climate change: nemesis of humanity

Climate Change: Nemesis of Humanity

Climate Change:

Nemesis of Humanity

A Research Paper Passed in

Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements of English IV

Researcher:

Johnperson S. Icalla

Submitted to:

Sir Allan Andrew Gono

Climate Change: Nemesis of Humanity | 1

Conceptual Framework

Independent Variable:

Causes of climate

change

Stopping/lessening

climate change

Climate change as

danger to humanity

Dependent Variable

Climate change


I. Introduction

Climate change, a term people pay no heed to a long time ago but is a major topic

to us now. As it implies, it is the changing of climate or weather that lasts for a very long time. It

is caused by us, the actions of us humans. We always thought that improving technology and

industry will make us have a better life. Yeah, literally thats true but there are always

consequences for all things we do. The progress man has made now and then will have a huge

impact in our future.

It can be considered dangerous as it causes disruptions to our weather and

economy. When we say summer or rainy seasons you cant be sure that it would not rain

heavily nor shine scorching hot. The normally cool weather is now hot. Living things, animals and

even people are having a hard time adopting to this unstable environment.

No one expected this to be on a rapidly fast rate. Even past researches are far

from this. Mans capabilities of destroying nature is now far from being stopped.

This research is about how climate change will destroy humanity. This paper will

tell the effects and its causes and its preventions, how we can attain the far reaches of hope,

saving us from our inevitable fate.


II. Significance of the Study

This study is important because it is about the status of the planet you live in. It

will benefit most people, even me. People who are ignorant about climate change will be more

informed and make them realize that how dangerous it is. Therefore, having knowledge about

climate change will help us in different ways. It can help us prepare for natural calamities and

enormous changes in weather. It will also help us identify the causes of climate change, man-

made or not.

III. Scopes and Limitation

This research was conducted to gather information about the past, current status

and future predictions of climate change. The factors considered are causes and effects of climate

change, how it will serve as danger to us and also ways of stopping it.

IV. Statement of the Problem

Climate change needs to be stopped and nature should be reverted back to its

natural state or at the very least, lessen it.

However, as of now, climate change is unstoppable. Due to mans continuous

abuse of natures resources, climate change effects intensified. No place in the world is

unaffected by climate change.

The way it is now, it is unstoppable but if we somehow prevent or lessen the

factors that contribute to climate change, we can survive from it.


V. Review of Related Literature/Structure

Climate change is one of the biggest issues now in the society. It has a global effect.

The climate change effects we experience now is mostly blamed to mankind. One of the biggest

reasons is human activities due to industrialization. It has lots of effects that slowly turn our world

into a different one but it is still not too late. We can still save our world if we act now and do

preventions. This paper will focus on the causes, effects and preventions of climate change.

Greenhouse gases from human-made forcings is the major cause of climate

change. According to David A. and Stefans The Climate Crisis: An Introductory Guide to Climate

Change (2010) book, information about the greenhouse effect and its roles has been building up

through almost two centuries. Joseph Fourier, a mathematician in Napoleons army invented the

idea of greenhouse effect and named it in 1827. Greenhouse effect is the trapping of heat in

Earths lower atmosphere due to the gases blocking the infrared energy from the sun which

increases the temperature of Earth.

According to David A. and Stefan (2010), the humans impact on contributing to

CO2 was first measured in the 1950s. At first, only the CO2 concentrations are observed upon but

discoveries of other greenhouse gases on 1970s (methane and Freon) took the concern of

scientists. A single molecule of a rare gas, Freon have much stronger effect on climate than a

single molecule of the abundant CO2.

The Earths climate can be affected by natural factors that are external to the

climate system, such as changes in volcanic activity, solar output, and the Earth's orbit around

the Sun. Of these, the two factors relevant on timescales of contemporary climate change are


changes in volcanic activity and changes in solar radiation. In terms of the Earths energy balance,

these factors primarily influence the amount of incoming energy. Volcanic eruptions are episodic

and have relatively short-term effects on climate. Changes in solar irradiance have contributed

to climate trends over the past century but since the Industrial Revolution, the effect of additions

of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere has been about ten times that of changes in the Suns

output (Causes of Climate Change, 2013).

