Global Warming or Climate Change?

Global Warming or Climate Change?

Are we really facing global warming, or is it climate change? In order to answer this question, the terms “global warming” and “climate change” must be defined. It seems obvious that temperatures are rising, but what doesn’t seem to be so clear to some is what may be the cause of this change, and it seems that the two aforementioned terms are indicative of a belief of some that the temperature change is either a result of a naturally occurring climate change, or a more humanity-induced symptom of climate change called global warming.

First, let’s focus on global warming. According to sources such as the NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) websites, by scientific definition, “global warming describes the average global surface temperature increase from human emissions of greenhouse gases.” (NASA) The most well-known and emitted greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is released into our atmosphere naturally through such simple means as exhaling breath from our lungs, but is greatly accelerated through the burning of fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal, and oil. Couple the increase in carbon dioxide emissions with a decrease of foliage due to deforestation, and the atmospheric ratio of carbon dioxide to other gases becomes even more unbalanced. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in 2014 carbon dioxide comprised 81% of all greenhouse gas emissions, and the total of all emissions were the equivalent of 6,870 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. As a result of decades of such activity, Earth’s average temperature has risen 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit over the past century, and is estimated to rise another 0.5 to 8.6 degrees Fahrenheit over the next 100 years. (EPA) That could make for some pretty miserable summers and a substantial decline in beloved white winters.

Climate change, on the other hand, is all-encompassing, and while it can include human-induced climate changes, leaves room for natural causes as well. Global warming is a type of climate change, but climate change can be used to describe changes in anything from changes in temperature to changes in rainfall, hurricane frequency, and the melting of ice caps. Natural causes for such changes can include increases or decreases in solar sunspots, Milankovitch Cycles, volcanic activity, and changes in ocean circulation. (weather.about.com) Arguments against the existence of human-induced global warming that I have seen include, for example, “MYTH…: Global warming will cause more storms and other weather extremes. FACT: There is no scientific or statistical evidence whatsoever that supports such claims on a global scale.” (friendsofscience.org) There are two problems I see with this argument: First, the website containing the argument includes no citations or references to back up its claims (aside from a link to another page on the same website); second, hurricanes are caused by warm water and warm air! If global temperatures rise, it seems logical to say that so will the frequency of severe storms! Another argument I’ve encountered is that “99% of Scientists don’t believe in Catastrophic Man-Made Global Warming,” where a claim is made that in an unnamed study with no reference only 75 scientists said they believe in global warming; the supposed link to a reference returned a “404” error page on none other than the same website making the claim. (globalclimatescam.com) This website also claims that over 31,000 scientists have signed a petition saying they don’t believe in human-induced global warming; the problem is that when you investigate the petition, anyone can sign and check a box marked “M.S.,” “B.S.,” or “Ph.D” “in the field of _______.” (petitionproject.org) Sadly, I have been unable to find credible sources to advocate that global warming is not occurring.

On the other hand, as previously cited, there is overwhelming evidence supported by the likes of NASA that these changes are not naturally occurring, but rather that there is a direct relationship between human activity and the emission of greenhouse gases and the rise in global temperatures. Some advocates for natural climate change have good points, such as Earth’s history of natural climate change, but there is no denying that with the burning of fossil fuels and massive deforestation that we are contributing a great deal to the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. If carbon dioxide emissions have increased, and the capacity of natural conversion of carbon dioxide into oxygen to create an atmospheric balance is decreasing (via deforestation), then it is only logical, regardless of data, that a warming effect would follow. The last time I checked, the burning of fossil fuels and massive deforestation are human activities, not natural occurrences.

In conclusion, yes, it is true that we are experiencing climate change- in the form of global warming. Advocacy of climate change was never the problem, but to use it rhetorically in an attempt to discredit global warming, which is evidently a very real symptom of climate change, just seems ignorant in light of scientific evidence. The fact of whether global warming exists and whether or not it is caused by humanity is hopefully, at this point, not the question. The question is, what are we going to do about it?

Works Cited