andogo's blog

Among the most common and most significant contributors to global warming is deforestation caused by forest fires. Fires are natural occurrences in many forests as it is nature’s way to clear up old growth to encourage new ones. It also helps fertilize sprouting and existing trees and plants. However, new trees take much time to grow large enough to absorb large quantities of carbon dioxide and produce sufficient oxygen. The fires also cause much carbon-filled smoke to rise from the forests to the atmosphere. Both results have dramatic effects on the rate at which global warming is currently occurring.

Oceans are also significant contributors to global warming as it naturally contains much polluting carbon due to the ecosystems they support. Studies have also shown that the top layers of oceans contain more pollution than the Earth’s atmosphere and much of that pollution rises.

Both the North and South Poles also contribute a lot to global warming. It is in those areas where permafrost contains large amounts of carbon that have frozen over time. Disturbances to these areas cause the permafrost to melt and release the pollutants into the atmosphere. Keep in mind that the carbon held within these lands have been out of the carbon cycle for thousands of years and so releasing them would cause an imbalance to natural processes. Gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, are suddenly released at volumes nature isn’t prepared for. (3)

On the other hand, other natural causes can be:

1. The sun spots are exploding -raising the heat

2. Large eruptions in the major volcanoes on the earth – increasing gases and damaging plants

3. The orbit the Earth takes has changed – movement to or from the sun

4. The Earth is different when compared to how it sits near the sun -changes the temperature up or down

5. Meteors caused explosions as they made contact with the Earth. (4)

Source: ONLINE©Natural Resources Defense Council by NRDC. [visited 28.Nov. 2011]

As the world evolves, changes in the earth’s environment affect the climate in various ways.  For example, explosions on the sun generate even more heat than the sun normally gives off and some of this heat makes it to the earth causing rising temperatures. Volcanic eruptions on Earth can cause temperatures to decrease, because the smoke and gases given off can act like an umbrella shade and prevent sunlight from passing through the atmosphere.  Any slight change in the earth’s orbit could cause the earth to move closer or farther away from the sun.  This could radically change temperatures, because the earth would be closer or farther away from its principle source of heat.