Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

Global Warming and Methane

Good Essays
427 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Global Warming and Methane
Global Warming is caused by many things. The causes are split up into two groups, man-made or anthropogenic causes, and natural causes.
Natural Causes
Natural causes are causes created by nature. One natural cause is a release of methane gas from arctic tundra and wetlands. Methane is a greenhouse gas. A greenhouse gas is a gas that traps heat in the earth's atmosphere. Another natural cause is that the earth goes through a cycle of climate change. This climate change usually lasts about 40,000 years.
Man-made Causes
Man-made causes probably do the most damage. There are many man-made causes. Pollution is one of the biggest man-made problems. Pollution comes in many shapes and sizes. Burning fossil fuels is one thing that causes pollution. Fossil fuels are fuels made of organic matter such as coal, or oil. When fossil fuels are burned they give off a green house gas called CO2. Also mining coal and oil allows methane to escape. How does it escape? Methane is naturally in the ground. When coal or oil is mined you have to dig up the earth a little. When you dig up the fossil fuels you dig up the methane as well.
Another major man-made cause of Global Warming is population. More people means more food, and more methods of transportation, right? That means more methane because there will be more burning of fossil fuels, and more agriculture. Now your probably thinking, "Wait a minute, you said agriculture is going to be damaged by Global Warming, but now you're saying agriculture is going to help cause Global Warming?" Well, have you ever been in a barn filled with animals and you smell something terrible? You're smelling methane. Another source of methane is manure. Because more food is needed we have to raise food. Animals like cows are a source of food which means more manure and methane. Another problem with the increasing population is transportation. More people means more cars, and more cars means more pollution. Also, many people have more than one car.
Since CO2 contributes to global warming, the increase in population makes the problem worse because we breathe out CO2. Also, the trees that convert our CO2 to oxygen are being demolished because we're using the land that we cut the trees down from as property for our homes and buildings. We are not replacing the trees (an important part of our eco system), so we are constantly taking advantage of our natural resources and giving nothing back in return

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    First of all, the cause of current climate change is typical of global warming has been confirmed is mainly due to human activities. Humans have used more energy mainly from raw materials including coal, oil, natural gas, which was released to the atmosphere increasing the gas causing the greenhouse effect of the atmosphere, leading to raise the temperature of the earth.…

    • 497 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Lower Division Capstone

    • 801 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The second cause of global warming is attributed to man. Human activities such as burning fossil fuels have contributed greatly to global warming. When these fuels are being burned, toxic gases are being released into the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide. When these gases are released, the solar energy is trapped which automatically causes the temperature to increase.…

    • 801 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Jetplane

    • 1414 Words
    • 6 Pages

    There are many possible causes of global warming. However, for the past several years, NASA noted “that most of the causes of global warming are man-made activities.” The “burning of fossil fuel is the top list of man made activities that largely contribute to global warming and this occurs in automobiles, in factories, and in electric power plants that provide energy for houses and office buildings” (Global Warming NASA). The burning of fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide , a chemical element that “slows the escape of heat into space” (Global Warming Nasa). “According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 's) report, CO2…

    • 1414 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Arctic Tundra Essay

    • 1560 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Global warming refers to an increase in global temperatures that happens at a gradual scale and has been attributed to the greenhouse gasses produced by industries through the release of chlorofluorocarbons, carbon dioxide and many other air pollutants (Haldar). The gasses trap heat energy from the sun causing the gradual increase in temperatures. Global warming has had negative impacts on many ecosystems around the world among them droughts, unpredictable weather patterns, sea level rises and retreating of the major ice sheets due to melting. Global warming has had an effect even on the arctic tundra. Most researchers agree that human activity is the most responsible for causing global warming.…

    • 1560 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Methane (CH4) is a hydrocarbon that is a primary component of natural gas. It is a greenhouse gas present in the atmosphere, which affects the earth 's temperature and climate system. Next to carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane is the second most prevalent anthropogenic Greenhouse Gas. Although there is far more carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution than methane and soot pollution, Methane is far more potent. To what extent does Methane effect climate change and what are the uses and limitations of science in addressing this issue? Methane is influenced by various natural and anthropogenic factors such as landfills, farms, drilling for natural gas, and coal mining. All of these factors that generate Methane emissions create ground level o-zone which is not only hazardous for our health, but it is a great concern for our climate. EPA is one of several organizations that plays a significant role in encouraging voluntary reductions from large corporations, consumers, industrial and commercial buildings and many major industrial sectors. Although EPA has effectively decreased methane emissions, there are still several reasons why the initiatives are not as widespread.…

    • 1710 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Global warming is result of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These gases trap radiation from sun and hold them from being released back into space. This causes rise in temperature at few places on earth. It is not much noticeable in western part of earth but in eastern parts like North Pole, Alaska and others slight increase in temperatures makes a huge difference. Scientists believe that if current situation continues many kinds of changes will take place which can be either beneficial or harmful for the living beings.…

