Global Warming
Global warming, a concept that now more than ever has been occupying the attention of the world as it continues to grow worse and worse. Though this issue is getting worse by the minute, and we are now quite literally facing the impacts of global warming at this very moment, there are still people who refuse to believe these changes are the result of climate change. The term global warming may sound too radical for some people, which is why they may refuse to believe it is really happening, but many of these people don’t really know what it is or how it affects us. In fact, some are still under the impression that global warming is still just a theory that has yet to be confirmed by scientists, even though scientists are actually in agreement toward the issue of global warming/climate changes (The global warming debate, 1998). So what is global warming? Global warming is the unusual, rapid increase of the Earth’s average surface temperature, just over this past century. So it basically just means what most assume it means when hearing the term, but how/why is it happening?
What causes it?
As we all know it, humanity has been powering themselves with fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil. And though it is great that we are so advanced that we have found ways to power ourselves, the way we are going about it is unfortunately damaging. The burning of these fossil fuels actually releases the deadly gas: carbon dioxide. Because of the high concentration of co2 being released into the atmosphere, it is now being trapped into the atmosphere, causing this sort of “blanket” around the Earth’s surface. These gases that have been trapped into the atmosphere, absorb sunlight and solar radiation, trap heat, which causes the heating of the planet(NRDC). This occurrence is known as the greenhouse effect, which is the largest contributor to global warming. So now that we understand global warming, and what actually contributes to the warming of the planet, why is it so alarming to us? Some of us like the warm weather right? So why is it such a bad thing? Well, there are very negative, and even deadly effects toward not only us human beings, but the other living organisms that coexist alongside us, and even the planet itself that result from a warmer environment.
the effects
As of today, higher temperatures are worsening many types of diasters such as heat waves, floods, droughts, stroms, etc. This is because a warmer climate creates an atmosphere that is able to collect, retain, and drop more water, which ultimately leads to changing weather patterns. By changing weather patterns, I mean that wet areas start to get a lot more wet, and the drier areas more dry(NRDC). These changes may not seem like a big deal, but they actually pose huge risks in our health and safety. For example, the increase in droughts mean a more lack of access to clean drinking water; which is an absolute necessity for the survival of any living being on Earth. Not only does drought conditions jeopardize the access to drinking water, but it also causes higher increases in out-of-control wildfires, dust storms, extreme heat, and flash flooding. As for the threats a “more wet” wet environment hold: streams, rivers, and lakes start to overflow, which create hazardous material spills, and promotes mold infestation, as well as very toxic, hazardous air(NRDC). Just these few examples of some effects caused by global warming alone, are already very deadly and alarming; which should influence us to want to make change and join the battle.
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