Global Warming

John Schirber Schirber 1

Research Writing, Knudson

Primary Argument

4/2/07

Today we are engulfed with claims that global warming is ending the world indefinitely. The definition of global warming is the warming of the earth, supposable caused by humans. The facts that the media and congressmen give people can quiet honestly be disputed. Even though people want you to believe that global warming is here, in fact it may just be a way to scare people.

There are thousands of groups in the world telling us that global warming is going to end this world. They also have many facts and claim to prove global warming are present, although in the end how do you know that you can trust these facts.

To totally understand global warming, we have to make sure that we know and understand all the terms that are associated with global warming. The main term used in global warming is in fact global warming. Even though many people might know what global warming is, I just want to make sure people have a firm grasp on the meaning of it. Many times when global warming is used it is in context with humans and the pollution that we use. So then when ever people here about global warming they automatically think that that the humans are causing global warming. The encyclopedia definition of global warming is: the observed increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s near surface air and in recent decades and its projected continuation (Wikipedia).

A second major term that is used often in relation to global warming is the Greenhouse Effect. The definition of the Greenhouse Effect is when the earth’s radiated heat, from the sun, is trapped by the gases in the earth’s atmosphere(Tomkin). This definition states nothing about the pollution of humans, which many media sources will say that the greenhouse effect is caused by pollution.

A third term used in the discussion of global warming is ice age. Many people might think that there was only one ice age and it was a long time ago. Well in truth this is a common misconception shared by many people. The truth is that the earth goes through cycles and that in the history of the earth there have been seventeen ice ages (Ray). The last one was about 11,000 years ago, each ice age goes in a cycle of about 10,000-12,000 years, and so in truth we are due for one (Carlisle).

So now that we have the basic terms of global warming understood, it is time for claims that can be disputed. Many people may think that global warming is here and they might think that the media gives us all the right information, although in truth the information that we get might not be as credible as we think.

The first claim to fame is the Green House effect. The claim is that the emissions of carbon dioxides emitted by automobiles and factories of this planet are causing the Green House effect. Environmentalists argue that main factor of global warming, is in fact the greenhouse effect.

Every one from environmentalists to the common congressman thinks we need to do to fix the global warming problem. One of the biggest moves out today is the Kyoto Protocol. The United Nations got together and decided that they need to do something about the rising problem of global warming. The Kyoto Protocol is a mandatory amendment to the international treaty on climate change, to limit the amount of emissions, to help to reduce the Green House Effect (Wikipedia.com). The Kyoto Protocol was designed for more underdeveloped countries to help to bring emissions down. It also allows countries to participate in emission trading, which is providing incentives to countries to reduce emissions.

Another popular claim is that of the sea levels are going to rise and in the future most of the earth will be under water. Environmentalists say that the rising global temperature is melting the polar ice caps and the melted water is raising the sea levels. They tell us that the computed estimation by the year 2100 the sea level will be between 5.9 and 37 inches(IPCC report). They give us examples of low laying countries, coastal cities, river deltas, will all be flooded and ruined.

Another claim for indefinite global warming is that the climate change from global warming will be so drastic that it will never be able to be fixed. The international Committee for Climate Change (IPCC) supported this by a panel of five hundred scientists. The panel released a report saying the there is unfixable harm done to this planet. They also told us of how the climate change shrunk our glaciers and ice sheets. Other changes include the spread of infectious diseases and the changing of ocean currents.

We all know that there are quiet enough claims about global warming. Even though there