Global Warming Theory: An Exploration Essay

He sees it as a warming trend which will eventually reverse itself as the solar cycle's peak in the next 1500-year (Singer and Avery, 2007). This coupled with the fact that humans have never before been able to scientifically measure these cycles, shows that global warming is a theory without merit.

Other scientists disagree with the global warming and cooling trend theory and posit that the recent warming in the Earth's climate is due to pollutants entering the atmosphere. These pollutants, namely greenhouse gasses like hydrogen and methane, which act to trap heat and moisture within the Earth's atmosphere, have had a profound effect on the heating of the Earth and contributed to global warming worldwide. Scientists that back this theory are under the impression that this warming has been triggered by human activity, especially that activity over the past 150 years that has resulted in greenhouse gasses being spilled into the atmosphere (Houghton, 2005). To these scientists, the presence of these gasses is evidence enough of a global climate change due to humans.

The global rise in sea levels and the diminishing of glaciers in nearly every mountainous region cannot be denied. The effects of the introduction of greenhouse gasses could give a reason behind these receding ice levels. In order to understand the receding of this ice, it is necessary to take a closer look at greenhouse gasses and their effects in the atmosphere. Since the industrial revolution, greenhouse gas levels like hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane have more than tripled in the atmosphere (Trenberth, 2005). This means that the gasses which trap heat and moisture have elevated creating an atmosphere that is prone to the greenhouse effect.

There are certainly differing views relative to global warming. Whether or not it is related to human activity is quite clear, as evidenced by geological records which show that such a warming trend is uncharacteristic for Earth's atmosphere within any time period (Houghton, 2005). Contrary to some scientist's arguments, global warming has been brought on by human activity, especially that activity within the past 150 years that has raised levels of gasses such as carbon dioxide, methane, and hydrogen within the Earth's atmosphere. It is undeniable that humans have had a lasting impact in shrinking the ice sheets and glaciers of the world, and unless reversed rather quickly, a massive warming trend will occur on a scale in which humanity has never known.

Works Cited

Houghton, John. (2005). "Global Warming." Reports on Progress in Physics. Vol. 68, No. 6,

pp. 1343-1349.

Mooney, Chris. (2008). Storm World: Hurricanes, Politics, and the Battle over Global Warming.

Orlando: Harcourt Press.

Singer, Siegfried Fred and Dennis T. Avery. (2007). Unstoppable Global Warming: Every 1,500

Years.…