NDU Term Paper | Speech Communication - Global Warming
1. Speech presentation:
Global Warming
By: Naja Faysal
Please note that my information is referenced to trusted sources based on
scientific reasoning and experiments.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
There is no question that the Earth is getting hotter—and fast. The
real questions are: How much of the warming is our fault, and are we
willing to slow the meltdown of ice and protect our global system from
extra damages?
Global warming can seem too remote to worry about, but the fact is
that our planet will face severe environmental changes in the next
century.
In a normal winter day, you may say that a few degrees of warming is not
something to worry about, and warning from this, can seem to most of
you as an environmentalist who wants to disturb you and cramp your
lifestyles.
The fact is that the world is heating up right now, and fast.
Globally, the temperature is up 1°F (.5°C) over the past century, but some
of the coldest, most remote spots have warmed much more. The results
aren't pretty. Ice is melting, rivers are running dry, and shores are eroding,
threatening communities. Flora (plants, agriculture) and fauna (animals)
are feeling the heat too, these are not projections; they are facts on the
ground.
“The changes are happening largely out of sight. But they shouldn't be
out of mind”
2. Some people argue that it might be just a passing situation where
they say that for example centuries ago Europe was warm while now it is
cold and unpleasant, and probably this time is again an environmental
change that will return it back to its warm.
Experts counter argue this and say that this time there are
something else driving the planet to an abnormal situation. People for
centuries have been clearing forests and burning coal, oil, and gas,
pouring carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere
faster than plants and oceans can soak them up. The atmosphere's level of
carbon dioxide now is higher than it has been for hundreds of thousands
of years.
The United Nations climate report declared that human activity
droves most of the past century's warming. Global temperatures are
shooting up faster than at any other time in the past thousand years. And
climate models show that natural forces, such as volcanic eruptions and
the slow flickers of the sun can't explain all that warming.
Thus there is now stronger evidence that most of the warming over the
last 50 years is attributable to human activities
(Procedure) Human activities have altered the chemical
composition of the atmosphere through the buildup of greenhouse gases –
primarily carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. Some not naturally
occurring greenhouse gases are generated as a result of a variety of
industrial processes; these gases are the most heat absorbent. When the
level of greenhouse gases increases the heat will be absorbed more and
more thus, warming the temperature of the earth.
In more details is that usually, energy from the sun drives the
earth’s weather and climate, and heats the earth’s surface; in turn, the
earth radiates energy back into space. Atmospheric greenhouse gases
3. (water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases) trap some of the outgoing
energy, retaining heat somewhat like the glass panels of a greenhouse.
Without this natural “greenhouse effect,” temperatures would be much
lower than they are now, and life as known today would not be possible.
Instead, thanks to greenhouse gases, the earth’s average temperature is a
more hospitable 60°F. However, problems may arise when the
atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases increases.
Research shows that since the beginning of the industrial
revolution, atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases have
increased rapidly in the atmosphere, thus, making the earth warmer.
The combustion of fossil fuels, plant respiration, decomposition of
organic matter and other human activities are the primary reason for the
increased concentration of carbon dioxide.
What has changed in the last few hundred years is the additional
release of carbon dioxide by human activities. Fossil fuels burned to run
cars and trucks, heat homes and businesses, and power factories are
responsible for about 98% of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions. Increased
agriculture, deforestation, landfills, industrial production, and mining also
contribute a significant share of emissions. In 1997, the United States
emitted about one-fifth of total global greenhouse gases.
Today, action is occurring at every level to reduce, to avoid, and to better
understand the risks associated with climate change. At the global level,
countries around the world have expressed a firm commitment to
strengthening international responses to the risks of climate change. But
again, it always starts by you… As you wish for your children the best in
their lives you should be caring about their health. If you reduce your
consumption of industrial products that harm the environment, you will
4. for sure protect the atmosphere from greenhouse gases. Thus, you will
care about the health of your descendants. Thank you.