Human Influence or Nature

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Human activities contribute to climate change by causing changes in Earth’s atmosphere in the amounts of greenhouse gases, aerosols (small particles), and cloudiness. The largest known contribution comes from the burning of fossil fuels, which releases carbon dioxide gas to the atmosphere. Human activities however cannot be argued as being the sole cause for the various climatic changes occurring in the atmosphere. Natural causes need to also be taken into account for the climatic changes occurring. There has never been a complete and acceptable explanation of climatic change that has been presented, and climatic change cannot be based on one process acting alone. This paper serves to critically evaluate the extent to which the current climatic changes can be related to human activities. Throughout the paper, one shall also consider the dynamic earth climate system. A very important factor that influences climatic changes in our environment is the presence of Nidioxide, water vapour and other trace gases. The presence of these gases in the atmosphere causes what is called the greenhouse effect. When light and ultraviolet radiation penetrate the earth’s atmosphere they reach the earth and warm its surface. This energy is then re radiated in the form of a longer wavelength infrared radiation. This radiation, because of its longer waveleng is then absorbed by greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere such as water vapour and carbon dioxide and fails to excape from the atmosphere. This causes the atmospheric temperature to become warmer. Human activities have accelerated or promoted the extent of the green house effect through a number of activities. The most important activities to be noted are the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which can be said to have begun by deforestation in the Holocene. More recent causes have been realised since the beginning of the
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