To me, climate change is one of the most pressing issues we face today. That is why I emailed Representative Kionne L. McGhee, about his view on climate change. I believe a focus on preventing climate change, is crucial to the well-being of every living thing on the planet. However, I understand that climate might be one of the most crucial problems affecting the planet, it is also one of the most hardest to fix. It is a highly controversial issue because people either believe it is a crucial issue needing to be fixed now or believes it does not even exist, at least to the extent scientists say it is. However, I personally believe climate change is an issue that needs worldwide cooperation.
Climate change effects the planet on many different levels. However, the focus when it comes to climate change prevention, is preventing a two-degree Celsius temperature increase. Richard Kerr, author of How Urgent Is Climate Change stated, “Humans are messing with climate and will, eventually, get burned if they keep it up” (1230). This implies the severity of climate change. Climate change will cause irreversible damage to the planet and the it’s ecosystem. The current focus of world is to prevent a two-degree Celsius temperature increase. This has been reported as the point of no return. This means that if we ever reach this point, it would be difficult to recover from the damages that climate change would cause. Alley states “If you want to be able to head off a few trillions of [dollars of climate] damages per year a few decades out, you need to start now" (qtd. in Kerr 1230). If we ever reach the two degree Celsius temperature increase, we might be at the point of no return.
Even though we have been predicted to be on a two-degree Celsius temperature increase, the planet increasing by only two degrees might sound like a very small number to worry about. However, Seager, of Columbia University's Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, states” Don't underestimate the impact of just one extra degree, it may be all you need to exceed some threshold, such as the temperature at which railway tracks buckle” (qtd. In Raloff 25). This means any temperature increase is dangerous to our planet. The temperature increases we are
In the article, “ How Much Hotter is the Planet Going to Get?(March 9,2014),” Michael Page expresses his concerns regarding the earth’s climate sensitivity. The earth’s climate is extremely sensitive to carbon dioxide, with greenhouse gas emissions leading to dangerous increases in the earth’s surface temperature. Climate sensitivity is the measurement of how intense the the the earth will lash out. In this light, meaning how much the earth’s surface temperature can be expected to rise and the side effects that may come with that. Even though there is uncertainty about the sensitivity of the earth’s climate, there is still cause for concern. If the sensitivity is low, the earth is projected to warm 37.4 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100. On the other
According to the statistic, average temperatures have climbed 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit around the world since 1880, and the rate warming is still keeping increase. The 20th century’s last two decades were the hottest in 400 years and possibly the warmest for several millennia, which is what people say global warming. Global warming not only influences the temperature but also have many bad impacts. In the article “Seafarming at the End of the World” by Peter Meehan, he mentioned that some of the ocean species are going to be driven extinct by climate change. Similarly, in the article “Global Warming Impacts” the writer shows that global warming will have bad influences in many different ways.
Climate change is evident throughout the world and is a major issue. It is no secret that our planet is getting warmer. Global warming is now recognized in the scientific community as a real problem. There are multiple aspects that are causing this issue. Majority of the warming is caused by greenhouse gases. Volcanic eruptions and changes in the intensity of solar radiation have offset the warming partially. It is estimated that average annual temperatures will increase 3.5°F-9.5°F by the century’s end.
Climate change is not a new concept. It has been mostly referred to as global warming in the past. As much as people would like to file this issue away as something to deal with at a later date, it simply cannot wait. This problem we face is costing us billions of dollars, forests and wildlife are being eliminated, and people are dying. Starting to sound like a big deal, right? Future generations will be affected the most. People who do not even exist will have to pay for what we, all people, have done to this earth. To begin to make changes, one must realize the severity of the issue. Bill Mckibben, author of “Recalculating the Climate Math,” conveys that “We’ve already raised the world’s temperature by one degree—enough to melt almost half the ice in the Arctic, kill off huge swaths of the world’s coral, and unleash lethal floods and drought. July and August tied for the hottest months ever recorded on our planet, and scientists think they were almost certainly the hottest in the history of human civilization” (Page 3 of 5). Global climate change is a serious problem because it increases natural disasters and is the cause of extreme weather.
When I polled a few of my friends about “what is the single most critical problem facing us today?” I got a frequent response that’s not so shocking, climate change. So why climate change? Why not obesity, or population control, or education? While all of those are problems that deserve discussion, no single topic is so fundamental to us as humans as climate change. In 2007 Al Gore stated in his person of the year interview that “Today we 're dumping 70 million tons of global-warming pollution into the environment, and tomorrow we will dump more, and there is no effective worldwide response. Until we start sharply reducing global-warming pollution, I will feel that I have failed.” (Walsh) Perhaps the paradigm has changed. Climate change is now talked about at every level of government, in large and small businesses, and communities across the globe. It’s a topic that functions to affect our economy and our environment. Moving forward, it’s important to understand why our way of life will be affected by the way we tackle these issues surrounding climate change. Climate change is the single most important issue affecting the human race today due to its widespread impact on our survival; impacting food sources, transportation, weather, geography and other life forms on the earth.
97% of scientists believe that humans are to blame for global warming because of the industrial activities have raised two hundred and eighty parts per million to four hundred parts per million in the last hundred and fifty years. The burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil has went up the atmosphere because of carbon dioxide the oil and coal burning it, it combines carbon with oxygen in the air to make carbon dioxide when the carbon dioxide reaches the atmosphere, is rapidly distributed between atmosphere, the upper-ocean and vegetation.
