Human Induced Global Warming: A Bunch of Hot Air
...the uneducated are understandably quick to believe what mass media tells them. In fact, many events that global warming is reputed to cause would be less frequent as temperature rises (Michaels & Balling, 2000). One of the more than likely contributors to the devastating season of hurricanes is actually a result of the last major earthquake that gave birth to the deadly tsunamis that claimed hundreds of lives (Ashbrook lecture). This quake, also known as the Sumatra earthquake, measured to be a 9.3 on the Richter scale. The only other more powerful quake on record was a 9.5 in Chile in 1960. To truly understand how an earthquake can change global weather patterns, one would need a clear understanding of how weather patterns and our global climate system work. To make it simple, the Sumatra quake was so violent; it shifted the earth on its axis 1 degree to the north. This change in tilt caused the sun’s energy to strike the earth in such a fashion that caused our natural pressure stabilization processes, or hurricanes and tornadoes, to intensify (Ashbrook lecture). These are not the worst storms earth has ever seen however. There is evidence in the scars on the Gulf of Mexico’s bedrock that much more powerful hurricanes have existed hundreds of years ago (Ashbrook lecture). Carbon dioxide is on the rise, but humans are truly such a small contributing factor when one looks at the big picture before jumping to incomplete conclusions. Decker 3 Carbon dioxide is produced by a number of natural factors that include, but are not limited to, volcanoes, forest fires and all breathing life forms. Volcanoes are one the largest contributors as they are spewing tons of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. As a long-term average, volcanism produces about 500,000,000,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide a year (Ashbrook lecture). During maximum emission, Mt St. Helens spewed 22,000,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide in a day (Ashbrook lecture). Possibly the greatest contributor of greenhouse gas will shock you. Termites secrete 50,000,000,000 tons of carbon dioxide and methane annually. That is ten times more than the burning of fossil fuels combined globally (Ray & Guzzo 1992). Forest fires vary year by year but are still a major contributor of carbon dioxide. Although carbon dioxide plays a major role in being a greenhouse gas, almost all of the natural greenhouse effect is caused by water vapor (Michaels & Balling, 2000). As the other greenhouse gases trap heat in the lower atmosphere, water vaporizes from the oceans as a directly proportional result to temperature. Water vapor then traps even more heat in the atmosphere. When temperatures reach 40 below zero, water vapor is non-existent (Michaels & Balling, 2000). A rise in carbon dioxide can actually “green the planet” according to Michaels and Balling (174). More carbon dioxide stimulates more rapid plant growth globally and actually produces greater agricultural yields. Plants take about 10 years to adjust to the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air, but the ever-changing levels of gases lengthen the adjustment time (Michaels & Balling, 174). Decker 4 Man may actually be contributing to the reduction of methane in our upper atmosphere with jet-propelled aircraft (Michaels & Balling, 176). Jet engines release nitrogen oxides, which cook in sunlight to form low-level ozone. In time, this ozone produces the hydroxyl radical OH-, which is highly reactive with Methane (CH4) and neutralizes. One of the major reasons global warming is blown out of proportion is human stupidity. ...