GLOBAL WARMING OF THE 21ST CENTURY

ByMichelle Lenci

Global Warming Global Warming is the most

controversial and important science issue of the 21st century!

The main cause of Global Warming is still uncertain but scientists have revealed evidence pertaining to the causes.

Media warned us of a Global Warming in the 1920’s until the late 1960’s.

From the 1950’s to the 1970’s we were warned of a coming ice age.

Causes of Global Warming

Humans burning fossil fuels and releasing Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere

The Sun

Extraterrestrial Dust

Shape of the continents Changes in Earth’s orbit Ocean currents The shape of the seafloor

IPCC blames humans for Global Warming

(IPCC) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Carbon Dioxide emissions contribute to ¾ of climate change…The burning of fossil fuels is the main cause

Deforestation is the second biggest factor Annual emissions of Carbon Dioxide grew

80%from 1970-2004 Other scientists say most of the Earth’s

warming occurred before 1940…preindustrial times

IPCC’s Uncontrolled Experiment

Only way to absolutely prove climate changes caused by humans is by a controlled experiment

All factors remain unchanged except the tested one

Control group = group of individuals compared to the manipulated group

Since there is only one Earth there are no controls and other factors cannot remain unchanged

IPCC can only do a uncontrolled experiment IPCC injects Carbon Dioxide, Methane, and

other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and observes the results

Results for Uncontrolled Experiment

IPCC testing models used indicate that the ones without human inputs were lower than the observed climate records

The models with human caused changes are the only way to explain recent increases in air temperatures, ocean temperatures, declining snow, etc…according to the IPCC

Different models varied in the severity of changes and disagreed on the speed of change but the direction of change is agreeable

The scientists observing the results feel certain climate change is due to humans but it’s not absolute

Humans and Carbon Dioxide Most of the Earth’s warming occurred before

the world built factories or autos. If humanity stopped burning fossil fuels

tomorrow it would not stop the climate cycle that has warmed the Earth slowly and continuously for the last 150 years

Millions of years ago the Earth’s atmospheric carbon Dioxide level was much higher than it is today

Ecosystems are suffering and plant lifer is declining due to low levels of Carbon Dioxide

The release of Carbon Dioxides into the atmosphere by humans or from natural causes could have a positive effect by reducing hunger and starvation globally

Fossil Fuels

Positive Effects of Global Warming In recent decades higher amounts of Carbon

Dioxide helped plants and crops to be greener and grow faster

Carbon Dioxide provides life on Earth It is a plant food and is a nonpoisonous gas Bacteria, algae, and plants remove Carbon

Dioxide from the air and water The air and water work together with water

vapor to keep the Earth warm instead of causing an ice age

Over time Carbon Dioxide has been stored as Carbon Compounds in rocks, oil , gas and coal

This will emit more Carbon Dioxide and rainfall and sunshine will occur providing agricultural benefits.

Greenhouse Gases Carbon Dioxide, Nitrous Oxide, Methane,

Chloro-fluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride are green house gases emitted into the Earth’s atmosphere

The only factor the IPCC focuses on is Carbon Dioxide emissions by humans and they do not put any other factors into consideration such as Extraterrestrial Dust or the Sun.

IPCC models do not detect the effects of the sun and clouds on Earth

Carbon Dioxide is derived from natural causes The Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere is only

0.001% of the total Carbon Dioxide held in the oceans Surface, rocks, air, soils, and life

The Sun• Temperature could be

rising from energy of the sun

• Earth’s temp rises when the magnetism increases at the center of the solar system

• The sun’s energy output powers the ocean and atmosphere currents

• Evaporation cycle • Condensation that

brings fresh water inland and drives river flow

Hurricanes and tornadoes that destroy manmade landscape as well as natural landscape are also controlled by the Sun’s energy

Photosynthesis Brings life to Earth The amount of energy

the sun brings to Earth in an hour is the same amount of energy humans use annually

The Sun, The Earth, The moon

Electrically charged particles form from cosmic rays

Water molecules are attracted to these charged particles and this effect is how clouds are formed

Clouds take decadal to millenial time scales to form from cosmic rays

The long durations of time strongly affects the climate

Climate is changed by the changing of the galactic environment of the solar system

Clouds reflect 60% of the sun’s radiation and a 1% change in cloudiness on Earth could be responsible for all of the twentieth century warming

The sun and clouds SOLAR ACTIVITY SOLAR INACTIVITY Less cloudiness

raises temperature thus causes, Global Warming

More cloudiness causes Global Cooling and possibly an Ice Age

Extraterrestrial Dust

Dust Can Cause Global Cooling

Outer Space has a huge influence on Earth

Material from space constantly accumulates on Earth

40,000 tons of extraterrestrial dust drops to earth each year from high-flying aircraft measurements

Minerals, amino acids, and chemicals that form from cosmic rays are in this dust

Comets also bring an unknown amount of water as well as Carbon Dioxide to Earth

Extraterrestrial dust gather into masses on ice sheets, lake sediments, and deep sea sediments

Scientists observe the measurements of dust in those places

Earth’s Mass Increased Increased mass on Earth has resulted from

years of dust, meteors, and comets

Asteroids, meteors and comets collide with high speed dust particles and this creates more dust particles

More than 2.5 million comets in the solar system are major sources of dust

Extraterrestrial dust will continue to fall on Earth and it depends on the position of the solar system, strength, of solar wind, and cometary fragmentation

