| Human activities, without doubt, are the cause of | | | | effects that we have already experienced. The |
| global warming; and we are responsible for | | | | impact would be unimaginable. |
| stopping global warming, especially because it is a | | | | In our technologically advanced world, we have so |
| possible thing to do. Stopping global warming is not | | | | many different ways of emitting CO2 into the |
| only a possible thing to do, but it is a mandatory | | | | atmosphere. Some of the many ways CO2 can |
| thing that every single individual in the world should | | | | be emitted into the atmosphere is from power |
| participate in. We are facing a global problem, | | | | plants, cars, trucks, airplanes, buildings, and through |
| which means that there are a lot of us who need | | | | deforestation. In order for us to generate electric |
| to be educated on the issue of global warming in | | | | we burn fossil fuels, which helps emit tons of CO2 |
| order to make the changes necessary in order to | | | | into the atmosphere. In fact, around 40% of the |
| reverse the problem at hand. What exactly do | | | | CO2 emissions in the U.S. in the year 2002 come |
| we mean when we state that human activities | | | | from us burning fossil fuels. Cars like minivans, |
| are the cause of global warming? How is it that | | | | sports cars, trucks, and jeeps, release about 20% |
| our activities have such a big impact on the | | | | of the CO2 emissions in the U.S. Businesses that |
| recent, not to mention terrifying, climate change? | | | | use trucks for their work help to create the 13% |
| All of these questions, and many more, will be | | | | of CO2 emissions from trucks. According to the |
| explained to you. What if the children that are | | | | UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, |
| born today suffer tomorrow because of our | | | | currently airplanes are responsible for about 3.5% |
| actions? Our kids would wish we had made better | | | | of the global warming issue. By the year 2050, |
| decisions in order to create a better future for | | | | this percentage can rise by 15%. The way that |
| them. Our actions today have an effect on the | | | | most buildings are made helps to emit 12% of the |
| future of our children tomorrow, and we are the | | | | CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. There are so |
| only ones who have the power to make a | | | | many other ways that CO2 is emitted into the |
| change. We have a serious problem on our hands; | | | | atmosphere. It is obvious that the most CO2 |
| it is called Global Warming. Global warming is hitting | | | | emissions stem from human services, products, |
| the world by storm, literally. Once its effects are | | | | and activities. For this reason, we are responsible |
| felt, there is no way to stop them; the only thing | | | | to clean up our act and to find alternative ways |
| we can do is stop the future effects of global | | | | to go about our every day life ("Causes of Global |
| warming from occurring. Every single human being | | | | Warming."). On the flip side, our growing |
| on the face of this earth is in some way | | | | technology has helped by allowing scientists to |
| responsible for some fraction of the causes of | | | | collect data from the past and measure the |
| global warming. The same way, every single | | | | amount of CO2 in a given year by using devices |
| human being should do something immediately to | | | | know as core drills. The data that was taken |
| help stop this disaster which has already gone out | | | | from these experiments are confirmation to the |
| of control. | | | | question of "Does human activity cause global |
| To understand our climate crisis, it is important to | | | | warming by increasing the amounts of CO2 in the |
| know what greenhouse gases are and how they | | | | Earth's atmosphere"? |
| naturally function in our atmosphere. Greenhouse | | | | We also have the power and technology to |
| gases consist of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's), | | | | reverse the problem of global warming and stop it |
| methane, nitrous oxide, and the most important | | | | from destroying our earth and the species that |
| of them all, carbon dioxide (CO2). Greenhouse | | | | live on it. How do we know that CO2 levels have |
| gases permit light that is emitted from the sun to | | | | actually risen, and that they are in fact |
| enter the atmosphere; however they also lock in | | | | contributing to warmer temperatures? This |
| some infrared radiation which warms up the air in | | | | question can easily be answered by digging deep |
| the atmosphere. These are all natural gasses, and | | | | into the experiments which scientists have |
| this is a natural process which is called the | | | | conducted; or should I say by digging deep into |
| greenhouse effect. The natural amount of | | | | ice. Scientists have used core drills; devices that |
| greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere work to | | | | dig deep into glaciers and extract ice which has |
| help the Earth's surface maintain an average | | | | formed over the years, in order to measure the |
| temperature of about 59 degrees Fahrenheit. This | | | | amount of CO2 that was in the atmosphere in a |
| natural amount of heat that is trapped in our | | | | given year. Through this process, scientists were |
