Human actions may have a greater impact on Earth’s climate than previously thought.
Most of us realize that humans are very much at fault for creating a planet filled with pollution and environmental peril, yet for those who fail to believe that humans are largely to blame, there is finally new research backing this idea. Recently, researchers unexpectedly discovered that much higher levels of visible radiation have been reaching Earth’s surface during the sun’s period of decreasing solar activity. The sun’s solar irradiance, or light given off, alters throughout an eleven year solar cycle. As of late, the cycle has been at a low, and thus the sun has been emitting less light. The study, which was conducted from 2004-2007, came as a shock to many scientists who previously thought that during periods of decreased solar activity, the levels of visible radiation decrease as well, yet this was not the case.
The publishing of new eye opening studies such as this has skeptics, yet others believe that this study highlights just how heavily human’s actions are impacting our climate. According to Joanna Haigh, a professor from the Imperial College London and member of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change, “These results are challenging what we thought we knew about the Sun’s effect on our climate.” Although there has been substantial debate about global warming over the last decade, most people, whether they are skeptical about global warming or not, realize that humans are not properly caring for the environment. There is confidence that these findings further highlight the fact that humans may be more to blame than previously thought. Therefore, we should see this new information as a confirmation of how terribly we are treating our planet. When you step back and think about it, it is truly amazing that humans can have such a significant impact on the climate of an entire planet. Who would have thought that the sun’s influence on global climate can be rivaled by human actions? Remember this study next time you decide to recklessly dispose of a wrapper into a bush, or toss your empty coffee cup into the garbage, rather than the recycling. Think of the gigantic impact that your actions have on the planet, in retrospect to the giant sizzling sun, ninety-three million miles away.
