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Giovanna LoCicero

Mrs. Schinzing

Exploration

3 May 2021

Climate Change

Over the past fifty years the Earth’s climate is slowly changing, and this change will soon

increase to the point where life for humans, animals, and nature could be threatened. As

inhabitants of this Earth, people must find ways to educate themselves on climate change. Life

on Earth has adapted in the past to the changes in climate, but now these changes are getting

more severe. Some important things to know in order to understand climate change and its

impact on the world are what climate change is, the causes and effects, and some possible

solutions.

Knowing what climate is, is very important to understanding climate change. Climate is

the weather pattern in a specific place over a period of time. “Climate influences the growth of

trees and corals, the abundance and geographic distribution of plant and animal species, the

chemistry of oceans and lakes, the accumulation of ice in cold regions, and the erosion and

deposition of materials on Earth’s surface (Jackson 14).” Every living thing responds to climate

and changes in climate, even if these changes are subtle or temporary (Woodward 1). In cold

climates snow forms and slowly becomes compacted into solid ice which forms mountain

glaciers and polar ice sheets (Rafferty 28). Scientists have evidence for the Arctic warming over

the past years rapidly. In tropical rainforests, such as the Amazon, climate usually consists of

heavy rainfall and humid air (42). The ocean stays at a more consistent temperature throughout

the year than land does, and land heats up and cools more easily based on what season it is. The

heat from the sun is what warms up the air and the ocean surface, which evaporates water into
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the air because the warm air rises (Cranbrook Institute of Science). Studying the Earth’s axis is

important when studying climate as well.

The Earth’s axis plays a role in climate change. The sun’s orbit, the path it follows, and

the amount of solar radiation affects how the planet receives sunlight and warmth as it spins

(Steele 8). Because the earth is round, the Sun’s rays hit the equator directly and heat a small

area of the planet intensely. Farther away from the equator, heat is less intense because the Sun’s

rays hit the earth at an angle and spread over a wider area. Currents that carry heat and moisture

around the globe, that is necessary for life, helps create climate in a specific place. Moist air

cools as wind currents blow it far away from the equator, and this cool air falls. These currents

from the poles cool places that usually would have warmer climates, and currents from the

equator warm places that would usually have cooler climates. The ocean stays at a more

consistent temperature throughout the year than land. Land heats up and cools down easily

depending on the season. Heat from the sin warms the air and ocean surface which evaporates

water into the air, which then rises. (Cranbrook Institute of Science). The atmosphere and the

gases that make up the atmosphere also have a great role in climate around the world.

The atmosphere is made up of different gases that affect the climate of the Earth. These

gases are known as greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are the gases that make up the

atmosphere such as Nitrogen, Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Argon, and water vapor

(Steele 7). These various gases keep the planet safe from the Sun’s powerful rays, and without

them the planet would not be able to be inhabited. Changes in these gases affect the amount of

radiation received by the Earth. Greenhouse gas concentrations have been lowering during cold

periods but rising during warm periods. However, due to various reasons, more greenhouse gases

have been being emitted into the atmosphere, which absorb energy and warm and radiate heat

back to the Earth’s surface, which is becoming dangerous to life. This is the Greenhouse Effect.
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The Greenhouse Effect is vital to life on Earth (Jackson 5). Climate change is happening, but

some people do not agree that it is, but scientists have found evidence for it.

The Arctic melting is one of the biggest examples of climate change on the planet. Over

the past thirty years the Arctic region has warmed up ten times faster than any other region

(“Understanding the Science of Climate Change”). According to Raveena Koenig, the warming

that has been taking place has been melting sea ice that are the ecosystems for many species such

as Polar Bears and Seals. Because of this, Polar Bears can’t get all the food and resources they

need for survival. This has been happening rapidly over the past 20-30 years. This could

eventually lead to the extinction of many species in the Arctic. The ways scientists store and

gather data is put into archives by paleo climatologists.

Climate change is being documented by records and archives and monitored by networks

of sensors in space, the surface, and below the ocean surface over the past century. Paleo

climatologists study archives by collecting cores of sediments from lakes, bogs, and oceans.

They study surface features and drill into marine corals and cave stalagmites. They also examine

tree ring patterns. These researchers rely on fossil records of animal and plant distribution

sedimentary, geochemical indicators of former conditions of oceans and continents, and land

surface features characteristics of climates in the past (Jackson 14-15). It is important to

understand the rate of change in which the Earth has been changing.

The Earth’s rate of change is rapidly growing and may eventually cause a problem in the

future. The rate of change is now ten times bigger than before. About 90% of the earth’s

system’s extra stored heat energy has been going into the ocean over the past fifty years. The sea

level is also expected to rise 60cm by 2100 (“Understanding the Science of Climate Change”).

The Industrial Revolution that took place from the late 18th century and early to mid-19th century

caused the Carbon Dioxide percentage in the atmosphere to rise. Earth’s atmosphere contained
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about 280 parts per million of Carbon Dioxide before the Industrial Revolution, but after it and

after burning more coal, gas, and oil to power our lives, that number changed to 315 in the late

1950’s and was 380 in 2007 (McKibben 35). A large cause for climate change that is a very

frequent issue in this time is deforestation.

