This paper is a representation of everything you learned about Academic writing, from paragraph structure to rhetorical strategies. This should be your best work, demonstrating your understanding of the recursive writing process and Academic essay constru

Student:

Professor:

Course:

Date:

A Research Paper Outline

Introduction

A majority of scientists believe that climate change is a new reality that poses significant risks to the entire life on the planet. However, some scientists label climatic change as a hoax, despite the many changes that can be seen, such as; the rising sea levels, melting ice, more frequent hurricanes and wildfires, and the earth’s average temperatures getting warmer since the advent of the industrial revolution. They posit that the changes are natural and are not caused by the excessive volumes of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. It has sparked debate, which has drawn my interest in this topic. The goal is to show that climate change is a reality and provide evidence to support the claim. Although some regions have not experienced its direct impact, climate change is a reality, because of the human activities, the rising sea levels, the melting glaciers, the changing weather patterns, and the earth's rising average temperatures."

Claims

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, human activities have in the last 150 years contributed excessive emission into the atmosphere. At the end of 2018, about 6,677 million metric tons of carbon had already been emitted into the atmosphere (Greenhouse Gas Emissions). In the US, the largest sources of the emissions are the transport sector and the burning of fossils. The human activities are poised to become more robust as the nation eyes rapid economic growth. It will require more energy, which means more pollution. As more gaseous wastes are emitted into the atmosphere, air pollution escalates resulting in vast volumes of trapped heat that makes the earth’s surface get warmer. In the last century, the earth’s average temperature has risen by about 1.0 F. The 11 warmest years happened from 1980 onwards, with 1995 being the warmest year on record (Sea Level). The development supports the fact that the increased air pollution results in the earth getting warmer.

Multiple changes have been experienced, especially in the American Southeast, which is projected to see severe effects in the coming several decades. Some projections indicate that the region will experience effects, such as the faster spread of vector-borne diseases, possible loss of the coastal land due to the rising sea levels, extreme weather patterns, and increased precipitation (Chapter 19: Southeast). The estimations are informed by future trends, which predict that a denser population, which will resulting in more pollution; hence, escalate the environmental and climatic effects.

Compared to the mid-20th century, the Southeast experiences more frequent disruptive weather patterns, including flooding and heavy downpours (Is Sea Level Rising?). The data collected in the last 60 years indicate that the region has seen significant changes as air pollution continues to rise. The US has no distinctive measures for addressing air pollution, which is widely considered as the primary contribution to the changes that have happened in the region. It is deemed the most vulnerable region, and the perceived risks resulting from climate changes are expected to escalate.

The rising sea levels and melting glaciers are an indication of climate change. According to the data collected by NASA in the last several decades, the sea level is rising by 3.3 millimeters every year. It is caused by the melting glaciers, and the expansion of the seawater due to the rising earth’s average temperature (Sea Level). The two changes indicate that the earth is experiencing warmer temperatures than it experienced two centuries ago. If the warming trend is not addressed through curbing air pollution, the sea levels will continue to rise, and more severe effects, such as losing the coastal lands will be experienced. Also, rising temperatures mean that the overall weather patterns will be disrupted. Currently, warmer weather patterns are now reported in North America, Australia, and Europe, which indicate the change that is poised to become permanent in the coming decades.

The findings above are supported by the report made by the National Ocean Service. The agency notes that in the last century, the sea level continues to rise at a rate of about an eighth of an inch each year (Is Sea Level Rising?). The agency has added that following the increasing rise, destructive storms will surge more inland than they did, which means more danger and destruction. In the US, nuisance flooding is expected to be about 900% more frequent that it was about 50 years ago. The changes indicate the risks that are faced by the coastal populations, especially those in the Southeast.

The National Ocean Agency asserts that the oceans absorb more than 90% of the atmospheric heat that is trapped in the atmosphere (Is Sea Level Rising?). The retention of such massive volumes of heat causes the changes, such as the expanding sea water and melting glaciers, resulting in the rising sea levels. The agency emphasizes that the problem can only be addressed if air pollution as a global problem can be addressed before the situation can escalate.

About 97% of scientists agree that climate change is real, while the rest 3% claim that the current changes are part of the natural processes that have occurred in the past. James Wang and Bill Chameides claim that the earth has been characterized by the ice ages for the last 2 million years. The ice ages last for about 100,000 years, and have warm periods that are shorter and last about 30,000 years. The warm periods are referred to as interglaciers, and the earth entered into an interglacier in the last 10,000 years. As such, the earth is just experiencing a natural process rather than a catastrophe created by human beings. However, it is imperative to note that the data that exist are not deemed adequately reliable, mainly due to gaps and the lack of consistency, which explains why some scientists do not fully find the data as credible and verifiable.

Conclusion

To date, a majority of scientists agree that climate change is real, and support their claims with the current changes, such as warmer temperatures, rising sea levels, and changing weather patterns. According to the studies done, the effects are primarily caused by the excessive emissions of greenhouse gases that are trapped in the atmosphere. However, some refute the claim and assert the earth is experiencing a natural process that is part of the overall cycle that has happened in the last 2 million years. They claim that the earth experiences interglaciers, short warm periods that last about 30,000 years, and it entered into one about 10,000 years ago. The rapid climatic and environmental changes being experienced point to climate change that results from human activities.

Works Cited

"Chapter 19: Southeast." 20 November 2018. GlobalChange.gov. https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/chapter/19/. 17 August 2020. <https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/chapter/19/>.

"Greenhouse Gas Emissions." 11 April 2020. EPA. https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions. 18 August 2020.

"Is sea level rising?" 10 September 2019. National Ocean Service. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/sealevel.html. 18 August 2020.

"Sea Level." 04 August 2020. NASA. https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/sea-level/. 18 August 2020.

Wang, James and Bill Chameides. "Are Humans Responsible for Global Warming?" 18 April 2007. EDF. https://www.edf.org/sites/default/files/5279_GlobalwarmingAttributuion.pdf. 18 August 2020.