Global warming is such an old topic. I mean, we’re still alive, right? Wrong: global warming is a lung cancer to an Earth that will not stop smoking. The Earth’s climate can be described as the interactions between the sun, ocean, atmosphere, land and living things.
Now, we have all heard of what is called the “greenhouse effect.” This is the earth’s way of naturally warming itself using carbon dioxide. The problem comes in when humans produce excess amounts of carbon dioxide, increasing these greenhouse effects, therefore making the world overall warmer than it should be.
Over the past 150 years, carbon dioxide levels have risen 35 percent. However, this statement was released in 2008 by Chivian and Bernstein in the book, "Sustaining Life." So assuming we have sustained or (most likely) increased our output of carbon dioxide, it would be safe to say that that number has gone up.
With that rising number of carbon dioxide levels what does that mean for Earth? With a warmer Earth, the glaciers will melt, and if you live in the Midwest like I do, you think “Cool, why should I care?” Well, when these very large glaciers melt, the water will be forced to overflow onto land and cause mass destruction to the west and east coast, forcing thousands of surviving refugees to move inward. This is not going to happen anytime soon, but it can and will happen.
The rising climate has also caused losses in habitat for the Arctic creatures that call the ice their home. These species include polar bears, ringed seals and penguins. If these numbers continue to decline there will be an offset balance of the ecosystem as a whole.
According to NASA, from 1993 to 2016 the sea levels have risen on average 3.4 mm per year. Then just from 2005 to 2010 the average loss of green land mass is .63 mm/yr according to the IPCC ARS. Although these numbers do not seem to be very significant they certainly are something to make note of.
Yet on the other hand fresh waters levels have been dropping due to rising temperatures. Freshwater is the source of our drinking water and home to many fish that are caught for food.
A very wise man named Mark Twain once said, “It Ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” Al Gore then makes a very good point and explains to us that this quote is the obstacle that makes a clear understanding about what climate change is really about.
Many people believe that what they do on a regular basis only causes a little bit of damage to the earth but really does not make a difference. For example, you throw away one thing in a trash can, and you think it is no big deal because this is a big trash can and you only threw away one thing. But if everyone that walks by the same trash can and throws one thing away, the trash can is soon overflowing. This is known as “Tragedy of the Commons."
Each time you drive when you could have walked, or left a light on or your car running, you are contributing to global warming. If we do not make changes there may not be a future for our great-great grandchildren.
It is important that more people realize what is at stake for planet Earth. We only have one planet that holds so much beauty and history, and it really would be a shame to see it go to waste because of our selfish needs.
