Several citizens died in the Midwest United States due to the effects of dangerous
tornados, large hail, and severe flooding. Several deaths occurred during the flooding
event. Kentucky received twenty inches of rain. The world as a whole needs to take
action by reducing emissions. The vehicles that are driven emit tremendous amounts of
carbon monoxide. This is gripping the world’s atmosphere as it traps heat and does not let
it escape. The greenhouse effect occurs and also death from the weather that follows.
Global warming negatively affects the world’s climate because humans produce
contaminants through industry and car emissions that need to be reduced in order
to survive.
First, Last week there were catastrophic severe thunderstorms that rolled through the
Midwest. More than four southerners died during a one hundred mile long tornado.
This same tornado broke the record for the longest ground dwelling tornado in Kentucky
history. The same cluster of storms produced large hail, sever flooding, and of course
a terrible tornado. The summer of 1999 brought a horrible drought to the Mid Atlantic
region. This drought was one of the worst in history (Gelbspan). Bad droughts are
terrible for agriculture growth and the lifestyle of the Mid Atlantic in general. Two
hundred seventy mid Atlantic people died from heat and the drought that year
(Gelbspan). All factors above are indicative of Global Warming. The reduction of
gas guzzling vehicles is necessary to even make a dent into the damage that we have
caused. “In fact reductions to seventy percent are necessary” (Gelbspan). These
vehicles emit carbon monoxide which is a dangerous colorless odorless gas. Car...
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...act. Switch to renewable energy sources such as wind, solar or hydroelectric
power. This is not only cleaner but a cheaper method as well. This earth will not change with
the world’s dirty economy, and change is important. A cleaner earth means less death and more
typical weather seasons.
Works Cited
Morgan Sally. “ The Pros and Cons of COAL, GAS and oil.” New York. Ross
Publishing 2001. Print.
Baker. “ Does air pollution-specifically particulate matter (aerosols)-affect global
warming? Union of concerned scientists. B. Ekwurzel, , N. Cole, P. Frumoff, and
S. Shaw (ucs). Web. May 1, 2009. May 20, 2010.
Gelbspan Ross. “Global warming is a serious environmental threat” Opposing Viewpoints
Resource Center. The Environment Ed. William Dudley. Web. 2001. San Diego:
Greenhaven press, May 21, 2010.
Imagine that a family is sitting at home watching a calm game of baseball, when suddenly they realize that a massive wall of water is approaching the neighborhood. Where did this flash flood come from, a reader might ask? The wall of water was made by the raging winds and immense power of Hurricane Andrew. Hurricane Andrew was the second most expensive storm in history that destroyed over 250,000 homes in the states of Florida and Louisiana alone. Hurricane Andrew was not predicted to make landfall, so when it did many civilians did not have any ideas that the Hurricane was coming until it was almost too late. Hurricane Andrew also caused many short and long term effects in the ecosystem and local economies.
We humans cannot help but feel a twinge of regret when we contemplate how we brought forth the plague of global warming by our own hands in the passing years. Aside from rising sea levels as deluging coastal cities and depleting ozone layers as increasing cancer rates, we inevitably come face to face with one simple realization: it’s getting too hot in here. Moreover, we have been devastated by various extremes of nature, with spring frost storms and summer hurricanes arriving with increasing frequency. However, numerous though the causes of global warming may be, the general consensus is that carbon dioxide, which results from the burning of fuels such as coal, is the main culprit; this gas has now formed a high concentration blockade in the atmosphere, preventing heat from escaping and thus increasing the temperatures of our planet. Therefore, after assessing all facts of the problem, I humbly propose that we collect the CO2¬, compress it, and then place it into soda cans. Then, we shall store the soda cans underground, whence the CO2 originally came.
Individual Canadians have the ability to lessen the effects of global warming and cease climate change before it becomes catastrophic in the near future. This can only happen if we are part of the solution and not furthering the growth of pollution and carbon dioxide emissions. Now what is global warming? Global warming is an increase in the earth's temperature due to fossil fuels, industry, and agricultural processes caused by human, natural, and other gas emissions. This results in an increased emission of greenhouse gases. Some examples of greenhouse gases are methane, carbon dioxide and ozone. These gases contribute to the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is the heating of the surface of the earth due to the atmosphere containing greenhouse gases that absorb and emit radiation. Climate changes occur in our earth's atmosphere due to a build-up of greenhouse gases. In the long run, this climate change and the warming of our planet can be halted and the growth of carbon dioxide emissions can lessened as well if individuals take action.
Already scientists have observed that more than 75% of the recent economic losses are caused by natural hazards which can be attributed to wind storms, floods, droughts and other climate related hazards. In the year 2008, the U.S. state of Iowa was on the front pages of newspapers all around the world. Weeks of heavy rain in the Midwest caused rivers to swell and levees to break. Millions of acres of farmland are now underwater, their plantings most likely destroyed. By March, Iowa had tied its third-highest monthly snowfall in 121 years of record keeping, and then came the rain. April’s st...
In 2006, former senator Al Gore created an academy award winning documentary on global warming entitled “An Inconvenient Truth” . The movie earned several awards including an academy award for best documentary and gore later received a noble peace prize. The movie discussed several different topics of great concern to global warming; such as permafrost, climbs in temperature, extinction of species, drought, and fatigue to name a few. Four writers in five different articles discussed the three topics of greenhouse gases, climate change, and causes of global warming. These writers are writer and scholar Bill McKibben in “Think Again: Climate Change” and “How Close to catastrophe”; William J. Broad, writer for the New York Times in “From a Rapt audience, a call to cool the hype”; writer for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Kevin O’Brien, in “Global Warming? I won’t be losing any sleep over it”; and Alan Zarembo, staff writer for the the Los Angeles Times, in “Game over on global warming?” All though the articles explain some different topics from one another, only one of them disagree with gore on the causes for global warming being humans, they all agree that there will be impacts to the environment, and all of them believe that greenhouse gases are one of the primary causes for global warming.
