How The Excess Burning Of Fossil Fuels Changed The Climate

Matthew Diaz Professor Kerry Ybarra Philosophy 2 August 31, 2015 The Human Factor In recent years arctic ice has been melting faster than it can replenish itself. Many climatologists believe the ever increasing volume of melting ice is due to human activity. In this paper I hope to show you how the excess burning of fossil fuels has changed the climate, and therefore plays a part in the melting of arctic ice. Artic ice melts each summer and refreezes each winter, this a natural thaw – freeze cycle, but in recent years this cycle has been greatly affected by global warming. Summer ice has been melting much more rapidly, which affects the average thickness of the ice. This also changes the ocean’s albedo drastically. It no longer reflects the sun’s energy, but rather absorbs it due to its dark, open waters. This is the beginning of a very destructive cycle: the loss of ice leads to the warming of the ocean which in turn leads to more ice loss. The thinning and eventual loss of ice can have major effects on regional temperatures. This can cause shoreline erosion which would force thousands of locals to relocate to higher ground. It would also cause great damage to natural resources and habitats. Our country’s various and abundant wildlife resources, which are important to our culture, face a bleak future should we choose not to address the problem that is global warming. Polar bears rely on Arctic sea ice as hunting grounds, but with the ice dwindling in size food has becomeShow MoreRelatedEarth Operators Manual1072 Words   |  5 PagesTHE OPERATORS MANUAL The climate is changing, the earth is warming and the reason this is so is analyzed by Richard Alley in his study of the relationship between climate change and energy. 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