Walt Decherd – A Sustainable World

Looking Beyond Global Climate Change

Walt Decherd Greenhouse Gasses By Tony Hazelton

In the debate over global warming, the reasoning of those who oppose taking action usually centers on accuracy of the science. However, regardless of how one looks at the science, there still is reason for concern as well as reasons everyone should want to take action even if they are not convinced by the evidence.

While there is no way to perfectly measure past temperatures and levels of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, all the best evidence is pretty consistent and pointing to in the same direction. However, lets put that all aside and look at other reasons why the most prudent and logical thinking does point to taking action now.

There are some things that everyone should be in agreement on:

First, people should be aware that the greenhouse effect itself is something there is absolutely zero scientific debate on. Certain gases most certainly trap heat in the atmosphere. Without this effect, global temperatures would be much lower and life as we know it could not exist. The only point in debate is if human activity is increasing the quantity of these gases enough to effect global temperatures.

Also, many people assume that the natural state of world temperatures is rather constant. However, when we look at the geologic record, nothing could be further from the truth. Global temperatures are certainly not written in stone and in fact have varied from the very hot to global ice ages over the history of the planet.

Finally, human beings clearly do dump massive amounts of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, and human activity has reduced the capacity of the planet to absorb these gasses by causing advancing deserts and other environmental problems. While some argue that human activity is small compared to the size of the earth and natural forces, it is something that compounds daily.

With these facts in mind, even if one is not convinced by the evidence given by the scientists to prove global warming, is this not this at least a cause for concern? We know that the global warming is real, that the climate fluctuates and they human activity is changing the atmosphere at least to an extent. Even if it cannot be absolutely proven it is enough to change global climate, it cannot be proven it is not either.

Furthermore, there are other reasons to take action even if global climate change could be taken completely out of the equation. Fossils fuels are from fossils and will run out in a relatively short period of time, even if the world does not experience a major crisis with oil soon as some fear. Also, much of the money spent on fossil fuels goes to corrupt, oppressive regimes and it often ends up in the hands of terrorists and others that most people do not want to finance.

By moving toward energy conservation and alternatives to fossil fuels now, we can start moving towards a future where clean energy can be produced at home with an economy that is much more efficient. This should be something that everyone apart from those directly profiting from oil should support. The policies needed to combat climate changed would have positive benefits for humanity that go well beyond the current debate.

Tags: Walt Decherd Climate Change

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Global Warming – An Overview of Causes and Effects

Global Warming Overview By Walt Decherd By Tom A Sullivan

Global Warming as most people know it is the rising of global temperatures caused by human pollution of Carbon Gasses. However, the effects of global warming are much more complex than the Earth just getting warmer. To understand the effects of global warming we must first understand what creates global warming and how the earth’s natural greenhouse effect operates. So, lets look at how global warming is happening?

The Earth has a natural way of warming itself, so that it does not freeze when it turns away from the sun at night. The way the Earth Naturally warms itself is called the Greenhouse effect. The carbon gasses in the air act as a greenhouse, trapping in heat energy, but letting light energy through. These gasses are known as greenhouse gasses. When light rays from the sun strike earth’s surface or atmosphere (really, any matter) the light energy is absorbed and turned into thermal energy, aka heat. As heat radiates off of Earth’s surface much of it is trapped by the Greenhouse gases. Some heat escapes but much of it is trapped. This phenomenon is known as the greenhouse effect. We are very lucky that we have the greenhouse effect. It allows there to be life on Earth. Without it, Earth would be subject to temperatures of hundreds of degree differences between night and day. This would lead to freezing at night, which most species cannot survive during.

The greenhouse gasses only cause global warming when they are added to the atmosphere in excess; when we have an enhanced greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is enhanced when excess carbon from the burning of fossil fuels. When carbon gasses are more concentrated in our atmosphere, they act as a thicker blanket, which traps more heat, and even less of the heat energy radiating off of Earth’s surface can escape into space.

However, Global Warming does not necessarily mean that that all climate areas on Earth will experience an increase in temperature. Because the temperatures on earth are caused by both differences in latitude and nearness to ocean currents that circulate heat around the earth, not all places will experience an increase in temperature. For example, we expect areas of low latitude, near the equator, to be warmer and areas near the poles to be colder. This is because at different latitudes the angle that the sun strikes earth affects the amount of light energy that can be absorbed. However, because the ocean currents also affect temperatures, not all places will experience an increase in temperatures.

