Global Warming: In Store for the Long Haul
By: Stephanie Jensen
Global warming is a huge issue in our world today. For awhile now scientists have been
saying it is happening, but most people put it off because they think the weather is the same as
always. They are wrong. Global warming is occurring all over the world and it is showing more
and more. There is one main root cause as to why this is happening; it is the rise of temperature
of the earth’s surface. Global warming is occurring because of the human race. We are to blame
for greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is warming that result when the atmosphere traps
heat radiating from Earth towards space. (Climate Change, p.1). Humans contribute to releasing
certain gases in the air that block heat from escaping our atmosphere. We are now facing the
greenhouse effect and that is the root cause of global warming.
There are certain gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect. These gases include
water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons. All of these gases
contribute to the greenhouse effect. They all produce heat that cannot escape the earth’s
atmosphere. The most important lasting force of climate change is carbon dioxide. It is released
through natural processes and human activities. Humans have increased the atmospheric carbon
dioxide level concentration by a third since the Industrial Revolution began (p.1). This means
that we are polluting the air with CO2 and it cannot escape. We are the main factor in the
greenhouse effect.
Global warming is happening all over the world, hence the word global. There are some
places that feel the effects more than others. The Arctic is feeling the effects the most.
According to an article in the National Geographic News called, “Global Warming Fast Facts”
the average temperatures in Alaska, western Canada, and eastern Russia have raised twice the
global average. This means that all of the ice is melting quite rapidly. If the ice melts then there
will be nowhere for the polar bears to go. This could be a devastating extinction to polar bears.
Below is a picture of a polar bear in Alaska near open water.
Image Source: Polar Bear on Sea Ice Alaska, Beaufort Sea by Collection of Dr. Pablo
Clemente-Colon, NOAA National Ice Center from Wikipedia Commons.
The region may have its first ice free summer by 2040 or earlier (Global Warming Fast Facts).
This means devastation to the sea animals that live there in the cold that rely on the ice and cold
temperatures. Global warming is also happening to the sea levels.
Sea levels are on the rise. According to an article, “ Global Warming is Happening Now”
it states that, “ Global sea level has increased by roughly 8 inches over the past century, and the
rate of increase is accelerating” (Global Warming is Happening Now, p.1). This article is stating
the evidence that the ocean is rising and expanding. Also, the land based glaciers are melting.
We are losing land to the water. The sea level rising is happening faster than scientists
anticipated a couple years ago. If temperatures increase just 2-3 degrees Fahrenheit the warming
could bring about 3 feet of a global sea rise by 2100 (p. 1). If this happens there will be millions
of people that will die or have to be relocated. The habitats on the coast would have to adapt to
the salt water from the ocean. This could be a huge problem for the people. There will be
overcrowding since a lot of land will be overtaken by the water. The Arctic and the Sea levels
are seeing the effect of global warming the most. It is happening at those two places constantly.
The Arctic has more ice than anywhere and that is why it is happening there the most.
When the temperatures heat up all of the ice begins to melt. Greenland is suffering, it is one of
the biggest planets major land topping ice sheets. This climate change we are facing in our world
today is because of humans. The world is always undergoing climate change in a natural process,
but this time we have to factor in the contributions of human influence (What Causes Climate
Change). Humans are damaging our world by our growing population. Since industrialization
our CO2 levels have been on the rise at an increasingly high rate. Humans depend on fossil fuels
in our lives to drive our cars and the things that we use daily that are produced by fossil fuel. We
are also causing an increase in temperatures through nature.
Humans are cutting down trees, which are valuable to reducing the carbon dioxide level
in the air. This is hurting our environment because the trees reduce CO2 levels and increase
oxygen levels. We need the trees to breath fresh air and help reduce ozone levels. Fossil fuel use,
agriculture, and land use are the three reasons why global warming is occurring because of
humans. Humans are taking away the natural sources to help keep the temperature of the earth
stable. Humans’ use of gases is the contributing factor to the greenhouse effect. It all falls
together into one big picture. The earth’s temperature is on the rise due to the carelessness of the
human race and the need for industrialization. Industrialization causes the most pollution that
gets trapped in our atmosphere. We need to find solutions to stop global warming.
Is it possible to stop global warming or is it too late? This question is asked frequently
and it is too late to completely stop global warming from happening, but we can still do
something. We can each individually decrease the effects of global warming. The article, “How
Global Warming Works: Can We Stop Global Warming” written by Jonathan Strickland and Ed
Grabianowski lists specific ways we can decrease greenhouse-gas emissions. Strickland and
Grabianowski suggest limiting driving time (Strickland, Grabowski p.9). Try to ride the bus,
bike, or walk to close destinations. Be energy efficient by turning off lights and other power
sources when they are not in use. Recycling is a major way to help the environment. Planting
trees helps add oxygen to the air and trees take out carbon dioxide out of the air. Lastly, don’t
burn garbage, which releases carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons into the atmosphere (p. 9). These
are all great ideas that each one of us can do every day. Simple tasks such as these will make a
difference of the future of our planet.
The government should take its part in lowering greenhouse effects. More money would
have to be invested into clean energy. In an article written by Susan Kraemer she stated,
“reducing carbon dioxide is really as simple as building enough wind farms and solar farms and
other non-polluting sources for our energy” (Kraemer, p.1). Kraemer claims that this will be
more efficient than the coal burning plants. She is right; if more wind farms were built the need
for coal burning plants that produce carbon dioxide into the air will not be needed. This plan
would be very expensive, but it is far cheaper in the long run. Below is a picture of the Brazos
Wind Farm in Texas. These are the wind farms that need to more invested in.
Image Source: Brazos Wind Farm by Leaflet, taken from Wikipedia Commons
Our environment needs to be saved before it truly is too late. As human beings living on this
planet we need to take the initiative to “go green” and be as environment friendly as possible to
preserve our world. Each country in the world should take the incentive to go green and install
more wind farms for energy production. This will be a huge savior to the environment and will
make a change in the future climate. The time for a change is past due, I challenge each one of
you to make a change in your life to better the environment even if it is as simple as unplugging
the coffee maker after you use it each morning. One simple thing is taking the initiative and will
lead to more things. Take the challenge and make a change.
Resources
"Climate Change: Causes." Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet. Web. 11 Mar. 2012.
"Global Warming Fast Facts." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 14 June
2007. Web. 12 Mar. 2012.
Kraemer, Susan. "Earthtechling." Are We On Track To Stop Climate Change? 25 Jan. 2012.
Web. 14 Mar. 2012.
Strickland, Jonathan, and Ed Grabianowski. "How Global Warming Works." HowStuffWorks.
Web. 9 Mar. 2012.
"What Causes Climate Change?" What Causes Climate Change? June 2010. Web. 11 Mar. 2012.
"What Is Global Warming?" National Wildlife Federation. Web. 11 Mar. 2012.