The Reality of Global Warming and Climate Change

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• Tags: Climate Change, Featured, Global Warming, reality of global warming and climate change

There is significant evidence that our planet’s weather and climate patterns are changing rapidly as a direct result of global warming. Droughts, receding glaciers and ice caps, extreme storms, rises in ocean temperatures and sea levels, shifts in distribution of organisms and diseases are just some of the results of the reality of climate change.

Human activities are a significant contributing cause. Compelling scientific evidence has come to light to quantify this issue and the rate at which carbon dioxide is being absorbed by the world’s oceans has now depreciated significantly. From this point forward, more and more of our CO2 output will go straight into the atmosphere, adding to global warming and climate change.

Climate change is happening because of carbon dioxide being released into our atmosphere. This is like the city smogs that we used to see in the 1900’s, retaining or trapping the infrared heat from the sun in the atmosphere. Global mean temperature rises can be directly related to the mean increase in carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.

The Arctic is receding quickly (as a direct result of Global Warming) according to reports from scientists and arctic natives. The Arctic Climate Impact Assessment was released in late 2004 which shows changes from the ice at the North Pole to animals and human settlements. More recent reports from Greenland reveal glaciers moving meters per hour and rapid thinning. The Arctic ice cap is shrinking in summer to the smallest it’s ever been in modern measurements, and even winter cold has not been refreezing it as much as before. Basically, there is a rise in overall sea level coupled with an increase in violent weather.

A warming atmosphere and seas make for plenty of extra energy obtainable for the creation of abnormal weather patterns. Around the world, recent data shows an increase in severity of storms, droughts, rainfall, and floods.

The disastrous hurricane season of 2005 was one indication of how synergistic weather is with sea level rise, resulting in loss of wetlands, social issues, and the ability of governments to respond. Three storms strengthened to a category 5 in the Atlantic Basin for the first time in a single season (Katrina, Rita, & Wilma). An unprecedented 27 named tropical storms formed, according to NOAA, and over half of them became hurricanes.

In effect, we can now expect all previous climate models to be obsolete. Like a movie straight out of Hollywood, you can imagine a scientist trying to explain to the president how a slowing in the rate of CO2 absorption by the world’s oceans translates directly to increased CO2 in the atmosphere and that we are now expecting a 2 degree rise in global temperatures in the next 10 years than the 50 years previously estimated.

Climate change and global warming is happening and it’s happening now due to our actions and we are the only ones who can stop it. The decisions we make and the actions we take today, no matter how big or small, will make all the difference for our environmental future.

The GOGREEN Blog is a proud contributor to Blog Action Day.

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