Climate Change 1

Is Climate Change Really a Threat?

Diana Flores
Ms. Cole and Mr. Lopez
English IV
December 1, 2015

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Is Climate Change Really a Threat?
Scientists have been warning people of the potentially dangerous effects of climate
change and the damages they have been doing to the Earth as early as the 1890s. Those who
brought up their research on a so-called worldwide climate change such as Swedish chemist
Svante Arrhenius, were mocked by their peers (the Guardian, 2011). It wasnt until the late 1960s
with the release of Rachel Carsons books that people began to realize what they were doing to
environment. Carson expressed that if humans kept up their current choices, future generations
were going to suffer dramatically (Zelman, 2011). She and other conservationists helped to
define climate change and what it meant for everyone around the world. According to ENSAA,
climate change is a long-term change...of weather patterns over periods of time; this means
the average amount of severe storms, such as hurricanes and tornados, could increase or
decrease. It also means the world gets slightly warmer every year, putting wildlife and
environment at risk. However, many argue that global warming is nothing but a government
scam. They claim officials are using the environment as a way to get money from those who are
gullible (Beauregard, 2015). Could global warming actually be a way for politicians to get
money for a cause that doesnt even exist? Or is it something more people should be aware of?
One of the biggest arguments for global warming is the melting of glaciers and the rising
of sea levels. According to a recent study by NASA, the global sea level has risen 17 centimeters
in the last century. This could have been caused by the overall heating of the ocean. NASA has
stated that oceans have warmed up by 0.302 degrees Fahrenheit since 1969. This may not seem
like much but changes in the water temperature can affect the aquatic life in negative ways.
Animals such as sea turtles and crocodiles depend on temperatures near the ocean heavily; the
gender of each egg is determined by the temperature of the underground nest (Kratt, 3 January.

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2011). Because of the changes in temperatures, male crocodiles and sea turtles are at risk of
extinction. 90% of Loggerhead sea turtles in Florida are female, putting this species in danger
(New England Aquarium, 2015). Another main argument is that the Arctic ice is melting, thus
raising the sea levels. However, many skeptics have said that this is a lie. John Hawkins reported
that Arctic ice is actually up by 50% since 2012. He also argues that people shouldnt be so
concerned about it; he claims that even if it all melts it wont make a difference to the
environment. Other sources have said that global warming has been exaggerated greatly by
scientists because they get money from creating a stir among the people. Scientists use huge
amounts of money for research that sometimes isnt even accurate (Washingtonsblog.com, 2015).
Even though it seems like scientists would be the ones who benefit from global warming,
it doesnt really add up. Why would the government spend millions upon millions of money for
something that doesnt even exist (Hargreaves, 2015)? Wouldnt the government be in on it?
The ones who are really benefiting from global warming are oil companies. They have
continuously denied the existence of global warming, denies that the changes in the climate can
be traced back to humans and their actions. And why would they admit to global warming being
a real issue? Big corporations like ExxonMobil pay their CEO over $30 million a year
(Washingtonsblog.com, 2015). And, honestly, if global warming is really just a hoax, whats the
problem with that? People have come together for decades to try and reverse their actions, tried
to make the world a better place to live. If the Earth is taken care of, it will treat its populations
wonderfully. If people dont care about the environment, they need to start. If not for the sake of
the wildlife, then for the future generations. Theyre the ones who are going to have to pay the
price for the mistakes of today.

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WORKS CITED
Beauregard, E. (2015). Top Ten Reasons Climate Change is a Hoax. Global Climate Ccam.
Retrieved 1 December 2015, from <http://www.globalclimatescam.com/opinion/top-tenreasons-climate-change-is-a-hoax>
Carson, R. (1951). The Sea Around Us (p. 182). Oxford University Press.
ENSAA,. (2011). Defining Climate Change. Retrieved 1 December 2015, from
<http://www.ensaa.eu/index.php/climate-change/97-defining-climate-change.html>
Guardian,. (2011). When did we discover man-made climate change?. Retrieved 1 December
2015, from <http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/mar/02/when-discoverclimate-change>
Hargreaves, S. (2015). What we got for $50 billion in 'green' stimulus. CNNMoney. Retrieved 2
December 2015, from <http://money.cnn.com/2012/10/03/news/economy/green-stimulus/>
Hawkins, J. (2015). John Hawkins - 5 Scientific Reasons That Global Warming Isn't
Happening.townhall.com. Retrieved 2 December 2015, from
<http://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2014/02/18/5-scientific-reasons-that-globalwarming-isnt-happening-n1796423/page/full>
Kratt, C. (Director), Kratt, C. (Writer), & Almos, E. (Producer). (2011, January 3). Mom of a
Croc
[Television series episode]. In Wild Kratts. Arlington County: Public Broadcasting
Company.
NASA: Global Climate Change,. (2015). Retrieved 1 December 2015, from
<http://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/>
New England Aquarium,. (2015). Climate change: the effects on ocean animals. Retrieved 1
December 2015, from
<http://www.neaq.org/conservation_and_research/climate_change/effects_on_ocean_animal
s.php>

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Washingtonsblog,. (2015). 9/11 and Global Warming: Are They Both False Conspiracy
Theories? Washington's Blog. Retrieved 2 December 2015, from
<http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2015/09/911-and-global-warming-are-they-both-falseconspiracy-theories.html>
Zelman, J. (2011). Rachel Carson's Legacy Guides Today's Climate Change Battle.
DeSmogBlog. Retrieved 2 December 2015, from <http://www.desmogblog.com/rachelcarson-s-legacy-guides-today-s-climate-change-battle>