change the need to slow down the growth rate of carbon dioxide and eventually stabilize the atmospheric amount.

NewScientist.com and others have also reported (August 2005) that the world’s largest frozen peat bog is melting, and could unleash billions of tonnes of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere . An area the size of France and Germany combined has been melting in the last 4 years. In addition, Western Siberia has warmed faster than almost anywhere else on the planet, with an increase in average temperatures of some 3°C in the last 40 years.

A scientist explained a fear that if the bogs dry out as they warm, the methane will oxidise and escape into the air as carbon dioxide. But if the bogs remain wet, as is the case in western Siberia today, then the methane will be released straight into the atmosphere. Methane is 20 times as potent a greenhouse gas as carbon dioxide.

While those denying climate change are reducing in number and there appears to be more effort to try and tackle the problem, climate scientists are now fearing that climate change is happening far faster and is having much larger impacts than they ever imagined .

The Arctic plays an incredibly important role in the balance of the earth’s climate. Rapid changes to it can have knock-on effects to the rest of the planet. Some have described the Arctic as the canary in the coal mine , referring to how canary birds used to be taken deep down coal mines. If they died, it implied oxygen levels were low and signaled mine workers to get out.

Satellite observations show the arctic sea ice decreasing, and projections for the rest of the century predict even more shrinkage:

In terms of biodiversity, the prospect of ice-free summers in the Arctic Ocean implies the loss of an entire biome , the Global Biodiversity Outlook report notes (p. 57).

In addition, Whole species assemblages are adapted to life on top of or under ice — from the algae that grow on the underside of multi-year ice, forming up to 25% of the Arctic Ocean’s primary production, to the invertebrates, birds, fish and marine mammals further up the food chain. The iconic polar bear at the top of that food chain is therefore not the only species at risk even though it may get more media attention.

Note, the ice in the Arctic does thaw and refreeze each year, but it is that pattern which has changed a lot in recent years as shown by this graph:

It is also important to note that loss of sea ice has implications on biodiversity beyond the Arctic, as the Global Biodiversity Outlook report also summarizes:

Bright white ice reflects sunlight. When it is replaced by darker water, the ocean and the air heat much faster, a feedback that accelerates ice melt and heating of surface air inland, with resultant loss of tundra. Less sea ice leads to changes in seawater temperature and salinity, leading to changes in primary productivity and species composition of plankton and fish, as well as large-scale changes in ocean circulation, affecting biodiversity well beyond the Arctic.

Some scientists fear changes are happening to the Arctic much faster than anticipated . The previous link mentions that despite computer climate models predicting loss of Arctic sea ice by 2050 to 2080, some scientists fear it could be as soon as 2015. The BBC notes similar concerns by scientists , with one quoted as saying the sea ice is so thin that you would have to have an exceptional sequence of cold winters and cold summers in order for it to rebuild.

Another BBC article reports scientists now have unambiguous evidence that the warming in the Arctic is accelerating .

The Arctic reflects much sunlight back into space helping keep earth temperate. More melting will result in less reflection and even more heat being absorbed by the earth. A chain reaction could result, such as the Greenland ice sheet melting (which will actually increase sea levels, whereas the melting of Arctic ice will not because it is sea ice), possibly increasing the melting of permafrost in Siberia, which will release huge amounts of methane (as noted above), and rapidly change climate patterns, circulation patterns and jet streams, far quicker than what most of the environment could adapt to easily.

Older members of the indigenous Inuit people describe how weather patterns have shifted and changed in recent years, while they also face challenges to their way of life in the form of increased commercial interest in the arctic region . This combination of environmental and economic factors put indigenous populations ways at a cross roads as this documentary from explore.org shows:

For decades, scientists and environmentalists have warned that the way we are using Earth’s resources is not sustainable. Alternative technologies have been called for repeatedly, seemingly upon deaf ears (or, cynically, upon those who don’t want to make substantial changes as it challenges their bottom line and takes away from their current profits).

In the past, some companies and industries have pushed back on environmental programs in order to increase profits or to survive in a tough business world.

It has perhaps taken about a decade or so — and a severe enough global financial crisis that has hit the heart of this way of thinking — to change this mentality (in which time, more greenhouse gases have been emitted — inefficiently). Is that too late or will it be okay?

Economists talk of the price signal that is fundamental to capitalism; the ability for prices to indicate when a resource is becoming scarcer. At such a time, capitalism and the markets will mobilize automatically to address this by looking for ways to bring down costs. As a result, resources are supposedly infinite. For example, if energy costs go up, businesses will look for a way to minimize such costs for themselves, and it is in such a time that alternatives come about and/or existing resources last longer because they are used more efficiently. Running out of resources should therefore be averted.

However, it has long been argued that prices don’t truly reflect the full cost of things, so either the signal is incorrect, or comes too late. The price signal also implies the poorest often pay the heaviest costs. For example, commercially over-fishing a region may mean fish from that area becomes harder to catch and more expensive, possibly allowing that ecosystem time to recover (though that is not guaranteed, either). However, while commercial entities can exploit resources elsewhere, local fishermen will go out of business and the poorer will likely go hungry (as also detailed on this site’s section on biodiversity ). This then has an impact on various local social, political and economic issues.

In addition to that, other related measurements, such as GNP are therefore flawed, and even reward unproductive or inefficient behavior (e.g. Efficiently producing unhealthy food — and the unhealthy consumer culture to go with it — may profit the food industry and a private health sector that has to deal with it, all of which require more use of resources. More examples are discussed on this site’s section on consumption and consumerism ).

Our continued inefficient pumping of greenhouse gases into the environment without factoring the enormous cost as the climate already begins to change is perhaps an example where price signals may come too late, or at a time when there is already significant impact to many people. Resources that could be available more indefinitely, become finite because of our inability or unwillingness to change.

The subsequent pages on this site look at the political issues around tackling climate change.

Author and Page Information

Created: Monday, July 20, 1998
Last updated: Sunday, February 01, 2015

Document revision history

Alternatives for broken links.

Sometimes links to other sites may break beyond my control. Where possible, alternative links are provided to backups or reposted versions here.

Actual link:

Stephen Leahy, 'Arctic Defrost Dumping Snow On U.S. And Europe', Inter Press Service, January 28, 2011 http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=54278

Alternative:

https://www.globalissues.org/news/2011/01/28/8329
http://www.skepticalscience.com/The-Earth-continues-to-build-up-heat.html

Alternatives:

Slightly older data, but useful commentary from John Bruno, ‘It’s not climate change, it’s ocean change!’, Climate Shifts, July 12, 2010 http://www.climateshifts.org/?p=5585
Also useful discussion albeit on older data. http://theseamonster.net/2011/04/its-not-climate-change-its-ocean-change/
Skeptical Science also addresses the myth that ocean cooling stopped in 2003 http://www.skepticalscience.com/cooling-oceans-intermediate.htm
Julio Godoy, 'Climate Change: 350 PPM Too Ambitious, Say Lawmakers', Inter Press Service, October 26, 2009 http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=49010
https://www.globalissues.org/news/2009/10/26/3267
The Journal, Nature, also notes this concern http://www.nature.com/climate/2009/0911/full/climate.2009.106.html
'Nowhere to Hide', Earth Action, September 1998 http://www.earthaction.org/en/archive/99-01-cich/nowhere.html
CNet notes a report in 2005 offers similar predictions http://news.com.com/Global+warming+to+bring+heavier+rains%2C+snow/2100-11395_3-5895784.html?part=rss&tag=5895784&subj=news
'Extreme Weather Events Might Increase', World Meteorological Organisation, July 2, 2003 [Link is to a MS Word formatted document] http://www.wmo.ch/web/Press/Press695.doc
http://www.wmo.ch/web/Press/Press.html#pr
'Reaping the whirlwind; Extreme weather prompts unprecedented global warming alert', The Independent, July 3, 2003 http://news.independent.co.uk/world/environment/story.jsp?story=421166
http://www.truthout.org/docs_03/070403J.shtml
'http://www.sciencemag.org/content/335/6072/1058', Science, March 2, 2012, Vol. 335 no. 6072 pp. 1058-1063, DOI: 10.1126/science.1208277 http://www.sciencemag.org/content/335/6072/1058
http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1208277
http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2012/03/ocean-acidification-could-become-worst-in-at-least-300-million-years.ars
http://www.skepticalscience.com/news.php?n=1334
http://www.sciencentral.com/video/2009/01/08/food-and-global-warming/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvVonWp1aGc
Athar Parvaiz, 'South Asia: Disunity Hovers over a Region Battling Climate Change', Inter Press Service, September 20, 2009 http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=48513
https://www.globalissues.org/news/2009/09/20/2863
http://www.unfpa.org/webdav/site/global/shared/swp/englishswop09.pdf
http://www.unfpa.org/swp/2009/en/
'National greenhouse gas inventory data for the period 1990–2006', UNFCCC, November 17, 2008 (Document FCCC/SBI/2008/12) http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2008/sbi/eng/12.pdf
http://www.copenhagenclimatecouncil.com/get-informed/news/unfccc-ghg-emissions-in-industrialized-countries-on-the-rise-since-2000.html
Weber, Peters, Guan and Hubacek, 'The contribution of Chinese exports to climate change', Energy Policy, July 21, 2008 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2008.06.009
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10001150-54.html
Carey L. Biron, 'Carbon Dioxide Emissions Hit Record High in 2012', Inter Press Service, June 11, 2013 http://www.ipsnews.net/2013/06/carbon-dioxide-emissions-hit-record-high-in-2012
https://www.globalissues.org/news/2013/06/11/16777
George Monbiot, 'Apocalypse now', Guardian, July 29, 1999 http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,279969,00.html
http://www.monbiot.com/archives/1999/07/29/meltdown/
Andrew C. Revkin, 'Climate Expert Says NASA Tried to Silence Him', New York Times, January 29, 2006 http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/29/science/earth/29climate.html?pagewanted=all
External Link: The Guardian/Observer Group also reported this in the UK http://www.guardian.co.uk/climatechange/story/0,,1697616,00.html
'Ships' sulphur fuels climate change', BBC, August 18, 1999 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/422856.stm
The actual report from Nature. Required registration. http://www.nature.com/server-java/Propub/nature/400743A0.abs_frameset
John Vidal, 'Health risks of shipping pollution have been ‘underestimated’', The Guardian, April 9, 2009 http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/apr/09/shipping-pollution
http://www.greencarreports.com/blog/1020063_pollution-perspective-one-giant-cargo-ship-emits-as-much-as-50-million-ca