As climate change affects weather so will be storms and hurricanes. Hurricanes

and some tropical storms gather their energy from warm ocean water. As the top layer of the

ocean gets warmer, hurricanes and other tropical storms grow stronger, with faster winds and

heavier rain. Because of higher temperatures and increased evaporation, climate change causes

other types of storms to get stronger, too. As the climate gets warmer, heavier rainstorms and

snowstorms (with more precipitation than normal) are expected to happen more often, and

hurricanes around the world could keep getting stronger (Wilder Weather, 2014).

As written by David S. and Phillip (2008), we might already have reached the point

in which human interference in climate systems is dangerous. We are losing the Arctic sea-ice

which will cause the sea level to rise. Some animals will lose their habitat and hunting grounds

because of shrunken sea ice. Also, there will be an increase in temperature of global warming

because less sea ice means less energy to be absorbed and it will lead to even more warming.

The climate change also has a huge effect on wildlife. According to David and

Stefan (2010), there are abnormalities in our ecosystem due to climate change. We will hear

about trees blossoming, about birds migrating at unseasonal times, about strange sorts of fish


appearing at a coast where they dont belong or even about polar bears drowning. Some animals

lose their habitat and hunting grounds. Biologist still wonder if they are related to global

warming. It is hard to tell for anyone as there are other several factors that affects the ecosystem

including agriculture and industry.

Rising temperatures and changing patterns of rain and snow are forcing trees and

plants around the world to move toward Polar Regions and up mountain slopes. These vegetation

shifts will undermine much of the work the conservation community has accomplished to date,

with the potential to permanently change the face of Conservancy preserves, local land trusts,

and even our national parks. In the tundra, thawing permafrost will allow shrubs and trees to

take root. In the Great Plains of the United States, grasslands will likely become forests. And New

Englands fiery fall foliage will eventually fade as maple and beech forests shift north toward

cooler temperatures. Some animals and communities will be left without any viable habitat such

as polar bears and alpine meadows, putting our wildlife at risk (Changing Landscapes, n.d.).

Climate change is also affecting businesses and economies at home and around

the world. If no action is taken to decrease global carbon emissions, climate change could cost

between 5 and 20 percent of the annual global gross domestic product, according to a British

government report. In comparison, it would take 1 percent of GDP to lessen the most damaging

effects of climate change, the report says. Globally, more intense hurricanes and downpours

could cause billions of dollars in damage to property and infrastructure. Declining crop yields due

to prolonged drought and high temperatures, especially in Africa, could put hundreds of

thousands of people at risk for starvation. High sea temperatures also threaten the survival of


coral reefs, which generate an estimated $375 billion per year in goods and services (Economic

Loss and Damage n.d.).

As temperatures rise, so do the risks of heat-related illness and even death for the

most vulnerable human populations. In 2003, for example, extreme heat waves caused more

than 20,000 deaths in Europe and more than 1,500 deaths in India. Scientists have linked the

deadly heat waves to climate change and warn of more to come (Heat-Related Illness and

Disease, para. 1-2 n.d).

Aside from heat-related illness, climate change may increase the spread of

infectious diseases, mainly because warmer temperatures allow disease-carrying insects, animals

and microbes to survive in areas where they were once thwarted by cold weather. Diseases and

pests that were once limited to the tropics such as mosquitoes that carry malaria may find

hospitable conditions in new areas that were once too cold to support them. The World Health

Organization (WHO) estimates that climate change may have caused more than 150,000 deaths

in the year 2000 alone (Heat-Related Illness and Disease, para 3-5 n.d).

To combat climate change, we will have to switch our energy sources from burning

fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources. Many of these clean energy sources have been developed

by technology nowadays while others are still being tested. Some technologies reduce

greenhouse gas emissions through efficient energy usage or by capturing these gases before

entering the atmosphere. We can use renewable sources of energy that has no harm to the

atmosphere. Biomass, nuclear, wind, geothermal, solar and water energy are examples of these.

Biomass energy is the energy found in biomass. Biomass are materials found from materials from


plants or animals. For instance, wood, it contains stored energy so it combusts when burned.

