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The Green Curve Of The Graph

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Our planet is experiencing a level of climate changes previously unreached. Through the analysis of ice cores, tree rings, glacier lengths, pollen remains and ocean sediments (EPA, 2016), scientists have been able to piece together the Earth’s climate for roughly the last million years (some claim several millions of years). Through this research and the study of historic environmental events, it has been determined that the Earth’s climate changes from warmer to cooler over thousands of years due to natural reasons such as changes in solar energy, volcanic eruptions, and natural changes in the emission of greenhouse gases (EPA, 2016). However, in the last ~150 years or so, this trend has deviated severely due to human causes. This graph obtained from the EPA (EPA, 2016), shows the change in global temperatures from the last century. The green curve of the graph depicts the natural factors that influence climate on Earth. The blue curve of the graph depicts the natural factors plus the human factors that 's influence climate on Earth. Through the inclusion of human factors, there is a drastic increase in temperature change. Many greenhouse gases are fund pollutants (Tietenberg & Lewis, 2015), which can be reintegrated back into the environment over a period of time. However, during the time it takes for them to be recycled back, these gases sit in the Earth’s atmosphere. The increased emission of greenhouse gases has caused a greenhouse effect (EPA, 2016). Heat from the

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