Global Warming - Truth or Myth: Two Sides to Every Story
Global Warming–Truth or Myth: Two Sides to Every Story
Summer 2010 Part I (Thesis): Global Warming: A Natural Occurrence
There are always two sides to every story and every different point of view has a right to be heard. When it comes to the discussion of global warming—a gradual increase in the earth’s surface temperature—there are two very distinct and opposing points of view. The world seems to be split between global warming being caused by humans and it being a natural occurrence; the latter being the viewpoint that I strongly support due to the evidence I will present in detailin this paper. In contrast, I will also discuss, in Part II, the “anti-thesis” or the opposing viewpoint that humans are actually the cause of thisglobal warming phenomenon. Finally, in Part III of my paper, I will synthesize both viewpoints and discuss in great depth through much evidence as to why I believe global warming to be a natural occurrence that has happened and will continue to happen at different periods of time until the end of days. The first reason is that global warming comes and goes. The earth naturally heats up and cools down. Thirty years ago, we thought the biggest threat was global cooling and now the biggest threat is global warming. Throughout history, there have been numerous cooling and warming periods and we are now going through one of those natural warming periods, which have reached the warming levels of the Medieval Warming Period our ancestors experienced in the past, which I will explain in more detail later in this paper. The cycle of global warming and cooling has been happening long before humans have occupied the Earth and will continue to happen long after we are gone; it is a nature cycle that cannot be broken. The second reason why global warming is a natural occurrence is because the sun is what warms the earth. When the sun gets hotter, it makes sense that we get hotter too and this goes vice versa. If the sun is
Summer 2010 Part I (Thesis): Global Warming: A Natural Occurrence
There are always two sides to every story and every different point of view has a right to be heard. When it comes to the discussion of global warming—a gradual increase in the earth’s surface temperature—there are two very distinct and opposing points of view. The world seems to be split between global warming being caused by humans and it being a natural occurrence; the latter being the viewpoint that I strongly support due to the evidence I will present in detailin this paper. In contrast, I will also discuss, in Part II, the “anti-thesis” or the opposing viewpoint that humans are actually the cause of thisglobal warming phenomenon. Finally, in Part III of my paper, I will synthesize both viewpoints and discuss in great depth through much evidence as to why I believe global warming to be a natural occurrence that has happened and will continue to happen at different periods of time until the end of days. The first reason is that global warming comes and goes. The earth naturally heats up and cools down. Thirty years ago, we thought the biggest threat was global cooling and now the biggest threat is global warming. Throughout history, there have been numerous cooling and warming periods and we are now going through one of those natural warming periods, which have reached the warming levels of the Medieval Warming Period our ancestors experienced in the past, which I will explain in more detail later in this paper. The cycle of global warming and cooling has been happening long before humans have occupied the Earth and will continue to happen long after we are gone; it is a nature cycle that cannot be broken. The second reason why global warming is a natural occurrence is because the sun is what warms the earth. When the sun gets hotter, it makes sense that we get hotter too and this goes vice versa. If the sun is
References: Chughtai, O. (2008, November 2). Fossil fuels. Retrieved February 27, 2010, from http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/society/fossilfuels.htm Keigwin, L List of countries by carbon dioxide emissions. (2008, November 2). National Master Carbon Dioxide Emissions Database. Retrieved February 27, 2010, from http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/env_co2_emi Mathews, C Metcalfe, T. (2008). The Sun 's Magnetic Field Changes. The Magnetic Sun. Retrieved February 26, 2010, from http://solar.physics.montana.edu/YPOP/Spotlight/Magnetic/cycle.html Ravilious, K Specter, M. (2008, February 25). Big Foot. The New Yorker. Retrieved February 28, 2010, from http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/02/25/080225fa_fact_specter The ocean carbon cycle U.S. Environment Protection Agency. (2008). Methane. Retrieved February 27, 2010, from http://www.epa.gov/methane/ What is Carbon Neutrality? (2008, November 2)