Climate Change and Business as Usual Scientists have shown that over the past 150 years, since the start of the Industrial Revolution, human activities have been a substantial contributing factor to climate change. Emissions from carbon dioxide (CO2) and other heat-trapping gases, also referred to as greenhouse gases, have increased the greenhouse effect that causes the atmosphere to retain heat. This, in turn, has caused the earth’s surface temperature to rise. This is known as climate change, and the primary human activity causing it is the burning of fossil fuels. Although CO2 is absorbed and emitted naturally through animal and plant respiration, volcanic eruptions, and ocean-atmosphere exchange, atmospheric CO2 emissions have increased nearly 40% since pre-industrial times.
Global warming is the increasing temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere. In the last few decades this increase has been relatively significant. Global warming is the largest problem that the world will face in the twentieth century. This is going to require international attention and the cooperation from everyone, including the government.
Global warming has been a continuous controversy regarding whether humans are the primary cause for the destruction of our planet. By simply living, humans are contributing to the unceasing rise in temperature of the earth’s atmosphere predominantly created by the greenhouse effect. Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, trap heat in the atmosphere. A mass amount of greenhouse gases develop from the burning of fossil fuels. However, deforestation, industrial processes and a few agricultural practices still transmit gases into the air. Climate scientists can agree that human activities add significantly to the levels of greenhouse gases, which is indeed the leading cause of global warming.
Gerngross, Tillman U. and Steven C. Slater. "How Green are Green Plastics?" Scientific American. August 2000:1-7.
The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger is an account of an immense storm and its destructive path through the North Atlantic. In late October of 1991, crews of several different fishing ships left their port for their final haul. Little did they know that they would soon cross paths with one of the greatest storms ever recorded. This particular storm would create huge swells, high winds, and hard rain. The system, was said to be a “perfect storm” because all of the elements were just right to create the worst imaginable storm ever seen, “… a hundred-year event,” claimed some meteorologists. These types of storms are caused when: “Warm air is less dense than cool air; it rises off the surface of the ocean, cools in the upper atmosphere, and then dumps its moisture before rushing back to earth. Huge cumulus clouds develop over the zones of rising air, with thunder, lightning, and terrifically strong rain. As long as there's a supply of warm water, the thunderstorm sustains itself, converting moisture into sheeting rain and downdraft winds. Other thunderclouds might line up along the leading edge of a cold front into a "squall line," a towering convective engine that stretches from horizon to horizon.” (The Perfect Storm Foundation)
Each minute at least 51 acres of tropical forests are destroyed, we use almost 35,000 barrels of oil, and we add 12,000 tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Each hour 1,800 children die of hunger and malnutrition, 1,692 acres of productive dry land becomes a desert, and 55 people are poisoned by the pesticides they use. Each day 25,000 people die of water shortage or contamination, ten tons of nuclear waste are being generated, 60 tons of plastic packaging and 372 tons of fishing net is dumped into the
The global thermometer is drastically changing year by year which could overall have a devastating impact on humanity. In the film Six Degrees Could Change the World it is stated that if the temperature continues to increases by one degree Celsius, it will have a great effect on both the world and the people living in it. If it were to drastically increase by six degree, there could be catastrophic results. Global warming has been a controversial issue over the last few decades in which many individuals explore the outcome of the nation if it continues. The use of constant energy by mankind may ultimately be the ruin in which will continue increasing the temperature of the globe. However, there are both existing and new emerging technologies that could possibly transform the outcome of global warming. According to Volti (2010) “technology is not just a source of environmental problems; it can also be part of the solution” (p.97). The latest use of hybrid cars, renewing the use of energy, and the use of wind power are all forms of technological advancements that could assist in the outcome of global warming. Although technology can help to stop global warming, it cannot be the solitary factor in doing so.
Climate change can be solved once we are willing to adopt certain changes to our everyday lives. In our society, the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and the nations decaying infrastructure, are all reasons as to why climate change has become such a subject of great importance. If we are able to change these three parts of our society we can help the environment and slow down the gradual changes of our climates.
Global warming is a big problem in today’s world and its hindering the quality of life for every species. It affects their habitats and environments. Temperature rises and changing landscapes in the arctic circle are endangering several species of animals. Only the most adaptable will survive. If we fail to cut back on the burning of fossil fuels, such as oil and coal, scientists say during the 21st century earth could warm up to an additional 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit.
Our planet has managed to survive and thrive for about 4.54 billion years. In the last 2 million years we have caused enough damage and destruction to make our world “broken” beyond repair. We will not be able to get back the world we once had. The reason behind this is global warming, specifically, the increase of the global temperature due to the burning of fossil fuels and the release of greenhouse gas emissions into our atmosphere. If we do not make the issue of global warming a priority in today`s society, our entire way of life will be at risk. There are many reasons why so many people believe global warming should be a concern. Thoroughly examined points include: scientific predictions, rising temperatures, human causes, drastic climate changes and animal adaptations. Though there are several points arguing how global warming should not be a concern, the reality of the matter is that it needs to be taken into consideration on a global scale before it is too late, as to do nothing would have devastating implications on humankind.