| atmosphere allows us to breathe clean air, have | | | | able to compare the ratios of isotopes of oxygen |
| clean water, and have normal weather. We will | | | | in order to uncover the temperature of a given |
| focus mainly on CO2 emissions since they | | | | year over the past 1,000 years. They made this |
| account for about 80% of all greenhouse | | | | comparison by examining the horizontal lines on a |
| emissions. Out of all of the greenhouse gasses, | | | | chunk of ice, which was removed from a glacier, |
| humans create more CO2. Our climate crisis | | | | and by marking each of those lines as one year. |
| stems from excess CO2, which is the byproduct | | | | Using this extraordinary and accurate method, |
| of human activity being released into our | | | | they are able to compare the amount of CO2 in |
| atmosphere. Excess emissions of CO2, as well as | | | | a given year to the temperature of that year. |
| other greenhouse gasses, act as a blanket and | | | | Remarkably, scientists were able to collect enough |
| trap heat in out atmosphere, thus creating global | | | | data from these experiments to prove that the |
| warming which is the reason for our unimaginable | | | | more CO2 there is in the atmosphere, the hotter |
| climate change. According to The Stop Global | | | | the earth will become. The results were amazing |
| Warming campaign, "More carbon dioxide is now in | | | | because they were actually able to confirm that |
| the atmosphere than has been in the past | | | | the more CO2 there is in the atmosphere, the |
| 650,000 years." ("Stop Global Warming Virtual | | | | higher the temperature of the earth will get, thus |
| March.") | | | | altering our climate (Gore 60-65). |
| Global warming has altered the state of our | | | | While those who truly care about our world are |
| climate in unimaginable ways, thus causing glaciers | | | | trying to help put a halt to global warming, global |
| to melt, temperatures all over the world to raise, | | | | warming skeptics are denying that we have a real |
| weather to become catastrophic, endangering | | | | problem on our hands. Global warming skeptics |
| species, and causing sea levels all over the world | | | | argue that scientists are relying too much on |
| to rise. Since 1912 the ice cap of Mount | | | | computer models, which they believe to be |
| Kilimanjaro has decreased by 75%. If they | | | | inaccurate. A global warming skeptic William |
| continue to melt at the present rate, all of the | | | | Kininmonth states "I do not believe this research |
| glaciers in Glacier National Park could be gone by | | | | team made a compelling case to suggest that |
| the year 2070. In 1972 the mountain tops in | | | | their computer models are sufficiently realistic." |
| Venezuela contained six glaciers; all but two of the | | | | (Black 2). The skeptics believe that too much |
| glaciers have melted. Temperatures over the | | | | attention is focused on computer models, and not |
| recent years have risen to dramatic highs in | | | | enough real evidence is given. This is where they |
| places that never experienced such temperatures | | | | are wrong because there are endless amounts of |
| for such long periods of time. In the summer of | | | | data out there that support the fact that global |
| 1998, a massive 29 day heat wave struck Dallas | | | | warming is a problem, people just have to open |
| Texas with temperatures of 100 degrees F. That | | | | their eyes and do their homework. Scientists |
| same year in May, India suffered a massive heat | | | | from all over the world, in fact, have reached a |
| wave which claimed over 2,500 lives. In the | | | | consensus that we have a real problem on our |
| spring, the beautiful cherry blossoms planted along | | | | hands, and that we must do something about it. It |
| the streets of Washington DC bloom about 7 | | | | is true that CO2 is naturally emitted into the |
| days before their blooming period compared to | | | | atmosphere from different sources, and it is also |
| when they bloomed in 1970. The weather all over | | | | true that even if human beings were not living on |
| the world has intensified and changed for the | | | | Earth, over 95% of the CO2 emissions would still |
| worse. In March of 1997, floods swept along the | | | | be emitted into the atmosphere. Naturally, about |
| Ohio River killing 30 people and causing property | | | | 220 billion tons of CO2 per year is emitted from |
| damage totaling over $500 million. Hurricane Floyd | | | | dead trees and other materials decaying in |
| hit the Atlantic coast in September of 1999 with | | | | forests. |
| winds up to 130-m.p.h. causing floods which left | | | | However, natural sinks, which are biological and |
| thousands of people homeless, and killed 77 | | | | physical processes in nature, help to balance things |
| people. Fires raged all over the world due to | | | | out by helping remove CO2 from the |
| extended droughts and heat waves. Fires tore | | | | atmosphere. Nevertheless, the natural CO2 |
| through Samos Island in Greece and burned away | | | | emissions that occur in nature would not cause |
| about 20% of the area. Rising sea levels- another | | | | such a problem and change our climate. What |
| very serious effect of global warming, are | | | | causes the problem is excess CO2 emissions that |
