Christine Bizier
Professor Kelly Warren
ENC1102
March 4, 2014
Global Warming
What
is “Global Warming”? What are the major causes of it? What effect does it have
on mankind’s daily life now and for the future? More important, is there
anything that can be done to reduce or stop it? This is a subject that has been
a topic of discussion and argument for decades now. While scientists have been
studying this phenomenon for many years, in 2005 Al Gore started teaching
interested parties around the globe through lectures and a documentary titled
“An Inconvenient Truth” about global warming, its effects and what the future
may hold for the world. While there are many who argue that this is not
something that we need to be concerned about it is hard not to look at the
reports, graphs and other data and not wonder if we can change the course we
are headed.
The
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines global warming as the recent increase in the
world's atmospheric and oceanic temperatures that are believed to be caused by the
increase of certain gases (such as carbon dioxide) in the atmosphere, also
known as the greenhouse effect. In other words, when the sun’s rays hit the
earth, some of its energy is absorbed by the ground and water masses which help
to warm the earth, but not all of this energy gets absorbed. The energy that is
not absorbed is reflected back into the atmosphere. With the increase of Carbon
Dioxide and other pollutants in the atmosphere instead of the reflected energy
leaving earth, it is once again reflected back which is the greenhouse effect and
what is causing global warming (Strickland). If the reflected energy from the
sun is not able to leave earth’s atmosphere, the earth will continue to
increase in temperature, the ocean will also continue to get warmer, which will
melt glaciers and other ice masses.
If
we look further into the greenhouse effect, we find that it is a naturally
occurring phenomenon which makes the earth the perfect place for mankind to
live. There are several types of gases that make up the atmosphere. These
include Carbon Dioxide, Nitrous oxide and Methane gas. Each of these gases plays
a role in the environment. The amount of these gases in the atmosphere has been
increasing at an alarming rate since the Industrial Revolution (Strickland).
The worst business is the fossil-fuel industry (McKibben). These businesses are
allowed to deposit their waste; carbon dioxide, free of charge which we now
know is increasing the temperature of the world, as well as, acidifying the
ocean (McKibben). While these companies are the biggest supplier of carbon
dioxide emissions in the atmosphere, they are not the sole contributor.
Everyone should work to decrease their own carbon footprint in the world. While
this may only be a small reduction by an individual if everyone made the effort
to reduce, reuse and recycle it would have a huge impact on the world
(Hedquist).
There are several
things that an individual can do to reduce his or her carbon footprint, which
in turn, could help slow global warming. These include, but are not limited to,
reducing your consumption of energy. We can accomplish this by turning electrical
devices off when leaving a room and/or the house; adjusting the thermostat down
in the winter and up in the summer when the house is unoccupied; lower your
water consumption by using low flow applications and not running the spigot
when brushing teeth or washing dishes. These two go hand in hand with laundry
or dishes. If the washing machine or dishwasher is only used when there is a full
load, it will save both water and energy. Buy energy efficient appliances and
light bulbs. Reduce, reuse and recycle to reduce landfills, which are a large
contributor of methane gas; and plant trees (Hedquist).
If nothing is done
to reduce the amount of gases that the world is pumping into the atmosphere in
an attempt to reduce global warming, we will be facing many changes that will
affect the earth’s climate. If the
temperature continues to rise, we may be faced with an alteration in the
composition of all land masses. While some areas may receive larger amounts of
rainfall, others will suffer from drought which in turn may create new desserts
(Strickland). In addition, there will be numerous fatalities due to heat stroke
and starvation (Strickland). If water temperatures continue to rise there may
be a melting of glaciers, and other ice masses, which will increase the level
of the ocean causing flooding of low-lying areas.
Works
Cited
Hedquist, Chelsea. 10
Steps Mankind Can Take to Save the Environment.
McKibben, Bill. “Global
Warming’s Terrrifying New Math”. Rolling Stone. August 2, 2012. Web. 01
MARCH 2014
Merriam-Webster Dictionary. m-w.com. Web. 3 MAR 2014.
Strickland, Jonathan and Grabianowksi, Ed. How Global Warming Works. A Discovery
Company. Web.
01 MAR 2014
