Climate Change; Is it a Myth or a Fact
INSTRUCTIONS:
Final Report - Topic
Climate Change: Is it a Myth or a Fact?
The report needs to include:
Definition of Climate Change,
Temperature changes if any, external forcing like greenhouse
gases, galactic variations, orbital
variations, and solar variations - such as sunspots - attributed
and expected effects on natural
systems, ecological systems, social systems, responses and
views on global warming, politics and
public opinion and other views to name a few.
Support your argument with pictures, data
charts, graphs, maps etc.
Include a minimum of 4 references,
dates of events to support your argument.
Report content must be at least FIVE
pages (approximately 1200 words) excluding the pictures,
charts, graphs, maps etc.
Report must be typed using font size 12
and must be double spaced.
Report must have your name and class
and must be either stapled or in a folder with pages
numbered.
5 points off if a minimum of 4
references are not sighted
10 points off for not supporting with
data charts/graphs/pictures
15 points extra credit for the
presentation of the report
15 points taken off from the report if
not present for class presentation(s)
SOLUTION:
Climate Change: Is it a Myth or a Fact
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Climate Change: Is it a Myth or a Fact
Introduction
Climate change refers to the alteration in Earth’s weather
patterns as a result of rising amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced
from the burning of fossil fuels, which causes a dramatic rise in temperatures.
Consequently, variation in global temperature instigates climate change, as demonstrated
by measurements of different effects of rise in the average temperature on
climate systems. A study by NASA determined that during the 20th
century, global temperature has increased by about 1⁰ Fahrenheit (as cited by Kaddo,
2016). While the change might appear insignificant, its ramifications on our
environment prove otherwise, as depicted by aggressive hurricanes, heat waves,
and drought. Change in climate is not a myth since scientists consider it real
because it results from solar, orbital, and galactic variations as well as the
emission of greenhouse gases, affecting social, ecological, and natural
systems.
Solar
Variations
Climate change is a fact since the production of
greenhouse gases causes an imbalance between elements of Earth's atmosphere,
outgoing thermal, and incoming solar radiation. The Earth gets energy from the
sun; hence, any solar alteration affects the average temperature levels,
leading to the current increase of 1.1⁰
Fahrenheit since 1880 (as shown in Graph 1) (NASA, 2019). Variation in
insolation prompts climate change; consequently, over the next century, it is
estimated that the Earth will warm by between 1.5⁰ to 4.5⁰C
(Union of Concerned Scientists, 2009). Therefore, continued burning of fossils
affects the balance between incoming solar and outgoing thermal radiation since
it blocks 40% of outbound produced energy, resulting in the Earth heating up, heightening
risks of aggressive global weather conditions. Apart from climate change
resulting from solar imbalance, variations in cosmic actions also contribute to
its reality.
Graph 1: Global Temperature Index
Source: NASA (2019)
Change in climate is real since it results from fluctuation in solar activity that directly affects the flow of cosmic rays, travelling towards Earth, (as shown in Figure 1). According to the Union of Concerned Scientists (2009), cosmic rays and solar energetic elements in the atmosphere use air molecules to create more ions that impact ozone levels in the stratosphere. Kaddo (2016) argued that this change in the stratosphere affects the atmospheric behavior below it, for example, causing a...
