Global Warming Past Present And Our Future Environmental Sciences Essay

Global Warming Past Present And Our Future Environmental Sciences Essay Global warming is progressing, and the possible outcome for the future of humans, plants and animals is not clear. Climate change is a problem that is affecting people and the environment. Climate change is the direct result of global warming. Climate change affects all: people, plants, and animals. We as people need to display and teach the next generation the choices we all have, to live cleaner, healthier, and longer by keeping our environment and atmosphere clean. Global warming is undeniably an ethical issue, and we must face it as such. That means asking hard questions about responsibility, accountability, and the differences between actions; whether political, economic, or personal; questions that are right versus those that are wrong. Greenhouse gases are an important part of life, however the growing concentrate of these gases are causing our life to become extinct. The burning of fossil fuels, such as oil and coal, and the removal of trees over the past 200 years, has caused heat-trapping greenhouse gases to increase in our atmosphere. Carbon dioxide and other air pollution that is collecting in the atmosphere, like a thickening blanket, trapping the suns heat and causing the planet to warm up. Greenhouse gases prevent heat from escaping the atmosphere into space, much like the purpose of the glass panels that construct a greenhouse. Tightening efforts to stop global warming will improve lives. Cleaning up air pollution and empower in clean energy, going green and smart energy solutions that get the U.S. economy moving again. In our world today, and the technology that is evolving, we all have choices to act ethically. As of today we have choices, choices to use smart cars, go green with energy efficient offices and homes, and focus on building better communities and transportation networks that are nonpolluting. All human beings need to work together to reduce the emission of toxic gases that are killing our atmosphere. The prospect that humanity will find it harder to grow enough food for the 9 billion humans who are likely to be alive in fifty years time ought perhaps more than any other prediction to cause developed and developing countries alike to seek strenuously to reduce their production of greenhouse gases in order to mitigate the likelihood of dangerous climate change (Northcott, 2007). Greenhouse gases are an important part to life as we know it, because they keep the planets surface warmer than it otherwise would be. However, as these gases continue to increase in our atmosphere, the Earths temperature is climbing to all-time highs. Human activities are the cause of the changing composition of the atmosphere, and that increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases will change the planets climate. They are still not certain by how much the climate will change, the speed of the change, or the end results of the effects. Countries in the North, especially the United States, are some of the biggest carbon dioxide polluters, but the burden of disease resulting from climate change is likely to be felt by the worlds poorest people, mostly in the South. Never do to others what you would not like them to do to you. (Chinese Ancient Ought). The United States make up just 4 percent of the worlds population. The U.S. produces 25 percent of the carbon dioxide pollution from fossil-fuel burning. It is the largest of any country. The United States releases more carbon dioxide than China, India and Japan, combined. (Natural Resources Defense Council, 2010). More than half the energy-related emissions come from large stationary sources such as power plants, while about a third comes from transportation. Industrial processes, agriculture, forestry, other land use, and waste management are also contributors in greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. (PlanUSA, 2010) The latest greenhouse gas inventory shows that in 2008 the U.S. emitted slightly less than 7 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases, a million metric tons of CO2 equivalents (MMTCO2e) is roughly equal to the annual GHG emissions of an average U.S. power plant (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2010). According to NOAA and NASA data, the Earths average surface temperature has increased by about 1.2 to 1.4Â °F in the last 100 years (2010). The eight warmest years on record (since 1850) have all occurred since 1998, with the warmest year being 2005. