Global warming mythbusters -- Definition

People are wondering why there are times when the weather seems hotter than before, or why it is cooler than usual. In the recent years, people come to realize that the sudden change in temperatures is quite abnormal, yet most do not believe that something is happening already. Global warming is an issue that a lot of people have misconceptions about, for example; most people believe that global warming is natural; people think that the only issue is ozone depletion; and that people do not notice anything significant in the weather.

People believe that global warming is a natural occurrence because they think that the Arctic has warmed up in the past. That is wrong because people cause global warming by burning fossil fuels and the buildup of CO2 into the atmosphere is faster more than ever because of increased human activities. Also, scientists have known that CO2 and other greenhouse gasses trap heat and warm the earth. In the earlier 20^th century, it is true that the Arctic has warmed up before, but that warmth did not affect many areas, according to limited records. There is no expectation that the current upward trend will reverse unlike the earlier periods of Arctic warmth, because the thing that prevents that from happening is the rising concentrations of greenhouse gasses.

Another misconception about global warming is that people think that the real issue is ozone depletion. The depletion of the ozone layer, which is roughly 9-21 miles above the earth’s surface, is due to man-made chemicals like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that come from air-conditioning units, spraynets, among others. As the ozone layer becomes thinner, more harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation reaches the earth’s surface. On the other hand, global warming is the increase in the earth’s average temperature due to the buildup of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Lastly, people who are staying in one place or region do not notice that in other parts of the world, the weather is abnormal. Warm winters and cold summers occur, although the latter happens less likely. Over the last century, measurements show that the earth’s climate has warmed overall, in all seasons and in most regions. The public was mislead when climate skeptics claim that the winter of 2003-2004 was the coldest ever in the northern United States. That was only the 33^rd coldest in the region since records began in 1896. Furthermore, a single year of cold weather in one region of the globe is not an indication of a trend in the global climate, which refers to a long-term average over the entire planet.

In the end, people cannot deny that global warming is happening and that it becomes worse everyday. Sure, maybe people do not know that the changes in weather is about global warming, but they have to feel that somehow, something is wrong and that people must do something about it. Several steps on how to lessen global warming includes walking instead of using vehicles when the destination is just 5minutes away, turning off appliances when it is not being used to save electricity, and so much more. Those earth-saving steps may be big or small, but at the end of the day, what matters most is that everyone helped reduce global warming.

List of reference:

http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=1011