Student 1
Joey Student
Ms. Teacher
Geography 2D
October 23, 2011
Global Warming: fact or fiction?
Global warming is one of the most talked-about environmental issues of our time. It has been analyzed
from all angles and attacked from all viewpoints and still we have discussion, debate and conspiracy
regarding its true nature. What should we believe regarding global warming?
First let's look at what the term means. When we hear that global warming is a problem, it is
stating that "the environment of the world as we know it is slowly, but very surely increasing in
overall air and water temperature" ("What is global"). But is it?
Many studies support the theory that the Earth is warming. "The rate of warming is increasing.
The 20th century's last two decades were the hottest in 400 years and possibly the warmest for several
millennia, according to a number of climate studies. And the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC) reports that 11 of the past 12 years are among the dozen warmest since
1850" ("Global Warming Fast"). The landmark data supporting global warming is the Mauna Loa
volcano data. "Indications of rising greenhouse gas levels also include a climb in regional CO2
concentrations at the atmospheric monitoring facility in Mauna Loa, Hawaii. Since beginning
operation in the late 1950s, the site, home of the longest continuous carbon dioxide monitoring
program in the world, has recorded a rise of about 19% in mean annual CO2 levels" (Chiras).
However, there are others who disbelieve these studies and think that global warming is a hoax.
One of the major temperature data sets, graphed and included in papers by Jones in 2006, showed
change in temperature over time:
Student 2
Some scientists argue that it does not provide evidence for global warming. In his anti-environmental
blog, John O'Sullivan criticizes the graph by saying, "Note that it is calibrated in tenths of a degree
Celsius and that even that tiny amount of warming started long before the late 20th century. The
horizontal line is totally arbitrary, just a visual trick. The whole graph would be a horizontal line if it
were calibrated in whole degrees -- thus showing ZERO warming."
Even if you believe that global warming is occurring, then there is the argument over what
causes it. Is it natural or anthropomorphic (i.e. caused by humans)? "People are causing global
warming by burning fossil fuels (like oil, coal and natural gas) and cutting down forests. Scientists
have shown that these activities are pumping far more CO2 into the atmosphere than was ever released
in hundreds of thousands of years. This buildup of CO2 is the biggest cause of global warming"
(Environmental Defense Fund). Some believe that there may be some natural influence, but that
humans are the main culprits due to the huge amounts of greenhouse gases that they have released in
the years after the Industrial Revolution.
While there are several factors that can contribute to global warming, such as natural changes
in the Earth’s inclination and revolution around the Sun, by far the biggest factor contributing
to the global warming threat today is due to the emission of greenhouse gases—such as carbon
dioxide (CO2 ), methane, ozone, chlorofluorocarbons, water vapor, and nitrous oxide—added
at alarming rates to the atmosphere by daily human activity. (Casper, xiv)
Others believe the sun or other natural phenomena are responsible for the rise in the Earth's
temperature.
Student 3
Until about 1960, measurements by scientists showed that the brightness and warmth of the
sun, as seen from the Earth, was increasing. Over the same period temperature measurements
of the air and sea showed that the Earth was gradually warming. It was not surprising therefore
for most scientists to put two and two together and assume that it was the warming sun that was
increasing the temperature of our planet. (Russell)
There are also theories that believe bacteria in the oceans are the culprits that produce much of the
atmospheric carbon dioxide that is to blame for global warming.
Those who subscribe to the consensus theory have overlooked the primary source of
carbon dioxide emissions. While a small part of the rise in emissions is attributable to industrial
activity, it is greatly outweighed (by >300 times) by rising volumes of CO2 produced by
saprotrophic eubacteria living in the sediments of the continental shelves fringing the Atlantic
and Pacific oceans. Moreover, the bacterial emissions, unlike industrial CO2, precisely match
the fluctuations in global temperature over the past 140 years. (Klein, Gupta, Cooper &
Jansson, 223)
No matter what is causing it, most scientists believe it is occurring. Most people believe it is
occurring. But should we care?
Al Gore, born in Washington, D.C. on March 31, 1948, is an American political leader and
former Vice-President and produced the 2006 book and documentary film An Inconvenient Truth, to
educate people on global warming (Rozell). Gore stated the problem clearly in his book,
The climate crisis is, indeed, extremely dangerous. In fact it is a true planetary emergency.
Two thousand scientists, in a hundred countries, working for more than 20 years in the most
elaborate and well-organized scientific collaboration in the history of human kind, have forged
an exceptionally strong consensus that all nations on Earth must work together to solve the
crisis of global warming. The voluminous evidence now strongly suggests that unless we act
boldly and quickly to deal with the underlying causes of global warming, our world will
undergo a strong of terrible catastrophes. (10)
Some people agree that global warming is a problem, but since they don't feel its effects in their dayto-day life, they do not worry about the consequences. But there are consequences. Severe weather,
rising sea levels, animal extinctions, drought, and water shortages are just some of the forecast effects
of global warming. Humans will be affected. We have already seen storms unlike any seen in recent
lifetimes. Once they feel the effects, will humans take global warming more seriously and take action?
