Jamie Armani

Natural Hazards Geography 1700

Cindy Clark
23 July 2014
Climate Change: Natural Hazards or Disaster Caused by Humans
Is Human activity is causing our climate to change !he research points to yes"
How do #e kno# that #e are causing glo$al #arming %hen #e e&tract and $urn 'ossil 'uels
such as coal or petroleum( #e cause the release o' car$on dio&ide )C*+, and other heat-
trapping .greenhouse gases. into the atmosphere" !hough natural amounts o' C*+ have
varied 'rom 1/0 to 000 parts per million )ppm,( today1s C*+ levels are around 400 ppm"
!hat1s 002 more than the highest natural levels over the past /00(000 years" %e also
can tell that the additional C*+ in the atmosphere comes mainly 'rom coal and oil $ecause
the chemical composition o' the C*+ contains a uni3ue 'ingerprint" !his according to 4an
5pham 'or ed'"org" !he article goes on to say( Clearing 'orests also releases large amounts o'
C*+" *n top o' that( plants and trees use C*+ to gro#" %orld#ide de'orestation means #e
don1t have as many trees to a$sor$ the e&tra C*+" !his means more C*+ stays in the
atmosphere( trapping more heat" It seems that the earth #as designed #ithout us in mind" As
i' #e are visitors here" !hat is #hat #e are and #e have a responsi$ility to $e kind to the
earth" %e all kno# that this is not #hat #e are doing most o' the time" %e alter the land" %e
'or sel'ish reasons do a lot o' things that disrupt our planet" !his causes human induced
disasters to occur" Just like the po#er #e possess to cause glo$al #arming #e have the
po#er to control it" *ur very $ehavior could aid in the 'ight against it" !here are many people
and organizations that are already putting their time and e''ort to save the planet and protect
the environment" *$viously( there are natural occurrences that also e''ect climate change"
6e'ore humans s( changes in climate resulted entirely 'rom natural causes such as changes
in 7arth1s or$it( changes in solar activity( or volcanic eruptions" *'ten the natural cycle o'
things has positive outcomes" %hen not altered $y man( its the earth natural cycle that #ould
$ring things into $alance" Car$on dio&ide and other glo$al #arming pollutants are collecting in
the atmosphere like a thickening $lanket( trapping the sun1s heat and causing the planet to
#arm up" Although local temperatures 'luctuate naturally( over the past 80 years the average
glo$al temperature has increased at the 'astest rate in recorded history" 9cientists say that
unless #e cur$ the emissions that cause climate change( average 5"9" temperatures could
$e 0 to : degrees higher $y the end o' the century" Climate change is changing our economy(
health and communities in diverse #ays" 9cientists #arn that i' #e do not aggressively cur$
climate change no#( the results #ill likely $e disastrous" Nrdc"org article also states( !he
5nited 9tates Glo$al Change ;esearch <rogram )#hich includes the 4epartment o' 4e'ense(
NA9A( National 9cience =oundation and other government agencies, has said that >Glo$al
#arming is une3uivocal and primarily human-induced" Climate changes are under#ay in the
5nited 9tates and are pro?ected to gro#"@ !he article at ###"nrdc"org goes on to sho#
dangers to our society and communities" Illness( death and ho# human interactions are our
$iggest threat to glo$al #arming" Ay opinion is leave mother nature to do her ?o$ and learn to
'ind $etter #ays to use the earth1s resources #ithout damaging it and the environment"
http://www.nrdc.org/globalwarming/climatebasics
httpBCC###"ed'"orgCclimate-change-ho#-#e-can-change-it
http://www.nrdc.org/globalwarming/climatebasics
http://www.edf.org/climatechangehowwecanchangeit