Global warming is the global increase in temperature witnessed in the recent years. get more info The main argument about climate change is whether global warming is caused by man or other factors. There are many factors that affect climate change and global warming. The most important factors are the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Carbon-dioxide gas absorbs heat from the sun at a higher rate than other gases and forms an envelope covering the thermosphere. Scientists attribute the changes in climate to man's actions because activities done by man lead to the emission of greenhouse gases to the environment. When compared to the start of the industrial upheaval, the levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have doubled (Linkov, 2011).
Combustion of fossil fuels is the leading source of greenhouse gases. In the year 2012, about 38% of CO2 produced was as a result of the generation of electricity while 32% of the gas was produced by the automobile industry (Philander, 2008). The remaining percentage was produced by buildings and other industries. Deforestation is another source of carbon dioxide when trees are cut without replacement. Cutting trees down to get pastures and farmlands increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the air when the trees are burnt. The escalation in the quantity of greenhouse gases in the air increases the global temperatures leading to melting of ice in the Polar Regions.
Recent scientific findings (Benoit, 2011) indicate that each time the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases doubles, the global temperatures increase by 10 C. Left on its own, the environment has its own natural ways of regulating temperature and climate without causing adverse effects. It is evident that the action of man has immensely affected the global temperature change through combustion of fossil fuels.
It is clear that man's actions on earth have led to changes in weather and climatic patterns. It is important to come up with environmental mitigation policies like reduction in greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change. Using renewable sources of energy and replenishing forests are sure ways of conserving the environment and mitigating climate change.
References
Benoit, P. (2011). Climate change. New York: Children's Press.
Linkov, I. (2011). Climate global change and local adaptation. Dordrecht: Springer.
Philander, S. (2008). Encyclopedia of global warming and climate change. Los Angeles: SAGE.
A climatologist is someone who studies climates. Although often confused with meteorology, climatology is quite a different profession. Think of it this way. A meteorologist studies the climate just in the short term.
The career outlook for a Climatologist is favorable. They make on average $55-$95 thousand a year.
He or she predicts what the weather is going to do, including the winds, and the amount of precipitation we are going to have.
By contrast, a climatologist studies trending climate over the long term. For example, the climate you live in depends on where you live geographically. If you live in the South of the United States, for example, your weather is generally going to be much warmer overall that it will be if you live in the Midwest or in the northeastern region of the United States. This "climate" is what a climatologist studies, not short-term weather patterns predicting what's going to happen today, tomorrow or next week in the weather so that you can wear a raincoat out the next time you go to work or school, for example.
What climate determines
The climate you live in determines several things about the area you live in. The type of plants that grow there, are one example of what climate affects. As a climatologist, you study the climate in a particular area and then try to forecast what's going to happen in the long term. What will happen with climate over the long term affects everything, from food production, to survival of endangered species, to energy usage, even health, life expectancy, or the very survival of the human race itself.
Becoming a climatologist
If you become a climatologist, you'll need to study physical and biological sciences and get a degree in atmospheric science or something similar. In general, you'll start working with other climatologists who are more experienced than you are. As you advance in your profession, you can specialize in what you feel most comfortable with, such as in the lab doing data analysis or in the field collecting research.
What does being a climatologist have to do with being "green"?
As a climatologist, you not only study the long-term trends in climate within a given area, but you also try to forecast what's going to happen over the long-term with the climate in a given area based upon several characteristics. Among the things you study, for example, are the effects pollution has on climate both now and in the future. For example, you study what's called "atmospheric aerosol content," which are microscopic particles NOT made of gas but that nonetheless affect climate like greenhouse gases do. These types of particles can be both natural and man-made. Some examples include mineral dust, ammonium sulfate, pollen, carbon or soot emissions, and so on.
By studying these things, you as a climatologist can help predict how our human behavior is affecting the earth either negatively or positively in regard to climate. You can also work with other scientists to make recommendations as to changes humans can make so that we positively affect our climate and therefore our very survival.
For example, climatologists were among the instrumental scientists who discovered global warming and told us what we can do about it so as to slow it down and therefore protect the health of the planet, other animals' survival, and our own survival, too.
In other words, you as a climatologist can absolutely give humans the knowledge we need to change how we behave so that we protect the planet, ourselves, and the other species that live here.