In the year 2008, one of the major focus of mankind is our home, the Earth. The Earth is experiencing an event where it's surface temperature increases, or known as "global warming" today. But the question still lies there.
Can we control the Earth's climate?
One of the effort we're making now is reducing Carbon Dioxide emission, as much as possible. But, by reducing the emission of Carbon Dioxide, does it help much to alter the ever increasing global temperature? Does Al Gore really have a way to cool the planet down? Are our efforts showing us any satisfactory results? Does it even slow down the temperature increment?
No matter how hard we try, mankind is almost impossible to change the world's climate. Global warming is for sure, and we simply can't stop the immense power of Mother Nature. After so much effort we've did, a minor change on the surface of the sun may end the world easily.
Imagine one day, an active region on the surface of the sun erupts and release a massive amount of energy. The Earth's magnetic field will first be hit by the ion particles and waves. Then, the increase in heat will turn Earth boil-hot, immediately turning Earth into Venus.
Does then lowering the content of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere helps?
What mainly changes the global temperature is the Earth's orbit around the sun, or known as the Milankovitch cycles. As Earth continuously orbits around sun, it's orbit also changes periodically(around 100,000 years). During apogee, the Earth's temperature is low, thus it's believed to cause the major prehistoric ice ages. The ice ages ended when the Earth's orbit slowly moves to perigee, causing its surface temperature to increase.
The most recent ice age occurred about 11,000 years ago- thus it's reasonable to hypothesizes that our Earth's orbit is slowly moving into perigee, where temperature increases uncontrolled.
We humans are just too insignificant in front of the immensity of Nature.
There are already effort in place to lower the Carbon Dioxide emission such as the "Cap and trade" method introduced in the Kyoto Protocol.
ReplyDeleteBut whether this will be effective or not, we cannot be 100% sure.
Besides the earth's orbit, even our moon's orbit is changing. The radius of its orbit is increasing. Which means that its moving further and further away from earth.
However so, we will only lose 2 milliseconds a day in every 100 years as the moon moves further away from us by 3.8cm a year.
Yeah. But sadly, USA as a major carbon dioxide producer haven't sign the Kyoto Protocol.
ReplyDeleteThis method can be somewhat effective, but it just couldn't stop global warming from continuing.
Yep. Our moon is very close to Earth while it's formed, and it is moving away from us every second.
Hundred of years later, if Earth's condition is still same as now, the moon that is very far away will cause Earth to be unstable- the atmosphere and weather will be greatly affected (due to gravity), as well as the ocean's conveyor belt.