Global warming poses real danger
As stated by NASA, 97% of scientists agree that global warming is caused by human activity and CO2 emissions. NASA conducted a data chart showing four international science institutions, and their records for the rising temperatures in their region of the world. They also provided links to 18 science organizations who also agree that global warming is, in fact, real. There have been countless studies proving multiple times that global warming is caused by human activities and CO2 emissions in the atmosphere. However, despite these amazing discoveries, there are still skeptics who believe it’s all “just a hoax invented by the Chinese,” or just the weather changing like it always does. Alas, the effects of global warming are becoming significant in people’s and animals’ daily lives, and citizens of the world need to acknowledge it exists so that measures can be taken to prevent global warming from ruining the planet as we know it
To begin, global warming is directly tied to human activity. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, there are several indications that provide evidence that humans are the cause of global warming. Humans contribute to global warming through deforestation, the burning of fossil fuels, and the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is when greenhouse gases (water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone) are absorbed into the atmosphere; burning fossil fuels and the greenhouse effect go hand in hand, and that’s how humans influence it. Basically, what this means is there is too much CO2 in the atmosphere, which is making the greenhouse effect too strong, which overall makes the Earth too hot. Deforestation is a very serious issue in our current world. Companies are cutting down trees in order to build giant, unnecessary buildings and oil pipelines. By cutting down trees, humans are getting rid of an all-natural way to clean out some of the CO2 in our atmosphere; as trees go through photosynthesis, they take in carbon dioxide, and release oxygen. Humans are destroying their own planet, and they aren’t realizing it.
Despite incontrovertible evidence that global warming is affecting the Earth, there are people who deny global warming completely. A common misconception is that we are just experiencing another phase in the climate’s constantly changing weather. However, that's not true. Greenhouse gases were the influence on most of the climate change in the past. The changes were very slow, and everything inhabiting the Earth had millions of years to adapt to the new climate. Since then, humans have burned fossil fuels and polluted the Earth causing the CO2 levels to drastically increase. This could lead to mass extinctions as it did in the Permian, Triassic, and the mid-Cambrian periods. In short, deniers of global warming have no ground upon which to stand.
The undeniable effects of global warming are terrifying. On November 12, 2016, Antarctica reached a record breaking temperature at 63.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Due to global warming, the virtually uninhabited, ice-covered landmass we know as Antarctica is literally melting. The animals that inhabit the continent are experiencing drastic changes that they can’t keep up with. The climate is changing too fast, and the animals and plants that live here can’t catch up. It would take millions of years for us to evolve in order to fit our fast-pace warming climate. Currently, the animals that live in Antarctica are facing extreme heat. Krill feed on algae, and do to the melting of the ice, algae has been decreasing; leaving krill to die. Another animal that is being affected by global warming is the Emperor Penguin; they are highly vulnerable animals, and it is predicted that if the world's average temperature increases by two degrees, they will suffer tremendously. Global warming is hurting the world presently, and it is having devastating results.
Whether we like it or not, global warming is happening, and the only way to stop our world from melting away is recognizing what we are doing wrong. While we burn fossil fuels and pollute the world, the greenhouse gasses are becoming trapped in our atmosphere. The people who want to believe that global warming isn’t real must realize that there is undeniable evidence that there is, in fact, global warming. If our atmosphere doesn’t clean up, then our penguins and polar bears will fall to extinction. We can all help make the world more green by simply recycling, and contacting you local Senate to express your concern about our environment. While that won’t solve everything, it’s a easy start in the right direction.
If you are looking to get involved in the help to end global warming, here are some easy things you can do to help the fight.
Contact your local Senate and let you voice be heard:
Lindsey Graham (R)
Tim Scott (R)
Go green and recycle!
Buy all-natural foods and products.
Global warming affects everyone; stay woke & stay green.