In this blog post, we’ll examine from various angles whether global warming is the result of human activity or simply one of the Earth’s natural climate cycles.
“Global warming” is a familiar term we hear frequently. As the name suggests, it refers to the phenomenon of the Earth’s temperature rising. The term has been in use for less than 100 years. However, looking at Earth’s history, its temperature has actually been constantly changing. In fact, there were periods in the past when temperatures were much higher than they are today. The reason global warming has become a hot topic recently is that it is caused by human activity. Currently, when we generally refer to global warming, we mean the phenomenon of temperatures rising rapidly due to greenhouse gases and other factors in relatively recent times. This phenomenon has emerged as a major issue in modern society, highlighting problems such as the indiscriminate use of fossil fuels and environmental pollution.
Historically, global warming did not receive much attention until the end of the Cold War. However, following the Cold War, advancements in computers and observational equipment revealed that the primary cause of global warming was carbon dioxide produced by human activities, bringing the issue into the spotlight. Subsequently, research by many scholars identified the causes, and efforts were made to address them. In the 1980s, international response bodies such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) were established. Furthermore, specific international treaties aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, such as the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, were signed.
The primary cause of global warming can be attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by greenhouse gases. The greenhouse effect is fundamentally a phenomenon caused by greenhouse gases reducing the escape of heat. Greenhouse gases have the property of allowing short-wavelength radiation from the sun to pass through while absorbing long-wavelength radiation emitted by the Earth. Because of this property, the Earth absorbs incoming heat, and while some of the outgoing heat is released, some remains trapped in the atmosphere. When the amount of greenhouse gases remains constant, a state of equilibrium is maintained, and the temperature remains stable. However, as the amount of greenhouse gases increases, the amount of heat absorbed changes, causing the overall temperature to rise. Ultimately, it appears that global warming has occurred because the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has increased, leading to a rise in the Earth’s overall temperature. In addition to this greenhouse effect, scholars have proposed various other causes, such as solar radiation.
Among greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide is currently recognized as the primary cause of global warming. It is observed that this carbon dioxide is primarily generated in large quantities during the combustion of fossil fuels, which have been used extensively since the Industrial Revolution. Recently, factors such as deforestation and desertification, in addition to the use of fossil fuels, have also been contributing to the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. In addition to carbon dioxide, substances like Freon gas—which was widely used as a refrigerant in refrigerators during the 1990s—and methane emitted from cattle manure are believed to have significantly amplified the greenhouse effect, thereby accelerating global warming.
The reason global warming is such a major problem is the resulting changes to the Earth. Various issues, such as the retreat of glaciers and rising sea levels, are reported to have been caused by global warming. Rising sea levels can submerge low-lying areas and islands, making it a very serious problem. Furthermore, the overall rise in temperature prevents plants and animals from adapting, leading to the destruction of ecosystems and an increase in the number of animals facing extinction. The recent trend of temperate regions becoming subtropical demonstrates that global temperatures are rising very rapidly and that the situation is serious. Furthermore, scholars attribute recent extreme weather events, such as the frequent occurrence of powerful typhoons, to increased ocean evaporation caused by global warming.
Global efforts are underway to address these issues.
The most fundamental solution is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which are identified as the root cause of the problem. To this end, many companies and countries are developing eco-friendly products, focusing on renewable energy, and making efforts to protect natural environments such as forests. A specific measure that has recently gained prominence is the carbon emissions trading system. This system involves placing a price on carbon emissions that cause the greenhouse effect, allowing them to be bought and sold as economic commodities. In other words, it is a method of reducing carbon emissions using economic principles. In addition to this, various other methods are being proposed, such as introducing life cycle assessments that evaluate every stage of a product’s life cycle—from creation to disposal—to more accurately reduce carbon emissions.
The points mentioned above represent the generally accepted understanding of global warming. However, there is also a side to the issue where debate continues. There are quite a few scholars who argue that much of the information regarding global warming has been exaggerated and that human contribution to it is actually negligible. They argue that there have been periods in recorded history when temperatures were higher than they are today, and that, looking at the Earth’s history, rising temperatures are due to other global phenomena rather than greenhouse gases. While these scholars acknowledge that the Earth’s temperature is rising, they claim that the information regarding its causes and consequences is unreliable, exaggerated, or incorrect. They view such distortions as a means to serve political or economic agendas and criticize these actions.
In addition to these scholars who claim such claims are extreme distortions, debates regarding the exact state of global warming are also taking place among other scholars. A specific example of this is the Greenland ice sheet. In 2004, the BBC reported that the Greenland ice sheet was melting at an increasing rate each year and was thinning by 10 meters annually. Subsequently, in 2005, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) made a similar claim. Since media outlets around the world emphasized the fact that the ice sheet was melting, this was accepted as a given. However, the European Space Agency (ESA) later claimed that “the Greenland ice sheet is undergoing cyclical fluctuations, and the ice volume in central Greenland is actually increasing.” The claims of these two official agencies were completely at odds with one another. This controversy remains unresolved.
There are countless other examples of research findings and debates regarding global warming beyond the one mentioned earlier. Related scenarios often change with each new report, and the variability in the results is significant. This phenomenon is actually related to chaos theory, as even a slight change in input can lead to drastically different outcomes. In the case of global-scale issues, this problem arises because there are so many variables, and as a result, the debate continues endlessly. Consequently, it is difficult to formulate an effective response to global warming.
From another perspective, some argue that the view attributing many current extreme weather events to global warming is highly dangerous. Scholars who hold this view contend that extreme weather is related to temperature variations, whereas global warming involves an overall rise in temperature and thus has little to do with such variations. Consequently, they argue that global warming cannot be the cause of extreme weather events. They point out that there are other causes behind these events and warn that attributing all such occurrences worldwide to global warming will lead to significant problems.
Beyond this, there are many other debates surrounding global warming. In fact, these debates are inevitable because the global climate system itself is complex and difficult to predict, much like the diffusion of a gas. However, it is certain that the Earth’s temperature is currently rising at a rapid pace. It is also a fact that glaciers are melting and sea levels are rising as a result. While we may not be able to reach a definitive conclusion regarding the causes or solutions, it seems most important to respond by making the best choices available to us at this time.
