Will reducing carbon emissions stop the process of global climate change?

Question

Or are the changes going to happen anyways? If we cannot avoid global climate change, what steps should be take to survive those changes?

Answer 1

no, the process is not reversable.

you have to remember that the earth goes through climate changes al the time, thats why there have been numerous
Ice Ages in th past as well as extremely warm periods (think Dinosaurs)

On top of that, only half, at most, of greenhouse gasses being emmitted into the atmosphere are from humans. Volcanic Eruptions, which happen every day release tons of carbon dioxide as well as Methane and Sulfer into the Atmosphere(not to mention, they are capable of causing a nuclear winter with a large enough explosion). There are also many other natural sources of these chemicals including forest fires, hot springs, ocean vents, etc..
So, unless we find a way to stop these natural occurences, greenhouse gasseswill continue to enter the atmosphere no matter how much we cut emmisions.

Does that mean that we shuoldn't try to cut emmisions? No, not at all, just because it is goingto happen anyway is no reason for us to spead the process up.

As for surviving the changes, the changes will not be that catasrophic for humans. Sea Levels will rise, Temps will rise. Many species of animals will go extinct. storms may become stronger and Ocean currents may very well change (North Atlantic conveyor may shut down which carries warm water into north atlantic and controls the climate in Europe).

are these things good? Not in the slightest bit, but they do not mean theend of the world, yes many people may die, but many more will survive. New cities will be built on higher ground.

And what is happening to Earth is not even closely related to Mars. Mars has no atmosphere, Global Warming is caused by the Atmosphere becoming too thick and stopping heat from escaping. Any attempts to compare Global warming to what happened on mars are absurd as it is the exact opposite problem - Mars is so hot now because it has no atmosphere (actually a very thin one) to prevent the planet from heating up - it lost its prtective glove.

Answer 2

The answer is a bit complicated--but here's the gist of it: >By reducing carbonemissions we can greatly reduce the global warming--and hence the climate changes it causes. > The CO2 that is already in the atmosphere is going to take decades to leave the atmosphere--that we're just going to have to adjust to. And that means that, although we can probably stop the continuied rise in Earth's temperature, some effects will continue--probably for the rest of our lifetimes. Primarily this means continued melting of icecaps and the effects of that on climate change. >"Surviving" such changes isn't really a big problem--IF we act soon to shift to alternative energy and the other things that need to be done. >What we will have to adjust to are two main things: a)shifts in agricultural production stemming from the climate change we can't avoid and b)some flooding of coastal areas--that will requireeither abandoning some areas or building extensive levees (though that will likely be confined to oceanfront areas with extensive development, like cities. If we persist in dumping massive amounts of CO2 in our atmosphere, the odds are high that our civilization as we know it will not survive--or if it does, it will be radically altered, and only after massive destruction and loss of life.

Answer 3

The theory behind it is yes, if we reduce carbon emissions we will stop global warming, but the other week I was watching a program on the Discovery channel about global warming, and it has been happening since the beginning of the Earth, the carbon emissions are just speeding up the process. They didnt clarify if its eventually going to destroy the Earth, but it is theorized that Mars was once like Earth until its environment went out like ours is doing.

Answer 4

I heard the majority of global warming is caused by moisture in the atmosphere and not carbon emissions. You'd have to reduce humidity worldwide to really have an impact.

Answer 5

That plus aggressive reforestation in key zones will *slow* the rate of change, is my understanding of the situation. A natural equilibrium, if still attainable, will take some time to achieve.

While cycles of change are normal, the current changes are beyond any measurable precedent . . . and the measurements we have, through ice cores, go back over half a million years.

The planet will survive, however, it will do so with or WITHOUT us. That is the choice we face.

Answer 6

It's partly the moisture, but where does the moisture come from? Obviously a lot comes from evaporation, but there is also man-made moisture that results from the complete combustion of hydrocarbons (what occurs in your car's internal combustion engine). So when octane combusts, it yields CO2 and H2O (assuming your engine works well) which both contribute to global warming. Engines in disrepair only partially combust hydrocarbons, which means that besides some CO2 and H2O, there's also a lot of CO produced.

But it's really a combination of both man-made and natural factors that make global warming, and while global temperature fluctuations are inevitable, we should probably do our best to not exacerbate the problem.

Answer 7

According to the UN, no - the point of no return has already passed.

It's not THAT big of a deal; mankind is not endangered. Things will change, power centers will change, it may cause wars, but the change is just not catastrophic. I would like to see some of the "think tanks" studying what we can do to better cope and to even take advantage of the positive changes it will cause.