Example Of Global Warming: Essay

The Facts and What It Means for the Future

The Facts and What It Means for the Future
A decade or two ago, global warming and environmental awareness was one of the most discussed topics among the general public and politicians. However in recent years, the discussion has slowed and it all seems more like a passing fad. Be that as it may, the facts remain that global warming is a very real phenomenon, and the longer we ignore the issue, the more catastrophic the effects will be for us in the future.
In order to tackle the issue of global warming, it is important to understand what causes it and why it has become an issue. Global warming is the idea that the earth is rising in temperature which will consequently alter the climate and life on the planet. Daily temperatures fluctuate day to day and season to season, but this is natural. Global warming refers to the overall average temperature of the earth that have been rising due to human behavior. The most common phrase uttered around global warming is “carbon emissions,” which refers to the amount of CO2 that is released into the atmosphere. CO2 is a greenhouse gas, and the more of that in the atmosphere, the warmer the earth becomes. This would be easy to control were there a specific source that emitted excess CO2 into the atmosphere, but the issue is much more complicated than that. Because of the human race’s reliance on fossil fuels, human beings burn and thus emit an incredible amount of CO2 into the atmosphere. Some of the most common sources are the burning of oil (gasoline, etc.) and coal. A tremendous amount of the world’s energy comes from these sources, and without strict supervision of this use, global warming will continue to become a serious issue. Other sources of CO2 in the atmosphere are the raising of livestock which is due to the world’s reliance on meat for food. Because of human dependency on meat for food and fossil fuels for transportation and energy, this issue has no easy fixes. That much is true. Regardless, this issue needs to come front and center in our roundtable discussions.
Global warming is perhaps the biggest environmental concern of our lifetime. Not only is it happening, but it is happening at an alarming rate. The present impact is evidence enough of the very real ramifications of human behavior. The temperature of the earth is rising, the icebergs are melting, the animals are losing their homes, and the weather patterns are beginning to act completely strange. This is all right in front of our eyes, and yet, very little has been done to control the issue. There is “general maintenance” by certain governments. The U.S. President, Barack Obama, continues to pass legislation on carbon emission standards, and other world governments are doing the same. New cars with smaller carbon footprints are being made, and people are starting to eat more locally which limits the amount of carbon emissions needed to process and transport food. Still, is it enough? At the rate things are moving, anything short of a dead stop seems to have negligible effects. But the issue is contentious. More and more evidence is being released discrediting global warming saying that it is, in fact, a natural process and there is nothing to worry about. Perhaps it is these sorts of claims that have taken the discussion away from the major issues debate, but this is all the more frightening. Without awareness and a majority following (in the entire world), global warming is impossible to contend with. Humans have already done too much damage, and the actions being done to reverse that damage are too few and far between. Clearly, the answer is not an easy one, but perhaps the results can help to clarify it.
The earth and people who call earth home have some serious issues to contend with in the future if global warming is not dealt with in the present. The most immediate impact from global warming, but one that doesn’t much affect the general population, is the melting of the glaciers. This will prove detrimental to the wildlife that survive because of these glaciers, which, isn’t always the most convincing argument for us humans who don’t suffer those immediate effects. However, the butterfly effect will have its impacts, and they will be far-reaching. Already, scientists know that along with the melting glaciers, the ocean temperatures are rising which is impacting the wildlife within the oceans, the place that provides a huge percentage of food around the world. The sea level is also rising which is threatening coastal cities and communities. The oceans aren’t the only things being affected. The weather patterns are changing dramatically, and scientists have found correlations between global warming and severe weather. The list goes on and on and on.
The facts are in front of us: global warming exists and it is frightening. However, the human race is not helpless in the situation. We are responsible for a great deal of what is happening to the earth and environment around us, and it simply takes an awareness and change in behavior to alter those dramatic effects. The future is ours, but the question is whether we want a bright future or a dismal one.