Putting on a coat will help you stay warm, but you will not stop the planet from warming up. As we burn fossil fuels, we increase CO2 levels in the atmosphere. These emissions warm the planet by reducing the amount of heat we lose. The average surface temperature of the Earth has increased by 1.1degC, and some continents are already warmer than the Arctic. Coastal flooding and record-breaking heatwaves are just some of the consequences of climate change.
Climate change
One of the biggest concerns facing our planet is climate change. Human activity is a major contributor to the warming of our planet’s climate. Human activities have increased the concentration of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, leading to an increase in temperatures around the world. The temperature rise is most commonly measured in degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit. Global temperatures have been rising steadily since the late 1970s. The rise is now widely acknowledged.
Methane in bogs, for example, is capable of oxidising to carbon dioxide or being released straight into the atmosphere. This gas is 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide, making it a significant contributor to climate change. Some scientists fear that this gas will accelerate global warming even more, creating a greater risk of severe impacts. Scientists are concerned that methane will continue to rise to dangerous levels, accelerating the rate of global warming.
In 2015, most national governments began the process of developing Carbon Click reduction plans.
The Paris Agreement aims to limit global warming to 1.5 degC. A recent report suggests that by 2041, the average temperature will be at or above that threshold. It is important to note that global warming is likely to be a result of human activity, so the world needs to act now. We need to work together to prevent climate catastrophes. The Paris Agreement should be a strong motivating force for everyone.
Natural forcings
While anthropogenic climate change is a primary cause of global warming, natural forcings have an important role as well. For the last 2,000 years, scientists have studied the impact of these forcings on climate. While they do not fully explain recent global warming, they have provided an explanation for past climate variability. Here are some of the factors that are driving global warming. They are: Natural forcings, volcanic activity, and human activity.
The CAMS model estimates climate forcings using the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5). These estimates account for uncertainties associated with greenhouse gases, ozone, and aerosols. Carbon dioxide and methane are the main contributors to the total radiative forcing, while aerosols contribute to the cooling. But the combination of all these factors is a strong force behind recent global warming. It is hard to make a direct connection between human activities and climate change.
In the figure below, the estimated contributions of various climate forcings to global surface temperature over the past 150 years are shown. The red line is due to greenhouse gases, while the dark blue and light blue lines are due to aerosols. The pink and orange lines are due to volcanic eruptions. The black dots represent observed temperatures from the Berkeley Earth surface temperature project. The grey line shows the total expected warming as a result of the combination of different forcings.
Impacts on the carbon cycle
In billions of years, the Earth’s carbon cycle has changed significantly. Many prehistoric changes have resulted in larger amounts of carbon in the atmosphere. During the Devonian Period of the Paleozoic Period, for example, the amount of carbon in the atmosphere increased due to volcanic eruptions. However, volcanic eruptions are rare in modern times, and modern carbon dioxide levels are high due to the burning of fossil fuels.
In the tropics, the carbon cycle is more affected by surface albedo changes, compared to temperate and Boreal climates. However, this effect is smaller than in temperate and Boreal climates, where the net biophysical effect is cooling. The combined effect of global warming and the carbon cycle is warming. In the Southern Hemisphere, this effect is cooling. However, the effects of global warming on the carbon cycle are more modest.
A lot of uncertainty remains regarding the carbon budget for the entire planet. While there are natural processes that significantly dampen the accumulation of carbon in the atmosphere, the amount of CO2 emitted by humans remains a major unknown. This makes it difficult to predict future climate change and the role of natural carbon sinks. As the carbon budget for the planet is changing, the emissions of all countries must be accounted for.