BIOHAZARDS - Climate Change
Section revision March 2023
The truth is we are in a continued global warming and heading for a new ice age. Confused? The Earth has routinely entered periods of increasing warmth and periods of increasing coolness. Although we have learned much about the factors behind climate change, we have done little to protect human life and the food chain that supports it from either extreme. Along theologian lines one has faith in God for our welfare. But God gave us stewardship of this planet and free will so we are responsible and our activity has had impact.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
has a section on Climate Change.
On the Causes of Climate Change
they state these
factors:
Greenhouse Gases (we need methods to convert these gases into something useful)
;
Reflectivity or Absorption of the Sun's Energy;
Changes in the Earth's Orbit and Rotation;
Variations in Solar Activity;
Changes in the Earth's Reflectivity;
Volcanic Activity; and
Changes in Naturally Occurring Carbon Dioxide Concentrations.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has a page on Paleoclimatology . "Paleoclimatology is the study of ancient climates, prior to the widespread availability of instrumental records." Digging around the Access Tools provides evidence of repeated ice ages in the past. Given the actions of humanity we can expect another to take place.
EPA has a section called
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions and Removals
.
What are the main GHGs
? Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide and Fluorinated Gases.
Any variation on the climate has an immediate impact on the global food Chain. Changing ocean current or temperature affects sea life and seafood. Changing ecological temperature affect plant growth and other food sources.
Changes in the Earth's Orbit and Rotation. Earth's orbit - and other planets and objects - are not perfectly circular. Their orbits vary with gravitational and magnetic influence of the inner and outer planets, the Sun, and intrusion of objects from outside our solar system.. Orbital changes take place over time. As an example the moon has gradually been increasing its distance from the Earth - the distance is very slight but it has been measured.