There is a lot of debate centered on the challenges brought by global warming and the effects that would result in further increases in global temperatures. With many opinions from various scientists, different scientists and organizations have various views on the causes of climate and global warming in the world today. Although Peterson claims that human activities are not to blame for global warming and climate change because they are as a result of natural processes that take place on earth, global warming and climate change are man-made.
According to Norman Peterson, climate change and global warming are issues that result from natural processes due to natural causes. Here, he strongly opposes the idea that no human activity is responsible for the formation of climate change and global warming on earth. In his arguments, the author asserts that human activities are not totally to blame for any climatic change in the environment today. Supporting his ideas, Peterson explains that the temperature changes that are being experienced presently are not new as they have been seen in the past. On the contrary, other scientists, like Golstein claim that global warming is brought about by human activities; that it is manmade.
Peterson further goes on to assert that climate change and global warming are not manmade. In fact, he claims that there is a lot of misleading scientific research data from various highly reputed scientists and organizations indicating that they are manmade. For instance, he points out that World Metrological Organization (WMO) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are wrong in their conclusions that global warming and climate change result from human activities. Furthermore, Peterson dismisses the organizations’ views with a lot of support from the current temperature statistics. However, the facts about the increase in the amount of carbon dioxide are a clear indication that it causes global warming.
Besides, he points out that this is strengthened by the statement that “emerging evidence pointing directly to other natural phenomena” . Here, he argues the rising amount of greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide, is not responsible for intensity of global warming on earth today. He further says that current statistics ascertain that only 0.025-0.035% of gas emissions can be pointed to be the cause of global warming and climate change. With these results, Peterson justifies his opinion against the organization’s views that they are man-made, claiming that percentage is too small. Additionally, the increase in the percentage happened a hundred years ago; hence making the view unreliable and insignificant.
Peterson also opposes other scientists’ claims that carbon dioxide as a major contributor to global warming because the gas is known to have a very small concentration in the atmosphere at only 0.04%. In support of his point that global warming sources are natural, he indicates that solar changes including both magnetic fields effects and irradiance; atmosphere-ocean interactions, instead of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, are possible causes of temperature changes. By contrast, other credible scholars report that global warming is caused by human activities. Therefore, with most of the research findings pointing towards the increase in the greenhouse gases, it is appropriate to say that global warming is man-made.
Peterson’s assertion that that global warming is caused by natural processes is quite inappropriate. The fact that there is an increase of carbon dioxide emissions in the environment today is an indication that the human activities are causes of global warming. Statistics explicitly demonstrate that thee emissions of gases by vehicles in the environment are other causes of global warming. Moreover, with advancing industrialization, greenhouse gases contribute to climate change in the world. According to the IPCC reports, it is clear that greenhouse emissions increased during the preindustrial era and since then, there has been an increase in the of carbon dioxide by 30% ; that is from 278-358 ppmv. For the case of Methane, it has risen by 2405 from 700-1721ppbv (Maslin 13). Consequently, this increase strengthens the idea that greenhouses effect causes global warming in the world. With this understanding, it is justified to oppose Peterson’s to say that global warming is purely man-made.
In addition, Peterson’s idea that global warming is stimulated by natural processes is unsuitable. The claim that carbon dioxide is insignificant in the cause of global warming and climate change is dismissed by research findings by the IPCC. The organization established that the methane and carbon dioxide have higher ability to contain significant amounts of heat energy within the atmosphere. More so, carbon dioxide has been found to directly correlate to the temperature rises by the IPCC, particularly with the increased release of more carbon through deforestation and mass destruction of all carbon sinks around the world. On contrast, Peterson opposes the organization reports of being one sided; a position that holds little strength in view of the overwhelming statistics indicating otherwise as illustrated by the IPCC.
In conclusion, although natural factors, such as, volcanic eruptions contribute to global warming, they are insufficient. This is because of research findings have confirmed that many human activities majorly cause global warming. The greenhouse gas emissions, such as, carbon dioxide and methane are some of the causes of global warming. Peterson’s idea that natural processes are the only stimulants of global warming is wrong. Therefore, it is justified to say that global warming and climate change are man -made phenomena.