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2010). If greenhouse gases continue to increase, climate models predict that the average temperature at the Earths surface could increase from 3.2 to 7.2Â °F above 1990 levels by the end of this century (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2010). Man induced global warming is not just hurting the human culture. The result of climate change affects innocent animals and agriculture as well. Sea ice is decreasing, sea levels are rising, and the growth of essential food for sea life creatures is diminishing throughout the Arctic range due to climate change. Increasing global temperatures are expected to disrupt ecosystems, pushing to extinction those species that cannot adapt. The first comprehensive assessment of the extinction risk from global warming found that more than 1 million species could be obliterated by 2050 if the current trajectory continues. Recent studies indicate that increased frequency of heat stress, droughts and floods negatively affect crop production and livestock. (Carbon Blueprints, 2010) This is especially the case for life sectors at low latitudes. Climate inconsistencies the change in weather patterns vary the risks of fires, pest and pathogen outbreak, negatively affecting food, fiber and forestry. Cl imate change is a problem that is affecting people and the environment. Climate change affects all: people, plants, and animals. Human health can be affected directly and indirectly by climate change through extreme periods of heat and cold, storms, and climate-sensitive diseases such as malaria, and smog episodes. Most agricultural impact studies have measured the effects of one or two aspects of climate change on a particular farming activity. However, only few have considered the full set of predictable shifts and their impact on agricultural production across the country. An increase in average temperature can lengthen the growing season in regions with a relatively cool spring and fall. In regions where summer heat already limits production of crops, the temperature increase can unfavorably affect the crops production also increase soil evaporation rates, and increase the chances of severe droughts. (Carbon Blueprints, 2010) The Federal government has established voluntary and incentive programs to reduce emissions and has created other programs to promote climate technology and science. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plays a significant role in helping the Federal government reduce greenhouse gas emissions and greenhouse gas intensity. Greater energy efficiency and new technologies hold promise for reducing greenhouse gases.(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2010) Scientists are trying to acquire a better understanding for future climate change and how the effects will vary by region. Climate change is already occurring, recorded changes are sea level rise, shrinking glaciers, changes in the range and distribution of plants and animals, trees blooming earlier, lengthening of growing seasons, ice on rivers and lakes freezing later and breaking up earlier. Another question being studied is how will societies and the environment become accustomed to or survive with climate change. Scientists in the U.S. believe most areas will continue to warm, and some will warm more than others. It is difficult to determine the regions that will become wetter or drier. Scientists expect increased precipitation and evaporations, and drier soil in the middle parts of the country; Alaska and Northern regions expect to experience the most warming. Current rates of sea-level rise are expected to increase as a result both of thermal growth of the oceans and melting of most mountain glaciers and partial melting of the West Antarctic and Greenland ice caps. Consequences of this melting include the loss of coastal wetlands and barrier islands, and a greater risk of flooding in coastal communities. Low-lying areas, such as the coastal region along the Gulf of Mexico and estuaries (section of a river meeting the sea) like the Chesapeake Bay, are especially vulnerable. Arctic sea ice level set an all-time record low in September 2007, with almost half a million square miles less ice tha n the previous record set in September 2005, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (2010). Over the past 3 decades, more than a million square miles of perennial sea ice an area the size of Norway, Denmark and Sweden combined has disappeared (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2010). We as humans sharing this planet need to share in the responsibility of keeping it healthy, we all have choices to choose. The government has and is still keeping it possible for us to act ethically and save our environment. Technologies exist today, making cleaner running cars that burn less gas, modernize power plants and generate electricity from sources that are nonpolluting. Other acts that are simple and easy to demonstrate are: changing the light bulbs in home or office to energy efficient light bulbs, properly inflating tires, cut down energy use by having heating and cooling devices serviced annually, also seal and insulate your home. Global warming is not just going to go away. We need to make everyone aware of the harmful effects of global warming. If action is not taken the results of global warming will be catastrophic. All humans are the cause of global warming and we can be the solution of turn the effects of global warming around. Decisions, of course, are not matters of science, but of ethics. To decide, we consider the harms and benefits of our actions, understanding in this case that our actions will restrict the choices of our young: carbon dioxide lasts a long time in the atmosphere, climate change takes a long time to occur, and loss of species diversity is permanent on human time scales.