Nuclear energy is an energy from atoms that are split apart during fission in nuclear plants. Wind

energy is energy produced by wind turbines. The strong wind makes the turbine spin which

generates energy. Geothermal energy is from the heat of the earth. Solar energy is energy from

the heat of the sun and is commonly gathered by use of photovoltaic cells from solar panels. And

lastly, water energy is the energy produced by the moving water. This energy is captured by use

of hydroelectric dams, special buoys and other floating devices and turbines (Be part of the

solution! Technologies section, 2014).

Right now, most of our electricity right now are generated by large power plants

that burn coal and other fossil fuels that add lots of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. It will take

a lot of decades before we can turn our energy sources into renewable sources that emits a few

or no carbon dioxide. In the meantime, scientists are developing ways to capture carbon dioxide

from power plants and factories and safely store it in underground so that it cant go to the

atmosphere. Carbon is pumped down deep in underground, about half a mile deep (Carbon

Capture and Underground Storage, 2014).

Methane could also be captured and used. Methane is a powerful gas. A pound of

methane gas is 25 times stronger than a pound of carbon dioxide. Methane can be captured on

landfills and it can be burned to produce electricity. It can also be captured from farm digesters,

which are big tanks that contain manure and other waste from barns that house livestock such

as cows and pigs. Methane is collected into pipes then burned before it gets to the atmosphere

so it is a huge help reducing the effects of climate change (Methane Capture and Use, 2014).


Making buildings energy-efficient can also reduce greenhouse gas emission. In

fact, the buildings where we live and work account for 30% of all greenhouse gas emissions in

the United States. Technologies such as more efficient heating, air conditioning, and lighting

enable buildings to use less energy, which helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions (Energy-

Efficient Buildings, 2014).

Transportation is the fastest growing sector of energy use with it using 24% of our

energy production. Internal combustion of fossil fuels supplies 96% of all transportation energy.

Oil is the most convenient form of fossil fuel for transportation, because its liquid form is easily

transportable. Oil will become scarce at some point in the coming decades, but liquid fuels could

be baked out of carbon-rich rocks such as oil shales and tar sands. Liquid fuels could be

synthesized chemically from coal, natural gas, or biomass. Except for biomass, these alternative

energy sources are less efficient than petroleum in terms of carbon emissions.

While past generations were only able to buy gasolinepowered cars, you will

have many more options! Vehicles are now available that use less energy and are better for the

environment and there will be more of these in the future.

More information about climate change in timeline:

1837 Louis Agassiz (1837) proposed that the mountains of his native Switzerland had once

been covered with large ice sheets like those in Greenland or Antarctica. His proposal met

resistance from the prevailing view, supported by religious doctrine, that the biblical flood was

responsible for shaping the landscape. Eventually, the ice age hypothesis was accepted.


1865 John Tyndall postulated that gases such as water vapor and CO2 in the atmospheric

envelope retain the heat.

1896 Svante Arrhenius predicted that increases of atmospheric CO2 from burning fossil fuels

would lead to global warming; a doubling of atmospheric CO2 could cause global average

temperature to rise by 5C. The predictions of this Nobel Prize laureate (1903) went unnoticed

for more than half a century.

1958 First continuous monitoring reveals rapidly rising CO2 levels in the atmosphere.

1970s Beginning of period of atmospheric warming known as global warming.

1988 UN establishes the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to assess the

science of climate change.

1990 IPCCs First Assessment is published. The year is subsequently established as the

baseline year for future emissions targets.

1992 Earth Summit meets in Rio de Janeiro. Governments agree on the UN Framework

Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which commits them to preventing dangerous

climate change.

1995 After a fierce debate, in particular with OPEC nations, the IPCC Second Assessment

establishes the strong link between human-induced greenhouse gases and climate change,

saying that the balance of evidence suggests. that global warming is caused by mankind.

1997 Kyoto Protocol is agreed under UNFCCC. It includes the first emissions reduction targets

for industrialized countries, covering 2008-2012; all major nations sign up.

