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Final Essay

Identify the global societal problem within the introductory paragraph and conclude with a thesis statement that states your proposed solution(s) to the problem. For guidance on how to construct a good introduction paragraph, please review the Introduction Paragraph Guideline from theAshford Writing Center.
Describe background information on how that problem developed or came into existence. Show why this is a societal problem, and provide perspectives from multiple disciplines or populations so that you fully represent what different parts of society have to say about this issue.
Construct an argument supporting your proposed solution(s). Be sure to consider multiple disciplines or populations so that your solution shows that multiple parts of society will benefit from this solution. Provide evidence from multiple scholarly sources as evidence that your proposed solution is viable.
Interpret statistical data from at least three, peer-reviewed scholarly sources. Do this by discussing the validity, reliability, and any biases; identifying the strengths and weaknesses of these sources; and pointing out limitations of current research and attempting to indicate areas for future research. You may even use visual representations such as graphs or charts to explain statistics from sources. Evaluate the ethical outcomes that result from your solution. Be sure to provide at least one positive ethical outcome as well as at least one negative ethical outcome that could result from your solution, and explain at least two ethical issues related to each of those outcomes. It’s important to consider all of society.
Develop a conclusion as the last paragraph(s) of the essay, starting with rephrasing your thesis statement and then presenting the major points of the topic and how they support your argument. For guidance on how to write a good conclusion paragraph, please review the Conclusion Paragraph Guideline from the Ashford Writing Center.
The Final Argumentative Essay

Please complete 3 more pages of the attached document and finish the rest of the resources. Must be 3,300 – 3,900 words in length (approximately between 10 – 12 pages; excluding title and reference pages) and formatted according toAPA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
Must include a separate title page with the following:
Title of paper
Student’s name
Course name and number
Instructor’s name
Date submitted
Running header with page numbers
Must include in-text citations from at least 10 scholarly sources. Be sure to integrate your research rather than simply inserting it.
Must document all sources in APA style as outlined here and here.

Running Head: GLOBAL WARMING 1

GLOBAL WARMING 8

Global Societal Problem

Student’s Name

Course Title

Insructor’s Name

Date of Submission

Introduction

Global warming is a problem that is affecting everybody all over the world. Its affects are felt in all parts of the world. It is a term that has been used to describe the gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere as well as its oceans. Global warming is permanently changing the Earth’s climate and if nothing is done to prevent it then the planet Earth with someday become inhabitable. Surprisingly, there are people who do not think that global warming is real because they have not witnessed its effect but various scientists agree that its effects are real. In order to control or prevent further occurrence of global warming, its main cause which is carbon dioxide should be reduced to the minimum in the atmosphere.

Background Information

Global warming occurs when carbon dioxide or CO2 and other trace gases like methane, chlorofluorocarbons, nitrous oxide and other pollutants collect in the atmosphere and absorb solar radiation that reflects back after bouncing off the surface of the earth. The gases form a “blanket-like” layer that prevents solar radiation from escaping into space (McMillan, 2016). The gases have the capacity to last for years or even centuries in the atmosphere trapping the solar radiation heat hence making the planet earth hotter than it should be. The greatest cause of global warming is carbon dioxide that is usually released when fossil fuels are burnt such as coal, emission from exhaust pipes of motor vehicles, and excessive cutting of trees.

Before the industrial revolution that paved way to large scale use of coal, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere were as a result of natural factors such as volcanic eruption and variation in the solar energy (aip.gov). However, the contribution of the natural factors to global warming was very minimal compared to anthropogenic factors later on. The large scale contribution of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases may have begun when a British ironmonger Thomas Newcomen invented the first and widely used steam engine that led to Industrial Revolution and wide scale use of coal (bbc.com). Coal burning is one of the major contributors of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

