Global Warming Appear Almost Daily

¶ … global warming appear almost daily in news sources and academic journals. The Internet is also replete with sources on the topic of global warming. Because global warming affects the Arctic at a far faster and more intense rate than it affects other parts of the globe, global warming in the arctic deserves far more media attention than it has received thus far. Nevertheless, many articles in trade publications can help researchers initiate a study of global warming in the arctic. Perhaps because the arctic is relatively uninhabited, the effects of global warming do not seem as severe there as they might in more populous regions of the globe. However, studies show that the Arctic exhibits the early warming signs of global warming before they reach the rest of the inhabited world. Based on a literature review conducted on the Internet, global warming in the Arctic deserves more attention and research. Much of the existing literature is based on the same preliminary studies, focuses on the same or similar elements, and in general demonstrates considerable shortcomings in forming a comprehensive understanding of the overall problem of climate change.

Most scientists and laypeople already know of the potential detrimental effects of global warming in the Arctic. Much of the attention is focused on the damage to wildlife and ecosystems. For example, an article on the New Scientist.com website states, "The melting ice and the thawing of tundra could have a big impact on wildlife...when the ice melts, symbolic species such as the polar bear, as well as thousands of others, may become endangered," (Bhattacharya). Some research places the emphasis more on the human perspective: the consequences of climate change on densely populated areas. For instance, in Kate Ravilious's article in New Scientist.com, the author states, "Cities and towns along the west coast of the U.S. could be suffering from a serious water shortage by 2050, thanks to global warming. As Arctic sea ice melts, annual rainfall may drop by as much as 30 per cent from Seattle to Los Angeles, and inland as far as the Rocky Mountains." According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), global warming in the Arctic "will increase average global precipitation. Soil moisture is likely to decline in many regions, and intense rainstorms are likely to become more frequent. Sea level is likely to rise two feet along most of the U.S. coast." Therefore, key variables addressed by current literature include the effects of global warming in the Arctic on wildlife, precipitation, sea levels and average global and seawater temperatures. Many scientists choose to concentrate on studying the immediate effects of global warming on human factors such as health risks like cancers. Based on the available literature, no direct causation of health risks or any other human factors element has been established. Most studies rely on correlative results. Therefore, future studies should focus on more detailed analyses of the effects of global warming on human populations. Researchers are, however, hindered by the fact that such studies would involve longitudinal studies.

The positive feedback mechanism is a significant aspect of investigating global warming in the arctic. Therefore, most if not all literature incorporates some element of the positive feedback phenomenon. For example, in a Union of Concerned Scientists article, the author notes, "Several positive feedback mechanisms exist, particularly for the Arctic, that can amplify the impacts of anthropogenic global warming." The positive feedback mechanisms that researchers choose to focus on includes the following. Ice naturally reflects heat in the form of solar radiation back into space. When ice flows melt, less heat is reflected and consequently, more heat is absorbed by the earth. The more the ice melts, the more heat is absorbed by the earth, raising the surface temperatures and thereby causing more ice to melt. Few other positive feedback mechanisms have been adequately addressed by the literature found in online trade publications. Further research should be done on the positive feedback mechanisms involving the depletion of vegetation and animal life in the arctic, for example. Moreover, because positive feedback essentially constitutes a vicious cycle of global warming, its effects should be readily apparent, probably far before they impact human populations. The websites at New Scientist.com, the United States EPA, and the Union of Concerned Scientists all point to the positive feedback mechanism as speeding up the global warming process, exacerbating human causes.