Averting a climate catastrophe
Do you believe in global warming, one of the most important issues in our world today? Over the past few years, the average temperature of our planet has been increasing mainly due to burning fossil fuels and greenhouse gases. The production of these gases are ruining our planet by absorbing heat from the sun and being trapped in our atmosphere. This damages our oceans, the habitats of many species, and has a drastic change on the weather. However, it is not too late to make a change. There is potential in saving our planet if everyone does their part in contributing, but many people don’t believe in global warming, which is preposterous because it has been scientifically proven. Global Warming is a very serious issue on our planet that must be acknowledged, or else the damage will be irreversible.
Global warming: the long term heating of the Earth. This topic arose somewhere between 1850-9000. Every passing decade, the Earth heats up .36 degrees Fahrenheit. The number one cause of air pollution is greenhouse fossil fuels that are being burnt and used for electricity. Scientists study this topic using various natural sources such as the ground, air, and space. They also use theoretical models to study the past, present and future. Global warming occurs when air pollutants are unable to escape through the atmosphere. These pollutants absorb sunlight and solar radiation that has bounced off earth’s surface, which means the hot air is stuck in our atmosphere with no escape. In the past, the heat was able to escape, but now it is trapped with no way out, making our planet hotter. As you can tell, this is a very serious issue that must be addressed in order for us to make a change.
Furthermore, global warming has many effects on our planet; some recognizable and some not so clear. As the temperature of our planet heats up, so do our oceans. The average temperature of the oceans have been increasing and studies show that if we don’t put a stop to this crisis, our ocean’s temperatures will rise 10 degrees in the next century. Tropical storms are gaining energy because of warmer oceans, which have potential to tear up many cities and homes. This also has many effects on the species living in the water, causing many to go extinct. Coral reefs are one of the main habitats that are disrupted because of this sudden change in weather, as well as alpine meadows. It is no secret that there have also been an alarming amount of forest fires on the West coast, which is damaging the home of a tremendous amount of living species. It is not fair to animals for us to carelessly take away their habitat for selfish reasons. The reason these forest fires are occurring is because of droughts. The forests get very dry so it’s easier for them to catch on fire and spread. Two more effects of this weather change are heavier rainfall and more powerful hurricanes. This heavy rainfall can risk heavy coastal flooding in areas, such as Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. This hurts many industries because forests, farms and cities all face heavy downfalls, heat waves and increased flooding. As you can tell, the amount of effects global warming has on our planet is tremendous, hurting wildlife, people, homes, and nature. There must be a stop so we can get back to living our healthy, fresh lives.
Looking for ways to contribute? Well this is how you can help. First, instead of driving to your nearby friends house, you may want to walk, bike, skateboard, or find other ways to avoid using a gas vehicle. Next, bring your own reusable bags to the supermarket. The plastic bags they give you are very bad for the environment and that small change can make a huge impact. Also, by limiting your red meat consumption, you can save resources such as grain to feed livestock and use it much more efficiently to feed people . The gas that cows produce is not good for the earth’s air, so a lower production in cows can save the earth. One of the most impactful ways to help is by using a reusable water bottle. Without plastic water bottles, the plastic build-up will lower and cause less pollution. Now, go share this information with your friends and family and work together to save the earth.
To conclude, the effects of global warming will be permanent and extremely damaging if we do not act instantly as a society. We must all do our part in reducing these awful gases that are ruining our atmosphere so our nature will be back to flourishing, our oceans and planet will have a chance to recover, and animal species will thrive. The most impactful way you can help is by reducing your own personal use of harmful plastics and burning of fossil fuels. Together, we can put a stop to this soon- irreversible crisis.