1998 Warmest year in warmest decade in warmest century for at least a thousand years.


2001 Nations agree on methodological and other details of the Kyoto Protocol in Marrakech.

The USA and Australia refuse to ratify the protocol.

2003 European heat wave, which killed more than 30,000 people. Scientists later conclude

it is the first extreme weather event definitely attributable to human-induced climate change.

Scientists report a third of the world affected by droughts, double the figure for the 1970s.

2005 Drought temporarily turns Amazon rainforest from a carbon sink to a carbon source.

2007 Massive summer ice loss in the Arctic brings fears of an ice-free north; IPCC Fourth

Assessment warns of faster and irreversible climate change; Bali Climate Conference lays out

timetable for agreeing successor to Kyoto Protocol.

2008 Poznan Climate Conference in Poland; slow progress on negotiations as many wait for

the new Obama administration in the USA to declare its hand.

2009 Make or break year for the climate, with negotiations continuing for a Copenhagen

Protocol set to conclude in December.

2010 After a rather disappointing result of the Copenhagen talks, international climate policy

picks up momentum at the 16th Conference of the Parties in Cancun, Mexico.

2012 Controversial "attribution" studies find recent disastrous heat waves, droughts,

extremes of precipitation, and floods were made worse by global warming.

2013 An apparent pause or "hiatus" in global warming of the atmosphere since 1998 is

discussed and explained; the oceans have continued to get warmer. Mean global temperature

is 14.6C, the warmest in thousands of years. Level of CO2 in the atmosphere reaches 397

ppm, the highest in millions of years.


VI. Definition of Terms

Climate change refers to any significant change to weather that lasts for a long time.

Climate forcings are different factors that affects our climate.

Natural forcings are from the nature itself. (E.g. volcanic eruption, etc.).

Human-made forcings are made from mans emission of CO2 or human activities

that forces the climate. (E.g. aerosols, burning fossil fuels, etc.).

Greenhouse gases are gases in the atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within

the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse

effect.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) enters the atmosphere through burning fossil fuels (coal,

natural gas and oil), solid waste, trees and wood products, and also as a result of

certain chemical reactions (e.g., manufacture of cement).

Methane (CH4) is emitted during the production and transport of coal, natural

gas, and oil.

Nitrous Oxide (N02) is emitted during agricultural and industrial activities, as

well as during combustion of fossil fuels and solid waste.

Fluorinated gases are Hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur

hexafluoride are synthetic, powerful greenhouse gases that are emitted from a

variety of industrial processes. Fluorinated gases are sometimes used as

substitutes for stratospheric ozone-depleting substances (e.g.,

chlorofluorocarbons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons, and halons). They are potent

GHGs and sometimes referred to as High Global Warming Potential gases.


Wildlife traditionally refers to non-domesticated animal species, but has come to

include all plants, fungi and other organisms which grow or live wild in an area without

being introduced by humans.

Biomass is a biological material derived from living, or recently living organisms.

Water energy is the energy from moving water.

Solar energy is the energy from the heat of the sun.

Geothermal energy is the energy from heat of the Earth.

Nuclear power is the use of exothermic nuclear processes, to generate useful heat and

electricity. The term includes nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion.

Wind energy is the energy extracted from wind using wind turbines to produce

electrical power, windmills for mechanical power, wind pumps for water pumping, or sails

to propel ships.

Forest fire is an uncontrolled fire in an area of combustible vegetation that occurs in the

countryside or a wilderness area. Also called wildfire.

Tropics s a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the

Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at 23 26 16 (or 23.4378) N and the Tropic

of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at 23 26 16 (or 23.4378) S; these latitudes

correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth. The tropics are also referred to as the Tropical

zone and the Torrid Zone.

Fossil fuel are fuels formed by natural processes such as anaerobic decomposition of

buried dead organisms. The age of the organisms and their resulting fossil fuels is typically

millions of years, and sometimes exceeds 650 million years.


