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Global warming was caused by mankind. Many people find this too hard to believe. Just centuries ago we couldn't have caused global warming, but now, we are a force of nature. We caused this problem, and we can also stop it. If we were all like Spock, the problem would be much easier to solve. But humans are lazy, stubborn, arrogant, and selfish. We have everything we need to solve this problem. We just need the willpower and the willingness to work together.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoThe current warming trend began as man began to contribute significantly to greenhouse gas concentrations, starting around 1850.
"Climate sensitivity" refers to the amount of time required for climate to adjust to changes already introduced. If all further greenhouse gas emissions were immediately stopped, we would expect earth to continue warming for decades to come as the climate continues adjusting to changes we have already introduced. In that respect alone, global warming is a freight train that cannot be quickly stopped.
Science Answer:
Yes, there is no way we can reasonably undo what we have done. There are no immediate market incentives for pulling the CO2 we already liberated back out of the air.
Over the past 20 million years (long before our species came into existence), atmospheric CO2 naturally ranged from 200 parts per million to 280 ppm. For all of human existence it varied only from 250 to 280, which is where it was at the onset of the industrial revolution in 1700. In the 200 years from 1700 to 1900 CO2 rose 10 ppm, which is about twenty times faster than any natural change. Still, even at that rate, we could have continued burning fossil fuel for a thousand years before CO2 would reach any level of concern. Many scientists consider 350 ppm to be the maximum sustainable level for CO2 given our present conditions. Between 1900 and 1950 CO2 levels rose an additional 10 ppm, to 300 ppm. But we continued doubling production, and doubling consumption, such that before the 1980s concluded we passed that 350 ppm mark. We will reach 400 ppm in three years (2015), and pass 500 ppm before 2050, less than 40 years away. At 400 ppm earth's temperature is expected to rise 4° to 9° C over the course of the next century.
We currently produce about 3% of the total atmospheric CO2 each year, which means after 33 years we would have doubled the present amount.
Do we need to produce greenhouse gases to survive? No one was burning prodigious quantities of fossil fuel prior to 1700. Yet our species seemed to fare just fine for thousands of years before then. Granted, technology has improved our condition tremendously, but we also quit doing most things that we learned had harmful side effects, such as using lead paint in our homes, and leaded gasoline in our cars.
The IPCC and most other science organizations concur that 350 ppm should be a sustainable level of CO2. We cannot reach that level now, we're already set on a course of higher global temperatures. If we stopped burning fossil fuel immediately, it would take decades to drop back down to 350 ppm at only 0.2 ppm per decade. 400 - 350 = 50, and 50/0.2 = 250. That isn't 250 years, but 250 decades, or 2500 years. Perform this calculation yourself for 2050, to determine the effect of further delay.
We cannot stop global warming, but if we changed our energy policy to focus on alternatives, and to invest more heavily in public transportation systems, these steps would help curb the phenomenal growth from industrial heat trapping gas, and delay the most egregious of the consequences our mistakes will create.
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoNo, there is no way to stop global warming, only to slow it down.
We can stop global warming by stopping deforestation and by stopping fossil fueling. We have to move to renewable energy (solar, wind, water, hydro, tidal and wave, geothermal, ocean thermal, biomass and biofuel).
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoYes. And it could be you! If you think you can't handle it, then just start doing 1 little thing. Then get your friends doing the little thing. Then have them get THEIR friends helping out, and so on and so on. Then we will really make a difference.
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoIt is already too late to stop global warming completely. The latest scientific projections are that it is no longer possible to achieve the goal of limiting global warming to an average of 2 degrees Celsius by the end of this century. The worst-case scenario is an average global warming of 6 degrees by the end of the century, which would be catastrophic for human life. To stop this we are going to have to take action quickly.
Changing light bulbs is good, but we have to change laws in every country!
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoNo, global warming is not going to stop because there is continous deforestation.
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoNo, I don't think so. Since man has come upon this land, we have been ruling it. Now, we must not just rule it, but save it as well.