Persuasive Essay Sample: Global Warming

16 December, 2020

9 minutes read

Author: Kate Smith

What is a secret to successful persuasive essay writing? There are two main things to look out for: a proper knowledge base from our HandMade Writing blog, and an excellent essay sample that demonstrate how to apply all the knowledge in writing. Here is a top-notch sample you can use. We hope it'll guide in your writing!

Global Warming: Causes and Mitigation

It is an indisputable truth that global warming has become a major challenge. It’s a cause of worry for humans who are at risk of extinction, bearing in mind the rate of continual rise of the earth’s average temperature. Besides, it is even more worrisome that some governments are yet to come to terms with an obvious fact. The fact is that global warming poses a serious threat to humans and requires urgent action.

This phenomenon undermines food and water security. With environmental sustainability issues and disruption of a delicate balance of the ecosystem, climate change becomes inevitable. And above all, its dire consequences are dreadful.

What Experts Say

According to World Bank sources, the Millennium Development Goals MDGs and its prospects are also threatened by global climate changes. The resulting changes in weather “such as shifts in the intensity and pattern of rainfall and variations in temperature” would probably decrease agricultural/food output as a result of the death of the infrastructure. Hence environmental disasters, like drought or flood, would displace people’s means of livelihood leading to poverty, migration and diseases. (World Bank, 2010).

Related Post: How to Write a Persuasive essay

Global warming is indeed a major challenge for the world today. Although the figures may vary between regions, most people all over the world agree that it is a serious problem requiring urgent attention. For instance, the World Bank 2010 development Indicators puts it succinctly:

“The poorest countries and regions face the greatest danger. Africa – with the most rain-fed agricultural land of any continent, half its population without access to improved water sources, and about 70 percent without access to improved sanitation facilities – is particularly vulnerable to climate change”. (World Bank, 2010).

In the United States, the views are “divided along ideological lines.” The Pew Research Center’s 2009 survey on global warming discovered that between the liberals and the conservatives, the former agree more than twice that global warming is a severe problem (about 66% vs. 30%)”. According to that survey, a similar divide is also evident in Britain. With those on the political left and those on the right putting a severity rate of 66% and 42% respectively. Germany, Spain and France have smaller ideological splits (Pew Research Center, 2009).

The world is already experiencing the effects of this warming with rising sea levels when the surface temperature warms up. As a result, it is melting ice from the glaciers, bringing severe heat waves and dangerous storms. Even drought, desertification and perceived extinction of animal life goes a long way to show that global warming is not just a hoax.

climate change and global warming shown through arctic ice melting sample

Notably, scientists believe these are mostly caused by man’s activities. Including the burning of fossil fuels thus, “releasing carbon dioxide, CO 2 that traps heat within the atmosphere”. (World Health Organization, 2007). Also, according to WHO source:

“the Earths’ surface has warmed by more than 0.8 o C over the past century and by approximately 0.6 o C in the previous three decades.” With the continuous emissions of CO 2 , it is projected that the surface temperature will “rise by 1.1 o C to 6.4 o C over the 21 st century”. (World Health Organization, 2007).

GreenHouse Gas, GHGs – causes of global warming are emitted in various ways apart from the combustion of fossil fuels in car. The CO 2 gas is “also released in landfills and agriculture (especially from the digestive systems of grazing animals). This is not to mention nitrous oxide from fertilizers, gases used for refrigeration and industrial processes, and the loss of forests that would otherwise store CO 2 ”.

Evidently, carbon dioxide is the highest cause of global warming among other greenhouse gases which also include methane, nitrous oxide, and some other artificial gases. In particular, this has been on the increase as a result of industrialization and commercialization. Especially in China, the United States, the Russian Federation, India and Japan – the world’s highest emitters of carbon dioxide. (World Bank, 2010)

What’s the Solution?

Obviously, the activities of a man with regards to contributing to global warming are overwhelming and substantial. But they are also caused by natural influences such as solar and volcanic activities.

The importance of mitigating the effects of global warming therefore cannot be overemphasized. The consequence of not doing this could be very devastating. While the majority of the world leaders agree with the fact that global warming is indeed a global challenge. They are, however, divided on the method of tackling this menace or “which country is trusted to do the right thing on this issue” (Pew Research Center, 2009).

You may order a persuasive essay on this topic in a couple of clicks – our professional essay writers are always ready to help you!

The United Nations has been spearheading moves towards tackling the menace of climate change. The Copenhagen Conference on climate change further raised the awareness to a high level and the desire to tackle the menace. It later invented what is now known as the “Copenhagen Accord.” While the agreements were lauded by many as a significant success, many others doubted the practical application.

But what the conference achieved which is seen as a bold step towards ending the menace of global warming was the resolution of developed countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. All this while adapting to the effects and providing finance for doing this. The conference also agreed on a long-term plan of keeping the temperature below 2 degrees Celsius.

Whether these resolutions will be adhered to remains to be seen. However, there are things we can do as individuals to reduce the rate of emission of greenhouse gases and the effects of climate change.

Indeed, attitudinal change is the key to achieving this and being more environmentally friendly. Specifically, practical steps include the use of recyclable products and buying goods with minimal packaging. Eventually, this action will reduce waste once the world recovers by energy-efficient products, less energy use, heat abd air leakages prevention. Besides, driving less and walking or riding to school and work, are also optimal actions for effective preservation of the planet. That not only reduces the emission of carbon-dioxide but also keeps you physically fit.

Also, to further reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, one can plant trees. That is a very effective way of cutting down carbon-dioxide, since during photosynthesis, they (trees) use-up carbon-dioxide and give out oxygen. In addition, one can include conservation of water and encouragement of others to adopt environmentally friendly practices to protect our future.

Admittedly, governments at all levels should adopt long term measures towards sustainable energy and encourage their citizens to “go green”. The role of sustainable energy education here cannot be overemphasized since it would increase the awareness of global warming. Moreover, this initiative will gradually re-orientate the masses and make them more environmental friendly. Ultimately, they should implement plans and international agreements on reduction of carbon dioxide emissions.

Developed countries should assist developing countries to mitigate the effects of global warming. They should also implement adaptation measures to the adverse effect of climate change. A decisive action must be taken by all stakeholders to stop the way we pollute the environment. In the long run, it will preserve and handover a safe environment generations yet unborn.

We must all act. The time is now.

References:

World Bank. (2010). 2010 World Bank Development Indicators. A World Bank publication. Retrieved from http://data.worldbank.org/sites/default/files/section3.pdf
Pew Research Global Attitudes Project (2009). Global Warming Seen as a Major Problem Around the World Less Concern in the U.S., China and Russia. Retrieved from, Retrieved from http://www.pewglobal.org/2009/12/02/global-warming-seen-as-a-major-problem-around-the-world-less-concern-in-the-us-china-and-russia/
World health organization (2007). Global climate change: implications for international public health policy. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/85/3/06-039503/en/

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Mat hew Broderick

Cynthia Macri

CRTW 201-008

15 November, 2012

Researched Argumentative Essay

When the topic of global warming comes up in conversation many people either groan and avoid conversation, or don their dueling gloves and prepare for a heated debate. Some people feel guilty and concerned; some simply do not care. Different points of view yield different stances on the subject. Coming from the scientific and environmental points of view, myrmecologist Edward O. Wilson discusses the severity of global warming, some of the threads of thought that oppose his own, and some of the consequences of continued mistreatment of the environment in his book The Future of Life . While some people may claim ignorance on the subject, global warming and substantial data showing annual increases in global temperature have been broadcast throughout the media and discussed in schools and seminars around the world. While there may be developing countries that do not understand global warming or how humans contribute to it, the developed countries that are the biggest contributors to global warming are very well-informed of the situation. The question is will the people who can act and make changes to save the environment do so, or will they play dumb and look the other way while the world as they know it crumbles at their feet?