VII. Results and Discussion

CLIMATE CHANGE

Causes Effects Preventions

Greenhouse effect

Human emission of CO2

Human-made forcings

Natural forcings

Increase in temperature

Ocean level rising

Change in landscape

Wildlife being endangered

Drought, Floods, Forest fires

More heat-related illness and diseases

Economic losses

Stronger storms and stronger storm damage

Using carbon-free renewable energy supply

Travelling without greenhouse gas emission as much as possible

Being energy efficient

Capturing greenhouse gases before entering the atmosphere

From the data in the review, you could say that we mankind have the biggest fault

for the climate change we are experiencing right now. We had an early warning from the scientist

Svante Arrhenius but paid no heed until more than half a century later. CO2s were only first

observed during 1958 and we only came to realization of global warming in the 1970s. We

started to feel the effects of climate change from then and nations started having conferences

and established group of scientists studying the science of climate. Burning fossil fuels is one of

the biggest sources of greenhouse gases due to its large release of CO2s.

It has a large effect globally, all are affected by climate change. Balance of nature

is out because of it. These are caused by the increased temperature of global warming that is an

effect of climate change.


According to this chart by NASA Scientific Visualization Studio, our current global

temperature is 0.61C.

Yes, from 0.25C of 1880 to a whopping 0.61C in 2013 (latest measurement). If you treat it as

a just youre very mistaken. That 0.61 global temperature is currently causing the calamities

we face right now; drought, destructive storms, you name it.

These are the renewable sources that could be used to lessen climate change:

Biomass energy Energy from materials from plants, animals or even trash that contains stored energy. Can be used to create biofuels that powers up vehicles.

Nuclear energy Energy produced by splitting atoms (fission) using uranium as fuel. Doesnt

produce greenhouse gas and radioactive wastes are taken care of.

Wind energy Energy produced by wind turbines. Wind turbines are put and placed

together on wind farms. Good spots are on open plains and shorelines.

Geothermal Energy

Energy from the heat of Earth. Could be used by using heat pumps to heat or cool buildings or as a source of electricity.

Solar Energy Energy from the heat of the sun. Energy is collected by the use of

photovoltaic cells that could be found on solar panels and such devices.

Water energy Energy produced by moving water. Energy could be captured by using

hydroelectric dams, special buoys and other floating device and turbines.

Even if progress did all this, it still little by little do something to straighten it all

out. Technology now is making preventions to it: eco-friendly vehicles and renewable energy

source.


VIII. Conclusion

So, we can conclude that climate change is mostly to be blamed on humanity. We

cant say that we shouldnt have progressed or something like that. What we are now is because

of the progress our ancestors has made. We cant say we arent benefiting from things that

produce those greenhouse gases. Everyone here is contributing to climate change. When we

travel with vehicles that produce greenhouse gases we already does so. With less impact, even

when we breathe. We inhale 02 and exhale CO2. What we have to do now is help to stop it.

We are slowly approaching to apocalypse. The calamities that doesnt normally

happens to us happens now. Unless technology made a miraculous turnover, we will face our

judgment earlier than expected in the future. Messing with nature is not really a good idea.

Every one of us could make a difference. We could use less energy for less

emissions by turning off lights when not in use or something. We could travel greener, meaning

without GHG emission like riding a bike and such. We could switch to use cleaner source of energy

like solar panels. Also, saving water will help, even if your supply is continuous. That and we could

at least help, even a little to stopping climate change.

IX. Bibliography

Archer, D., & Rahmstorf, S. (2010). The Climate Crisis: An Introductory Guide to Climate Change.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Spratt, D., & Sutton, P. (2008). CLIMATE CODE RED: The Case for Emergency Action. Carlton

North, Victoria: Scribe Publications


Reference links:

http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/urgentissues/global-warming-climate-change/threats-

impacts/

http://climate.nasa.gov/causes/

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-blogs/climatechange/what-are-climate-

forcings/54094

www.epa.gov/climatechange/

http://www.epa.gov/climatestudents/

http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10139&page=6

http://www.enviropedia.org.uk/Global_Warming/CFCs.php

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildlife

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildfire

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuel

http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/aboutcc/how_cc_works/climate_timeline/

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases.html

http://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/global-temperature/

http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/teacher_resources/project_ideas/climate_change/

http://www.nrdc.org/globalwarming/f101.asp

http://www.aip.org/history/climate/timeline.htm

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