Shea Bellini

Section 13
Issue Paper
April 18th 2016
Global Warming
The issue of global warming is one that affects every one of us, it is defined as the
gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earths atmosphere and oceans.
Temperatures on earth have increased 1.4 since the early 20th century, during this time period,
levels of greenhouse gases such as carbon monoxide have noticeably increased. Many believe
this increase in atmospheric gases has caused the earths rising temperature. Although, many
believe that gases cannot be the cause of this because of evidence that human generated
greenhouse gases are not impactful enough to substantially change the earths climate because
the planet is capable of absorbing these increases.
The idea that humans are responsible for global climate change is an idea that many
people in the scientific community support, the 2010 Anderegg study found that 97-98% of
climate researchers agree that human activity is primarily responsible for the change in our earth.
The rising level of human produced gases that are released into the atmosphere create a
greenhouse effect that traps heat and causes global warming. Scientists argue that CO2 levels did
not rise until the mid- 20th century, the rate at which the levels are rising have to be a direct result
of burning fossil fuels. Also, the specific type of CO2 that is increasing in the earths atmosphere
can be directly connected to human activity.
The average temperatures on earth have increased at a rate that is much faster than can be
explained by natural climate changes, leading us to the conclusion that we are to blame. Another

large issue at hand with global warming is that sea levels are rising, causing the arctic ice cap to
melt at an increasing rate, and warming the oceans at an alarming rate. These issues are believed
to be caused by the thermal expansion of warming ocean waters as ice melts from glaciers and
the polar ice cap. Researchers can also prove that the rate that the sea level has risen over the last
fifty years is a larger increase from the most previous 2,000 years, leading us to believe that
humans are the direct cause of this green house effect.
On the other hand, many disagree that human activity is not primarily responsible for our
change in climate. Hard evidence that support these claims states that Earths climate has always
warmed and cooled, the 20th century rise in global temperature is well within the boundaries of
natural temperature fluctuations. Assuming that the recent period of global warming is the result
of a natural temperature change, that is believed to give way to a period of cooling down later in
the 21st century.
Earths climate record shows that warming has preceded, not followed a rise in CO2,
which directly contradicts the highly popular belief that the rise of CO2 causes the warming, and
approximately 50% of fossil fuels burned by humans is absorbed by the earths carbon sinks,
supporting the idea that CO2 gases cannot impact the atmosphere as much as we think that it
does. The theory that global warming and cooling is primarily by caused by the suns changing
temperature, not by human activity, is the vastly accepted. There has been strong correlation
between solar temperatures and the arctic caps melting over the last 130 years, supporting the
theory that the suns temperature does make an impact.
I believe the earths temperature fluctuations are a combination of these two reasons. The
suns constantly changing temperature seems to have a direct impact on our climate, although, I
support the theory that we are contributing to this change with burning fossil fuels, causing the

green house effect. Evidence points to both sides, so I support the idea that one cause is not to
blame, but a combination of all these reasons are the cause of this global climate change.

References:
NASA. "Global Warming : Feature Articles." Global Warming : Feature Articles. N.p., n.d. Web.
14 Apr. 2016.

"Climate Change ProCon.org." ProConorg Headlines. N.p., Nov.-Dec. 2015. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.

"10 Climate Change Controversies." Roadtoparis. International Counsel for Science, 2014. Web.
Apr. 2016.