Assuming that most individuals cherish their beloved planet, many environmentalists and ecologists post blogs, write essays, publish works, and give speeches informing the public about the future threat their planet faces. They hope to educate and persuade as many people as possible to fight for the future of the planet. From the scientific point of view, this issue is of extreme importance, and requires close examination of historical patterns, modification of current practices, and close monitoring of the atmospheric content in the future. In his book, Wilson jests but maintains a serious tone as he holds human beings accountable, “we have driven atmospheric carbon dioxide to the highest levels in at least two hundred thousand years, unbalanced the nitrogen cycle, and contributed to a global warming that will ultimately be bad news everywhere” (23). Although Wilson discusses these advanced chemical and biological concepts, he keeps his point simple and hopes to use guilt to evoke action in his audience. Many scientists assume that the general public is familiar with the science behind the atmosphere, and some people may disagree because they merely do not understand how the contribution of extreme CO2 excess could contribute to a shift in global weather pattens. Others are aware of the situation, but are unwilling to make changes because their focus lies elsewhere.

One of the main points of view that frequently opposes the environmentalist and ecologist ways of thinking is that of the economist. From the economist's perspective, the focus is on production and consumption. He may think: “this is only hurting the environment a little bit, if there are consequences they will be far down the road and we can deal with them once we are more financially stable and have developed better technology.” Nobody can argue with the economist for prioritizing in such a manner, and Wilson attempts to reason out the logic noting, “he is right, of course. Every species lives on production and consumption... The economist's thinking is based on precise models of rational choice and near-horizon time lines. His parameters are the gross domestic product, trade balance, and competitive index... The planet, he insists, is perpetually fruitful and still underutilized” (24). The economist is merely thinking in the way that he has been taught to think; he is logically managing his immediate goals, but he is failing to utilize critical thinking to fully grasp the issue at hand. Waiting until global warming is a more immediate threat and assuming that the damage will be stoppable or treatable at that point are concepts that fail to take the immense risk into consideration. The condition of the atmosphere may be beyond repair by the time major economic organizations jump on board, and shifts in climate are already clearly obvious all over the world. Unusual weather patterns are leaving climatologists confused and baffled, natural disasters are claiming innocent lives left and right, and the world almost seems angry from the years of human ignorance and abuse. Individuals everywhere, perhaps even the economics-driven thinkers focused on industrial expansion, can no longer remain blind to these blatant signs. Non-critically thinking economists would benefit from conducting research and reviewing the information behind global warming, before it's too late.

The definition of global warming is the increase of the average temperature on the surface of the earth (Venkatarmanan 226). Some people argue that the climate of the earth is supposed to fluctuate, and that this is just a hotter time in the climate cycle, but this trend of a steady increase in temperature doesn't seem like it will cease. Science and technology journalist M. Venkatarmanan points out the dangerous pattern, “over the last 100 years, the average air temperature near the earth's surface has risen by a little less than one degree Celsius or one point three degrees Fahrenheit” (226). Many may scoff at this minimal observation, but climatologists predict that even this small change can result in a major impact on the earth. Ken Caldeira, a journalist for Scientific American , notes his observation of the evidence of global warming already, “as predicted there has been more warming over land than over the oceans, more at the poles than the equator, more in winter than in summer and more at night than at day. Extreme downpours have become more common. In the arctic, ice and snow cover less area, and methane-rich permafrost soils are beginning to melt. Weather is getting weirder, with storms fueled by the additional heat” (Caldeira 78). Although the signs of unnatural global warming are quite evident, many do not believe that humans have anything to do with such an occurrence.

The truth lies in the data. The cause of global warming is the green house effect. In the Indian Journal of Science and Technology , Venkatarmanan explains the green house effect that occurs in the atmosphere from sunlight. To simplify the explanation: when the sunlight reaches Earth, some is absorbed and the rest is radiated back to the atmosphere. The leftover sunlight, which is supposed to escape to space, is absorbed by greenhouse gases. This extra absorption of energy warms the atmosphere, and eventually the greenhouse gases act like a mirror and reflect the extra energy back toward the surface of the earth (226). Logically, one may infer that an increase in the presence of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere will further increase the temperature of the earth's surface. Although the quantity of greenhouse gasses present in the atmosphere today are pretty high, the situation is only compounding, and continuing unregulated emission of greenhouse gases will lead to a dangerous future.

One could easily hold humans accountable for contributing the immense quantities of greenhouses gases to earth's atmosphere and creating the conditions for a threatening future. Human beings rely heavily on industry and the usage of fossil fuels for energy. According to Venkatarmanan, “The largest contributing source of greenhouse gas is the burning of fossil fuels leading to the emission of carbon dioxide” (226). Humans have been burning large quantities of fossil fuels for many years. Every time something burns, carbon dioxide escapes into the atmosphere, and there are immense amounts of carbon dioxide released when a fossil fuel burns. While humans may not have a complete record of the fluctuations in the atmosphere from the past, one can infer that the result of prolonged combustion of fossil fuels has contributed greatly to the presence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Considering the industrial revolutions across the globe and the quantity of fossil fuels that humans have previously combusted, a large portion of the blame falls on the head of the human race. The economic expansion and rapid technological development of this day and age have become something that is expected by society, and industrial economists feel pressured to continue delivering at the current rate. Industrial leaders are aware of the hazardous effects of the carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions, but their immediate goals involve reaching economic stability and societal pleasure.

As the economists realize their goals, and humans destroy plants to build houses, hospitals, schools, and many other important structures, the situation compounds itself. The plants and natural vegetation utilize organic processes to pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Flowers, crops, and trees love carbon dioxide because it is the basic raw material that plants use in photosynthesis to convert solar energy into food (“How Trees” 2). When humans build places to live and clear out areas for crops, they are eliminating some of the living tools for fighting global warming. In history humans were ignorant to this fact, but in the modern day and age individuals are aware of the price of killing a plant. Aside from losing these natural atmosphere balancers, the decomposition of dead vegetation emits small amounts of carbon dioxide as well. This is a huge problem in Indonesia and Brazil currently, as immediate conversion of the land into agricultural land is more of a problem than the burning of fossil fuels. According to the Australian Journal of Agriculture and Resource Economics , “Indonesian sources have estimated the current rate of conversion of forest to agricultural land to be 1.32 million hectares per year” (Warr and Arief 297). This economic-based land-use change accounts for the bulk of Indonesia’s total greenhouse gas emissions. This fact reinforces the concept that humans need to regulate more than just the burning of fossil fuels to save the atmosphere.

Humans are causing harm merely by clearing land to live and grow food on, but the real damage comes from the industry-based deforestation of the natural rainforests around the world to build factories or harvest the trees for paper. Earth's trees are the grand-daddys of photosynthesis, “trees absorb carbon dioxide while they grow and trap it for many years to come. On average, over thirty years, a tree can absorb 230 kilograms of carbon dioxide” (“How Trees” 2). Not only have human beings created a potentially hazardous atmospheric condition, but they unknowingly destroyed many of the best known mechanisms for repairing the damage and continue to do so in large-scale today. Human nature's desire to advance and survive is truly amazing, almost scary, but if humans fail to compromise with the environment, their mission of extending and improving life will backfire.

The consequences associated with the failure to control global warming are numerous and severe. One consequence involves destruction of society as we know it by numerous and increasing natural disasters. Some people do not think that the small temperature change constitutes apocalyptic natural disasters, but vast evidence exists to argue otherwise, “ It is well known that tropical cyclones form only over warm oceans from which they gain their energy, largely from the latent heat of condensation. Thus, it would not be surprising if a warmer and moister world contained enhanced overall hurricane activity” (Anthes et al. 624). According to this evidence, the threat of increased global disasters is very real, and not as distant as many may hope. Today we only see small changes in temperature, but what about in a hundred years, or a thousand? If humanity continues to advance unchecked, the future may hold temperatures more than just a few degrees hotter than usual, and in turn, exponentially larger hurricanes.

The hypothesis that an increase in global temperature will lead to a world ridden with natural disaster is quite logical, but even those who are skeptical can't deny the other implications. Many species that cannot migrate easily or adapt to change will be killed into extinction by the increasing global temperature. This could potentially compound the problem by the death of many carbon dioxide-absorbing tropical trees that cannot migrate. If they die, then more carbon dioxide could enter the atmosphere. According to biodiversity research, “e stimated global warming–induced rates of species extinctions in tropical biodiversity hotspots are even projected to exceed those because of land use, supporting the suggestion that global warming may be one of the most serious threats to tropical biodiversity” (Kreyling, Wana, and Beierkuhnlein 594). If events unravel the way this research suggests, the problem of trees dying on their own could eventually outweigh destruction by human hand. This is the “too late” that many environmentalists refer to when discussing the need for urgency in repairing the atmosphere.

Although there are many justly entitled view points on the issues of global warming and the governmental utilization of resources, the facts of the matter scream for attention on this issue and call for immediate change. Natural disasters are growing larger and more dangerous, and exotic species are dying as a result in the climate shift. Humanity must act now to reduce and reverse global warming. There are many different areas in which humans can make small changes that will make huge differences if everyone does their part, especially the thinkers who favor economic expansion. Some of the changes necessary involve reigning in on deforestation, and advancing efforts to plant news trees. Regardless of which method humanity utilizes, the fate of the Earth depends on society realizing its mistake, taking immediate responsibility, and correcting the problem of Global Warming. This must happen, or Earth is surely doomed.