Continuity and Change over Time in Classical Civilizations

After the fall of the classical civilizations from 100 to 600 CE the world experienced many changes. China’s fall was not as drastic as Rome’s, but it was still worse than India’s. The collapse of the Han dynasty caused China to go into three centuries of unrest until the Sui and Tang dynasties came to the rescue. China had more continuities than changes after its fall, unlike the other classical civilizations.China went from a politically centralized civilization with a developed hierarchy with mutual respect of the upper and lower classes that followed Confucian ways of obedience and deference to the syncretism of Buddhism and Daoism during 100 to 600 CE because of nomadic invasions, corrupt bureaucracies, and religious fluctuations. However, bureaucracies and Confucianism remained. China’s collapse began because of outside nomadic invasions by the Huns. However, after the three centuries of unrest, the nomads simply tried to assimilate into Chinese trad itions after realizing they did not have anything better to offer.During the centuries of chaos, approximately one-half of the population was killed by epidemics. Confucianism, a large imprint of the ways of life in China, became intellectually less active. The bureaucracies became corrupt, which allowed Buddhism to expand to China and threaten its unity. After the bureaucracies corrupted, local landlords picked up power in local neighborhoods. This caused more taxes to the already heavily taxed peasants, causing further social unrest. During this time, Daoism’s appeal increased because of its healing practices and magic.A Daoist movement led by the Yellow Turbans (who promised a golden age) attacked the weak government; however, this failed and simply furthered the downward spiral of classical China. After three centuries of unrest in China, the Sui and T’ang dynasties stepped in. The T’ang dynasty is responsible for the glorious periods of China. This dynasty restored peace to China and revived much of its old ways. Because of the T’ang dynasty, China had returned to its Confucian ways as well as bureaucratic. Because of these dynasties, the bureaucratic system became more elaborate.Even though the bureaucracy declined during the pandemonium, it never did disappear. The structures of classical China were simply too strong to be completely overturned. Despite the continuities, China did exhibit changes after its political and social upheaval. Buddhism had become a major religion in the world because of the expansion eastward during classical China’s demise. Some Buddhist beliefs were syncretized into Confucian China. Despite the mark from the minor Buddhist presence, the chaos did not leave any permanent disruption like in Rome. China merely had to recover from a major setback, rather than reinvent an entire civilization.

