Almulla: 1

Abdullaziz Almulla

ENG 1201

December 6, 2020

Literature Review

NASA and NOAA found that the global average temperatures have steadily increased in

recent years (past 2 decades) and doubled the temperature measured before. NOAA’s findings

shows that the average global temperature in 2019 was approximately 0.95 degrees Celsius (1.7

degrees Fahrenheit) and this marked the second warmest year after 2016[ CITATION Hol20 \l

1033 ]. The earth isn’t cooling back to normal it seems! In USA, 2016 was a challenging year that

was coupled by over 15 climate change disasters e.g. floods, wildfires, severe storms and drought

which attributed to handful loss of property worth over 1 billion US dollars[ CITATION Mar18 \l

1033 ]. The concentrations of naturally occurring gases especially carbon dioxide have increased

twofold as compared to the years before the onset of the industrial revolution in the second half

of 18th century.

As predicted in 1980s by scholarly researchers concerned with climate change, the signs

of global warming have been witnessed in the present world in which crop production have been

reduced significantly due to increased levels of ultraviolet flux. According to Butler, malnutrition

has turned to commonplace in all nations inclusive of developed countries as they compete for

declining supply of natural resources[ CITATION Col18 \l 1033 ]. Referring to NOAA’s report,

Alaska and the contiguous USA recorded the 2016 average temperature as the 20th consecutive

year that surpassed the average of past 122 years since 1895 and the 2nd warmest year[ CITATION

Ali17 \l 1033 ].
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Considering human activities and contribution in excessive release of greenhouse gases into the

atmosphere in examining their effect on global temperatures in a nutshell, then the world would

be warmer by an additional one-third of current temperature at the moment.

The cooling effect that has prevented this from happening is caused by atmospheric

aerosols produced by humans but it is forecasted that significant declines of atmospheric aerosols

will occur by 2100 thus accelerating global warming. Without the help of natural cooling

mechanisms e.g. solar activity and volcanoes, over 123% of warming observed from 1951 to

2010 would be attributable to emissions and activities of humans. Short-lived cooling effect by

volcanoes is due to their release of Sulphate aerosols into high altitude stratosphere that reflect

back considerable amount of sunlight. For example, Mount Tambora eruption in 1815 attributed

to cooling of northern hemisphere by 1.5C on the scale of Dr. Karsten Haustein’s statistical

climate model[ CITATION Hau17 \l 1033 ]. Solar activity has increased over past 5 decades and

solar energy hitting earth surface has slightly declined whereas global temperatures have

increased since excess heat from earth surface is unable to escape into space[ CITATION Hau17 \l

1033 ]. Since solar activity and volcanoes only cool the globe in the short-term, the world is in

great danger of long-term warming as a result of human activities hence it’s our responsibility to

curtail greenhouse gas emissions and not rely on random solar activity and volcanoes to protect

us from global warming[ CITATION ACS20 \l 1033 ].

Climate change has been imputed for disorienting economic activities and thus

considered an eminent threat that would even go to the extent of exterminating mankind forever.

Climate change has the capacity to wipe out natural resources that mankind depend on as source

of livelihood. Dry spells are gradually becoming longer as a result of uncontrolled global heating

and this would affect irrigation and farming activities[ CITATION EPA16 \l 1033 ]. The agricultural
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sector is in great turmoil and it’s clear that in the near future rural populations will be negligible

whilst urban centers continue to expand as civilization continues to capture the interest of many.

Taking a closer look at a developed and superpower nation, USA, several steps have been taken

at a judicial level to ensure that corporations and private entities are sensitized about climate

change and are acting in compliance with environmental conservation regulations[ CITATION

Mar18 \l 1033 ].

Works Cited
ACS, American Chemical Society. What are the greenhouse gas changes since the Industrial Revolution?
2020. Web. 16 11 2020.
<https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/climatescience/greenhousegases/industrialrevolution.ht
ml>.

Bradford, Alina. Effects of Global Warming. 12 08 2017. Web. 15 11 2020.

<https://www.livescience.com/37057-global-warming-effects.html>.

Butler, Colin D. "Climate Change, Health and Existential Risks to Civilization: A Comprehensive Review
(1989–2013)." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 15.10 (2018):
2266. Web. 16 11 2020. <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6210172/>.

EPA, United States Environmental Protection Agency. Climate impacts on society. 22 12 2016. Web. 16
11 2020. <https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/climate-impacts/climate-impacts-
society_.html#ref3>.

Grossman, Margaret Rosso. "Climate Change and the Individual." The American Journal of Comparative
Law 66.suppl_1 (2018): 345-378. Web. 16 11 2020.
<https://academic.oup.com/ajcl/article/66/suppl_1/345/5035883>.

Hausfather, Zeke. Analysis: Why scientists think 100% of global warming is due to humans. 13 12 2017.
Web. 16 11 2020. <https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-why-scientists-think-100-of-global-
warming-is-due-to-humans>.

Shaftel, Holly. NASA, NOAA Analyses Reveal 2019 Second Warmest Year on Record. 15 01 2020. Web. 15
11 2020. <https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2945/nasa-noaa-analyses-reveal-2019-second-
warmest-year-on-record/#:~:text=NASA%2C%20NOAA%20Analyses%20Reveal
%202019%20Second%20Warmest%20Year%20on%20Record,-Credit%3A%20NASA's
%20Goddard&text=According%20to%20independent%20an>.