Works Cited

Anthes, Richard et al. “Hurricanes and Global Warming – Potential Linkages and

Consequences.” Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. 87. 5. (2006): 623-628.

EBSCOhost.com. Web. 1 November, 2012.

Caldeira, Ken. “The Great Climate Experiment.” Scientific American. NV. NI. (2012): 78-83.

N.A. “How Trees Can Combat Carbon Emissions.” Express and Echo. NV.NI. (2007): 1-2.

Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 1 November, 2012.

Kreyling, juergen, Desalegn Wana, and Carl Beiekuhnlein. “Potential Consequences of Climate

Warming for Tropical Plant Species in High Mountains of Southern Ethiopia.” Diversity

and Distributions. 16. 4. (2010): 593-605. EBSCOhost.com. Wen. 1 November, 2012.

Venkatarmanan, M. “Causes and Effects of Global Warming.” Indian Journal of Science and

Technology. 4. 3. (2011): 226-229. EBSCOhost.com. Web. 1 November, 2012.

Warr, Peter and Arief Anshory Yusuf. “Reducing Indonesia's Deforestation-based Greenhouse

Gas Emissions.” Australian Journal of Agriculture. 55. 3. (2011): 297-321.

Wilson, Edward O. The Future of Life . New York: Random House, inc. 2012. Print.

176 Topics for a Global Warming Essay + Outline & Writing Guide

Do you close a faucet while brushing your teeth?

♻️ Have you switched to reusable cotton swabs, grocery bags, personal hygiene items, and other sustainable things?

You probably know how all these tiny subjects affect our planet’s climate. And here we are to discuss this massive issue.

Global warming and climate change are pretty challenging topics. And that happens despite a lot has already been said about these phenomena. It’s OK if you feel a bit overwhelmed, for the subject is broad and consists of various approaches and details.

Below, we offer you an excellent set of topic ideas for different types of essays.
BONUS: global warming essay outline and essential details about each essay type.

Study the article to grasp how to write a well-curated global warming composition entirely!

🌡️ Major Approaches
📑 Outlining Ideas
🗣️ Argumentative Essay Topics
🌍 Persuasive Essay Topics
🖇️ Cause and Effect Essay Topics
💡 Other Essay Topics

🔗 References

🌡️ major approaches to global warming.

Before we get to the list of global warming essay ideas, let’s warm up a bit.

All topics about climate nowadays are of current interest. So we decided to start this article by stating what the critical paradigms for global warming are. Here are some viable approaches and trusted resources you can use to defend any position.

1. There’s no Such Thing as Global Warming

Some claim that several-degree temperature changes are all-natural; nothing special about it.

Gutzler, D. (2000) Evaluating global warming: a post-1990s perspective . GSA Today, pp. 2-7.
Mills, T. (2010). Is global warming real? Analysis of structural time series models of global and hemispheric temperatures. Journal of Cosmology
Why do people still believe climate change is fake…
Is global warming real?
There is no evidence that ‘global warming’ was rebranded as ‘climate change.’

2. Global Warming Debates Are too Politicized

There’s an opinion that the debates around the issue are too politicized, and people believe in global warming only if they’ve noticed a temperature change themselves.

Crow, D. (2014). Culture, politics and climate change: How information shapes our shared future. Routledge: New York, NY.
Hamilton, L. & Stampone, M. (2013). Blowing in the wind. Short-term weather and belief in anthropogenic climate change. Weather, Climate, and Society
Psychological Factors Help Explain Slow Reaction to Global Warming, Says APA Task Force
Do people “personally experience” global warming, and if so how, and does it matter?
Why Seeing Is Believing—Usually—When It Comes to Climate Change
A Growing Majority of Americans Think Global Warming is Happening and are Worried

3. We Need to Understand the Causes

Global warming is a complex issue, and it is acting with many other environmental problems. Factors causing global warming are divided into two categories: human activities and natural causes.

Ring, M., Linder, D., Cross, E., & Schlesinger, M. (2012). Causes of the global warming observed since the 19th century. Atmospheric and Climate Sciences, 401 – 415
Causes of global warming explained
Global warming solutions explained
The Causes of Climate Change
Causes of Global Warming; Encyclopedia Britannica

4. Decision-makers Need to Do Something

The consequences of global warming should motivate decision-makers to act immediately. Climate change legislation has permeated international political discourse. The approaches of developed and developing countries differ a lot. Overall, the number of climate laws continues to multiply.

Daui, A. (2012). Climate changes in cities due to global warming and urban effects. Geophysical research letters, 37(9)
Martens, P. (2013). Modeling the impacts of global warming and ozone depletion. Routledge: New York, NY.
Averchenkova, A. et al. (2021). The impact of strategic climate legislation: Evidence from expert interviews on the UK Climate Change Act. Climate Policy, 21(2), 251-263.
How and when do we need to act on climate change?

5. We Need to Do Something ASAP

Global warming is the greatest threat of the 21st century. There is no time to analyze who, why, and how causes it. People should unite and start fighting it right away.

Baby, J., Jini, D. & Ajisha, S. (2011). Fight global warming with genetically altered trees . Asian Journal of Biotechnology, 3(4): 337 – 344.
Poterba, J. M. (1991). Tax policy to combat global warming: on designing a carbon tax. Global warming: Economic policy responses, 71, 97.
How can we combat climate change?
10 Solutions for Climate Change

Sustainability and Government Resources in Climate Change Fight

Use these sources to write a great essay on global warming.

Need more information about global warming? Continue reading!

📑 Global Warming Essay Outline

If you are looking for ideas for an informative global warming essay, you are at the right place!

A good structure will make your paper readable, persuasive, and reliable. Since global warming is a multidimensional issue, you can be easily distracted from the central idea of a composition. It sometimes happens because there are lots of interrelated and similar sub-topics.

We quite understand that!

A clear plan will help you stick to the initial aim and elaborate on aspects vital to it. You’ll also find all the necessary features for each type of essay under the respective headlines below.

Are you thrilled enough by far?

Let’s get to the point!

Schematic outline for a global warming essay.

Global Warming Introduction Paragraph

First things first! An excellent start will set up a tone for the rest of the essay. You will need a good introductory paragraph for a paper about global warming. It’s not as backbreaking as building a spaceship!

An introduction should include the following points:

a brief description of your issue
some background information – to put the reader wise of your further arguments
a thesis statement

Are you ready to learn the secret of a successful essay?

It is the first sentence of the essay and a tool to grasp the reader’s attention, making them read your paper from the first to the last sentence. For example, you can use a rhetorical question, but it’s the most straightforward way.

Read our recent guide article about narrative hooks and how to use them:

🔗 15 Great Essay Hooks with Samples and Explanations

Let’s see what it can look like.

A metaphor used as a hook in a persuasive essay sounds powerful:

Heaven on Earth is risking becoming an absolute hell within the current century. Global warming causes animal and plant extinction on beautiful coral reefs and Alpine meadows. And it is not a question of aesthetics only. It is devastating for a considerable number of reasons.

Striking stats in an argumentative essay is one of the best tools to get the reader’s attention:

Is 20 billion US dollars much to pay for a single drought? Meanwhile, the economic loss due to the 2012 drought in the United States was around that sum of money, making it the most expensive drought in US history. And it is just one of the numerous examples of global warming’s destructive influence on the economy.

The famous quote has been ironically twisted for a hook in a satirical essay:

California’s definitely not dreaming of that: the state has been suffering from severe wildfires for recent years, not by chance. Forest fires and many other effects of global warming are appearing more frequently.

Vivid comparison is used in this hook for a synthesis essay:

CO2 is like Tony Montana of the environment-conscious world: evil, notorious, and no one understands him. But is the impact of this gas really so hazardous and terrible, as we are told?

Looks good, right?

Hooks always make your intro fresh and catchy. Don’t be lazy to use them properly.

Main Body of a Global Warming Essay

Now let’s speak about the essential part of the essay on global warming.

No doubt, the central part of your essay depends on the particular type of paper. In all cases, the body paragraphs comprise arguments and evidence necessary for supporting your thesis. Let’s dig a little deeper here!

🏁 Follow this scheme to make your essay excellent:

take up the first argument
elaborate on it as much as it’s needed to convince the reader
switch to the next statement and reveal its importance in the following body paragraph.

Be ready to divide all the information you present! If you have five arguments proving global warming is a human-made phenomenon, don’t compile them into one paragraph.

Sound logic will contribute to your essay and show you as a reasonable and consistent author.

Data for an Essay on Global Warming

Good news for those of you who can’t bear the idea of searching for statistics, data, and figures!

It is optional for some kinds of global warming assignments . However, it’s better to have some reliable information and sources in-store.

Some real-life experience will improve your essay, especially if it’s something that has been in the public eye already, like Greta Thunberg’s protests or Donald Trump’s tweets about warming.

