Nguyen Ngoc Quynh – 20E7

Week 4: The reasons that the Earth’s weather has changed so much in the last century.

Recent reconstructions of Northern Hemisphere tempetatures and climate forcing over the
past 1000 year allow the warming of the 20th century. Climate change is one the major
challenges of our time and adds considerable stress to the emvironment. The evidence of
climate change is compelling: sea levels are rising, glaciers are retreating, precipitation
patterns are changing, and the world is getting warmer. According to the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the current rate of greenhouse gas emissions is likely to
cause average temperatures to rise by 0.2˚C per decade, reaching by 2050 the threshold of
2˚C above pre-industrial levels. This essay points out the causes that the Earth’s weather has
change in the last century.

As greenhouse gases cover the Earth, they trap the sun’s heat. This phenomenon will lead to
global warming and climate change. The temperature of the Earth is going up faster than at
any previous time in history. It takes only small amounts of these gases to significantly
change the properties of the atmosphere. The tiny amount increases the Earth’s average
suface temperature from -19˚C to + 14˚C – a difference of about 33˚C. Because the
concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is so low, human emissions can have a
significant effect. Human emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) currently amount to roughly 28
billion tonnes per year. Over the next century human emissions will increase the
concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from about 0.03% today to almost
certainly 0.06%, and possibly to 0.09%.

Deforestation to build farms or pastures or any other reason creates emissions because when
trees are cut down, they release carbon store in them. Every year, about 12 million hectares of
forest are destroyed. Because trees absorb carbon dioxide, so cutting them down also limits
nature’s ability to reduce emissions in the atmosphere. Along with agriculture and other land-
use activities, deforestation is responsible for about a quarter of global greenhouse gas
emissions.

The process of generating electricity and heat from burning fuels produces huge amount of
gas around the global. The electricity is generated by conduction of oil or gas which produces
carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides – greenhouse gases that envelop the Earth and trap the
sun’s temperature.

Good production grew more and more in the last century. Manufacturing and industrial
sectors generate emissions, largely from burning fossil fuels to generate energy to produce
cement, iron, steel, electricity, plastics, clothing and other commodities. Construction and
other industrial processes also emit gases. The machines used in the production process are
usually powered by coal, oil or gas. Some matetials such as plastic are made from chemicals
derived from fossil fuels. The manufacturing industry is one of the largest sources of
greenhouse gas emissions in the world.

Using transport is also one of the causes of climate change. Most cars, trucks, boats,
motobikes and planes use fossil fuels. Transportation is one of the largest sources of
greenhouse gas emissions, especially carbon dioxide. Road vehicles account for largest share
due to the burning of petroleum-based produce such as gasoline in internal combustion.
Transportation accounts for nearly a quarter of energy-related global carbon dioxide
emissions. This trend indicates a significant increase in the use of energy for transportation in
the coming years.
Nguyen Ngoc Quynh – 20E7

Not only that supply powering to buildings is the reason for the increase in carbon dioxide
emissions. The buldings and malls consume more than half of global electricity consumption
because they use of coal, oil and natural gas for heating and cooling. So that they emit a
significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Besides, human use air conditioners and
electricity consumption for lighting purposes and the use of home appliances devices also
increases. All together contribute to the increase in energy-related carbon dioxide emissions
from buildings in recent years.

In conclusion, since the last century, the Earth’s weather has changed a lot. This come from
causes that are mainly due to human impact. To save the habitat of human, animals and
plants on the Earth, people need to take effective actions.

References:

1. JT Hardy (2003), Climate change: causes, effects and solutions.

2. TJ Crowley, Causes of climate change over the past 1000 years, Science, 2000.
3. Olufemi Adedeji, Okocha Reuben, Olufemi Olatoye, Global Climate Change, Journal
of Geoscience and Environment Protection, 2014, 2, 114-122.