Living in Florida

Living in Florida, it feels as if the climate almost has as many mood swings as a thirty-week pregnant woman. Have you ever wondered why or how this happens? One day before the official day of fall and it is almost 95 degrees and the next day it is 80 degrees and there is a cool breeze flowing through the air. Human and nonhuman factors help to control this climate and its changes.

Human activities contribute to climate change by causing changes in Earth’s atmosphere from greenhouse gases, aerosols, and cloudiness. The largest known contribution comes from the burning of fossil fuels which releases carbon dioxide gas to the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases and aerosols affect climate because they alter the incoming solar radiation and out-going thermal radiation that are a part of Earth’s energy balance. The amount of these gases and particles can cause the climate system to warm or cool. Humans have factories and vehicles which release gas and that is not good for the climate. The ozone layers become damaged because of the smoke that is released from these things. When the ozone layers become smaller, the sun's heat enters Earth’s atmosphere which makes the climate very hot. Today’s levels of carbon dioxide is around 400 parts per million which is 40% higher than it has been in the past 800,000 years. We can also conclude that the additional carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, comes from oil and coal because the chemical composition of the carbon dioxide in these contains a unique scientific fingerprint.

In addition, clearing forests plays a big part in releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide. On top of that, plants and trees use carbon dioxide to help their growth. Deforestation means we won’t have as many trees that will be able to absorb the extra carbon dioxide. The more carbon dioxide that stays in the atmosphere the more heat is being trapped in.

Considering this, the Earth has gone through many natural causes leading to global warming and cooling. The most common reasoning for this climate change is called the Milankovitch cycles which are variations in the Earth’s orbit that change its distance from the sun. These cycles can cause ice ages and warming. The Earth's temperature depends on a balance between energy entering and leaving the planet’s system. The Earth warms when the sun provides energy that is then absorbed by the Earth’s system.

After this happens, the sun’s energy is then reflected back into space and the Earth avoids warming. The Earth cools off when the absorbed energy is released back into space. Factors that can cause changes in Earth’s energy balance include the following: (1) variations in the Sun’s energy that reaches the Earth, (2) the changes in the reflectivity of Earth’s atmosphere and surface and (3) the changes in the greenhouse effect, which can affect the amount of heat that is retained by Earth’s atmosphere. Scientists have predicted that the Earth may warm an additional 7.2 degrees during the 21st century if the burning of fossil fuels is not reduced. The rise in the average temperature will have a long term effect on the Earth’s climate patterns and on all living things.