Annals of the American Academy

When out of work the average member of the working class loses his chief means of support. It is, therefore, a matter of life and death to him. The most immediate and vital effect of unemployment on the worker is a very serious reduction of the wage scale. Enough has been said to show how greatly unemployment reduces the pay received. In debasement of any general information for Philadelphia industries, an investigation made in New Jersey will best serve to indicate, in a general way, the extent to which the wage scale is depressed by unemployment.Figures collected by the New Jersey State Department of Labor from firms employing over 21 ,OHO workers in the machine industry and from firms employing nearly 16,000 persons in the silk industry show that each of these industries worked during the normal industrial year of 1912 at approximately 70 per cent of total capacity. The actual average wage received during the year for the machine industry was $684; for the silk industry, $509. If full time had been made, it follows that an increase of over 40 per cent would have resulted. This would have meant an average annual wage for the machine industry of $977; for the silk industry of $726.If this 27 per cent of time had not been lost, the average annual wage would have been $566. The average annual loss of wage per employee through unemployment was at least $1 53, and was probably much more, if time lost waiting in the mill, and time lost by hose laid off, were included. Stated for individual departments, the actual average annual wage and the lost wage per employee would be as follows: Actual average annual wage Winders -? Threads Setters†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Weavers -? Pickers†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..Average annual wage lost through lost time spent outside of mill $334 237 452 $124 173 168 164 These results are shown graphically in fig. 19. In short, the worker loses the opportunity of earning 100 per cent of what his energies and abilities warrant. Permanent or chronic unemployment means a permanent loss of wage. In essence it means that the family of a man with a $1,000 or $1,200 earning ability cannot profit by or live according to the standard of such means, because the man is actually earning only from $500 to $1,000 a year.Not merely does unemployment seriously reduce the income of the worker; it makes his income decidedly irregular. Regular income is interrupted by periods of total or partial stoppage of income. In times characterized by such unusual industrial depression as of the past winter, the loss of income is complete on the part of thousands. To a large degree, the worker is entirely ignorant when such misfortune will befall him. Such a situation almost forces the worker to lead a hand-to-mouth existence.He hesitates to plan ahead, because he never knows whether he will be able to carry through his plans or not, for fear of an interruption of income. A premium is, therefore, placed on the lack of thrift . When the normal income returns after a famine period, it not unnaturally leads a family to spend extravagantly after the strain of pinching through a hard time, Just as human nature always has, from the days we were savages, led us to indulge in an orgy of feasting after a long fasting. Unemployment and irregular employment are the arch enemies of thrift.The Annals of the American Academy Perhaps the most serious industrial result of unemployment is its effect on the quality of the working people. It makes good workers bad. It turns workers who were capable and willing into men who are neither capable nor willing to hold a steady Job if they could get one. As one man with whom I talked when he was out in front of a hosiery mill at the noon hour, said, † For six months before this month, we have been working from 8 to 3. When we came to go back to the old hours (7 to 5. 0) it seemed at first as if we Just couldn't make ourselves get up an hour earlier and work two hours later . † The utter inability of the workers to understand or to change the situation breeds a fatalistic lack of hope that soon manifests itself in a lack of ambition and effort. The secretary of the National Lace Weavers' Union says, â€Å"The lace industry has made more bums than any industry I know of. I have seen men go into the mills only to work an hour this morning or an hour this afternoon, so long, that they are incapable of sustained effort.They lose their personal ‘punch' and often eventually lose their ability to discuss anything except how things are this week in this or that plant. One of the usual ways by which such a depression leads to a debasing of the worker is by causing the skilled man to drift into an unskilled trade. When a man is out of work, he is very apt to â€Å"take anything† that offers, whether it is a job in which he can utilize his skill or not. The very common result is that he is never able to â€Å"come back† to his own trade .His ability in his particular trade is sacrificed and he drifts into the already tremendously overcrowded class of unskilled men. Not only the worker but the entire Philadelphia community as well, is the loser by this lowering of the skill of abort. The injury to the worker by unemployment extends beyond his mere industrial efficiency, and dangerously affects the social standing, the family relations, the health, the intelligence and the public orderliness of the working classes of the community.A series of interviews with Kensington textile workers (chiefly Anglicans) is one steady story of used up savings, of increased debts, and of â€Å"half time† for four, six or nine months during the past winter. Even the few whose greater savings or â€Å"steadier time† would normally have led them to avoid the â€Å"pinch† f the past winter, have felt obliged to lend to the less fortunate to an extent 41 Steadying Employment which, in many cases, has meant a severe dra in on their own resources. The lowered income during such a winter as the past. 1914-1 5) very frequently means the curtailment of the necessities of food, fuel and clothing, to the point where the health is seriously impaired. It is almost impossible to measure this injury. Mr.. R. R. P. Bradford, who is in charge of the â€Å"Lighthouse† and was quoted previously (page 6), said during the spring of 1915, â€Å"l should not be at all surprised if, as a result of the erring of physical vitality among the Kensington workers, because of insufficient nourishment and protection, there should come about an epidemic of disease that will cost us dear.Whether it does or does not happen, we have a permanent injury as a result of this year's unemployment in the lessened vitality of the people. † Every severe depression is a great destroyer of family life. Almost every family with whom I conversed knew of two or three families that were forced to â€Å"break up† because of the unemployment during the past winter. One of the usual results of unemployment s a considerable increase in the number of thefts, burglaries and suicides.

The Bible, The Inspired Word Of God Essay - 1677 Words

Introduction The Bible, the inspired Word of God was written by His ordained writers. One of these was Paul, a great believer and follower of Christ, who was committed and dedicated to the spread of the gospel. He faced many afflictions and challenges on the course of his journeys that took him to different regions of the world, in the hope of spreading the Word of God to the many regions that had not received the Good News. On the course of his travels, he met different people along the way but only few remained with him till the end. One of those who did not abandon him was Timothy, his spiritual son. 2 Timothy 3:10-17 provides the guiding principle between the Word of God and the teachers of the Word be they, priests, pastors, bishops amongst others. It provides a lifestyle model as lived by Paul as a minister of Christ in order to strengthen the teachers in the course of their calling to be followers of Jesus Christ. The book Timothy was thus written to encourage Timothy and other ministers of the challenges they are likely to go through and the need to remain persistent in faith during tough times (Soards, 2001). This exegesis paper will provide the historical background of the characters involved in this passage as well as the developments of the world in which they lived in upon the writing of the book. In addition, it will take into consideration the textual commentary of each individual verse in order to decipher the underlying meaning of the phrases as well as aShow MoreRelatedBible as the Inspired Word of God Essay1103 Words   |  5 PagesBible as the Inspired Word of God The Bible is the work of various authors, who lived in different continents and wrote in different eras. Furthermore, much of the text does not claim to have been dictated by God and is not always God speaking to people. 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