Here is a list of reliable sources you can use to get some data:

Climate Monitoring; National Centers for Environmental Information
Datasets and Images; NASA GISS
Global climate change – statistics & facts; Statista.com
Maps & Data | NOAA Climate.gov
Climate Change Data; Worldbank
Climate Change Indicators in the United States; US Environmental Protection Agency
UN Stats Open Sustainable Development Goals Data Hub

There is something else about it! Global warming is a pretty controversial subject, despite many people admitting this problem due to climate change. Make sure that you draw valid evidence.

Conclusion of Global Warming Essay

Finally! The icing on our climate change cake, the final touch – the conclusion!

Should it be mentioned there’s no need to introduce any new information in that part?

If you’ve known that already, you are halfway there. Almost. We still have some crucial things in store to remind you.

The conclusion aims to sum up everything that has been said and told in the previous paragraphs. Avoid adding some extra information to the conclusion. Yes, even if you came up with new brilliant ideas only at the end. In that case, go back and try to edit your text and its logic.

It is time to wind up. And the best thing you can do at this point:

generalize all the facts and arguments,
suggest a solution or a couple if you found some.

Now you are ready for the climate change topics for your essay!

🗣️ Global Warming Argumentative Essay. Topic Ideas & Examples

We can compare the argumentative essay with serious and formal debates. Aspects to consider when working on an argumentative essay:

you choose the line which you’d like to defend
then you start supporting it with solid arguments
you also remember that just your single opinion is insufficient
that’s why you add some views which are opposing your own

The global warming argumentative essay includes examples, survey results, references, and research in the body paragraphs. Some statistics while supporting your claims would also help. Your primary goal is to make the reader take up your position on a particular question.

Human-made catastrophe: Dramatic increase of greenhouse gas content in the atmosphere as a direct result of human activities.
Climate change as health determinant: Policy brief .
Are human-generated greenhouse gas emissions too insignificant to change the Earth’s climate?
Greenhouse effect and global warming .
What are the reasons to trust those scientists who claim that human activity is not to be blamed for global climate change?
Climate change and public health .
The most notorious substance in the ecological discourse: The truth about CO 2 contribution to global warming.
Climate change and energy efficiency in architecture .
Why is it essential to find alternative energy sources instead of coal-burning power plants?
Sixteen percent of all global CO 2 emissions belong to the USA: The reasons we should be aware of statistics.
Wind Energy: Current Status and Future Perspectives on the Energy Market .
Driving electric vehicles instead of classic fossil fuel ones is an essential step in fighting against global warming.
Greenhouse gases: Harmful impact on the external environment .
Should we take the economic collapse in the country seriously due to global warming?
Argumentative essay about global warming .
Planting trees, fabric shopping bags, reusable bottles: Fashion trends or natural aid in the battle with climate change?
Effects of climate change on global health .
Humanity is getting richer, and the Earth is getting poorer: cryptocurrencies and their immense negative impact on the global warming situation .
Sustainable lifestyles and eco-friendly living habits should be affordable for all populations to eliminate global warming effects.
Global warming as costs of environmental degradation .
The role of such organizations as NOAA : To reduce vulnerability and be prepared is essential due to some dramatic global warming consequences.
Impact of climate change and solutions .
Brave new world: We need more alternatives to internal combustion engines.
Carbon emissions and law .
Global warming affects the health of all Americans: We are becoming less healthy due to climate change.
Global warming causes .
We should stop blaming the sun for the Earth’s heating: The sun has nothing to do with it.

🌍 Global Warming Persuasive Essay. Topic Ideas & Examples

You may be wondering if there is any difference between argumentative and persuasive essays. We’ve already got an answer! When it comes to a persuasive essay, there’s no urgent need for figures and statistics. Just imagine: your own words will be enough if they can call to the reader’s heart and excite vivid emotions!

It is about feelings rather than the mind.

So you just need to know your audience to choose the correct keys. The First-Person Narration and Second-Person Narration phrases, such as “In my opinion” and “ I believe,” are commonly used in this type of paper.

After us, the deluge: One of the reasons we should act now is the future of our kids.
Extreme weather patterns and climate change .
We do too little for the Earth: Immediate international action is urgent to reduce greenhouse gas emanations.
Climate change’s impact on human living conditions .
Deforestation is becoming a growing problem: Do we want all these cute forest animals to die out?
Global warming: Future summers .
Turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth isn’t sufficient for reducing dramatic water shortages.
Solar energy as an alternative energy source .
Sunshine State is in danger: The risk of irreversible coastal flooding in Florida due to global warming.
The Role of Renewable Energy in the Global Energy Budget.
Every detail matters: How does even leaving the door of your ice-box can contribute to the increase of the Earth’s temperature?
Discussion of climate change impact .
A great chance to take up a new hobby: Creating your garden can be fruitful both for you and Earth’s condition.
Global warming affecting the wildlife .
The ways we can use our social media platforms to spread awareness of global warming.
Climate change impact on nature and society .
Giant arctic mosquitoes are getting bigger: What should the next level of global warming be for us to admit the problem?
Transforming Waste into Sustainable Energy Source. How Does It Work?
California’s bad dreaming: Wildfires as a destructive effect of global warming.
Global warming problem .
Agricultural collapse: Would you like to pay 100 dollars for a loaf of bread or start acting against global warming?
Climate change crisis and ocean threats .
The Northeast of the US demands immediate help: The effects of global warming are becoming more noticeable.
Climate change: Melting ice and sea-level rise .
We should spare no expense in saving our planet: The importance of investing in commercial services that fight against global warming.
Global warming: Human responsibility .
A clash of titans: How come volcanoes release less CO 2 than humanity?
Global warming threat .
Not only rising in level but also more acidic : The changes that seawater faces due to global warming.
Saving Oceans and Coasts – Top Priority. How Does Climate Change Impact Them?

🖇️ Global Warming Causes and Effects Essay. Topic Ideas & Examples

Cause and effect essay primarily considers two sides:

reasons why certain phenomena take place
the impact which they carry

To put it another way, when writing a cause & effect essay , one should observe the interrelation of different things . You should understand what came first and what consequences it brought.

In climatic processes, many aspects correlate.

For instance, if we take global warming itself, we can say it contributes to climate change. Another example: CO 2 emissions are one of the reasons global warming takes place. Mind that your essay may have a greater focus either on causes or on effects.

Here are some good global warming causes and effects essay topics:

Climate change impact on business activity in Malawi .
What do the most notorious hurricanes , Katrina and Sandy, have to do with global warming?
Global warming: Cause and mitigation .
Methane as a global warming trigger : How does the melting permafrost cause further climate changes?
Impact of global warming on city expansion .
Spreading deserts, devastating hurricanes, and lethal heatwaves: Effects of global warming we already face today.
Global warming, its causes, effects, and prevention .
How can cows save us from global warming catastrophe?
Oil Refinings and Gas Processing Effects .
The interrelation of asthma and global warming: High-level air pollution , pollen-producing ragweed, and other effects prevent us from normal breathing.
Agriculture and global warming effects .
Changing migration patterns of lobsters and birds: Are animals just bored with the old routes, or is it the effect of global warming?
Air Pollution: Causes, Effects, and Solutions .
Time to change the habits: The effects of global warming on the lifestyle we are used to.
Anthropogenic causes of global warming .
Thanks to our ancestors: The real impact of the Industrial Revolution on global warming .
Global warming effect on temperature and agriculture .
We must consider a low level of consciousness as one of the fundamental factors which increase global warming.
Climate change: Primary causes and consequences .
Approaches of going green and ways of becoming more eco-friendly seem the most effective in fighting global warming.
Effect of global warming and climate change .

Transport Industry’s Input to Global Warming .
Vibrio Bacteria: How are diarrhea and liver diseases linked to global warming?
Global warming: Definition, causes, effects .
To be safe and sound or not to be: Anxiety , depression, post-traumatic stress as long-termed effects of climate change.
Global warming causes and effects .
Reducing greenhouse gas emanations is admitted to be beneficial for mental and physical health.
Climate Change Effects on the Arab World .
Save our food: Global heating is a reason for pathogenic bacteria to multiply and invade our food supplies.
Causes of global climate change .
Refugees, homeless , and abandoned children: An unobvious connection between human trafficking and global warming.
Effects of temperature on global warming .
Pride of the nation: The impact global warming carries onto US national parks .

💡 Global Warming Opinion Essay. Topic Ideas & Examples

An opinion essay structure can be described briefly in the following way:

start with rephrasing the initial question
agree or disagree with it.

If the essay requires you to reveal the degree of your admitting the point, make sure you express it straightforwardly.

When writing an opinion essay , a common mistake is a substitution of the topic or emphasis shift – don’t step off!

Responsibility zone: Climate change is not a problem for future generations.
Energy resources: The future of fossil fuels .
Greta Thunberg effect : A solid proof one can be helpful in the fight against global warming at any age.
Heaven or hell on Earth: Coral reefs and Alpine meadows may cease to exist because of global warming.
Climate change and politics of doubt: Expert opinion .
It is never “too late” to start taking action: The ability of humans to slow the rate of global warming.
Investing in energy-efficient appliances can be a good help in reducing the human impact of global warming.
Global climate change .
“Idle load” : How pulling the plugs in your house can save energy and thus reduce damage.
Global warming education: Should kids be taught climate change issues since the very childhood?
Global warming: Speculating about causes .
Can we consider the good news that the year seasons are still arriving on time as they have in the past?
Less frequent use of planes can make a big difference in climate change.
Global warming and climate change controversy .
The support of your local businesses is an essential step to reducing global warming effects.
Measuring and mapping: Being aware of global warming hazards can help us prevent many negative impacts.
Explaining climate science in the modern world .
Humanity should work on its greed: The signs proving overconsumption contributes to global warming.
Two dangerous D’s: denial and delay, are the most frequent human vices for global warming.
Wind: Energy for the future .
The gaps in infrastructure: We are simply not ready to cover all the expenses caused by global warming effects damage.
Wind as an alternative energy source : Why is wind power suitable for individual consumption but not for industrial production?

