Misconceptions about Climate Change

Unluckily, the climate is changing rapidly fast and posting its dangerous impacts on both people and wild places. The main negative impacts associated with climate change include the melting of the glaciers in Polar Regions as a result of the rising temperatures. According to the National Research Council U. S. (2012), as the glaciers melt, they end up in the oceans where they cause sea level to rise. According to the report, as cited by Romm (2016), just like all physicians, public health experts and cardiovascular scientists collectively reached a consensus that has convinced Americans and the rest of the world that smoking is one of the chief causes of cancer, their consensus maintains that climate change is real and is primarily caused by human activity.

In elaborating what made the scientists have high confidence that the recent climate change is as a result of human activities, they cite the recent 40 percent rise in carbon dioxide levels since the dawn of the industrialization. For instance, before mid-1700s, carbon dioxide levels in the air was only 280 parts per million (ppm). In the year 1970 however, the levels had risen to 325 ppm. This implies that the rise is the carbon dioxide levels directly matches the period that witnessed the rapid growth of industries. Also, increasing livestock farming contributes to the addition of carbon dioxide levels. This is because they produce a lot of methane in the process of digesting their food. Climate is Always Changing and the Change is Natural Cycle Another misconception regarding climate change is the notion that “Climate change naturally over time and that any change seen presently is just part of a natural process.

” The proponents of this assertion often argue that the sun releases its energy through the atmosphere to the surface of the earth. This warms the earth’s surface and the atmosphere at large since the heat energy released by the sun gets trapped by greenhouse gases that occur naturally such as carbon dioxide and water vapor in the atmosphere. Also, the panel established that the levels of methane are currently 151 percent more than pre-industrial levels. Similarly, the concentration levels of nitrous oxide have also improved by over 18 % in a period less than 200 years. The increase in concentration levels of this gases is primarily as a result of the burning of fossil fuels in processing plants, clearing of forests in addition to emissions that come from the vehicles.

According to IPCC even though the sun is the source of energy that drives the earth's climate system, its variations have played an insignificant role in regard to the climate change that has been witnessed in the recent past. Further, satellite measurements conducted towards 1970s indicate that there is limited net rise in sun’s output yet the temperatures of global surface continue to rise. According to the experts, matters to do with climate needs timely interventions and delaying the interventions further would severely curtail not only human prosperity but life on earth in general. To gain a proper chance of avoiding the dangerous impacts of climate change, there are a number of ways according to the researchers that could be adopted to make the emissions of greenhouse gases hit zero within the next few years.

One of them includes boosting the world’s the generation of renewable electricity to over 30 percent of total supply. This is possible through the adoption of the renewable and inexhaustible energy sources such as strong winds, abundant plant matter found on the surface of the earth, the use of solar energy, geothermal energy as well as using the energy from the fast-moving waters. This will allow for the replacement of the use of carbon-intensive energy sources that contribute immensely to causing global warming. Such opinions hamper the efforts for preventing climate change. The truth is, we have to act fast in eliminating carbon emissions. This can be done by embracing clean sources of renewable energy. The difference may not be realized within a short period of time but with continued positive practices, the carbon levels in the atmosphere will definitely drop.