Climate

In this chapter the booked does a great job to explain and separate the ideas of weather versus climate. It explains how climate is a long-term effect while weather is short term. The book says “A change of only a few degrees in the global average temperature has a significant impact.” (Robertson, P. 74) While I agree with this and it makes sense there are many factors to this idea. While data says that over the past 100 years global temperature has risen, lets figure out why. In the last 100 years what has changed in our world. The global population in the early 1900’s according to Google was 1.6 billion. In the last 100 years that number has more than quadruped to an astonishing 7 billion people.

http://www.lunarpedia.org/images/b/b2/WorldPopulation01.jpg

Just think, the sheer level of resources the world needs to provide for the 7.6 billion people is downright crazy. That’s why we are drilling nearly everywhere to find oil. We are trying to genetically modified foods to be able to produce more. Also all the CO2 that is created because of the machines or processes need to make these resources possible. “Since the start of the Industrial era the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has risen 40%.” (Robertson, P.79)

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/CarbonCycle/images/global_carbon_dioxide_1850_2009.png

With rising temperature causes the ice caps to melt. I learned in this book that the ice caps melting has no effect on rising water levels, cause remember frozen water is less dense than water in liquid form. As ice melts, the rays from the sun will no longer be reflected back they ocean will absorb them causing the ocean to warm and a higher level of green house gases. Water expands as it heats up causing see levels to rise. This is a huge concern as coast lines become impaled by rising waters.

There are many ways to reduce these emissions and become “climate neutral” or carbon neutral” (Robertson, P. 82). The first way to accomplish this is change or lower our energy use. Energy made from fossil fuel emits greenhouse gases. By change to a renewable energy sources such as wind, water or solar. You lower green house gases from fossil fuels. Obviously this change will come over time, along with invations that will allow it to be seamless to the consumer. In hindsight the consumers or people aren’t evil. There is just so many people on this earth that when everyone drives a car that’s a lot of CO2 emissions.

 http://www.aecom.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Mass-Transit_Dallas_DART_Light_Rail_201305_51-e1444744195720-1180x531.jpg

That moves into the second points of transportation. Either making single person transportations more efficient or providing better multiple person transportation. Heck, lets bring carpooling back. By making small changes, allows all 7.6 billion people living on planet earth to enjoy it to its fullest.