Wiki User
∙ 6y agoYes. Global warming is causing problems all round the world and is only getting worse.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoIt can be slow down if people recycled and resused and turd off lights ect. ect.
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Is it too late to slow down or stop global warming global warming?
It's never too late to stop mass destruction. Do what you can to help the environment by recycling, using water and cars less, etc. The clouds in the air full of greenhouse gases can grow and grow, but if we put a stop to this, maybe all of the destruction due to Global Warming may not actually occur.
Is it too late to be worried about global warming?
Some scientists think that is it not too late to worry about global warming; others think that it is too late. no it never is no it isn't its that all u freken ppl keep litterin
Proverbs of global warming?
we should be soultion of polution else global warming will be result
Too much of which gas in the atmosphere is causing global warming?
Too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is causing global warming. The natural carbon cycle is overwhelmed and can't move out all the extra gas. The extra gas is turning the natural greenhouse effect into an accelerated greenhouse effect, which is causing global warming.
Why have glaciers started to melt?
There's too much global warming and the world is getting warmer.
How can we show your stop global warming?
It's too late. The earth is past the tipping point.
Is it too late to slow down or stop global warming global warming?
It's never too late to stop mass destruction. Do what you can to help the environment by recycling, using water and cars less, etc. The clouds in the air full of greenhouse gases can grow and grow, but if we put a stop to this, maybe all of the destruction due to Global Warming may not actually occur.
Is it too late to be worried about global warming?
Some scientists think that is it not too late to worry about global warming; others think that it is too late. no it never is no it isn't its that all u freken ppl keep litterin
Is it too late to slow down the rate of Global Warming?
It may well be too late to stop some serious effects of global warming. However, we should be optimistic. If we make serious changes now we may be able to live with a future climate for a while (several hundred years) till it cools again.
Is the news making global warming sound worse than it is?
Not at all. By giving space to the opposing side, that variously claims that global warming is not happening, is happening but is not a problem, or is happening and is a problem but we have no power to stop it, the news media is unintentionally playing down the problem of global warming. This is a concern for scientists, who say global warming is real but can be stopped if we take decisive action before it is too late.
Is the planet Earth going to recover from global warming?
It is impossible to say. Some scientists think it is already too late to stop 2 degrees Celsius of warming, which will cause colossal damage to us and the environment as we know it now.
Is global warming getting worse because of humans?
Yes. But we can prevent it, stop using fossil fuels and electricity too much and hopefully global warming can slow down.
What is the chance of reducing global warming?
The future is looking grim. Many people think we have left it too late to do much about global warming. Very few countries have made serious attempts to reduce their emissions.
Is it too late to fix global warming?
Considering that the warmer temperature is melting the permafrost and releasing huge amounts of methane, the change in sea temperature is changing the climate patterns causing drought, the ocean levels have risen it may well be too late. The best we can hope for is to adjust to a new "normal" that isn't too hard on our species.
Why Can't Ecosystems Just Adapt to global warming?
The Global Warming is happening too fast, but the ecosystems are trying anyway.
Is the warming of the sea caused by global warming?
The warming of the sea is part of global warming. If the earth warms up, then the oceans warm up too (but a little more slowly).
Will global warming continue even if we try to stop it?
Yes, to some extent, global warming will continue no matter what we try to do to stop it. Once the process has started, it becomes very hard to stop. Added to this, we will inevitably keep adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere if we wish to maintain our high standard of living - and no one suggests we should not. However, by acting now we can begin to slow global warming down and hopefully stop it before it becomes too late. Scientists have given us a two degree Celsius buffer before irreversible damage occurs. A few years ago, economists thought that we could halt global warming before we reached that point, but now feel that it is already too late and that we run the risk of passing that threshold. Nevertheless we should try, and do it now. It has been said that if we take no substantive action before the year 2020, then the entire world may need to be placed on a war footing to meet the common challenge. Acting now is the alternative.