In 1824, French scientist explained that if the planet Earth did not have an atmosphere then its temperatures would be much lower. In 1861, John Tyndall a physicist indicated that water vapor and certain gases create the greenhouse effect (bbc.com). In 1896, Svante Arrhenius, a Swedish scientist was the first to claim that the burning of fossil fuel may result in enhanced global warming. He proposed that there was a relationship between atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration and temperature (Enzler, 2016). According to Arrhenius, the average surface temperature of the planet Earth was 150C because of the absorption capacity of water vapor and carbondioxide. This was called the natural greenhouse effect. But Arrhenius suggested that if the concentration of carbon dioxide doubled then the Earth’s temperature would increase by 50C. Arrhenius and Thomas Chamberlin calculated that human activities could warm the earth by adding CO2 to the atmosphere. The discoveries of Arrhenius and Chamberlin were later forgotten and people at that time thought that human activities were insignificant compared to natural forces like solar activity and circulation of the oceans.

Many people also believed that the oceans were great carbon sink that would automatically counter the pollution of the atmosphere. In the 1940s, the development of the infrared spectroscopy for measuring long-wave radiation led scientists to find out that water vapor absorbed different types of radiation than carbon dioxide. In 1955, Gilbert Plass conclude that adding more CO2in the atmosphere would trap infrared radiation that is supposed to escape to space hence warming the Earth. In early 1960s, Charles Keeling produced concentration curvesfor atmospheric CO2inAntarctica and Mauna Loa which is now one of the major icons of global warming. In the 1980s, the global annual mean temperature started to rise leading people to question the” theory of an upcoming new ice age” (Enzler, 2016). In1988, people finally acknowledged that the Earth was warmer than it was since 1880. The greenhouse effect theory came into existence and United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization founded the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Discussion

Eradication of global warming can only be done through reduction of carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere (Union of Concerned Scientists). CO2isthe leading cause of global warming in addition to other greenhouse gases. During the 2015 Paris climate change summit, 195 countries signed a historic agreement to reduce their emission of CO2 as part of the goal to reduce future warming of the planet Earth below 20C. This was a step towards a right direction. However, each and every person can make a little contribution that will make a big difference in the future. According to the deputy director of the National Resource Defense Council (NRDC) Clean Power Plan Imitative, Aliya Haq change can only occur when people take action. Everybody has to be part of the change.

Carbon dioxide is the main contributor to global warming produced when fossil fuel like coal and oil is burnt for energy to power industrial processes, produce electricity for homes and other lightening needs and energy for cars. If less fossil fuel is burnt by adopting alternative sources of energy, then global warming can be curbed. According to Haq, the greatest weapon to curb global warming is talking to people about its impact. If people are aware of the dangers of global warming, they can spread the information to their family members, friends and other people. The spreading and talking can be done through the social media or by voicing personal concerns to elected officials (McMillan, 2016). This only means that an individual cares about the warming of planet Earth. Additionally, when such messages of concern reach elected leaders like Congress, they can feel compelled to enact laws that would limit carbon emissions and require polluters of the atmosphere with CO2to pay for their emission with as an aim of discouraging them to emit CO2.

Secondly, individuals can contribute to reduced global warming by powering their houses with renewable energy like wind and solar. The chosen renewable energy generation company should be certified by the Green-e Energy, an organization that verifies renewable energy options. Individuals should also invest in energy-efficiency appliances and products that have since their implementation in 1987 kept 2.3 billion tons of CO2out of the atmosphere. This is the same amount of CO2 pollution from almost 440 million cars (Denchak, 2016). Additionally, people can use fuel-efficient vehicles such as gas-smart cars like hybrids and full electric vehicles that save fuel as well as money.

Individuals can also reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere by walking to work or moving closer to work. Transportation is the second leading source of GHG emission in the United States. Alternatively, people can use mass transportation like buses or trains and cycle or walk to work (Nature America, Inc.). In addition, Carbon sequestration can be used to reduce the amount of Carbon dioxide (CO2) emission into the atmosphere. CO2 can be captured from the atmosphere or from human activities such as from large-scale power plants that produce CO2. The captured CO2 is put in long-term storage or sequestration usually by injecting it underground (epa.gov). Furthermore, research has shown that when forests and agricultural lands are managed, CO2 concentration can be sequestered (national geographic.com). Forests use up carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in the synthesis of food. If forest cover is increased and managed then forests will help reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere leading to reduced global warming (Union of Concerned Scientists).

