Climate Change and Its Impacts

This assignment examines the complex issue of climate change. It delves into the causes of global warming, particularly human-induced greenhouse gas emissions. Further, it analyzes the impacts of climate change on different sectors like agriculture and energy consumption. The assignment also critiques a published article from the Daily Mail that presents a controversial perspective on climate change science, highlighting its inaccuracies and potential for misinformation.

Running head: ECOLOGY OF CHANGING CLIMATE
1
Student name
Ecology of Changing Climate
Date

ECOLOGY OF CHANGING CLIMATE 2
Question 1 C
Green house warming is an increase in the temperatures of the world. This incidence is
attributed to solar radiation being trapped within the earth’s atmosphere. Global warming is an
issue of concern in our world today (Jacobson & Deluchi, 2011). Scientists have unveiled
various causes of global warming. Man made greenhouse warming is a major contributor that
cannot be undermined. Increased production of carbon (IV) oxide and methane from burning
fuels, peat, coal have all increased the ability of the atmosphere withhold more energy thus
increase in earth’s temperatures. The most pernicious argument is to assert that solar irradiance is
the cause of our ever increasing temperatures.
Question 2
Quote #2 a
The article reported that only a quarter of the claimed increase in temperature as recorded
over the past 15 years as earlier published and it also mentioned that the rate of warming was
0.05C per decade which was below computer predictions. It was reported that scientists had
accepted that computers may have falsified the effects of emission of carbon in relation to world
temperatures (Michael, 2015). The report attested that the world is as warm as it were before the
industrial revolution. Similarly it held that Antarctic sea ice has grown contrary to computer
models that had forecasted a decline. It also reported that scientists did not mention about the
ever increasing frequency of hurricanes as earlier stated.
Question 2 b

ECOLOGY OF CHANGING CLIMATE 3
The main publication in the daily mail which was attacked is “computers got the effects
of greenhouse gases wrong “. This information did not present facts neither could it be verified.
(Rose, 2013)
Question 2 c
Analysis of the existing situation revealed that there was misinformation as far as the
report in the daily mail is concerned. This misrepresentation of information brought fury among
consultants and concerned parties (Rose, 2013)
Question 2 d
The Daily Mail misrepresented scientific facts. The warming rate as originally stated by
IPCC in 2007 was 0.2C per decade. The idea that scientist had accepted that the computers had
falsified effects of carbon emission are baseless. Studies show that the world today is warmer
than a century ago.
Question 3
One of the modern agricultural practices that farmers use is the application of pesticides
and fungicides. Weeds and pests have become a menace to farmers. This has actuated the use of
fungicides and pesticides to control their effects and to secure farmers’ returns. The use of
chemical insecticides and pesticides is not void of shortcomings that we have to bear with. The
extensive use of chemicals has interfered with the natural ecosystem so as to maintain a narrow
bio-diversity; this has changed the equilibrium in the ecosystem. According to Buttel, Foster &
Magdoff (2015), some pests and insects have been confirmed to develop resistance and in turn
strengthening offensive traits.
Question 4 a

ECOLOGY OF CHANGING CLIMATE 4
In figure 4, the large gap between human population and total energy consumption in the 20th
century is as a result of energy demanding informational, industrial and technological activities
that are driven by extra-metabolic energy derived from the burning of oil, coal and gas other
sources supplementing metabolic energy. The society became more sophisticated with the ever
increasing population that used more chemical energy to run activities (Jacobson & Deluchi,
2011). The small gap between human population and total energy consumption during industrial
revolution is attributed to the early life of human civilization. Man depended on metabolic
energy to run his activities. The use of wind, water mills, wood and charcoal were employed.
This gap does not mean that we are eating more calories and phytomass, but it shows how the
contemporary man requires more energy in the day to day life.
Question 4 b
Humans are on a trend of continual production of energy to sustain the ever increasing energy
demanding technological, informational and industrial ventures. According to (Michael, 2015)we
are burning living biomass faster than the earth can replenish it. This therefore means there is a
rapid depletion of chemical energy

ECOLOGY OF CHANGING CLIMATE 5
Works Cited
Buttel, F. H., Foster, J. B., & M. F. (2015). Hungry for profit: The Agribusiness threat to
farmers, food, and the environment. New York: NYU Press.
Jacobson, M. Z., & Deluchi, M. A. (2011). Providing all global energy with wind, water, and
solar power, Part I: Technologies, energy resources, quantities and areas of infrastructure, and
materials. Energy Policy. New York: CRC Press.
M. K. (2015). Empirical Evidence that humans are causing global warming. Skeptical Science .
Rose, D. (2013). World's top climate scientists confess: Global warming is just QUARTER what
we thought - and computers got the effects of greenhouse gases wrong. The Daily Mail .