Argumentative Essay On Climate Change

Climate change is a controversial topic in the United States, nevertheless, it is still an important issue to be educated on. The definition of climate change varies, however, the following definition is widely accepted: extreme change in temperatures that exceed normal recorded temperatures, which result in unexpected changes in weather (Weems and Subramaniam). Climate change is a global phenomenon and its effects can be observed all over the globe. A majority of the scientific community supports the theory of climate change, which is indicated by the number of academic journals, case studies, and other academic literature entities that support the claim. There is a general consensus amongst the scientific community that climate change is …show more content…
Greenhouse gases are gases such as CO2 (carbon dioxide) and CH4 (methane), which accumulate in the Earth's atmosphere and cause a greenhouse effect. During this greenhouse effect, the Sun's energy passes through the Earth's atmosphere but is unable to return to space because it is trapped by the greenhouse gases (Mertins-Kirkwood). The direct result of this phenomenon is the increase in the temperature or climate change. CO2 (carbon dioxide) plays one of the biggest roles in climate change due to human activity, which has caused a significant spike in the CO2 levels in the atmosphere. Human-related activities that mainly lead to emissions include burning fossil fuels (transportation, energy, etc.), decomposition, and the digestive processes of livestock (Kinslow). Data shows that at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution CO2 levels were at approximately 280 parts per million, however, now they are upwards of 400 parts per million with CO2 emissions being at rates six times higher than they were in 1950 (Romm 2). Furthermore, it is projected that "CO2 levels will result in an estimated rise in temperature between 1.4 to 6.4°C increase in temperature by 2100" (Weems and Subramaniam). This significant increase CO2 emissions have and will continue to have profound impacts on all across the

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