    • 438 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Greenhouse gases are the cause of global climate change. The main greenhouse gasses are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons. Although most of these gases are natural, they are all being put into the air at a much more dangerous rate than normal. Water vapor, the greatest natural contributor to global warming, and lasts about nine days in the atmosphere. Water vapor is in the atmosphere more recently, because there has been more water that has evaporated because of the hotter temperatures. Water vapor increases as the earth’s atmosphere warms, but so does the possibility of clouds and precipitation. Bigger and more dangerous storms have been occurring recently due to the warm water vapor in the atmosphere.…

    • 386 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Co2 Vs Methane

    • 372 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Normally, people think CO2 is the chief source that affects global warming; however, methane is more dangerous than CO2. Among the total emissions in 2013, which was 6,673 million metric tons, carbon dioxide took around 82%, while methane was 10%. It seems methane doesn’t occupy much of gas emissions. However, the potential power of methane weighs than CO2’s. The level of methane in the air has gradually increased by man-made activities. Methane’s live in the atmosphere is 12 years (EPA, 2010). This is comparably shorter than CO2, however, while they are in the atmosphere, they absorb more solar energy and keeps the heat inside the Earth. Methane is emitted from natural environment such as wetlands or bacteria’s activities, but, the amount…

    • 372 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Global warming is the rising of the temperature on the Earth’s surface and atmosphere. There are many causes that help increase Global Warming and greenhouse gases is an important factor. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide are very harmful to the environment as well as to humans.. The Industrial Revolution in the 19th is a major cause of global warming. It has resulted in the increase of the nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide (Greenhouse Gases) in our atmosphere, resulting our Earth to heat up causing the ice caps to melt, rising the sea levels, increased coastal, unusual weather patterns and ocean currents, and consequent threats to the survival of some living things.…

    • 112 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Greenhouse gases are a natural part of the atmosphere and the main sources of these greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorocarbons. Increased greenhouse gases in the past century can be attributed to human activity such as burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas, reduced forest cover due to deforestation, increase in atmospheric methane gas due to mass rearing of cattle (in the process of digestion cattle and…

    • 2177 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Does Global Warming Exist?

    • 1829 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Climate change as many know it, has been a big issue around the world. There are anthropogenic and natural causes which are responsible for this cause but individually they contribute a small amount but are a huge factor as a whole. One of the main problems about the climate change is global warming.…

    • 1829 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Effects Of Global Warming

    • 551 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Global warming can bring many long-lasting and devastating consequences to Earth and all its occupants. It is a well-known fact that global warming is real and is caused by human activity, primarily the burning of fossil fuels that pump carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.…

    • 551 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Global Warming

    • 1039 Words
    • 5 Pages

    One cause is the human activities; human activities are contributing to global warming by enhancing Earth’s natural greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect warms Earth’s surface through a complex process involving sunlight, gases, and particles in the atmosphere. Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere are known as greenhouses gases. This is like when heat is trapped in a car. On a very hot day, the car gets hotter when it is out in the parking lot. Because, the heat and light from the sun get into the car through the window, but it can’t get back out and that is what greenhouse effect does to the earth. People started emitting large amounts of greenhouse gases when industry took off in the mid-1700. Fossil fuels were burned more and more to run our cars, trucks, factories, planes and power plants, those fuels released carbon in the form of carbon-dioxide. Greenhouses are released not only when these fuels are burned, but also when they are retrieved from the earth.…

    • 1039 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Climate Change Debate:

    • 2223 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Debatable causes and solutions of this theory of global warming include the natural climatic change, the grounds of human causes, and the solutions we can take to halt global warming. As humans, we all have our own opinions. The surface of the earth has been warming, the average temperature increasing, for several years. People studying this do not agree on the cause of the warming trend. Some say that man has caused the change; others claim that it is a natural trend. For several years believers and skeptics have argued about the cause of global warming. The problem is complicated because believers warn that man-made causes if left to advance too far may be irreversible. Reduction of the rainforests, continued growth in hydrocarbon industries, increases in livestock, and depletion of the ozone are all considered factors in the debate. Skeptics maintain that the climate change is a natural phenomenon, that man’s effect on nature is largely overrated. The debate…

    • 2223 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Global Warming

    • 790 Words
    • 3 Pages

    According to Ketcham (2014), there are numerous causes of global warming, and scientists typically divide those causes into two primary groups: natural causes and man-made causes. “Causes of Global Warming” (n.d.), states that Scientists spent decades looking into natural cycles and events that are known to affect climate to figure out what is causing global warming. According to Ketcham (2014), natural causes have been contributing to global warming since…

    • 790 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays