Global warming, or climate change, has been a much-debated topic for a while. Some believe it doesn’t exist, that it’s not going to change anything, and some believe that it’s something to be of great concern, especially in the coming years. Carbon dioxide is one of the issues that is causing this global warming, or climate change, to happen. To understand what is happening exactly in this topic, we must first discuss what carbon dioxide is and what the effects are, specifically in our atmosphere. Also, how do we help reduce the risk?
First off, global warming is the heating of the Earth, including the oceans and the atmosphere. “Scientists have documented the rise in average temperatures worldwide since the late 1800’s. Earth’s average temperature has risen by 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit over the past century, according to the Environmental; Protection Agency (EPA)” and are told to rise in the coming years (Bradford).
Whereas, global warming is included in climate change. Climate change has effects other than global warming. “…climate change includes warming and the “side effects” of warming—like melting glaciers, heavier rainstorms, or more frequent drought” (Kennedy, C., Lindsey, R.). Basically, global warming is only one slice of the whole cake that is climate change.
Now that we know the difference between global warming and climate change, it’s time to discuss what carbon dioxide is. It “is one of the simplest and commonest molecules in the universe. It has only three Atoms – one carbon and two oxygen atoms” (Carr). It’s important for every living thing on Earth. But what happens when the Earth is hotter? “…most of the carbon dioxide on earth [is] melted and become[s] a gas – the molecules of carbon dioxide float in the air. Less than one percent of our air is carbon dioxide” (Carr). However, it is still a dangerous gas, no matter how much is in the air or not.
Why is it in our atmosphere and why is that a terrible thing? Carbon dioxide is a gas that is known as a “greenhouse gas.” “These gases absorb warmth from their surroundings and re-radiate some of it back toward Earth’s surface, slowing the rate at which the planet loses heat” (Kennedy). This is where the term “greenhouse effect” comes into play. It’s not necessarily an awful effect because the animals and plants of Earth have enjoyed the warm temperatures. Without this effect, “Earth’s average temperature would fall below freezing” (Kennedy).
Unfortunately, having too much carbon dioxide can be dangerous. Because of our human nature, we advance in our technology and we advance in our evolution over time. With this, comes the industrial revolution. During this, “…humans began burning coal, natural gas, and oil to power machines for manufacturing and transportation. Since then, we have burned more fossil fuels each decade, releasing vast amounts of carbon dioxide that were previously stores in the ground into the atmosphere” (Kennedy). Regrettably, our advancement has caused more carbon dioxide to be let into the atmosphere causing global warming to increase and climate change to take into effect.
The effects are causing the planet to warm at an increasing rate and is therefor, making the ice caps melt and causing oceans to rise above their natural sea level. As well as, “…shifting precipitation patterns, expansion of areas affected by drought, increasing numbers of severe heat waves, and more intense precipitation events” (Kennedy).
Not only does it cause all those mentioned above, but it also influences the oceans acidity which can cause marine life to die. “When the carbon enters the ocean, it dissolves, forming carbonic acid. The carbonic acid then dissociates, and forms bicarbonate ions and hydrogen ions. As the hydrogen ions increase, so does the ocean’s acidity” (Atkin). It’s obviously not a good thing for us, and the plant and animal life in the oceans.
As a final point, global warming and climate change are different, but they go hand in hand because global warming is just one of the effects during climate change. It’s not something to just brush off your shoulders. It may catch up with you in your lifetime, as it is already becoming of great concern today.
Carbon dioxide in our atmosphere is affecting our life on Earth because of the massive amounts of change we have done to cause this rise of these gases. In return, it has heated up our planet, not a terrible thing, as mentioned above, but it can be the cause of our rising sea levels and acidity in our oceans.
What can we do to stop this? Or at the very least, reduce our contribution of rising carbon dioxide levels. You can use “Carbon-free energy sources [like] solar power, wind power, geothermal power, low head hydro-power, and nuclear power” (Ways to Reduce). You can also use public transportation to reduce more emission from cars. The more people ride bikes and use less vehicles to travel, will not only eliminate carbon dioxide being emitted into the air, but reduces traffic. It’s a win-win.
References
Atkin, E. (2015, April 13). Too Much Carbon Dioxide May Have Caused Earth’s Worst Mass Extinction. Retrieved May 27, 2017, from https://thinkprogress.org/too-much-carbon-dioxide-may-have-caused-earths-worst-mass-extinction-c8c2a240619
Bradford, A. (2014, December 15). What Is Global Warming? Retrieved May 27, 2017, from http://www.livescience.com/37003-global-warming.html
Carr, K. (n.d.). What is Carbon Dioxide? Retrieved May 27, 2017, from http://quatr.us/chemistry/atoms/carbondioxide.htm
Kennedy, C. (2016, May 20). Climate Change: Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide. Retrieved May 27, 2017, from https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-atmospheric-carbon-dioxide
Kennedy, C., & Lindsey, R. (2015, June 17). What’s the difference between global warming and climate change? Retrieved May 27, 2017, from https://www.climate.gov/news-features/climate-qa/whats-difference-between-global-warming-and-climate-change
Ways to Reduce Carbon Dioxide Emissions. (n.d.). Retrieved May 27, 2017, from https://teeic.indianaffairs.gov/er/carbon/carboninfo/reduce/index.htm
