Free History Of Climate Change Essay Sample

Earth’s quickly changing climate is a hot topic today. Among the young and old, the issue is debated passionately as individuals argue whether it is even happening and why. The Some believe climate change is still up for debate, the history surrounding the issue proves the Earth’s environment is, indeed, changing, and humans may be the only cause to blame. The CO2 emissions and various forms of pollution have been observed for years. While many attempt to correct what we have done to the planet, others speculate it may be too late to repair the damage we have done.
The first historical relevancy involving climate change occurred in the late 1900’s. In 1896, a scientist named Samuel Langley inadvertently helped measure CO2 levels when he was attempting to ascertain the surface temperature of the moon. Svante Arrhenius, a Swedish scientist of the same time, used Langley’s CO2 calculations to calculate future cooling effects based on a decrease in CO2 caused by greenhouse gas. Throughout his separate research, Arrhenius was able to realize the rise in greenhouse gas would decrease the water vapor in the atmosphere, heating the Earth’s environment and causing otherwise cool, icy settings to melt. Two years later, in an effort to better understand the carbon cycle yet another Swedish scientist, Arvid Hogbom, began attempting to understand the source of such catastrophic CO2 emissions. Hogbom eventually found the primary source of CO2 emissions was emitted from burning coal and concurred with Arrhenius that the Earth would ultimately begin to warm. However, in the late 1890’s, the emissions were relatively low, and scientists believed warming would take hundreds, or possibly thousands of years to have any real effect.
Because scientists believed it would be several centuries, or possibly thousands of years before humans saw the repercussions of CO2 emissions, the population believed we had time to construct a solution. We were wrong. Throughout the early 20th century, scientists saw the climate begin to change more dramatically than they had originally anticipated, but environmentalists, as well as the population, continued to deny the facts. The 1950’s were an eye-opening time for science, revealing the lack of water vapor in the atmosphere, as well as the ocean’s dying ability to help the planet cleanse itself. For example, Roger Revelle discovered in 1957 the surface layer of the ocean only had a limited ability to absorb carbon monoxide, when prior to this time it was believed the plant life in the ocean helped with CO2 emissions exponentially. By the end of the 1950’s, scientists realized CO2 emissions would be a growing health and environmental concern as early as 1990.
The 1960’s continued to see a rise in CO2, as well as an initial melting of the polar ice caps. Scientists began conducting deep-sea analyses, as well as studying the core of polar ice in order to understand weather shifts experienced earlier by the Earth. In doing so, it was understood there had been several previous, smaller ice ages than previously thought. This evidence suggested the Earth was sensitive to weather shifts, as well as small climate changes, more so than originally though. Moreover, additional sophisticated computer software allowed scientists to run simulations of aforementioned calculations. The simulations allowed scientists to predict a two degree Celsius increase in global temperature within the next forty years. The 1960’s also saw smog, or aerosol pollution, which also affected temperature changes. The immensity of the greenhouse gas effect convinced scientists permanent damage would be done to the environment by the 21st century if something were not corrected. Political campaigns began involving themselves in the environmental disaster as soon as 1969, but not before some of the world began seeing acid rain and rising sea levels.
The last forty years have been a continuing phase of denial on behalf of the damage done to the environment. Ice caps have disappeared, animals are going extinct at a rate never thought possible, and the temperature is increasing globally. The water, in many places, is undrinkable due to pollution. In some parts of the world, crops will no longer grow, also due to the soil being polluted. Inclement weather is more unpredictable than it has been in the past, which has more to do with the warming climate than people realize. As the climate warms, the ice caps melt, and the ocean experiences an enormous influx of cold water which can cause changes in tides, which in turn impacts weather. Air quality has also been impacted. For example, the cars we drive emit CO2, yet we spent most of the 20th century cutting down the trees needed to filter out the harmful gas. Some places are then only left with the toxic air to breathe, which is not only harmful to humans, but also plants. China, for example, has many rural areas that need to be hand-pollinated or the crops will not thrive. “Green” initiatives have been taken in the last decade in an effort to use other forms of power, enforce recycling, and repurpose more items all for the good of the environment. However, it may be too little too late.
In sum, many scientists have been observing the change in the environment for over a century. Since the late 1900’s CO2 emissions were expected to one day harm us. At the time, however, they were not emitted at a high enough level to cause a panic. With the growing population, and the industrial age reaching its peak, CO2 emissions and greenhouse gases quickly became an issue for Earth and all of the life here. As the planet heated, ice began to melt on either of the poles. Tides changed and weather became erratic. Air quality had dropped, water and soil have become polluted, and some places even experience acid rain due to the heavy contamination in the air. While there are many individuals who attempt to use clean energy, recycle, and reuse items, we may have abused the planet too much to help ourselves out now.