According to Rogelj, et al., (2013), the target of keeping global warming below 2 0C has resulted to international debate on climate debate which has made the scientific community to publish various studies that estimate the cost of attaining such a target. But this is still a challenge because there is little integration of scientific knowledge across all disciplines. Additionally, the climate modelling community has spent many years in understanding the geophysical response of the Earth to greenhouse gases. The geophysical response has resulted to uncertaininty in cost estimates. Rogelj et al., (2013) bridge the gap between the two research communities and came up with a distribution of the costs associated with limiting global temperateure by taking into account four uncertainities; technological, geophysical, political and social. They found out that political choices that delay mitigation have the largets effect on cost-risk distribution. This was followed by geophysical uncertainities, social factors such as future energy demands, and technological uncertainities that influnce future GHGs mitigation options.

However, according to the studies of Peters et al., (2013), delays in global warming mitigation is making it difficult to reduce global temperature by 2 0C. The studies show that Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) used by research community to develop CO2scenarios needs to be decreased for the temperatures to reduce by 2 0C in the future. The studies indicate how difficult it will be to reduce the global temperature by 2 0C because of delayed responses in CO2 emmision as a result of technical, political, and social systems. They suggest that if large and immediate mitigation efforts are not put in place then goal of reducing global temperature by 2 0C will not be attained.

Thirdly, some of global warming mitigation strategies like the use of large scale biogas digesters to save the use of fossil fuels or burning firewood, has been shown to increase a greehouse gas lik methane to th atmosphere (Bruun eta l., 2014). Bruun is a scientits from the Department of Plant and Environmenntal Sciences, University of Copenhagen. They showed that biogas digesters are poorly managed during use leading to the release of methane to the atmosphere. This is very dangerous because methane has 25 times greater global warming effect than carbon dioxide. They suggested that governments should come up with strict requirements on biogas digetser maintenance and handling before incentives are made. Additionally, legislations should be introduced for the installtion of small-scale biogas digesters.

In conclusion, global warming can be reduced by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Everybody has a part to play in the reduction of global warming. No single country can stop global warming. Additionally, waiting for a single solution to emerge from global negotiations and treaties will not solve global warming problem. This is because various nations have not come to agreement on the acceptable CO2 emission. Individuals can contribute to reduction of CO2 in the atmosphere by using erenewable energy like wind and solar, invest in energy-efficiency appliances, and use alternative means of transport that does not involve burning of fossil fuels like cycling and walking.

References

Bruun, S., Jensen, L. S., & Sommer, S. (2014). Small-scale household biogas digesters: An option for global warming mitigation or a potential climate bomb?. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 33, 736-741.

Enzler, S. (2016).History of the greenhouse effect and global warming. (2016). Lenntech.com. Retrieved 23 October 2016, from http://www.lenntech.com/greenhouse-effect/global-warming-history.htm

Introduction - Summary. (2016). Aip.org. Retrieved 23 October 2016, from https://www.aip.org/history/climate/summary.htm

McMillan, A. (2016). Global Warming 101. NRDC. Retrieved 23 October 2016, from https://www.nrdc.org/stories/global-warming-101

National Geographic,. (2016). Global Warming Solutions, Stop Global Warming - National Geographic. National Geographic. Retrieved 23 October 2016, from http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-solutions/

Peters, G. P., Andrew, R. M., Boden, T., Canadell, J. G., Ciais, P., Le Quéré, C., ... & Wilson, C. (2013). The challenge to keep global warming below 2 C. Nature Climate Change, 3(1), 4-6.

Rogelj, J., McCollum, D. L., Reisinger, A., Meinshausen, M., & Riahi, K. (2013). Probabilistic cost estimates for climate change mitigation. Nature, 493(7430), 79-83.

Union of Concerned Scientists,. (2016). Global Warming Solutions. Union of Concerned Scientists. Retrieved 23 October 2016, from http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/solutions#.WAzIHcm2GZQ