Currents are controlled by 2 factors: Wind and the salinity of the ocean. As Global Warming starts to play out and ice adds fresh water to the ocean water, this will affect the salinity of the ocean currents and will actually change the currents. For instance, it is thought that when the glacial ice now residing on Greenland melts, it will halt the Gulf Stream current that brings the warm temperatures to Western Europe. This will send Europe into a mini ice age. When currents change levels of precipitation also change to the areas affected by the currents. So, we see that global warming is far more complex than just the earth growing warmer. Currents and weather patterns will change as well.

Tags: Walt Decherd About Rising Temperature

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Global Greenhouse Effect and C02

Walt Decherd Economy Proceedings By Lottie Carrot

According to a paper from the Proceedings of the National Economy of Sciences, we are producing too much C02. The C02 has a literal “bath tub” effect on the globe, as it continues to fill and the “drainage” is not working fast enough. To add to this problem is the fact that the environment is experiencing warmth amplification from other greenhouse gases.

Slew of problems:

On the global scale, climate change and its vicissitudes, including amplified warming would have profound effects on the lives of people everywhere. These are all interrelated, and even the ozone hole is not improving.

C02 emissions from the use of oil products and fossil fuels have increased the C02 saturation in the atmosphere, to the point that the natural “sinks” where the C02 can drain are clogging up. Plants and other natural “sinks” cannot absorb or transform the C02 fast enough.

The effect?

Amplified warming in most of the areas of the world that have been used to the cold. Northern Europe is not excluded from this bleak picture. With the problem of peak oil and other significant man-made problems, it seems that there is little to smile about in the coming fifteen or so years.

Job for the Governments:

Scientists and climatologists have been literally “bugging” national governments to take care of the climate and the environment. Now that climate change cannot possibly be a good thing in relation to food production in sensitive regions of the world, science is waiting for human intervention to happen.

The current treaties, such as the Kyoto Protocol are not really helping that much due to the sheer number of people dependent on technologies that produce carbon dioxide emissions. The problem is widespread but not incurable.

However, there is a misconception that if people lower emissions, the warming will stop. This is not the case, since the warming has evolved through hundreds of years the Earth will need more time to stabilize itself. However, not doing something now can speed up the processes. A long term solution is required to control the millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions thrown to the air on a yearly basis.

Tags: Walt Decherd Greenhouse

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The Effect of Green House Gases

The Effect of Green House Gases By Eleanor B. Jhonsons

Earth, the only planet in our solar system or as far as evidence indicates the only planet in the whole Universe that supports life, was not like as we see it now since its beginning. Earth has been able to give a safe home to life because of its unique place in the solar system; it’s neither too close to the Sun nor too far away. As Earth is situated away from the Sun preventing it from being a hell of a warm place, there was the possibility that it may have been freezing cold for life to form and flourish here. But thanks to the greenhouse gases present in Earth’s atmosphere that play their role in keeping it warm enough.

Greenhouse gases are those gases residing in Earth’s atmosphere that absorb and emit radiation and thus, keep Earth warmer. The ‘Greenhouse Effect’ is the natural process through which these atmospheric constituents absorb sunlight. Sun, the only star in our Solar System, emits light that reaches Earth’s atmosphere. The greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb the long wave radiation emitted by Sun which warms the atmosphere and these long wave radiations are emitted both upward and downward; the downward emission of radiation by atmosphere is called the ‘Greenhouse Effect’.

The greenhouse gases present in Earth’s atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and ozone. Water vapor is the most abundant gas and plays the lead role in warming earth causing 36-70% of ‘greenhouse effect’. Carbon dioxide contributes 9-26%, methane 4-9% while ozone’s share is about 3-7%. Some of the other greenhouse gases present in much smaller quantities are sulfur hexafluoride, hydro fluorocarbons, chlorofluorocarbons, per fluorocarbons and nitrous oxide. Two of the major components of Earth’s atmosphere, oxygen and nitrogen are thankfully not greenhouse gases otherwise earth’s atmosphere would have been far warmer than it is now.

Although, these greenhouse gases have been playing a major role in providing life on Earth the perfect temperature to survive, since the Industrial Revolution human activities have caused increase in quantity of green house gases in the atmosphere. More greenhouse gases will trap more and more heat from Sun giving rise to the Global Warming phenomenon.

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