Global Warming – The Rise of Pseudo Science in the Role of Manufacturing Consent
Global warming, or the long-term trend to rising global temperatures, has seen a significant increase in recent times. This warming is caused by the burning of fossil fuels, which release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
This gas traps the heat from the sun. This heat is then trapped on Earth’s surfaces and warms it. This is known as “the greenhouse effect”.
Carbon Dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that can trap heat in the atmosphere, warming the Earth and causing climate change. It is also a major contributor of ocean acidification, which lowers pH and contributes to sea-level rise.
The concentration of carbon dioxide in the air has been rising steadily since humans began burning fossil fuels for energy. It is now approximately 370 parts per Million (ppm) higher today than it was in the beginning of industrialization.
Scientists say this increase rate is unprecedented in the last 20 000years. If we continue to burn fossil fuels it is possible for atmospheric carbon dioxide to reach 800ppm. Conditions that have not been seen since 50 million years.
Methane
Methane is one of the most dangerous greenhouse gases. It has a 100-year global warming pot of 28 to 34x that of carbon dioxide (CO2).
Since over two decades, climate scientists warn about the dangers of methane. They have been calling for aggressive emissions reductions in order to slow down the rate of warming.
The main sources of anthropogenic (human-related) methane emissions are natural gas and coal, as well as waste management. Large contributors are also livestock farming and rice cultivation.
Scientists are trying find out how global methane emissions are tracked using a technique called the “global MEthane budget”. This method is used to determine where methane originates, how much goes into sinks like soil and oceans, and how much remains in the atmosphere. Carbon Brief was told by a leading expert in methane budget that scientists are still trying to figure out how to do it.
Greenhouse Gases
Greenhouse gases trap sunlight’s rays within our atmosphere, warming the planet. They include carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. They also include fluorinated gases, ozone, and water vapor.
The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon that allows the earth’s top to be warmer than normal, allowing for life to flourish on the planet. Without these greenhouse gases, Earth would be cold and inhospitable.
These gases are measured using ‘carbon dioxide alternatives’. These equivalents measure their impact upon climate change using a 100 year ‘Global Warming Potential’ value. This value is multiplied by the gas’s emission to give a total figure for greenhouse gases (see Fig. 1.4).
There are many ways that greenhouse gases can be produced. These include landfills, mining, natural gaz production, and mass raising of livestock. They can also produced from wastewater treatment, composting, and other methods.
Climate Change
Climate change is a broad term that encompasses a range of weather-related effects. It includes rising seas, shrinking glaciers, accelerating Greenland ice melt, Antarctica and Arctic ice thaw, shifts in flower/plant timings, and other impacts that affect our world.
The burning fossil fuels like oil, coal and gas are the main causes of human-caused climate changes. These gases act as a blanket over the Earth, trapping heat from the sun and increasing global temperatures.
Climate change can have severe droughts, flooding, water scarcity and even fires. They can impact agriculture, food security, transportation, and energy supply.
The IPCC outlines a wide range possible futures for the climate, based upon different energy policies and economic growth patterns. These possibilities are illustrated by the use of a set known as Representative Concentration Pathways, (RCPs).