🌞 Global Warming Synthesis Essay. Topic Ideas & Examples

If you have to review several different sources with diverse views, you get a synthesis essay .

The main requirements of a synthesis essay are:

to explore a compilation of opinions
to evaluate how they relate to your thesis
to classify data
and present it in organic unity

It takes thorough pre-writing work , and you should choose your sources carefully. Spend time examining them to make sure they are valid and ready to use.

The reasons to rely on scientists’ long-termed climate projections despite the mistakes in the regular weather forecast.
CO 2 is not the major greenhouse trigger gas: gases we should know about for the whole picture.

The scientific evidence shows that the globe is warming up and that it’s our responsibility.
Climate change & global warming: Universal strategy .
Are natural weather patterns a fundamental cause of increased hurricane activity and other extreme weather events?
Waste Diversion Programs in Ontario.
The power of devastation: Which factors have the worst influence on our agriculture and fisheries?
Global warming: Realities, challenges, and solutions .
The most effective methods of reducing the effects of global warming that people can implement in their locality.
The greenhouse effect .
20 billion US dollars-cost drought: Economic sectors which suffer from global warming the most.
The global warming issue .
The real part of global warming in the disappearance of coral reefs: Is it significant enough?
Global warming: Threats, pollution and activities to stop .
You choose what to believe in: Different points of view on CO 2 influence on crops and vegetation.
Global warming and climate change: Economic aspects .
Are we moving toward or backward: What are the visible results of the human battle against global warming?
Definition of weather and climate .
More advantages or drawbacks: chances that nuclear power is an effective solution .
Everyday communication surrounding climate change .
International experience: Measures different countries take to reduce the damage from global warming.
Changes in the global climate model .
Which of all everyday products and life items are the least eco-friendly?
Global warming: Causes, effects, solutions .
A scientific approach to the problems of climate change and global warming.
Fossil, clean, and nuclear energy sources .

🦄 Global Warming Myth or Reality Essay. Topic Ideas & Examples

People have always been finding reasons to argue, always!

Some people believe in one thing, and others consider it ridiculous. We cannot blame them, for they have the motives to think a certain way.

Global warming myth or reality essay requires:

Regarding controversial opinions + doing a little research on them
Evaluating whether the statement is the truth or a common misbelief.

Due to the diversity of information, there are many debatable topics about global warming.

Have a look at some of them 👀

Rising levels of atmospheric CO 2 do not necessarily cause global warming: Fiction or truth?
Climate change: How Exxon misled the public .
Do oceans and forests absorb human-produced CO 2 : Myth or reality?
No more threat: Global warming ceased in 1998 – myth or reality?
Climate change and global warming debate .
The truth and lies about renewable energy : Is it our future or just a way of money-making?
Adaptation myth: It’s time to face the truth that not all flora and fauna can fit into the new climate reality.
Global warming: A review of the evidence ‘pro’ and ‘con’ .
Vegetarian heaven: Is the meat industry to be blamed for global warming ?
How come people nowadays live longer than ever before with global warming effects like air pollution?
Is global warming real ?
The eco-friendliness of electric cars : Is it a lie that they are better than regular ones since they consume energy anyway?
Believing that global warming is just about warmer temperature is a large misconception.
Climate change and global warming: Are they real ?
Getting rid of oil dependence will save us from fast-paced global warming: Myth or fact?
The benefits and positive sides of global warming: Are there any?
The global warming phenomenon debate .
If the temperature increases by two or three degrees, it will not harm us: A great lie to avoid the truth.
No time to die, no time to live: Why thinking that it’s too late to take action is a myth .
Myth or reality about drinking water : If glaciers melt, will we stop suffering from water shortage?

🎭 Satirical Essay on Global Warming. Topic Ideas & Examples

A satirical essay has to be seasoned with a nice portion of irony. The purpose is to point out vices and wrong opinions without being offensive.

Here are four practical tools for creating satire:

irony – you can use words in their opposite meaning to create an ironic tone
hyperbole – or exaggeration, can highlight a point you want to deliver to your reader
understatement – the exact opposite of hyperbole
allegory – use symbols to express your points.

Although climate change is a severe and acute issue, you shouldn’t feel guilty for playing around with it. Humor can be a great assistant in delivering a complicated point.

Our satirical essay topics on global warming:

Denial as a magic power: Can you cancel global warming using Twitter?
If I can’t see CO 2 emissions with my own eyes, it means there’s no danger!
Why do we need this ozone layer if we have many other pleasant things like deodorants and air fresheners?
How come I still need a warm coat in winter and can make a snowman if global warming is on?
Volkswagen cheating on emissions systems testing .
Should we get back to our roots and replace cars with horses to reduce CO 2 emissions?
Eternal summer : Global warming is an excellent solution for all these ugly winter overcoats.
The Climate Action Plan as “harmful and unnecessary policy”: Should we get to action despite the US leaving the Paris climate agreement?
What are renewable energy sources, except for heat and wind , that you haven’t been aware of?
Natural resource curse: why do some countries avoid it while others are unable to?
Yes, we know that climate change is a global issue, but can we put all the blame on China anyway?
Zero waste and less consumption ? No, global warming is just too big of a problem for me to even bother.
In case you didn’t know that extinct animals and plants don’t belong to renewable resources, you know now.
If we don’t handle the overpopulation of cities, we’ll have to deal with overpopulation in cemeteries eventually.
Climate refugees in Bangladesh and America .
A couple of reasons why animals and plants shouldn’t be sacrificed to save the “supreme” creation.
If getting cooked to death by the world isn’t your greatest dream, you should start considering global warming an issue.
Backup planet: Global warming is not an issue anymore since Elon Musk has already been working on Mars colonization .

Turns out to be not so difficult, huh?

Now with these examples of global warming essay topics, you’ll master the art of writing papers!

Anyway, we hope you read all of them; there’s plenty of breathtaking information and facts. Let’s discuss them in the comment section!

Below are some additional sources for your inspiration.

🍀 Good luck, and don’t forget to close the faucet!

NASA: Climate Change and Global Warming
Global warming and climate change effects: information and facts | National Geographic
9 questions about climate change you were too embarrassed to ask | Vox
Global warming frequently asked questions | NOAA Climate.gov
Global Warming 101 – Definition, Facts, Causes and Effects of Global Warming | NRDC
Understanding the Global Warming Debate | Forbes
Climate Change Questions & Answers | The Nature Conservancy
What are climate change and global warming? | WWF
Climate Change | ProCon.org

Research Paper Analysis: How to Analyze a Research Article + Example

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Essay on Global Warming

Updated on
Nov 23, 2023

Being able to write an essay is an integral part of mastering any language. Essays form an integral part of many academic and scholastic exams like the SAT , and UPSC amongst many others. It is a crucial evaluative part of English proficiency tests as well like IELTS , TOEFL , etc. Major essays are meant to emphasize public issues of concern that can have significant consequences on the world. To understand the concept of Global Warming and its causes and effects, we must first examine the many factors that influence the planet’s temperature and what this implies for the world’s future. Here’s an unbiased look at the essay on Global Warming and other essential related topics.

This Blog Includes:

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Since the industrial and scientific revolutions, Earth’s resources have been gradually depleted. Furthermore, the start of the world’s population’s exponential expansion is particularly hard on the environment. Simply put, as the population’s need for consumption grows, so does the use of natural resources , as well as the waste generated by that consumption.

Climate change has been one of the most significant long-term consequences of this. Climate change is more than just the rise or fall of global temperatures; it also affects rain cycles, wind patterns, cyclone frequencies, sea levels, and other factors. It has an impact on all major life groupings on the planet.

What is Global Warming?

Global warming is the unusually rapid increase in Earth’s average surface temperature over the past century, primarily due to the greenhouse gases released by people burning fossil fuels . The greenhouse gases consist of methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, carbon dioxide, water vapour, and chlorofluorocarbons. The weather prediction has been becoming more complex with every passing year, with seasons more indistinguishable, and the general temperatures hotter. The number of hurricanes, cyclones, droughts, floods, etc., has risen steadily since the onset of the 21st century. The supervillain behind all these changes is Global Warming. The name is quite self-explanatory; it means the rise in the temperature of the Earth.

Sample Essays on Global Warming

Here are some sample essays on Global Warming:

Global Warming is caused by the increase of carbon dioxide levels in the earth’s atmosphere and is a result of human activities that have been causing harm to our environment for the past few centuries now. Global Warming is something that can’t be ignored and steps have to be taken to tackle the situation globally. The average temperature is constantly rising by 1.5 degrees Celsius over the last few years. The best method to prevent future damage to the earth, cutting down more forests should be banned and Afforestation should be encouraged. Start by planting trees near your homes and offices, participate in events, and teach the importance of planting trees. It is impossible to undo the damage but it is possible to stop further harm.

