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Miguel Benedict and Ian Kropp. The Greenhouse Effect. Carbon Cycle. Rising CO2 Levels. Rising Methane Levels. Rising Nitrous Oxide Levels. Why Greenhouse Gases are bad, mkay.
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Miguel Benedict and Ian Kropp The Greenhouse Effect
Why Greenhouse Gases are bad, mkay. The earth’s mean average temperature is regulated by a steady equilibrium which exists between the energy reaching the earth from the sun and the energy reflected by the earth back into space. The incoming radiation is short wave ultraviolet and visible radiation. Some of the radiation will be absorbed by the atmosphere and some of it will be reflected back from the earth’s surface into space. The radiation that is reflected back into space is infrared radiation, which has a longer wavelength. Green- house gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and oxides of nitrogen tend to absorb some of the reflected infrared radiation and re-reflect it back towards the earth. This is what causes the greenhouse effect and it results in an increase in average mean temperature on earth. This is natural. However, since there has been an increase in the green house gases in the past century there have been higher than normal average temperatures which could lead to disastrous consequences in the future.
The Potential Effects of Greenhouse Gasses on Arctic Envirornment • Melting Sea Ice: • Sea Ice is ice that exists over costal bodies of water • Animals such as polar bears, seals, and walruses all depend on these large patches of ice for their habitat • Melting of permafrost • Permafrost is the soil that stays below freezing for two or more years • When Permafrost thaws, erosion, and landslides cause damage to landscape and to homes.
The Potential Effects of Greenhouse Gasses on Arctic Envirornment (cont.) • Destruction of forest ecosystems • Increasing temperature have created increases in insect populations, which damage the fauna forest ecosystems • Increasing temperature cause wildfire and destruction of ecosystems • Also fires cause widespread property loss and damage
The Precautionary Principle • Origin of the Precautionary Principle: • Though science is advancing at a tremendous rate, scientific knowledge is still rather limited. • The outcomes of many of our actions (release of CO2) are difficult to predict • What if our actions could potentially bring widespread harm to the human race? • Does a lack of immediate warnings and signs blind us to what’s to come?
What relevance does the precautionary principle to these problems? • The precautionary principle anticipates disasters that could potentially harm the human race and calls for immediate responses to potential threats to mankind • “The decision makers should act in advance of scientific certainty to prevent harm to humans and the environment.” Tim O’Riordan and Andrew Jordan, authors of The Precautionary Principle in Contemporary Environmental Policy and Politics • In other words, it’s a “better safe than sorry” philosophy • An ambiguous worldwide philosophy with multiple definitions and versions • One of the most commonly known examples of the precautionary principle is global warming.
Why does the Precautionary Principle Call for immediate Action For Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect? • The effects of greenhouse Gasses are still intensely debated • There will always be the risk that human greenhouse gasses have an effect on the environment, thus creating a potentially dangerous environment for human life. • According to the Precautionary Principle, the effects of this risk are too threatening to our survival as a race to ignore. • Therefore, action must be taken to prevent these potential occurrences from ever taking place.
Besides commonly known sources of greenhouse gasses like factory emission and cars, think of other potential human sources of greenhouse gasses • Cattle Ranching • Nitrogen Based Fertilizers • Refrigerants
Describe How Greenhouse Gases Cause rising global temperature • Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and oxides of nitrogen tend to absorb some of the reflected infrared radiation and re-reflect it back towards the earth.
Describe how an ecosystem in Alaska might be effected by increased levels of greenhouse gases • (answer depending)
Which of the below are small examples of the Precautionary Principle in action? • Washing your hands before dinner just in case some type of germ may or may not have gotten on your hand. • Distributing vaccines for the chicken pox
Case Study • http://www.sciencecases.org/petition/petition.asp • This scenario describes a group of university professors discussing an anti global warming petition to the government • The side against the petition argued that there is abundant evidence of global climate change, and that action should be made off of the evidence • The side in support the petition stated that reducing fossil feuls for a media-hyped theory was an illogical. They also site former changes in global temperature and its lack off effect on human society.
Analysis • This case study suggests that those who oppose the theories of global warming and the greenhouse effect do so through distrust and intuitions towards society. Also, most of the arguments made were never quantitative and were often vague. • It also implies the large amount of evidence supporting the theory of global warming, and the fact based argument for global warming. • Overall this piece study paints a portrait of anti-global warming supporters as speculative, cynical, biased and stubborn. But it also inferred that there are people who simply don’t care about either argument, and just wish to get on with their lives.
