Global Warming: Are Humans to Blame? Essay -- Climate Change, Greenhou

Global Warming: Are Humans to Blame? An English major with a minor in Meteorology, I have a huge passion in learning about the weather. I love doing research on all aspects of the weather, but one topic has remained controversial for years and that is the cause of global warming. I decided to do some research on the issue in hopes of coming up with some type of conclusion based on the facts that I am able to find. The question always arises as to whether humans are to blame for our current global warming. Do humans in fact pose a threat to the global warming crisis and are they to blame for the slow increase in temperature of the earths atmosphere? Before one can begin to argue the facts whether or not humans have an influence in the condition of our atmosphere, one must first learn exactly what global warming is. To begin a discussion about what global warming entails, I must first explain the greenhouse effect. When solar radiation enters the earth’s atmosphere some of the energy is absorbed by the earth, while the rest is refracted back into space. During this process, when radiation emits from the surface back into the atmosphere, greenhouse gases such as water vapor, Carbon Dioxide (CO2), and Methane trap some of the radiating heat in our atmosphere and cause the surface of the earth to warm up. This is a natural process that has occurred on earth even before the existence of humans, and still naturally occurs today. Moreover, clouds, or large masses of water vapor, are natural absorbers and refractors of energy. Although they reflect more solar energy than they absorb, they still help to maintain a warm and tolerable planet for all living kind, thus clouds play a big part in the warmin... ...on the facts presented, it is up to you to decide which theory you believe in. Bibliography Burroughs, William J. et al. The Nature Company Guides Weather. Sydney, San Francisco: Time-life Custom Publishing, 1996. (1997, October 31). Common Sense About Global Warming Editorial: The Toronto Globe and Mail [10]. Canada’s National Newspaper The Globe and Mail. Available at: http://www.carleton.ca/~tpatters/teaching/climatechange/ewarming.html (2001). Global Warming frequently asked questions. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Available at: http://lwf.noaa.gov/oa/climate/globalwarming.html Lyons, Walter A. The Handy Weather Answer Book. New York, New York: Accord Publishing Ltd., 1997. National assessment on climate change [12]. Hot Planet. Available at:http://www.weather.com/newscenter.specialreports/hotplanet/