Radiative Forcing in Climate Change
Climate change has become one of the major problems of the 21st century affecting agriculture and other economic activities. Radiative forcing is one of the main factors determining the rate of climate change globally and can be defined as the change in energy received from the sun by the atmosphere. On average, the earth’s atmosphere receives 334 watts of energy per square meter. Both human and natural causes can alter radiative forcing. For example, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are released by factories, fossil fuel engines, and other human activities. Subsequently, an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide leads to an increase in radiative forcing, meaning the average earth’s temperature will rise as more carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere (Iglesias-Suarez, Fernando, et al. 12).
A portion of the sun’s energy radiation is reflected by surfaces such as ice, large water bodies, and water vapor in clouds. Comprehensive research has shown that the earth’s average temperature is increasing, causing a corresponding decrease in ice cover, which reduces radiative forcing. This, in turn, increases the earth’s temperature even further, leading to even more melting of ice surfaces (Skiles, S. McKenzie, et al. 8). Since the planet follows an elliptical orbit around the sun, radiative forcing is highest around January when the earth is close to the sun and lowest in June when the planet is furthest from the sun. Since the orbit is similar on an annual basis, the average radiative forcing due to the earth’s orbit over an extended period of time remains the same.
In conclusion, the sun is the closest star to the Earth and, as a result, is the primary source of energy for the planet. Radiative forcing is thus a significant element to consider when analyzing the trends and causes of climate change.
References
Iglesias-Suarez, F., Kinnison, D. E., Rap, A., Maycock, A. C., Wild, O., & Young, P. J. (2018). Key drivers of ozone change and its radiative forcing over the 21st century. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 18(9), 6121-6139.
Skiles, S. M., Flanner, M., Cook, J. M., Dumont, M., & Painter, T. H. (2018). Radiative forcing by light-absorbing particles in snow. Nature Climate Change, 8(11), 964-971.
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Question 
Radiative Forcing in Climate Change
Why is the concept of radiative forcing critical to understanding the causes of global climate change?