An issue that the earth faces now and for the future is the long-term effects of climate change. There are many pieces of evidence that proves that climate change is in fact happening to the earth. Average earth temperature, ocean water temperature rises and ocean levels rising due to the melting of the polar ice & extreme change in weather patterns have all been linked to climate change (NASA). One reason behind climate change is things that human’s are doing to the earth themselves. Human’s are directly responsible for the increase of greenhouse gasses on the earth, making climate change rapidly worse. Some of these greenhouse gasses are Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4) & Nitrous Oxide (N2O) (“Guardian”). If humans want to reverse the effects of climate change that they have caused on the earth, it is important to realize what they did wrong at the start and try to find where they can reverse their footprint on greenhouse gasses & climate change.
The Greenhouse Effect is when the infrared radiation that is trying to leave the earth cannot because of the greenhouse gasses blocking them leaving. When this happens, the earth is basically trapping the radiation that is trying to leave which causes rise in temperature (“HyperPhysics”). This is primarily caused by Carbon Dioxide absorbing the infrared radiation and keeping it in the earth’s atmosphere. With the increase of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, the earth gradually gets warmer as the gasses build up, causing a chain reaction that contribute to climate change.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is the primary greenhouse gas that is causing climate change, with it making up 75% of the gasses in the greenhouse effect (“Guardian”).  The main cause of the buildup of CO2 is the burning of fossil fuels (coal, gas and oil). It was only a few years ago that the SUV “Hummer” was popular in America, which has very poor gas mileage. Large truck and SUV’s that have poor gas mileage means more people need gas to fill up their cars. The constant and increasing burning of gas leads to an increase of CO2 in the earth’s atmosphere. The problem with CO2 in the earth’s atmosphere is that it stays in the earth’s atmosphere for anytime length of time between 100-500 years (Cook), making it harder to decrease the amount of CO2 already in the atmosphere. Cutting down the tree’s and rainforests have also contributed to the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere. Tree’s absorb CO2 while recycling that into Oxygen. With tree’s and rainforests getting cut down, there are less tree’s to start the recycling process of CO2  to Oxygen.
Methane (CH4) is the second highest greenhouse gas, with about 14% of the gas contributing to the greenhouse effect. (“Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change”) CH4 is caused manly by effected the environment on earth, including dumping waste and herding livestock. (“Greenhouse Gas Emissions”) CH4 is normally reduced by soil and other natural chemicals found in nature, but humans are reducing the amount of natural reducers on the earth. CH4 does not stay in the atmosphere as long as CO2, but it traps more radiation. Because industry’s use a large amount of natural gas and petroleum (crude oil), CH4 is emitted. In agriculture, livestock emitted large amounts of CH4 naturally. Animal manure is also a cause of CH4, which humans store and sell. Irresponsible waste and not recycling also cause CH4 increase because landfills is the 3rd largest source of CH4 (“Greenhouse Gas Emissions”).
Nitrous Oxide (N2O) makes up about 8% of the greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere (“Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change”). Although N2O is a completely natural element in the earth’s atmosphere, human’s have increased the amount of N2O to a harmful level. N2O is worse for the greenhouse effect than methane is  (“Guardian”). The primary cause of N2O in the atmosphere is agriculture, when nitrogen is added to soil (“Greenhouse Gas Emissions”). Nitrogen is added to soil as a fertilizer because it is a lot cheaper then normal fertilizer. This causes N2O to be emitted into the atmosphere. Another cause of N2O increase in the atmosphere is transportation vehicles and what they emit when they burn their fuel. Depending on how clean the vehicle burns it’s fuel is how much N2O it emits into the atmosphere. N2O stays in the earth’s atmosphere between 100-150 years.
Climate Change has been a hard pressing topic for a few years. This is due to the public being made aware that climate change is a big issue that needs to be resolved. The popular documentary An Inconvenient Truth that came out in 2006 first rose major awareness in the public. Former Vice President Al Gore who wrote and stared in the movie has made it his mission to make the public more aware of their contributions to climate change in hope that people will take action to try to stop the effects. Gore created “The Climate Project” in 2006 to also raise awareness of climate change to the public (“Climate Reality Project”). Many other politicians have publicly supported the idea of climate change being an important issue for the future of the earth. President Obama has said in his second term climate change will be a priority and that it is important to educate the public on the issue (Freedman).
Climate Change has rightfully become a major topic of discussion amongst everyone. Climate Change is a global problem and every country and people who live on this earth should be concerned because it affects everyone. The more people are aware, the more people will realize that they need to take action because everyone contributes to the climate changing. If more people recycling, purchasing cars that have good gas mileage and corporate responsible taking care of their physical waste is started, then the effects of climate change can be slowed down and over time the reversal of what generations are have done to the earth can get started.
Work Cited
“About The Climate Leadership Corps.” The Climate Reality Project. N.p.. Web. 4 Dec 2012. <http://presenters.climaterealityproject.org/content/about>.
Freedman, Andrew. “Obama Affirms Support for Action on Climate Change.” . Climate Central, 14 Nov 2012. Web. 4 Dec 2012. <http://www.climatecentral.org/news/obama-affirms-support-for-action-on-climate-change-15244>.
“Global anthropogenic GHG emissions.” Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. N.p.. Web. 3 Dec 2012. <http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/syr/en/figure-spm-3.html>.
“Greenhouse Effect.” HyperPhysics. Georgia State University. Web. 3 Dec 2012. <http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/thermo/grnhse.html>.
“Climate change: How do we know?.” NASA. N.p.. Web. 3 Dec 2012. <http://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/>.
Cook, David. “Carbon Dioxide Duration in Atmosphere.” Ask A Scientist. US Department of Energy, June 2011. Web. 3 Dec 2012. <http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/wea00/wea00296.htm>.
“Methane Emissions.” Greenhouse Gas Emissions. United States Enviromental Protection Agency, 14 June 2012. Web. 3 Dec 2012. <http://epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases/ch4.html>.
“What are the main man-made greenhouse gases?.” The Guardian. N.p., 21 Feb 2011. Web. 2 Dec 2012. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/feb/04/man-made-greenhouse-gases>.
