Scientific Literacy Exam Essay
Why is it difficult to clearly connect specific human activity and observed climate change?
An increase of global temperatures is usually referred as global warming and climate change. Global climate change is greatly influenced by the human activities as well as by the impact of natural events.
Among the changes influenced by human activities the most important is the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas.
Taking into account the fact, that climate is a complex system and there are many forces that may influence it, and we can’t provide a convincing conclusion about the impact of certain human activity on the whole climate system.
The contribution of human activities into the process of climate change consists mostly of greenhouse gases, aerosols, and cloudiness.
The burning fossil fuels that influence the carbon dioxide gas release into the atmosphere is the best known human impact into the observed climate change. The climate is greatly affected by greenhouse gases and aerosols. Due to the industry development and natural processes (such as solar changes and volcanic eruptions), the warming effect on climate can be noticed.
Why is climate change such a tough problem to solve? (Discuss at least FIVE specific items to support your answer.)
The changes of climate have become an important issue in our everyday lives. The nature jut not able to handle amount of stress we place on it. Among the most substantial climate problems five elements can be defined:
The first element is the Earths’ Life Support System. The Greenhouse Effect means that atmosphere acts like a blanket to keeps the certain amount of heat under. The enhancement of the Greenhouse Effect directly leads to global warming.
The second element is called effects of climate change on the marine environment. It includes polar ice caps melting; a rise in sea level, but meantime deserts will expand on the land anyway. The increase in ultraviolet radiation that penetrates the atmosphere is another threat to the marine environment.
The third element is called El Nino, which originally was to a warm current along the coast of Peru that took place each winter, increasing temperatures in that region. Along with atmospheric pressures, wind fields, surface ocean currents and rainfall in Pacific ocean, El Nino is a part of climate changes nowadays.
A coral bleaching is the fourth element. Actually reefs could help the rise in sea level, but taking into count the increasingly hot ocean water temperatures, it becomes impossible.
And finally the fifth element is a complex climate change itself. . An important thing to realise when thinking about climate is that, atmospheric and oceanic circulation carries different climatic features all over the planet. For example, the emissions of greenhouse gases from industry in the Northern Hemisphere may contribute to increasing the Greenhouse Effect, which has implications for the entire planet. The days of “dump it in your own backyard” are over, as we realise that there is only one big planetary backyard! An increase in our industrial, agricultural and energy practises in the last 150 or so years has contributed to a build up of ‘Greenhouse’ gases (Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Chloroflorocarbons (CFC’S) and Nitrous Oxide) in the atmosphere.
New energy sources and related technologies are seen as possible solutions to climate change. Select one such alternative-energy option and discuss its feasibility to address climate change.
I would like to select the renewable energy as an alternative-energy option.
Under the renewable energy such kinds of alternative energy as solar, hydro, wind, geothermal, rural, ocean and biomass are known.
The renewable energies have got the highest development in the following countries: Brazi), China, China, Denmark, Germany, India, Japan and the US.
Indisputably, renewable energy’s major strong sides are: it’s clean, it doesn’t pollute the air, of course it’s renewable, and also it doesn’t influence the global climate change and greenhouse effects.
The low cost of the renewable energy is also important advantage; the cost of operations is relatively cheap in comparison with other options. Renewable energy sources have environmental, health and cost advantages over fossil fuels. We need to remember that depending on the source of renewable energy the cost may differ. For example, the cheapest sources are wind and bio-energy, while coal and gas considered to be more expensive (but anyway, the nuclear energy is has a much higher price).
Besides it, renewable energy sources are crucial to sustainable human life on planet Earth.
Among the disadvantages of renewable energy sources I can name a few, for instance:
Large quantities of electricity is a very difficult ro produce;
The cost of starting renewable energy production is relatively high, since it is an innovative technology;
The production of solar energy critically depends on daytime hours and weather conditions;
The production of wind energy is very reliant on strong winds.
Hydroelectric energy (incl. ocean energy) is one of the most reliable energy sources, but it makes an impact on ecology and causes some problems.
Production of geothermal energy may be expansive because of the drilling of geothermal reservoirs;
Production of biomass electricity is highly dependent on transportation, and may influence the ecological diversity as well.
In order to maintain the stable energy supply, a mix of renewable sources should be used by the household. Some renewable energy sources, like wind and solar, are out of human control, therefore you can’t totally rely on them.