Deforestation which is a very popular process in the world today is a large problem

regarding climate change. Deforestation is the process of clearing out forests. Physical

geography can affect the earth’s climate greatly just like how it effects the plants and animal life

there (Steele 10). Forests are a very important source of resources and food for humans and

animals. Wood is the most popular fuel and has been being burned for thousands of years for

making food and for building. Forests have been being burned to provide for human needs, but

when burned Carbon is released from the trees, that has been stored for many years, is released

into the air. That Carbon eventually becomes Carbon Dioxide. Trees distribute water through

their leaves, but with fewer trees, rain will lessen, which could cause droughts. This could

eventually destroy the richest ecosystems in the world (Woodward 18, 42). Another large cause

for climate change is the greenhouse gases released during transportation.

Transportation is how humans travel around place to place all day every day. However,

modes of transportation produce a lot of greenhouse gases that go into the atmosphere.

According to Raveena Koenig, planes and cars emit the most greenhouse gases out of all

transportation methods. The fuel used in cars and planes are constantly being blown into the air.

This is very dangerous to the environment and is an extremely large cause for climate change.

Causes for climate change are separated into different categories called positive and negative

feedback.

Causes for climate change are divided into categories called feedbacks. Feedbacks are

things that lead to changed in earth’s climate when balance is abnormal. The two types of
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feedback are positive feedback and negative feedback. Negative feedbacks resist temperature

change, but positive feedbacks lead to temperature change. Scientists believe that slowly varying

temperatures will soon lead to positive feedback, which could result in global warming and

become serious. An example of positive feedback is the Albedo Effect. This is when snow

reflects the energy from the sun. More examples are how the Earth orbits the Sun, solar

radiation, and volcanic eruptions. An example of negative feedback can be when the sun hits the

water and results in evaporation, which eventually stops, and the clouds clear and the sun’s rays

shine on the water (Woodward 12). Some causes for climate change are called Natural causes.

Some causes for climate change are called “Natural causes”. Natural causes are causes

that are natural from the Earth over time. The Earth’s climate is warming faster than it normally

would be if the cause were simply natural causes, rather than human activity (Rafferty 4). Some

natural causes would be volcanic activity, Ocean and equator currents, and the Earth’s rotation

(Woodward 14). A very large natural cause is involved with the sun’s radiation. The radiation

from the Sun is a large natural cause for climate change. Radiation is the transfer of energy

through electromagnetic waves. Light energy from the sin can create patterns on earth, these

patterns having to do with climate. Therefore, scientists study the Sun’s relation with the Earth to

understand how climate works (Cranbrook Institute of Science). Changes in the gases of the

atmosphere effect the amount of radiation that is received by Earth. Greenhouse gases protect the

Earth from the harsh radiation from the Sun (Steele 8-10). Climate has a huge impact on the

Ocean and its inhabitants, and change is climate is a threat to this ecosystem.

Climate change presents a large problem when it comes to the ocean and the organisms

living there. The ocean affects climate by storing and transporting large amounts of Carbon

Dioxide and heat. Higher ocean temperatures release more Carbon Dioxide into the air with

more vapor, resulting in heavy rainfall. The affect it has it that the sea level will rise more rapidly
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over time (“Understanding the Science of Climate Change”). According to Raveena Koenig,

water acidity levels will rise, and the chemical make-up will change due to the Carbon Dioxide

in the water because of greenhouse gases. This will be a threat to the survival of coral reefs,

which are large ecosystems for all kinds of species of animals. People all around the Earth are

being affected by the change in climate, and it will only worsen over time.

Climate plays a huge part in a human’s life, and a change in climate makes things hard.

Due to the slow global warming of the Earth, droughts are becoming more frequent. Droughts

make drinking water rare, which kills crops, farm animals, and turn fertile land into desert land.

Droughts can even cause dangerous forest fires. At the same time, rice growing produces

Methane from the fields which is released into the Atmosphere, and cattle ranching produces

around 98,420,000 tons per year of Methane when cows digest their food (Woodward 24-26). A

growing population requires more food, but weather patterns prevent food distribution. Leading

food such as crops will not be able to survive if the change in climate becomes more extreme.

Due to rising temperatures, tropical diseases can spread which would cause an enormous

problem in the health care system (“Understanding the Science…”). Because of the ocean level

rising, low islands could be lost, and due to the chemical change in the water, it would become

too salty, causing people to have to migrate to survive (Steele 30). Climate change also has a

great impact on rainforest ecosystems. Tropical rainforests are a large part of the climate system.