| threatening millions of people all over the world to | | | | humans cause which then disturbs the natural |
| move. If the ice continues to melt, and the | | | | balance created by natural sinks. For every issue |
| oceans continue to rise, over 40 million people in | | | | you put to the table, there will always be |
| Shanghai, and over 20 million people in and around | | | | someone out there who opposes your views on |
| Beijing would have to be evacuated. | | | | that issue. That is why you must do your own |
| In 1870 the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was built | | | | research in order to find out what is truly the |
| 1,500 feet from the shoreline. There was no | | | | right thing to do. You must be the judge of things |
| choice left but to move the light house when the | | | | as you see it from your own eyes; as long as |
| ocean came to about 160 feet of it around the | | | | you promise to look at all of the evidence that is |
| late 1980's. Global Warming is also threatening | | | | given to you, and as long as you are open and |
| species to extinction and hurting nature to the | | | | willing to listen to all sides of the story. ("How Do |
| point where it is just sad. Between the years | | | | We Know that the Atmospheric Build-up of |
| 1997 and 1998, salmon populations from the | | | | Greenhouse Gases Is Due to Human Activity?"). |
| Pacific dramatically fell down in number as a result | | | | Whether you do or don't believe that humans are |
| of rising ocean temperatures by 6 degrees | | | | the cause of global warming, or that global |
| Fahrenheit. Ice melting every year in the spring is | | | | warming is even a problem at all, you don't have |
| said to have had an impact on the number of | | | | the right to trash this beautiful earth that we |
| polar bear cubs being born in Hudson Bay. Never | | | | share with other human beings and creatures. We |
| in the past has it been an issue that a large | | | | all have the responsibility to lower our carbon |
| number of polar bears are drowning. These | | | | footprint by making alternative choices in our |
| innocent creatures are forced to swim for miles in | | | | everyday lives. Scientific research has proven that |
| search of land; their land which has melted away, | | | | humans are to blame for the cause of global |
| never to be seen again. Polar bears are now | | | | warming, and I believe that if we all accept this |
| facing extinction because so many of them have | | | | fact, we will be one more step closer to solving |
| died already, and more will continue to die off | | | | the problem. It is not easy to solve the issue of |
| rapidly if the ice doesn't stop melting. A great | | | | global warming, mainly because it is a global |
| number of other creatures are also facing | | | | problem, but as long as we believe that it is a |
| extinction due to climate change, and also due to | | | | solvable problem, we will accept alternatives to |
| direct human interaction with the places these | | | | our every day activities. Some of the things, out |
| creatures live; but that is a whole different story. | | | | of many, that we as individuals can do is change |
| Beautiful Coral reefs that decorate our oceans are | | | | our light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs, |
| losing algae and are thus being destroyed because | | | | recycle, adjust our thermostat, drive a hybrid car, |
| of an increase in ocean temperatures. Algae feed | | | | walk or bike instead of driving, change our air |
| the beautiful corals and help them retain their | | | | conditioner's filter regularly, and buy products |
| amazing colors and forms. Unfortunately, due to | | | | locally. |
| the rise in ocean temperatures, these beautiful | | | | These are only some of the things that we can |
| coral formations are being destroyed. Animals are | | | | do to help stop global warming. However, the |
| relocating and migrating, confused because of the | | | | most important things that you can do to help |
| change of climate, not knowing what to call home. | | | | stop global warming is to get more educated on |
| ("The Effects of Global Warming.") | | | | this issue. If you want to learn how to help, just |
| In her article, Barbara K. Kennedy quotes Eric | | | | get involved with the right people, do the right |
| Post, who is an assistant professor of biology at | | | | research, and simply get educated on this issue. If |
| Penn State University. Post writes: "All the major | | | | we sit around and wait for things to happen |
| biomes on Earth have been affected by a | | | | themselves, nothing will ever change for the |
| temperature increase of just a little more than | | | | better. We will just procrastinate and make the |
| half a degree Celsius-most of which has occurred | | | | problem even bigger than it already was. |
| during the last two decades." (Kennedy 1-2). This | | | | Wherever you stand on the issue of global |
| is very scary to think about, especially when it is | | | | warming, you still have the responsibility to take |
| said that temperatures will rise even more over | | | | care of the beautiful Earth and its natural |
| the next 50 years. Imagine the impact that the | | | | resources that are taken for granted by so |
| rise of temperature will have on us on top of the | | | | many. |