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Human Society Is Altering the Fragile Balance of Our Planet

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Human Society Is Altering the Fragile Balance of Our Planet
Human Society is Altering the Fragile Balance of our Planet

Abstract
Our planet earth has sustained climatic changes for millions of years and continues to battle the human activities of society today. These activities are causing climate changes that will have an impact in the present and in the future. One of the most important climate processes is called the greenhouse effect. It occurs when the sun’s energy enters the atmosphere in the form of light waves and heats up the Earth. The proper balance of this energy in the Earth’s atmosphere keeps our climate stable. Scientists have provided strong evidence that greenhouse gases are causing global warming and disrupting the Earth’s precious eco-systems. Knowledge and awareness will help the population respond with global climate change solutions and resilient societies to combat the human behaviors and activities that continue to destroy our one and only earth. Human Society is Altering the Fragile Balance of our Planet

Introduction
Human society is altering the fragile balance of our planet without awareness of the consequences of the ever-changing climate. Our current global society needs to move from an old paradigm of thoughtless human activities and lack of concern for global sustainability to a more literate and resilient society. As Nate Lewis (2007) of Caltech suggests:
We are currently conducting the biggest experiment with Planet Earth that humankind has ever performed by tinkering with our climate, “We get to do this experiment exactly once. And there is no tomorrow, because in 20 years that experiment will be cast in stone. Within the next 20 years, we either solve this problem or the world will never be the same! (p. 14)
As human activities continue to add greenhouse gases—carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxides to the Earth’s atmosphere, global temperatures are expected to rise, causing the Earth’s climate to change. These climate changes may affect precipitation



References: Barbier, E.B. (2010) A Global Green New Deal. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Chilingar, G.V., Sorokhtin, O.G., Khilyuk, L., Gorfunkel. M. V., (2009), Greenhouse gases and greenhouse effect. Environmental Geology, 58(6), 1207-1213. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1615 Donald, R Duderstadt, James J. (2011) Global Sustainability: Timescales, Magnitudes, Paradigms, and Black Swans. Millennium Project. http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/88746/1/2011_Glion_VIII_Black_Swans.pdf Gore, Al Holdren, John. President’s Address to AAAS Meeting. Washington: American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2006. Jackson, T. (2009) Prosperity Without Growth: Economics for a Finite Planet. London: Earthscan. Kolbert, E, (2009) Obama’s science adviser urges leadership on climate. Yale Environment 360. Available at: http://e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp?id¼2179. Lewis, Nathan S. (2007) “Powering the Planet”. Engineering and Science, No. 2, pp. 13-23. Osborne R, Freyberg P (1985) Children’s science. In: Osborne R, Freyberg P (eds) Learning in science: the implications of children’s science

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