There is a distinction between weather and climate. While weather refers to the short-term variations in the atmospheric phenomena interacting with the environment, climate points out at the long-term pattern of the atmospheric phenomenon. The normal way of defining climate is to consider the statistical average of the weather conditions for a particular place in a longer span of time mostly a duration of 30 years.
Climate Change Article points out that the greatest threat to climate is greenhouse emissions. Going as per the 2012 statistics on greenhouse emissions stated by the Global Carbon Project, there was a 2.6 percent increase in greenhouses gases representing a record increase of 35.6 billion tons of greenhouse gases compared to 2011 (Climate Change Articles). It further suggests that most of the emissions come from countries rapidly growing in terms of economies such as China and India. The United States still leads the globe regarding the carbon dioxide produced. Russo argues that global warming does not directly result in climate change, but it increases the probability at which any given climate cycle can generate extreme weather. A good example of extreme weather is the 2013 heat wave in Western Europe that claimed the lives of over 35,000 people (Russo). On top of that, the 2010 summer heat waves in Russia led to hundreds of wildfires responsible for destroying more than a third of the country’s grain harvest (Russo).
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"Lab 5: Weather, Climate & Biosphere".
Apart from global warming playing a critical role in generating extreme weathers leading to climate change, Pidwirny holds that global warming is responsible for changing the biosphere especially the earth’s crust through weathering. Extreme weather such as the unusual heat wave experienced at the east of the Rocky Mountains in 2012 coupled with cold conditions results in the accelerated chemical as well as well as physical weathering (Pidwirny). The two weathering processes are responsible for reshaping the earth’s crust. Thus, global warming contributes to climate change through the formation of extreme weather. It also contributes to reshaping of the biosphere especially earth’s crust through weathering.
Considering that each article is addressing a different specific topic such as weather, climate, globalization, greenhouse emissions and weathering when combined they effectively address the topic of “Weather, Climate & Biosphere.” For instance, Climate Change Articles addresses greenhouse emissions while Russo addresses extreme weather which is related to greenhouse gas emissions. On top of that, Pidwirny addresses weathering which has also been impacted by extreme choices.
- Climate Change Articles. “Greenhouse gas emissions continue to grow in 2012: Climate Change Articles.” 3 Dec. 2012, climatechangearticles.blogspot.co.ke/.
- Pidwirny, Michael. “Weathering (Environmental & Earth Science) – The Encyclopedia of Earth.” 17 Oct. 2006, editors.eol.org/eoearth/wiki/Weathering_(Environmental_%26_Earth_Science). Accessed Nov. 2017.
- Russo, Nicholas. “Extreme weather forebodes point-of-no-return for climate change.” World Socialist Web Site, 20 Apr. 2012, www.wsws.org/en/articles/2012/04/clim-a20.html. Accessed 17 Nov. 2017.