Digvijay Singh

Having 2+ years of experience in educational content writing, withholding a Bachelor's in Physical Education and Sports Science and a strong interest in writing educational content for students enrolled in domestic and foreign study abroad programmes. I believe in offering a distinct viewpoint to the table, to help students deal with the complexities of both domestic and foreign educational systems. Through engaging storytelling and insightful analysis, I aim to inspire my readers to embark on their educational journeys, whether abroad or at home, and to make the most of every learning opportunity that comes their way.

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Climate Change: What Must Be Done, Now

Writers argue for eating less meat, relocating to safer zones, promoting nuclear energy and passing a carbon tax.

To the Editor:

Re “ Adults Are Failing Us on Climate ,” by Greta Thunberg, Adriana Calderón, Farzana Faruk Jhumu and Eric Njuguna (Opinion guest essay, Sunday Review, Aug. 22):

I’m upset. I’m worried. I am angry because the adults have ruined Earth for my generation! You have trashed this world; you have polluted it. The fact that I, a 10-year-old, have to write this letter is proving your failure.

But if you believe that we can save the planet, then you can embrace change. You can vote for world leaders who will stop climate change! There are billions of children around the world, and all of us deserve to live in a world with clean oceans, clean air and a healthy planet.

Our lives are already being affected by climate change. Think about how horrible life could be for the next generation if we don’t act now. Heat waves would be so terrible they could actually make parts of the planet unsafe for us. And rising sea levels would be so serious that some coastal areas could become uninhabitable. We are at the beginning of a mass extinction; it’s been estimated that up to 200 species of plants and animals go extinct every single day , and that isn’t acceptable.

We must push world leaders to act on climate change so that life can continue. Change is coming, and only we can fix the future.

Lily G. Haussamen Las Cruces, N.M.

It is time to get serious. The conclusions of the sixth Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report on climate change are devastating, and, unfortunately, not surprising. It’s too late to stop the natural disasters, conflicts and resource shortages that are coming.

For those of us who cannot afford to colonize space, here is my dead serious advice: Plan immediately to relocate to a buffer zone — the Great Lakes region or the Northeast — and buy property. Stake yourself on high ground and purchase flood insurance, sewer backup insurance and every kind of insurance. Hook yourself up to solar panels and a backup generator. Build swales and retention ponds to collect excess floodwater. Grow your own food.

If you haven’t already, scrap plans to have (or have more) children. Use the energy you would put toward nurturing a family into nurturing your community and fighting for survival on an increasingly inhospitable planet.

Demanding action from politicians is not enough. Run for office and get other climate activists to run for office. We need a government that actually protects our air, water and soil. Soon it will be a matter of life or death, if it is not already.

Clara Fang Detroit The writer is founder of Climate Diversity.

Re “ Humanity Must Take a Stand on Climate ” (editorial, Aug. 15):

There is no doubt about The Times’s commitment to climate change. So it’s very hard to understand how your editorial can entirely neglect agriculture, which causes roughly one third of direct emissions .

The United Nations predicts a steady increase in meat consumption over the next three decades, and with that increase will come huge increases in carbon emissions, plus methane and nitrous oxide, which are 30 and 300 times more warming than carbon. Education has not stemmed the tide, but making meat from plants and cultivating meat from cells could. No one is coming for anyone’s burger. These technologies create products that are indistinguishable from the meat Americans love, but with a fraction of the direct and indirect adverse climate impact .

We can’t keep ignoring the contribution of agriculture to climate change. If we really believe that climate change is “code red for humanity,” the climate community should support government funding for research as well as private sector incentives for plant-based and cultivated meat.

Bruce Friedrich Washington The writer is the founder and chief executive of the Good Food Institute.

As you say, the industrial world has known about this problem for decades but has done little. The science is clear-cut, but the politics are anything but. Any meaningful actions in the United States are met with stiff resistance from mainly one political party.

Having been concerned about this for a long time, including teaching about the problem at the University of California San Diego, I’m left wondering if before the planet can return to prehumanity conditions, humans have to cease to exist.

Jeffrey Bada Encinitas, Calif. The writer is professor emeritus of marine chemistry, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego.

Yes, a hotter future for this beautiful Earth is now locked in. And yes, we can and must act immediately to prevent the worst effects and preserve a livable world for our children, grandchildren and all beings.

However, the measures you recommended for mitigating this crisis left out one crucial tool: putting a price on carbon. Prominent economists agree that pricing carbon is the quickest and most effective way to immediately begin to bring down greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and stop escalating temperatures. Returning revenues to American households would help pay for the rising costs of goods and energy, and spur innovation in renewable energy.

Linda Reichert Chester Springs, Pa.

The editorial calls for big investments in wind, solar and nuclear power to move away from fossil fuels and get to zero net carbon emissions by 2050. Although unpopular, nuclear power will play a vital role that must not be undervalued.

While it’s been comforting to see the adoption of renewable power sources (hydro, wind and solar) and the grass roots efforts by citizens’ groups to get a carbon fee and dividend program passed by Congress, it’s not enough. Projections by the Energy Information Administration show that renewables will only cover about 42 percent of our demand for power by 2050. Nevertheless, we must fully phase out fossil fuels by then.

The only way to fill the gap is to accelerate the adoption of nuclear power. After high-profile incidents like Fukushima, the world has been moving in the other direction. We need to reverse this trend and rapidly deploy newer, safer and more cost-effective fourth-generation nuclear power technology . This is essential to halt the accelerating effects of climate change and buy us enough time to implement long-term power solutions.

William L. Bain Bellevue, Wash.

Re “ G.O.P. Shifts on Climate, but Not on Fossil Fuels ” (front page, Aug. 14):

The minuscule changes in policy positions of Republicans acknowledging that climate change is, at least in part, human-caused are an example of cynicism on steroids. It is not because they now understand the science better. It is because the position of denial is so out of step that it’s untenable, even for Republicans comfortable with the Big Lie.

They remain comfortable with another big lie — that we can continue burning fossil fuels and still be OK. They will trot out glib phrases meant to dismiss concern about emissions. They will try any spin to protect fossil fuel interests. Now that they are acknowledging the reality of human-caused climate change, protecting Big Oil is a stunning display of callous cynicism toward the citizens facing climate disasters.

Republicans already know that a carbon tax would reduce emissions and avoid an economic downturn, but they won’t support it until public opinion gives them no choice.

Gary M. Stewart Laguna Beach, Calif.

In an unintended way, Senator Bill Cassidy is absolutely correct when he says, “We cannot live without fossil fuels or chemicals, period, end of story.”

If this level of policy analysis continues to prevail on Capitol Hill, it is “end of story.” Of course we can’t shut down the petrochemical industry overnight, but we must transition quickly to a clean energy economy. The technology exists to do this. What doesn’t exist yet is the political will of the majority of our representatives, Republican and Democrat, to break away from their corporate benefactors and move quickly toward power generation that does not burn fossil fuels.

People, you and I, must get involved to get the message through to our politicians. Otherwise, “end of story” is an apt characterization for our planet.

John Burr Jacksonville, Fla.

Home — Essay Samples — Environment — Environment Problems — Global Warming

Argumentative Essays on Global Warming

Global warming: a critical analysis through essays.

The purpose of global warming essay topics is to ignite your creativity and personal interest in one of the most pressing issues of our time. Choosing the right topic is crucial, as it can greatly influence both the depth of your research and the impact of your arguments.

Essay Types and Topics

Different types of essays allow you to explore global warming from various angles, whether it be through an argumentative lens, a compare and contrast approach, descriptive insights, persuasive arguments, or narrative storytelling. Below, you will find a curated list of topics suitable for each essay type, accompanied by introduction and conclusion paragraph examples to help structure your essay effectively.

Argumentative Essays

Topic: The Effectiveness of Current Policies on Reducing Carbon Emissions

Introduction Example: As global warming poses a significant threat to our planet, the effectiveness of current policies to reduce carbon emissions has come under scrutiny. This essay will argue that while some policies have made progress, they are largely insufficient to meet the global targets set by the Paris Agreement. Thesis Statement: Current policies need significant strengthening to effectively reduce carbon emissions and combat global warming.

Conclusion Example: In conclusion, the analysis demonstrates that current policies, though a step in the right direction, fall short of the aggressive action required to mitigate global warming. It calls for a global reevaluation and reinforcement of policies to ensure a sustainable future.

Compare and Contrast Essays

Topic: Renewable Energy vs. Fossil Fuels: Impacts on Global Warming

Introduction Example: The debate between renewable energy and fossil fuels is at the forefront of the global warming discussion. This essay will compare and contrast the environmental impacts of both energy sources, highlighting the superiority of renewables in combating global warming. Thesis Statement: Renewable energy sources offer a cleaner, more sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, making them essential in the fight against global warming.

Conclusion Example: The comparison clearly shows that renewable energy not only reduces the carbon footprint but also is a viable alternative to fossil fuels, underscoring the need for a global shift towards renewables to mitigate the effects of global warming.

