Micro-Activity #14: Continue Drafting the Annotations

“Reverse Global Warming | Climate Crisis | Unveiled”, Unveiled,  Oct 25,2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_KMW_IDC3c, accessed Oct 20, 2020.

The video titled “Reverse Global Warming” produced by Unveiled, a channel on YouTube that answers hypothetical scientific questions, was about the possible ways of reverse global warming. In the video, they talk about the causes of Global Warming, as well as ways in order to reverse it. Some of the causes of global warming talked about was keeping and maintaining domestic livestock, cars, fossil fuels, and deforestation. They talk about many possible solutions that can be done right now in order to become what’s called “Carbon neutral”, which is getting rid of as much  carbon as you’re using. To become carbon neutral, people would need to be taking more public transportation and planting more trees. In order to be “carbon negative”, which is getting rid of carbon footprints altogether, we would need to find a way to reflect the sun’s rays back into space, or create some artificial way to remove the greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. 

In my opinion, as well as based off of what I know already, I believe that this video was very accurate and helpful. The source used provided a well organized list of possible solutions in order to reverse climate change. Climate Change is a serious topic, but it is nice to know that there is a possible solution to this problem. I also found a bit of information that I did not know previously. One example of this is that a single tree can absorb up to 13-48 pounds of carbon a year. This information I personally found useful and interesting. Overall, the video was well structured and presented information in an engaging, interesting, a digestible way to the viewer. 

The tone of the video was informative. While the information could also be conveyed in text form, it works well as a video, as it is more digestible. When it comes to conveying information on reversing climate change, it does it very effectively. The video was produced by a channel called Unveiled on YouTube. This is a rather credible source of information because their parent company WatchMojo is known for prioritizing credible information when making their videos, especially their scientific ones. 

“According to NASA reports, 97% agree that the driving force for global warming is human activity. If it’s left unchecked, we will be facing a catastrophe”

“While a 1° difference in average temperature might seem small it actually takes a massive amount of heat to warm the entire planet by even that margin. and such a temperature change may have major consequences after all it can take just one or two degrees of cooling to trigger an ice age.”

“the likes of carbon dioxide stay in the atmosphere for hundreds of years, so everything that’s been added since the Industrial Revolution will continue to wield damage.”

LaPan, Jennifer. “Particles in Upper Atmosphere Slow down Global Warming – Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet.” NASA, NASA, 16 Sept. 2014, climate.nasa.gov/news/556/particles-in-upper-atmosphere-slow-down-global-warming/. 

In the article “Particles in Upper Atmosphere Slow down Global Warming” written by Jennifer LaPan, they talk about how small particles in the stratosphere, the upper layer in the atmosphere, can play a significant role in cooling the earth, even though the effects can be temporary. These particles are called “Stratospheric aerosols”. The stratospheric aerosols are composed of small droplets of sulfuric acid and water. They can be created by humans through coal and wood burning, but the quantity produced through those methods are miniscule when compared to the amount that volcanic eruptions produce. These volcanic eruptions produce sulfur which floats up into the sky, causing the radiation which would otherwise heat up the earth to be reflected back into outer space. The article is saying that this effect should be considered when talking about climate change, as well as possible solutions to cooling the earth.

In my opinion I find this article interesting, as well as the idea. I have previously researched other methods of cooling the earth. One method included placing giant mirrors around the world in order to reflect the radiation from the sun back into space. I find it interesting to think that one of the many possible methods of cooling the earth, especially naturally, ironically enough has something to do with a volcanic eruption. The article was very informative.

The tone of the article is informative. It is meant to educate the readers, as well as provide an insight into the scientific discussion of how to cool down the earth. The purpose of this article is to inform the readers, as well as fellow scientists, that the debris created by volcanic eruptions should be included in the conversation about slowing down climate change. It should be viewed as a possible solution, and should be included in models talking about climate change. The author is claiming that volcanic eruptions are essentially just an overlooked variable that should be added to the conversation. I personally think that the author is credible because she lists some experiments that were conducted in the past to justify her thoughts on why they should be considered in climate change models and simulations.

“These stratospheric aerosols that need to be taken into account are heavily influenced by a natural source—volcanic eruptions.”

“Even in times without major eruptions, the role of the stratosphere’s sulfuric aerosol in climate has remained significant. If they are neglected, it can result in overestimates of global warming in coming decades, particularly if these aerosols remain present at current values or increase,”

“Vernier explains that the radiative effects of aerosols are noteworthy—about 1/3 that of carbon dioxide over the past decade. The average radiative forcing between 2000 and 2010 by stratospheric aerosols has cooled the Earth down at 0.1 watts per meter squared, while the amount of carbon dioxide emitted in the same decade has warmed the Earth at 0.3 watts per meter squared.”