Climate change continues to dominate the global conversation and remains a pressing issue facing scientists and policy makers across the world. One major debate is whether global warming is part of a natural cycle or due to human activities such as burning fossil fuels for energy. This is a complex issue with various scientific, social, and economic components, making it difficult to draw any definitive conclusions. To address this issue, it is important to consider both sides of the argument and evaluate how different elements and factors contribute to the global warming phenomenon.
Proponents of the natural cyclical model of global warming point to the changes in Earth’s climate over millions of years; temperatures have fluctuated, glaciers have advanced and retreated, and Ice Ages have come and gone. Additionally, they cite the Milankovitch cycles, which strive to explain our planet’s climate changes through astronomical and geodynamic influences, such as the eccentricity of Earth’s orbital path. Supporters of the natural cycle model point out that the Earth’s climate has undergone dramatic changes before the onset of the industrial revolution and that the current global warming can be part of this natural cycle. While this model may provide us with a better understanding of the Earth’s climate history, critics have argued that it cannot explain the current rapid warming and ice melt that we are seeing, nor can it account for the observed increase in atmospheric CO2.
On the other hand, theories abound that global warming is primarily caused by human activities and not part of a natural cycle. The most commonly accepted theory is the Greenhouse Gas hypothesis, where increasing levels of greenhouse gases such as CO2 and other pollutants trap the sun’s heat in the atmosphere, leading to an increase in global temperatures. A large body of research has been done over the past century to evaluate how human activities affect the Earth’s climate, such as a study conducted by the National Academy of Sciences in 2013 which found that “the evidence that humans are causing recent climate change is robust and compelling.” More recently, in 2020, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported that “warming of the climate system is unequivocal” and is “largely due to human activities.”
Ultimately, whether global warming is part of a natural cycle or due to human activities is yet to be determined. Scientists around the world are engaged in intensive research to understand the causes of climate change and to develop strategies to counteract its effects. It is also essential that we implement interventions and policy shifts to ensure that we reduce the amount of pollution and greenhouse gases being emitted into our atmosphere. Despite the uncertainties that still remain, what is clear is that everyone has a role to play in combating the effects of global warming and creating a more climate resilient and sustainable future.