They are full of trees and plants that store water. They also are home to hundreds of species of

animals. The Amazon Rainforest is the largest rainforest in the World and has such an impact on

climate (“Understanding the Science…”). As previously mentioned, tropical rainforests could

burn or die from droughts due to the lack of water in their leaves. This would mean that less

water would be released into the air, meaning less rain (Woodward 42). One possible solution to

climate change would be using renewable energy, such as wind power and solar energy.
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The main solution to slowing down climate change is converting to renewable energy.

Renewable energy is energy that can be replaced and restored because they are part of Earth’s

natural environment. Some examples are natural gas, wind energy, solar energy, and

hydroelectric energy. Using natural gases are much better than using coal for energy. Plans for

building coal- fired power plants that can separate Carbon from the exhaust so it can be stored

underground would be a possible solution (McKibben 35). Using wind power through wind

turbines to generate electricity from the moving air is low in cost and efficient. Using solar

energy is easy and affordable. However, on cloudy or rainy days, it is not available (Steele 41).

A solution to the greenhouse gases emitted into the Atmosphere, would be to use electric cars or

walk, bike, take a train, or a bus.

As mentioned before, transportation methods such as planes and cars produce a lot of

greenhouse gases. However, this can be solved by using more electric cars that use electricity

rather than fuel. These cars perform well and are safe. They can stop releasing toxic fumes into

the air during traffic (Steele 41). Walking and biking don’t cost any money and they don’t

release any Carbon whatsoever. If that does not work, using buses and trains are better solutions

than cars and planes because they produce less greenhouse gases and have more people moving

at once (Woodward 62). Climate change will not be slowed down unless government action is

taken to make a change.

A way people can help individually would be to reduce their carbon footprint or the

amount of Carbon people release into the Atmosphere. One day “carbon rationing” may happen

when everyone would get a fair share of humanity’s carbon footprint, but until then, there are

ways to help individually. Simply turning off lights, insulating houses, driving less, having

electric cars, and planting trees can help make a small change (Steele 41). Scientists fear that if

people don’t reduce their carbon footprints within the next 25 years humanity will see freshwater
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shortages (“Understanding the Science…”). For some people, thinking about what they eat could

contribute because a meat diet adds to greenhouse gases in the Atmosphere during imports

(Woodward 62). People can help on their own, but that will not help slow down the rapid change

in climate beginning to happen. Government needs to act, and countries need to agree on ways to

reduce the amount of greenhouse gases released during processes. It may be hard to get nations

to agree on solutions to this change because countries rely on their technology to survive (48).

Showing activism from people helps too. According to Raveena Koenig, voting for candidates

that share beliefs in making a change is needed, especially in our current world. Being aware and

prepared for anything in the future is necessary for the planet’s safety.

Being prepared for the effects of climate change and being aware of humanity’s actions is

very important. People could be aware of how much energy is used when they buy and design

devices (58). Measuring ocean temperatures and Carbon Dioxide acidity levels is vital to

determine the rate of change in the coral reefs. Being prepared for droughts and forest fires is

needed by humans (“Understanding the Science…”). Being prepared for anything happening is

necessary.

Climate change will impact us greatly in the future if the world does not educate itself on

it and try to fix it, so important things to know about climate change are what climate change is,

the causes and effects, and some possible solutions. In summary, climate affects the Earth in

extraordinary ways. The Earth’s axis and Atmosphere play a role in climate. Scientists have

evidence such as the Arctic melting that paleo climatologists archive. Some causes of climate

change include the burning of fossil fuels and greenhouse gases, deforestation, use of

transportation, ocean and equator currents, and radiation. All living organisms are affected by the

steady change in climate, especially rainforests, ocean life and ecosystems, and people around

the globe. Some solutions to climate change are to use renewable energy such as wind power,
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solar energy, hydroelectric power, and natural gases. Humans can help contribute by driving

electric cars, reducing their carbon footprint, being aware and prepared, and being active with the

government. All the Earth’s nations need to agree and work together to stop this global crisis. As

humans and inhabitants of the beautiful World God gave us, it is our duty to take care of it and

each other.
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Works Cited

Cranbrook Institute of Science. 39221 Woodward Avenue Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303-0801. 9

March 2021.

Jackson, Stephen T.. “Climate Change”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Jan. 2021,

https://www.britannica.com/science/climate-change. Accessed 23 February 2021.

Kristi Judd. Personal Interview. 13 March 2021.

McKibben, Bill. “Carbon’s New Math.” National Geographic, Oct. 2007, pp.32-59.

Rafferty, John P.. “Is Climate Change Real?”. Encyclopedia Britannica, Aug. 2016,

https://www.britannica.com/story/is-climate-change-real.

Raveena Koenig. Personal Interview. 9 March 2021.

Steele, Philip. Analyzing Climate Change: asking questions, evaluating evidence, and designing

solutions. New York, New York. Cavendish Square Publishing, 2019.

“Understanding the Science of Climate Change.” YouTube, uploaded by Spark, 23 April 2019,

Understanding the Science of Climate Change | Earth's Survival | Spark - YouTube.

Accessed 7 Feb. 2021.

Woodward, John. Climate Change. New York, New York. DK Publishing, 2008.