Kadowaki worries, "Given 2010's record greenhouse gas emissions, as a society we should be asking,
what will our future look like in a world where mass evacuations become a routine occurrence?"
Student 4
The actions taken to date have been rather ineffective. Meetings, committees, and agreements
seem to have had little effect. "The Kyoto Protocol was created in 1997. The protocol, signed by
many influential countries, is a legally-binding contract supporting climate change action at the state
level" (Lambrick). Many agreements have been made since. Yet global warming still seems to be
increasing. Bigger, more grass root programs, laws to limit emissions, carbon taxes and more extreme
measures may be our only weapons against this problem.
If a sustainable system could be put in place such that emissions never exceed whatever
may be the allowable total for a given year, then the needs of every generation will be
provided for; and, as long as this largely involves the continuing intactness of natural
ecosystems, then the needs of future members of nonhuman species will be provided
for as well. (Attfield, 103)
But questions remain. Is it too late? The Prince of Wales thinks so. "I believe that mankind
has all the necessary skills, resources and ingenuity to tackle climate change effectively. The question
is not whether we can do this, but whether we will, and whether we will do so in time to affect the
outcome" (qtd. in "Prince Charles Speaks"). We need to get on with making positive changes. We're
in a giant car heading towards a brick wall and everyone's arguing over where they're going to sit.
What will make governments look farther into the future when making policy when it risks
their own position as serving government? Will citizens of the developed world sacrifice their lifestyle
to help solve the problem? The message is starting to be heard. In a speech passing an environmental
bill, Arnold Schwarzenegger said, "We simply must do everything we can in our power to slow down
global warming before it is too late. The science is clear. The global warming debate is over" (qtd. in
Carter). Will we do everything we can?
Student 5
Works Cited
Attfield, Robin. "Global Warming, Equity and Future Generations." Human Ecology Review 17.2
(2010): 102-05. EBSCOhost Complete. Web. 19 July 2011.
Carter, Jonathan. "Climate Change and Forest Restoration Campaign." Forest Ecology Network. Ed.
Paul Donahue. Forest ecology Network, Jan. 2010. Web. 20 July 2011.
<http://www.forestecologynetwork.org/climate_change/climate_change.html>.
Casper, Julie K. Global Warming: Greenhouse Gases. New York: Facts on File, 2010. xiv. GaleInfobase Publishing. Web. 19 July 2011.
Chiras, Daniel D. "Global Climate Change." Encyclopedia Americana. Grolier Online, 2011. Web. 19
July 2011.
Environmental Defense Fund. Fight Global Warming. Environmental Defense Fund, n.d. Web. 19 July
2011.
"Global Warming Fast Facts." National Geographic News. National Geographic, 14 June 2007. Web.
19 July 2011. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/
1206_041206_global_warming.html>.
Gore, Al. An Inconvenient Truth. New York: Rodale, 2006. Print.
Jones, Phil. Global Temperature Record. 2006. Climatic Research Group, Norwich, UK. Web. 19 July
2011. <http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/info/warming/>.
Kadowaki, Ryan. "Humans can overcome extreme weather and climate events, but we have to work
together." David Suzuki Foundation. David Suzuki Foundation, 13 June 2011. Web. 16 July
2011. <http://www.davidsuzuki.org/blogs/climate-blog/2011/06/humans-can-overcomeextreme-weather-and-climate-events-but-we-have-to-work-toget/>.
Klein, Daniel A., Mandeep J. Gupta, Philip Cooper, and Arne F. Jansson. "Carbon dioxide production
by benthic bacteria: the death of manmade global warming theory?" Journal of Geoclimatic
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Studies 13.33 Nov. (2007): 223-31. Web. 20 July 2011.
<www.globalwarminghoax.com/./Journal_of_Geoclimatic_Studies_2007_23. pdf>.
Lambrick, Melanie. "Point: Climate change is a proven fact." Canadian Points of View (2009).
Canadian Points of View Reference Centre. Web. 19 July 2011.
O'Sullivan, John. "Greenhouse Gas Theory Trashed in replicated Lab Experiment ." Greenie Watch.
Greenie Watch, 19 July 2011. Web. 19 July 2011. <http://antigreen.blogspot.com/>.
"Prince Charles speaks out on climate change." inthenews.co.uk. inthenews.co.uk, 17 Dec. 2006. Web.
20 July 2011. <http://www.inthenews.co.uk/news/news/environment/prince-charles-speaksout-on-climate-change-$1031268.htm>.
Rozell, Mark J. "Gore, Albert Arnold, Jr. (1948–
)." Encyclopedia Americana. Grolier Online, 2011.
Web. 19 July 2011.
Russell, John. "Solar activity and climate: is the sun causing global warming?." Skeptical Science. Ed.
John Cook. N.p., 20 Nov. 2010. Web. 19 July 2011. <http://www.skepticalscience.com/solaractivity-sunspots-global-warming.htm>.
"What is global warming?." Global Warming.com. Ed. Rod Browning. globalwarming.com, 15 Mar.
2009. Web. 16 July 2011. <http://globalwarming.com/2009/03/what-is-global-warming/>.