Role
Moderate
Problem
Human activity has begun to affect the Earth's climate in a negative way, possibly resulting in a worldwide global warming.
Evidence & Contributing Factors
NASA, at http://airs.jpl.nasa.gov/Science/GlobalClimate/, says, "Scientists are concerned that human activity, such as increased carbon dioxide production and land use, may have begun to affect Earth's climate." The United States Environmental Protection Agency at http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/science/pastcc.html gives evidence for this problem, saying, "the global average temperature during the last few decades was warmer than any comparable period during the last 400 years." This statement incinuates that, since human technology has been vastly improving over the past 400 years, that humans have indeed caused the global average temperature to rise. This website also says, "Present eveidence suggests that temperatures at many, but not all, individual locations were higher during the past 25 years than any period of comparable length since A.D. 900." In the past 25 years in our world's history, our technology has greatly expanded, thus increasing the global temperature. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/science/recentcc.html says, "Since the Industrial Revolution, human activities have substantially added to the amount of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The burning of fossil fuels and biomass has also resulted in emissions of aerosols that absorb and emit heat, and reflect light." Later on, this site goes on to say, "Changes in the land surface can have important effects on climate. A change in land use and cover can affect temperature by changing how much solar radiation the land reflects and absorbs. Processes such as deforestation, reforestation, desertification and urbanization often contribute to changes in climate in the places they occur, and the amount of carbon dioxide taken up or released by the land surface." This excerpt explains that things that humans do, such as deforestation, have a great effect on the climate. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/science/stateofknowledge.html says, "Human activites are changing the composition of Earth's atmosphere. Increasing levels of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide in the atmosphere since pre-industrial times are well-documented and understood." It also says, "The atmospheric buildup of CO2 and other greenhouse gases is largely the result of human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels." The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stated, "There is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming ovserved over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities."
Possible Solutions
-Use Energy Star labeled products to help out the environment.
-Clean air filters regularly.
-Sealing your home with better insulation and duct-work, using Green Power, recycling, and saving water are all good things that people should do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
-The United States Environmental Protection Agency suggests, "Use public transportation, carpool or walk or bike whenever possible to avoid using your car. Leaving your car at home just two days a week will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 1,590 pounds per year."
-Restrain deforestation, and only use this process when absolutely necessary.
These simple steps, if followed, could significantly reduce our global climate change, and global warming.
