Global Warming Hazards
Today’s issue of global warming is becoming more serious everyday because many people are not concerned about the world and the danger it’s in. And because of our carelessness, the next generation of children will not be able to see the beauty of the earth.
To understand how global warming is caused, we must first understand what it means. Global warming is the increase in the earth’s atmosphere, resulting in changes of climate. When this happens, solar radiation is trapped by the atmosphere, which allows the sunlight to pass through but is radiated back from the surface of the earth.
Here are some of the effects of global warming. Nowadays, scientists state that the earth’s climate is mostly being affected by human activity, and by many people around the world too. These changes are not good though, and records say that the last 11 of the 12 years were the warmest years ever. Carbon dioxide levels are 30 percent higher than what it was in the industrial revolution. The polar ice cap is melting at a rate of 9 percent per decade. The current pace of the sea-level rise is three times the historical rate and is becoming faster in the years to come. The numbers of category 4 to 5 hurricanes were doubled in the last 30 years. There are droughts in Sahel were caused by warming sea temperatures, and the Amazon suffered a drought due to the rising of the ocean temperatures. And to top it all off, because the climate changes all the time, poverty and food instability has also arrived.
Now that we know all these things are happening to the earth, what can we do to help? We can reduce carbon output in many ways. Well, there are not many ways we can help but staying informed of this topic is the biggest thing you can do. There are websites like the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and BBC News. Blogs like RealClimate could keep you informed as well. There are many Websites that give information in this topic.
Now that we know all this information, we can do our part to help keep the world the better place for the next generation to enjoy.
Filed under: Teen Life
WOW Jed! Very thorough summary. We have been warned of global warming for so many years. I remember my teachers warning us of this when I was your age…so many years ago. Unfortunately, we haven’t really done much to alleviate the problem at all. However, it appears that people of more developed nations with education are becoming more aware and are trying to do their part by changing their habits to reduce their carbon output. On the other hand, it’s the nations that are industrialized yet not highly developed that are struggling with this. These governments aren’t willing to impose strict laws to reduce pollution. I guess that is why the idea of recycling is so important to me. It’s my way of trying to make a differnece.I hope that more people will take actions to improve our world.