Are There Benefits to Global Warming? Essay Example

The question of the effects of global warming on the world climate has frequently risen during the last decades. This matter is vitally important for us because the consequences of global warming may be unpredictable. Different scientists throughout the world studied this question. Most of them blame human activity in the nature destruction and mention the anthropogenic factor as the main. That is why in 1997, in Kyoto, a Protocol was signed, which limited amounts of greenhouse gas emissions for every country. The only country in the world, that has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol, is the USA, the biggest carbon producer in the world.

The reasons for climate’s changing are still unknown, but among the main external actions is change of the Earth’s orbit (so-called Milankovitch cycles), change of solar variation and volcanic activity.

According to one of the hypothesis, global warming will lead to deceleration of the Gulf Stream, powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic Ocean current, which will cause a sharp drop in Europe’s average annual temperature. Types of climates in some countries might change and become more continental.

As for me, the most interesting theory that I’ve found is the theory that climate’s changing is absolutely a natural process which comes after the Little Ice Age (LIA) which lengthened on Earth during XIV—XIX centuries. This period was the coldest during the last two thousand years according to the average annual temperature.

While studying the results of the research of those scientists who explored the effects of global warming on the ice-covered Arctic, I have found out that the average temperature on the Antarctic Peninsula during the last fifty years increased by 2,5 ºC. The Larsen Ice Shelf, located in the northwest part of the Weddell Sea, was stable during the last 10000 years, but in 2002 an iceberg with the total square of nearly 2500 square meters chopped off. This practically led to the destruction of the Larsen Ice Shelf. It is only one of the examples of how global warming effects the ice-covered Arctic and today we can evidence Arctic shrinkage.

A lot of scientific facts prove that the fact of global warming exists, and its effects we can observe now and we need immediate actions to prevent it. On the other hand, some scientists put forward a theory that the so-called global warming is simply manipulation of coward scientists with environmental and political motives, who fabricate scientific data to create an illusion of global warming. «It is the greatest scam in history» says  John Coleman, American news weathercaster.  Bjorn Lomborg, Danish author, academic, and environmental writer argue that many of the expensive and elaborate actions now being taken to stop global warming will cost hundreds of billions of dollars and will not bring any noticeable changes in world’s temperature. He proposes to focus on another global problem such as HIV/AIDS, etc. (Lomborg, 2007). In 2008, a famous British scientist (naturalist), was dismissed by BBC bosses because he did not believe in man-made global warming. The question is: Who benefits from the dissemination of information about global warming?

Another interesting fact considers the American politician in 2007, Albert Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize. The award was given for efforts to build up and spread greater knowledge about man-made climate change. He made a great effort and organized a lot of concerts, meetings and lectures on this theme. Turning back, I’d like to focus your attention on the fact that the United States declined the Kyoto Protocol. I’ve found controversial the fact that one of America’s most influential politics wins Nobel Peace Price for environmental protection and the fact that USA declined the only international document which protects our world.

Among those scientists who insist on the existence of the global warming there are those who believe that the results of global warming can be opposite. One of the arguments that defends this point of view is that a number of hurricanes will decrease.  For years scientists insisted that global warming will cause more storms and a rise in hurricanes, but according to a new study in Geophysical Research Letters journal, warmer temperatures may actually decrease the amount of hurricanes that hit each year.

Longer summers are another argument that defends global warming. This longer summers will lead to longer growing season. Plants refine CO2. All that global warming causing CO2 would act like a fertilizer. As a result, food production will prosper  due to free airborne plant fertilizer and longer growing seasons. Moreover, our planet will become greener. Even now satellite measurements show that the planet is greener today than it was before it warmed. Moreover, driving will be a lot safer, when all of the streets are cleanded from both snow and ice. Additionally, streets with no snow on them will reduce stress when driving. As a result, the number of heart attacks will decrease a lot. Air, rail, and road transportation could be impacted positively by a global warming as most of the weather-related accidents and delays would be decreased as well. Studies of the US Department of Energy show that users bills for the energy would be cut by nearly $12 billion per year.

Also, global warming will not have any affect, both negative or positive, on economy-related activities such as retailing, manufacturing, banking, wholesaling, education and most of other businesses, which are directly related to cold weather. Almost all cold weather activities, such as winter sports, would be negatively affected.

From an evolutionary point of view, warm periods were always  benefitial for plants and animals. The world has flourished during the warming periods.  Cold periods have always caused serious survival problems for all kind of organisms including mankind. Scientific studies show that only in the U.S a number of deaths will decrease by 40,000 each year. These are deaths which related to cold winter weather and diffirent winter illnesses such as pneumonia. Warmer temperatures will reduce medical costs.

Opposing side of scientists insist that  temperature due to Global Warming will be supportive to various viral diseases such as west Nile virus and malaria. It will cause health as well as economic effects on human beings. Global Warming will increase the incidence of diseases in poorer countries where these illnesses exist. Moreover, Global Warming will also cause countries who have extirpated these diseases to spend more on various vaccinations and other ways of eradication like pesticides, etc.

The fact that more arable land will be obtained for both corporate building and agricultural use after the ice retreats is another argument in favor of global warming.

For example, the deserts of China received enough moisture and were fertile about 8,000 years ago, and this would be beneficial for China, since they need more fertile land than they have, with their enormous population. The arable farmer land was also more than hundreds of miles farther north into China than it is now. Also, those India areas which are now deserts, were also fertile and rained on in those days, and that is also good news, conserning the fact how it is hard for  India, which is so poor and has such a huge population. “Vast land-masses in the northern hemisphere, south of the Canadian and U.S. border, have some very extreme and severe climates that can be  inhospitable for human habitation. But once global warming is interfered in, vast northern regions will probably become arable and comfortably habitable” (Science Forum 2008).

During the research I have tried to observe the question of global warming from different points of view. I’ve reserched not symply the positive and negative sides of the global warming. The fact of global warming really can not be proved. There are a lot of arguments concerning the fact that global warming is a fiction, made by world’s most influential politicians. On one hand those scientists who defend the theory that causes of global warming can lead to irretrievable consequences bring strong arguments and obvious examples. On the other hand, those scientists who argue them provide us information that to some extent refutes adduced arguments. I think that the fact of global warming exists and its consequences may be awful.  The worst thing is that our relation to this fact is formed by media and sometimes does not correspond to the truth by 100%.

Work Cited

Science Forum. 2008. Are there benefits to global warming? < http:/ /www.sciforums.com/showthread.php?t=81085>, Last retrieved on May 2008.