Four Reasons Why You Should Be Worried About Climate Change | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

Four Reasons Why You Should Be Worried About Climate Change

We are living on this planet as if we had another one to go.

2046
Four Reasons Why You Should Be Worried About Climate Change
pixabay.com

What is climate change? According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it “refers to any significant change in the measures of climate lasting for an extended period." Climate change is the result of human intervention in nature’s natural cycles and is acting as a fuel to what may lead up to a devastating mass extinction. Researchers have studied that in the past, there have been five mass extinctions due to temperature rise, of which has led to global warming, ice age, and a meteor collision. As a whole species, humans are in the precursors of a mass extinction, and these are the four reasons why YOU should be worried:

1. Global temperatures are rising.

Earth's temperature has gone up by 1.7 degrees Fahrenheit. The main reason why the temperature has been rising rapidly is due increased concentrations of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that are produced by industries and as a result of human activities, which you can read about here.

Human activities such as the burning of woods, fuels, industrial smokes increase the release of carbon dioxide emission in the air. All these gases combined together create the perfect blanket to trap the heat and warm up the ocean to create the overall climate and temperature change.

2. The coldest regions are melting.

As the temperature rises, the ice starts to melt. NASA’s Grace Satellite data indicates that Antartica lost 134 billion metric tons of ice per year since 2002 while the Greenland ice sheet has lost an estimated 287 billion metric tons per year.

3. The sea levels are rising.

As the ice starts melting, the sea levels rise; according to NASA, it is due to the expansion of the sea. As the temperature goes up, the sea absorbs 90 percent of the heat trapped by the greenhouse gases. Scientifically, the volume of the sea rises as the temperature rises due to thermal expansion. The vast ice sheet, larger than Mexico, is thought to be potentially vulnerable to disintegration from a relatively small amount of global warming, and capable of rising the sea level by 12 feet in next hundred-thousand years, which you can read more about here.

4. Disrupting the overall balance of nature.

The oceans are currently absorbing about a quarter of the carbon dioxide emitted to the atmosphere annually and are becoming more acidic as a result, which you can find more about here. If acidification of the oceans continue, many of the marine biodiversity will be lost forever.

Due to the harsh changing conditions, many of the butterflies, mussels, and barnacles have already gone extinct as a result of the inhabitable environment. Species in the colder region such as polar bears, penguins, and whales are also threatened due to climatic changes. Wildlife in Africa is on the verge of being threatened as the heat waves hit the continent at extreme levels. 13 percent of birds, 25 percent of mammals, 41 percent of amphibians, 29 percent of reptiles, and 23 percent of marine life are all on the verge of extinction.

Climate change is a chain reaction; once it starts, it creates havoc on every species around.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

190268
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

14936
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

457892
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

26648
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments