I am the affirmative: global warming is a serious threat.
First, I'd like to explain some key terms.
Global Warming (1) an increase in the earth's average atmospheric temperature that causes corresponding changes in climate and that may result from the greenhouse effect.
Greenhouse Effect (1) an atmospheric heating phenomenon, caused by short-wave solar radiation being readily transmitted inward through the earth's atmosphere but longer-wavelength heat radiation less readily transmitted outward, owing to its absorption by atmospheric carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, and other gases; thus, the rising level of carbon dioxide is viewed with concern.
Climate Change (1) any long-term significant change in the weather patterns of an area.
Those are a mouthful. I'd like to emphasize that greenhouse gases are not necessarily bad. In fact they are "...necessary to life as we know it, because they keep the planet's surface warmer than it otherwise would be." (2) Also, the emphasis of climate change is human caused, not natural. This is caused by, but not limited to, fuel consumption, deforestation, urbanization, and industry. (2)
Knowing these terms, we can continue our argument. Global warming is a human made threat to our planet. Its threats are not just temperature based. Effects that may occur , but are not limited to, increased severe storms such as hurricanes (3), oceanic acidification (4), and rapid glacier retreat (5). These consequences further result in rising ocean levels (6), decrease in biodiversity (7)(8), and aggression (9).
The threats of global warming are in fact not natural. Natural forces do factor into climate change. However many of the natural suspects of global warming do not attest to rapid climate change (10). This is the biggest indicator of an anthropogenic global warming, or human caused climate change.
Multiple, separate research facilities and methods have been used to determine the climate over long periods of time. Although as the certainty of the climate becomes less consistent as time goes back, all research agrees on the most recent years, all of which points to rapid climate change. The industrial revolution marks a period of rapid carbon emissions as well as the beginning of climate change. To this avail, global warming is a very real and serious threat.
(1) dictionary.com
(2) http://epa.gov/climatechange/basicinfo.html
(3) http://www.realclimate.org/index.php?p=181
(4) http://www.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/2004JD005220.pdf
(5) http://www.munichre.com/en/ts/geo_r...nsurance/retreat_of_the_glaciers/default.aspx
(6) http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/wg1/ar4-wg1-chapter5.pdf
(7) http://royalsociety.org/displaypagedoc.asp?id=13314
(8) http://www.globalissues.org/EnvIssues/Biodiversity.asp
(9) http://www.psychology.iastate.edu/faculty/caa/abstracts/1985-1989/89A1.PDF
(10) http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v443/n7108/abs/nature05072.html
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Best regards to blazedaces.
First, I'd like to explain some key terms.
Global Warming (1) an increase in the earth's average atmospheric temperature that causes corresponding changes in climate and that may result from the greenhouse effect.
Greenhouse Effect (1) an atmospheric heating phenomenon, caused by short-wave solar radiation being readily transmitted inward through the earth's atmosphere but longer-wavelength heat radiation less readily transmitted outward, owing to its absorption by atmospheric carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, and other gases; thus, the rising level of carbon dioxide is viewed with concern.
Climate Change (1) any long-term significant change in the weather patterns of an area.
Those are a mouthful. I'd like to emphasize that greenhouse gases are not necessarily bad. In fact they are "...necessary to life as we know it, because they keep the planet's surface warmer than it otherwise would be." (2) Also, the emphasis of climate change is human caused, not natural. This is caused by, but not limited to, fuel consumption, deforestation, urbanization, and industry. (2)
Knowing these terms, we can continue our argument. Global warming is a human made threat to our planet. Its threats are not just temperature based. Effects that may occur , but are not limited to, increased severe storms such as hurricanes (3), oceanic acidification (4), and rapid glacier retreat (5). These consequences further result in rising ocean levels (6), decrease in biodiversity (7)(8), and aggression (9).
The threats of global warming are in fact not natural. Natural forces do factor into climate change. However many of the natural suspects of global warming do not attest to rapid climate change (10). This is the biggest indicator of an anthropogenic global warming, or human caused climate change.
Multiple, separate research facilities and methods have been used to determine the climate over long periods of time. Although as the certainty of the climate becomes less consistent as time goes back, all research agrees on the most recent years, all of which points to rapid climate change. The industrial revolution marks a period of rapid carbon emissions as well as the beginning of climate change. To this avail, global warming is a very real and serious threat.
(1) dictionary.com
(2) http://epa.gov/climatechange/basicinfo.html
(3) http://www.realclimate.org/index.php?p=181
(4) http://www.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/2004JD005220.pdf
(5) http://www.munichre.com/en/ts/geo_r...nsurance/retreat_of_the_glaciers/default.aspx
(6) http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/wg1/ar4-wg1-chapter5.pdf
(7) http://royalsociety.org/displaypagedoc.asp?id=13314
(8) http://www.globalissues.org/EnvIssues/Biodiversity.asp
(9) http://www.psychology.iastate.edu/faculty/caa/abstracts/1985-1989/89A1.PDF
(10) http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v443/n7108/abs/nature05072.html
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Best regards to blazedaces.