Descriptive Essays

Topic: The Visible Effects of Global Warming on Arctic Wildlife

Introduction Example: Global warming has had a profound impact on Arctic wildlife, with visible effects that signal a broader ecological crisis. This essay aims to describe these impacts in detail, drawing attention to the urgent need for action. Thesis Statement: The devastating effects of global warming on Arctic wildlife underscore the urgent need for global environmental policies.

Conclusion Example: In summarizing the dire situation in the Arctic, it becomes clear that global warming is not a distant threat but a current reality, necessitating immediate and decisive action to protect our planet's biodiversity.

Persuasive Essays

Topic: The Role of Individuals in Combating Global Warming

Introduction Example: While the fight against global warming often focuses on governmental and corporate actions, the role of individuals cannot be underestimated. This essay will persuade readers that individual actions, though seemingly small, can collectively make a significant impact on combating global warming. Thesis Statement: Individual efforts are crucial and effective in the fight against global warming, complementing larger-scale initiatives.

Conclusion Example: As demonstrated, individual actions play a pivotal role in combating global warming. It is through collective effort at every level of society that we can hope to address this global challenge effectively.

Narrative Essays

Topic: A Personal Journey to Reduce My Carbon Footprint

Introduction Example: Embarking on a personal journey to reduce my carbon footprint was both enlightening and challenging. Through this narrative, I aim to share my experiences, the obstacles I faced, and the impact of my actions on a personal level. Thesis Statement: Individual actions to reduce carbon footprints can inspire change and contribute significantly to combating global warming.

Conclusion Example: My journey reveals that while individual actions may seem small in the grand scheme of global warming, they are powerful catalysts for change, underscoring the importance of personal responsibility in the global effort to combat climate change.

Engagement and Creativity

As you delve into your essay on global warming, we encourage you to select a topic that not only aligns with your academic goals but also sparks your interest. Let your creativity guide your research and argumentation, making your essay not just an academic exercise, but a personal exploration of one of the most urgent issues facing our world today.

Educational Value

Writing about global warming is not only an opportunity to contribute to an important global conversation but also a chance to develop valuable academic skills. Whether you're crafting an argumentative, compare and contrast, descriptive, persuasive, or narrative essay, you're engaging in critical thinking, research, and persuasive communication—skills that are invaluable in both academic and professional settings.

Responsibilities and Strategies in Mitigating Global Warming (2023-2024)

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A Modest Proposal: How to End Global Warming

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Global warming refers to the long-term increase in Earth's average surface temperature primarily caused by the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Greta Thunberg: a prominent Swedish environmental activist who gained international recognition for her efforts to combat climate change. Al Gore: an American politician and environmentalist who has been instrumental in raising awareness about global warming. He wrote the book "An Inconvenient Truth" and co-founded the Climate Reality Project, advocating for climate change solutions and promoting sustainable practices. Sir David Attenborough: a renowned British naturalist and broadcaster who has dedicated his career to documenting the wonders of the natural world. In recent years, he has become an influential voice in raising awareness about the impacts of global warming through his documentaries and speeches. Dr. James Hansen: an American climatologist and former NASA scientist. He is known for his research on climate change and his efforts to communicate the urgency of addressing global warming. Elon Musk: the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has played a significant role in promoting renewable energy and sustainable transportation. Through Tesla, Musk has popularized electric vehicles and accelerated the transition away from fossil fuels, contributing to the fight against global warming.

The historical context of global warming can be traced back to the late 19th century when scientists first began to recognize the potential impact of human activities on the Earth's climate. In the early 20th century, researchers such as Svante Arrhenius hypothesized that the burning of fossil fuels could lead to an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and subsequently cause a rise in global temperatures. During the mid-20th century, advancements in technology and industrialization led to a significant increase in greenhouse gas emissions. The post-World War II era marked a period of rapid economic growth and widespread use of fossil fuels, further contributing to the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. In the 1980s and 1990s, scientific consensus on the reality of global warming began to solidify. The establishment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988 provided a platform for scientists and policymakers to collaborate and assess the scientific evidence surrounding climate change. The historical context of global warming also includes international efforts to address this issue. Key milestones include the adoption of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992 and the subsequent negotiations that led to the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. These agreements aimed to promote international cooperation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

1. Increase in greenhouse gases and combustion of fossil fuels. 2. Exponential increase in population. 3. Destruction of ecosystems and deforestation. 4. Destruction of marine ecosystems.

1. Melting of polar ice caps and rising sea levels. 2. Changes to ecosystems. 3. Mass migrations. 4. Acidity of our oceans. 5. Species extinction. 6. Extreme meteorological phenomena.

Calculating carbon footprint. Reducing greenhouse gases. Offsetting carbon emissions.

Public opinion on the topic of global warming varies, but there is a growing recognition and concern about its impacts. Over the years, surveys and polls have indicated that a majority of the global population acknowledges the reality of global warming and considers it a significant issue. Many individuals are increasingly aware of the scientific consensus that human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, contribute to the increase in greenhouse gases and subsequent global temperature rise. The severity of extreme weather events, melting ice caps, and rising sea levels further emphasize the urgency of addressing global warming. However, public opinion on specific aspects of global warming, such as its causes and potential solutions, can be diverse and influenced by various factors including political beliefs, cultural values, and economic considerations. Debates continue regarding the extent of human influence on climate change and the appropriate measures to mitigate its effects. Efforts to raise awareness and educate the public about global warming have led to increased activism, calls for policy changes, and the promotion of sustainable practices. Public opinion plays a crucial role in shaping political will and policy decisions, influencing the development and implementation of climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.

The topic of global warming has garnered significant representation in both media and literature, reflecting the urgency and importance of addressing climate change. In media, documentaries like "An Inconvenient Truth" by Al Gore and "Before the Flood" by Leonardo DiCaprio have gained widespread attention for their compelling exploration of the environmental crisis. These films present scientific evidence, personal narratives, and expert interviews to raise awareness and provoke action. In literature, works such as "The Sixth Extinction" by Elizabeth Kolbert and "This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate" by Naomi Klein offer in-depth analyses of global warming's causes and consequences. These books provide rigorous research, critical perspectives, and propose alternative approaches to mitigate climate change. Moreover, literary works of fiction, such as "Flight Behavior" by Barbara Kingsolver and "Oryx and Crake" by Margaret Atwood, employ global warming as a central theme. These novels explore the social, political, and ecological implications of a changing climate, using storytelling to engage readers on a personal and emotional level. News outlets regularly cover stories related to global warming, reporting on scientific studies, climate events, and policy debates. Newspapers, magazines, and online platforms offer articles that delve into the impacts of climate change on various sectors, including agriculture, health, and the environment.

1. The global average temperature has risen by approximately 1 degree Celsius since the pre-industrial era. 2. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), if global warming exceeds 1.5 degrees Celsius, it could lead to irreversible and catastrophic effects, such as widespread species extinction, severe weather events, and rising sea levels. 3. The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere is the highest it has been in at least 800,000 years, primarily due to human activities. CO2 is a greenhouse gas that traps heat and contributes to the warming of the planet. 4. Glacier retreat is a significant consequence of global warming. Over the past century, glaciers around the world have lost a substantial amount of ice, affecting water supplies, ecosystems, and contributing to sea-level rise. 5. The economic costs of climate change are substantial. According to estimates by the World Bank, the impacts of global warming, including extreme weather events, reduced agricultural productivity, and health-related expenses, could lead to an annual loss of 5-10% of global GDP by the end of the century.

The topic of global warming is of utmost importance to write an essay about due to its far-reaching implications for our planet and future generations. Global warming, driven by human activities, has led to unprecedented changes in our climate system, affecting ecosystems, economies, and human well-being. By exploring this topic in an essay, we can increase awareness and understanding of the causes, impacts, and potential solutions to address global warming. An essay on global warming provides an opportunity to delve into the scientific evidence supporting climate change, highlighting the role of greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and other factors. It allows for an examination of the consequences, such as rising temperatures, sea-level rise, and extreme weather events, on various aspects of life, including agriculture, biodiversity, and human health. Furthermore, discussing global warming in an essay encourages critical thinking and engagement with the complex social, political, and economic dimensions of the issue. It prompts us to consider the ethical responsibilities we have towards future generations, as well as the importance of international cooperation and policy actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

1. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2018). Global Warming of 1.5°C. Cambridge University Press. 2. Solomon, S., Qin, D., Manning, M., Alley, R., Berntsen, T., Bindoff, N., ... & Zhang, P. (Eds.). (2007). Climate change 2007: the physical science basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press. 3. NASA. (2021). Global Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet. Retrieved from https://climate.nasa.gov/ 4. Union of Concerned Scientists. (2020). The Science of Climate Change. Retrieved from https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/science-climate-change 5. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2019). Climate.gov. Retrieved from https://www.climate.gov/ 6. World Meteorological Organization. (2021). State of the Global Climate 2020. Retrieved from https://public.wmo.int/en/resources/state-of-the-global-climate 7. National Geographic. (2021). Climate Change. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/ 8. IPCC. (2014). Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press. 9. United Nations. (2015). Paris Agreement. Retrieved from https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement 10. Environmental Protection Agency. (2021). Climate Change. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/climate-change

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