Discuss, using examples, whether the continued use of fossil fuels is incompatible with avoiding harmful levels of climate change
The eager of Mankind to dominate available energy resources to develop technology had its down sides. Although that was seen human advanced trying different types of energy resources such as wood, Coal, Water, Wind, oil... act. Some people were pessimistic about the harmfulness of the used methods to deploy or generate energy. However optimistic people aimed to develop the knowledge and the process toward a more environmental friendly use. Yet, there is a concern regarding Continued use of fossil fuels, if it is incompatible with avoiding harmful levels of climate changes.
Understanding that the climate is ruled by two main factors that are the Sun and the Atmosphere. Currently the public have came to understand that the increment in temperatures on earth is affecting the major currents of the sea to the level where the Ice North pole is threatened. Scientific researches have proven that the problem of climate change and/or global warming is not caused by change in energy earth is receiving from the sun. But it is happening because of the changes in Atmosphere and the unbalance that is directly happening due to human interference with nature (>90% assurance in the fourth report of the intergovernmental panel for Climate change IPCC). This change in the concentration of gasses is causing unwanted defect in the green house effect. Normally the heat coming toward earth would split to 30% reflected energy by the Atmosphere and 70% would make it through to earth (NASA.GOV). The energy that is absorbed by the planes of earth is then radiated gradually keeping the desired warmth. With a healthy Atmosphere the excess heat would be radiated back to the outer space allowing maintaining normal temperature. The Defect that is preventing this healthy temperature release is the above normal amounts of temperature storage components in the atmosphere that are the gasses that known as as the green house gases (GSG). These gasses can be described as attenuators for the heat storage capacity in the atmosphere. The GHG are Water Vapour, Carbon Dioxide CO2 which is the major contributor, Methane CH4 and Nitrous oxide N2O. Unfortunately the use of fossil is determined as the major cause for increasing the first three mentioned gasses contributing in the green house effect.
Fossil fuel is the one name that means Coal, Oil (Petroleum), and Natural gas. These fuels mainly consist of Carbon. Coal is Carbon and the hydrocarbons, which are oil and gas, consist of Carbon compounds with other elements that would be Hydrogen and may include other elements such as Sulphur S as well as Lead Pb. The initial phase of energy generated when using fossil fuel is always heat energy resulting from burning the fuel. Burning is a chemical reaction that would combine atoms with Oxygen element O. In all fossil fuel burning processes the first resultant gas would be CO2. No matter how much effort is exerted to control or capture carbon Dioxide it will release whenever fossil fuel is burnt. Nitrous Oxide is another known emission of the oil and gas processing operations as well as agriculture. The IPCC fourth report also assured by more than 90% certainty that fossil fuel burning emissions are the major cause of the increase of temperature due to the green house effect. This is supported by the EPA statistics that announced the following: 33% of green house emissions come from generating electricity. And that, 70% of electricity is generated by burning fossil fuel. Then the second biggest sector that emits green house gasses is the transportation sector with an emissions share of 28%. Fossil fuel is to be blamed in this sector hence 90% of the used fuel in transportation is petroleum-based fuels. This is about 48% if the green house emissions in the atmosphere and not yet covered the industrial, agricultural, commercial and residential emissions.
Reconfirms that the fossil fuel is the major cause for the green house effect can be seen from the time trend for CO2 concentrations. Fortunately, Scientists came up with an idea made it possible to examine air samples from past times with a good estimation for the time by studying ice cores. The ice of Antarctica and Green land saved air bubbles from the time when the ice was forming. Core samples were taken for studies and the depth of the ice was translated to time. The results showed that the concentrations of the green house gasses especially Carbon dioxide and Methane started to increase in a noticeable way from around 1940 in a way that can't be related to natural causes unlike the times before 1700s (Antartica.ac.uk). Talking about an increment rate that is close to and some times exceeding 2 ppm (part per Million) per year. The concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere in July 2013 was announced as of 398.58 ppm (Mauna Loa Observatory) while it was about 280 ppm only prior to industrial time (EPA.gov). This increment is still happening and CO2 as well as other green house gasses are still accumulating although that the nations are working on cutting down the emissions. Mainly because the accumulated concentration and the on going emissions are higher than the capacity rate that the natural system could handle. On the other hand, artificial solutions such as the Carbon Capture technology have not proof success nor guaranteed safety and practicality. Leaving us with no solid solution that will change the slope of the trend of the GHG concentrations.
Finally, the demonstrated facts about the relation between green house gasses and there effect on climate change. As well as, understanding the role of fossil fuel usage with the high concentration of emitting Green house gasses. In addition to the available researches and observations published about the climate change by NASA, EPA, IPCC and other well known scientific and professional organisations. It is safe to believe that, Continued use of fossil fuels is incompatible with avoiding harmful levels of climate changes.
The eagerness of Mankind to dominate available energy resources to develop technology had its down sides
Although that was seen human advanced trying different types of energy resources such as wood, Coal, Water, Wind, oil... act.
... This is an incomplete sentence and we don't get your idea clearly :(
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