Climate Change Due to Industrial Waste

Since global warming appeared during the last decade as a serious environmental issue, it has been the subject of a lot of debate. Global warming is defined as the warming of the earth by greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere naturally or by mankind. It is a problem that is plaguing the world in many ways. There has been much argument between those who are advocates of immediate change in industrial emissions, and those who believe that the increased temperature is a natural phenomenon.

Advocates of immediate change believe that sudden changes in the earth’s climate can be attributed to human activities. Human made commodities such at power plants, factories and cars produce toxic emissions that are released into the air, causing harm to the environment. Scientist have done much research and are certain that if nothing is done to reduce the waste products produced by industrial technologies, the world might be headed for dangerous times. “Global changes in atmospheric composition occur from anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide that results from the burning of fossil fuels and methane and nitrous oxide from multiple human activities.” (Teich 236) These gases that are emitted into the environment have increased substantially over the past decade. The graph bellow shows the change in temperature in the past ten years, and it predicts the change in temperature in the future.

Temperature change 1765-2100: Graph excerpted from the IPCC's Third

Assessment Report showing past and predicted changes to global temperature.

According to scientist there are several key factors that have lead them to believe that waste products from industrialization have caused tremendous harm to the environment. They are as follows:

• Certain gasses, such as carbon dioxide, in the atmosphere create a "greenhouse effect", trapping heat and keeping the Earth warm enough to sustain life as we know it.

• Burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, etc.) releases more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

• Although not the most potent greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide is the most significant in terms of human effects because of the large quantities emitted. Carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere are now the highest in 150,000 years. (Green Peace)

The fact that there have been so many toxins released into the environment makes it inevitable for humans to avoid any changes in the environment. “The rate of change can be slowed, but it is unlikely to be stopped in the twenty-first century. Because concentrations