Climate change. A buzz spreading around the world that has been known for decades but has recently bloomed into a rather controversial topic. With the topic being brought up in political debates, presidential speeches, as well as everyday conversations, there is one thing everyone can agree on: climate change is happening. Climatologists have proven with scientific evidence that the earth is rising in temperature and that this is a growing threat to our society. (AAAS) Although everyone agrees on this, there is still a disagreement on why climate change is happening and how can someone stop it? The two questions are really one in the same because once we get to the root of the issue we can prevent it from happening. Climate change remains a crucial problem in the U.S. and there are different approaches are being considered on how to solve this issue coming from our states, our president, and our congressman.
In addition to this the global climate has begun to rise significantly, especially since the late 1970's. The National Academy of Sciences expects doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by the end of the 21st century, and this could raise the Earth's temperature anywhere from 1.5-4.5 celsius degrees by that time. Global warming affects the climate patterns of Earth in many ways, such as rises in temperature and precipitation and decreases in soil moisture. Agricultural productivity will increase in northern regions, but without moisture in the south it will drop dramatically. In addition there will be more frequent and violent storms and a plethora of local impacts around the world.
Climate change is a difficult subject to address. Climate change is the change in weather patterns in the Earth’s atmosphere. It is a difficult subject because there are many debates for many different types of groups. Political groups, such as democrats and republicans, can never come into terms because how history went regarding presidential elections. This is because people think they have to choose a side. Social groups worry what will happen with our future because the people of the world are always going to wonder what will happen if no one finds a cure for climate change. Environmental groups, such as scientists are also at the same position when it comes not agreeing with each other. Scientists are always researching and finding new facts and possible outcomes of climate change. They will just end up finding something that will contradict the next argument. Also, due to environmental issues, this causes a downfall in economy as well. Almost every opposing group will not accept each other’s opinions, which causes the debate of making the climate better stuck for the future generations. Climate change causes damages from floods, hurricanes, global warming, and other weather patterns. The economy goes into a deep situation when it is forced to pay for the damages of cities, towns, and lives of people. Due to the constant debating from opposing groups about the topic of climate change, the situation becomes more serious, causing further damages and other
The oceans are growing warmer. Polar ice caps are melting. The climate is changing and at a furious pace. The world is getting warmer and could become hotter if we do not act. That is what Michael Le Page describes in his article, How much hotter is the planet going to get? The earth will continue to warm up if carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions are not reduced or controlled. This is due to our climate’s hyper sensitivity to this and other greenhouse gases. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) our climate sensitivity is approximately 1.5°C to 4.5°C (2.7°F to 8.1°F), which is what we can expect the earth to warm up if CO₂ emissions are doubled, though some 2013 studies have found our climate sensitivity to be
Climate change is real. It is something that is affecting our world in ways we can’t even imagine. A change needs to be made. The effects of climate change are terrible and need to be prevented. Climate change will affect generations to come if action is not taken. It has been made clear that climate change must be taken care of now to ensure that America has a bright future. Dealing with this issue in the present would be a lot easier that trying to reverse all the damage in the future, no matter how costly the solution may
When was the last time you stopped and offered your guardian angel a root beer float and a huge prayer of thanks! I don’t know about you, but my guardian angel has been very good to me, but what have I done for her other than take her for granted? The answer is absolutely nothing! It’s not that I am not thankful for all the times she has saved my butt, but like so many people I sometimes get so caught up in all the negatives going on in the world that I lose sight of what is really important. I focus my attention on negative events and negative people who do not mean a hill of beans in my life. When I should be counting my blessings, I find myself worrying about things the network news or some person with their panties in wad on social media tells me are important. But, that is not their fault; the fault lies with me for allowing them to make me a willing
Throughout the years, politicians have been reticent to address a grave issue that will soon effect our population as a global entity. The reduction of our carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere is an accepted and supported solution to reversing climate change. It is widely known that the burning of fossil fuels causes irreparable damage and irreversible change in regards to the environment, but not enough is being done to take initiative and make changes in the way we obtain our energy. Being that our fossil fuels are finite and only located in certain areas of the world, the burning of coal, oil and natural gas are not sensible solutions to our energy and climate dilemma. A largely controversial “solution” to the global energy and climate crisis is nuclear power; a nearly emission free energy source that has seen success famously in France but makes people hesitant towards after incidents like Fukushima in Japan. In order to weigh the pros and cons of a prospective global giant, one must analyze the energy policies of countries where nuclear energy has been the most prevalent, successful, and disastrous. Despite the recent accident in Japan, which may have been enlarged by outside factors, nuclear energy has proven itself to be an energy source efficient enough to sustain an industrialized nation like France, while drastically cutting carbon emissions simultaneously; which are reasons that support its ability to become a transitional energy in the near future.
It is known climate change is occurring because of multiple factors, including greenhouse gases, human activity, and some scientists say solar irradiance. What most people do not know or simply have not thought of is how far back in history was climate change a problem or if it was an issue for early civilizations. It is apparent that early civilizations weakened for several reasons, but one reason in particular is affecting the world today. One particular civilization that is popular for their agriculture are the Mayans. The Maya empire occupied land that is now Guatemala. They were the most dominant native people before the 16th century and were intelligent in the way they did agriculture. With new research available, it is plausible to
Temperatures are rising, people and animals are dying, icebergs are melting, and we are just watching. Global temperatures are rising at an exponential rate occurring for both natural reasons and reasons caused by man. There are many existing theories as to why climate change occurs but the truth of the matter is that it is caused by multiple events not just a single one. The effects of climate change are significant. From the increase of spreading diseases to the rising acidity of the ocean, to the disappearing of the forests. Everything we do impacts our world whether we know it or not. If we continue down the same path we are on, our planet will . That’s why we as citizens of this lovely planet need to do all that we can to help protect it. We may not be able to stop it, but we can do more to prevent more downfall.