Extraterrestrial Dust in the Atmosphere Will Continue to COOL

the Earth Over the last 420,000 years there has been a

correlation between atmospheric dust in Greenlandic Ice and Antarctic Ice with cyclical changes every 100,000 years

During glaciations periods less water vapor is in the air and less rainfall causes less vegetation

This causes more desertification and more dust

Global Warming does not cause desertification but Global Cooling does…

Antarctic Ice has more dust now than it did in the 19th century

Dust is more than 30 times now than in glacial times

Global Cooling/Desertification

IPCC Sea Level Rise Report Lowers

The estimates for sea-level rise in the next 100 years IPCC 2007 has been lowered compared to their 2001 estimate report

The estimation of possible contribution of ice flow was taken out due to their lack of education about ice flow

The rates of ice flow increased between 1992-2003 in Greenland and Antarctica but it is unknown if the possible contribution of ice flow will continue

Antarctic

Polar Caps and Glaciers Melting

Thousands of years ago the great American ice caps melted and the water raised global sea levels by 243 feet..

Water continued to rise and has remained at the same sea level globally now for 8 thousand years

Northern hemisphere ice caps today consist of the Greenland ice sheet and the sea ice of the Arctic Ocean

There are signs that glaciers are melting away The Columbia Glacier in Alaska has been

contracting for the last 20 years America’s Glacier National Park will not have

any glaciers in a few decades

Polar Caps and Glaciers Melting

Greenland’s ice caps contain enough water to raise sea levels globally 20-25 feet

Fortunately, the temperatures in Greenland and Antarctic ice domes remain cold and temperatures continue to drop

Greenland and Antarctica are the only 2 places on Earth where freezing temperatures remain and are even decreasing

If Greenland ice cap melts it would be impossible to regenerate if Carbon Dioxide stops emitting into the Earth’s Atmosphere

No Proof Glacier and Polar Caps Melting are due to Humans

Emitting Carbon Dioxide Submarine measurements conclude that the

ice is only 60% as thick as it was four decades ago

The melting ice has no direct consequence for rising sea levels

Land ice is the only ice that rises sea levels Land Ice melts and runs into the sea thus,

raising sea levels In 2001 scientists eliminated the rising seas to

be the cause by humanity All the people in the world couldn’t stop the

rising of the seas no matter how much effort we put in

Antarctica

Greenland

Precipitation Increases at the Poles

More snow will compensate for any ice melting at the caps from precipitation increase at the poles

Scientists are still being educated so they can understand the effects of melting glaciers

There is no absolute answer to the exact amount of ice that is melting globally or the effects

No proof glacier and polar caps are melting due to Global Warming by human Carbon Dioxide emissions into the Earth’s atmosphere

Periods of Global Warming and Ice Ages

Roman Warming 1250 BC to 450 AD

Dark Ice Ages 450 AD to 900 AD

Medieval Warming 1900 AD to 1300 A

Little Ice Age – Thirteenth century 1280-1340, 1450-1540, 1645-1715, and 1795-1825

Roman Warming Temperature in this time was at least 2

degrees warmer than today Population increased Excess wealth Warm climate agriculture expanded in areas

with much higher latitudes and altitudes than now

Abundance of Forests derived New species of life developed and evolution

took its course No possibility this warming was due to human

emissions of Carbon Dioxide

Dark Ice Ages Followed the Roman Warming Crop Failure Disease War Decreased Population Famine Increased ice, strong cold winds, and darkness Social Disruption Refugee gangs wandered Europe searching for

food Mayans became destroyed People were hoping for a Global warming

Medieval Warming Medieval Warming followed the Dark Ice Ages Ice sheets from the Dark Ice Ages melted Glaciers and Sea Ice depleted Grain crops, cattle, sheep, farms, and villages

were established on Greenland which was at lease 6 degrees warmer than it is today

During this period there was about forty years that it was cold but crop failures and famine hardly occurred

Population increased by tens of millions and the warming created enough food to feed them all

Cathedrals, monasteries, and universities were built

Little Ice Age This ice age followed the Medieval Warming

and was caused by a decrease in solar activity Solar inactivity caused the climate to fluctuate

and created these cold years Similar to the Dark Ice Age Crop failure, Famine, disease, war, decreased

population Social disruption and starving refugees

roamed the land for food and ended up becoming cannibals

Food prices increased because of the shortage of crops

Vikings on Greenland became extinct

A Warming Trend After the ice age in 1850 a warming trend occurred

with cooler periods and still exists to this present day

WE currently live in the best times the Earth has ever had due to Global Warming

Benefits of food are enormous

Social stability still occurs in most parts of the world

Diverse forms of life exist and are continuously created

Conclusion Many scientists are still uncertain if Global

warming is caused by humans If Global Warming is not related to humans

then climate change will still continue naturally just like it has been for millions of years

It may be solar, it may be related to the oceans, and it may be internal to the Earth’s climate

There is a possibility we could have a Global Cooling before a Global Warming

Scientists continue to find absolute answers but we will never know what Mother Nature has in store for us

Be Friends with Earth

People globally can work together as a team and become friends with the Earth so our Ecosystem remains suitable for living and working together can make our planet a better place as long as we each do our part in helping to save it.

Simple things we can do to help are Recycle, conserve energy, keep waste minimal and just keep being friendly to the Environment

The End