Apud-Martinez 1

Salvador Apud-Martinez

Professor Massie

Engl 1302

25 April, 2019

Reducing the Effects of Global Warming and Climate Change

Recent research regarding the unhealthy condition of the atmosphere has clarified the

need for action to counter the problems of global warming and climate change. The global rise of

temperatures is beginning to cause some havoc on Earth’s natural ecosystems. Ice sheets in the

world are shrinking, Antarctica is losing ice, sea levels are rising, and extreme weather events are

occurring with more frequency. The oceanic ecosystems are also being damage increase of

acidification in the waters having a negative effect on the health of coral reefs (“Climate Change

Evidence: How Do We Know?”). That being said, not all hope is lost since there are still some

proactive steps that can be taken towards improving the health of the atmosphere and reversing

the damages that have been caused by the present consumeristic society. The effects of global

warming and climate change can be reduced by decreasing the consumption of fossil fuels, by

upgrading the energy efficiency of infrastructure, and by preserving the health of forests and

trees around the globe.

In order to reverse the effects of climate change, governments across the globe need to

decrease their consumption of fossil fuels. It is crucial for one to understand that there is a “95%

probability that human-produced greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide”, have increased

about 70% the last 150 years (Biello). This sudden rise of carbon dioxide levels in the

atmosphere is not a natural phenomenon; the dire need for the removal of the contaminating

amounts of fossil fuel gasses it is unquestionable. Furthermore, this information helps establish
 Apud-Martinez 2

the fact that there is a need for governments to decrease their consumption of fossil fuels. Now

that the need for action has been addressed, a method of reducing fossil fuel contamination can

be explored. One way to decrease the consumption and contamination of fossil fuels is to begin

transitioning to a different and ‘greener’ method of producing electricity. Coal is currently a

commonly used fossil fuel that supplies “roughly half of the electricity in the U.S. and nearly that

much world wide” (Biello). Essentially, this means that one type of fossil fuel can be held

accountable for half of the energy production of the world. From this information, it can be

logically derived that coal can also be held accountable for a large part of the CO2 contamination

in the atmosphere. This information helps logically assume that the replacing of coal in the

global energy production process with a cleaner alternative is necessary. Based on this

conclusion, it can be supposed that the usage of an alternative energy source will halt the global

warming process and reduce the effects of climate change.

One of the main energy alternatives that can replace the use of coal is solar power. This

energy source is renewable, economically self-sufficient over time, and it can be “used for [both]

large-scale energy production and power generation for single homes” (“11 Different Sources of

Alternative Energy”). Since solar power has the potential to produce the same energy outputs as

coal, transitioning to it would seem logical based on the fact that solar power does not produce

CO2 contamination. Having an alternative energy source that is healthy for the environment,

economically stable over time, and equally as productive as fossil fuels proves that their

consumption is not necessarily needed. The transitioning to the use of solar energy also has the

potential to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of the transportation industry. Currently, the

transportation industry is “the second leading source of greenhouse gas emissions” (Biello). This

information helps establish the need of improvement in the energy efficiency of this industry.
 Apud-Martinez 3

While the switch to electric cars has been suggested as a solution, there has always been a flaw

in the logic of this proposal. One might assume that the switch to electric cars would decrease

their usage of gasoline, and thus their greenhouse gas emissions. While this may be true, the

usage of electric vehicles would cause an increase in the production of electricity which would

only help “generate [more] global warming emissions” (“Global Warming Emissions and Fuel-

Cost Savings of Electric Cars”). Thus, electric vehicles can reduce greenhouse gas emissions

only if an Earth friendly electricity source is found. That being said, if solar energy replaces

fossil fuels in the electricity production process, both the electric industry and the transportation

industry would reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The two largest contributors to global

warming would no longer promote the negative effects of climate change.

The transition from the usage of fossil fuels to the usage of solar energy will take some

time, and it will require the partnership of governments and energy companies. Yet, this

transition towards a solar powered world is a goal that can be achieved through collaboration. All

in all, governments across the globe should begin to transition towards solar power since it

would not alter their energy productions, and it would help reduce the impacts of climate change

by reducing global warming.

Upgrading the infrastructure of buildings worldwide would also help reduce the negative

effects of climate change and global warming. Improving the infrastructure of buildings would

help reduce these effects by decreasing the amount of electricity that modern infrastructure

consumes. This upgrade is crucial due to the large usage of buildings by the current modern

society for housing, offices, warehouses, etc. Reducing the amount of electricity used is critical

for the prevention of global warming because its production through the burning fossil fuels is a

main contributor of climate change. The more electricity buildings use, the more they promote
 Apud-Martinez 4

the burning of fossil fuels. In fact, studies have shown that the electricity usage of buildings

helps produce about “one third of all greenhouse gas emissions” (Biello). These gas emissions

are huge contributors of global warming through their adding of excess amount of CO2 to the

atmosphere. This information proves that making buildings more energy efficient must be a

priority. Their prioritization is critical because electricity used by buildings is a large producer of

the negative effects brought upon the Earth by global warming. If their infrastructure is

optimized to be more energy efficient, the amounts of electricity used will decrease. This will

cause a decline in the amounts of fossil fuels being burned to produce electricity, which will

ultimately help eliminate their greenhouse gas emissions. This process of upgrading the

infrastructure of buildings will be a long one. Logically, it will also require the efforts of many

construction companies worldwide. Yet, doing so has the potential of producing “at least 80

percent less carbon pollution” (Lashof). As previously explained, this upgrade will help

buildings use less electricity by improving their efficiency. Thus, not only will the upgrade help

reduce the amount of money spent on electricity, but it will also help reduce the effects of global

warming.

Another course of action that would help reverse the effects of global warming is the

reduction of deforestation processes. It is no secret that trees play a major role in the through the

Respiration process in which plants absorb carbon dioxide and replace it with oxygen; they are

the basic sources of life on Earth (“Tropical Deforestation and Global Warming”). This natural

process keeps the balance between carbon dioxide and oxygen in the atmosphere, and in the

whole world. Based on this information, it can be inferred that deforestation halts the efficiency

of this global process and supports the negative effects of global warming and climate change. In

fact, the role of trees in eliminating carbon dioxide is so large that the cutting down of trees “in
 Apud-Martinez 5

the tropics alone contributes 1.5 billion metric tons of carbon to the atmosphere” (Biello). The

deforestation of a single ecosystem is having a huge impact on the contamination of the

atmosphere and the rise in global warming. This proves that deforestation efforts need to be

reduced due to the importance that trees have in the process of diminishing global warming. That

being said, there are some that may advocate for the deforestation efforts by stating that they are

necessary for the paper production industry. Yet, there is a fallacy in the logic in such a

statement since there are also multiple natural sources from which paper can be produced such as

“rice, water plants, cotton, [and] even old clothes” (“How Paper Is Made · Idaho Forests

Products Commission.”). This helps establish the fact that mass deforestation is not just harmful

for the environment, but also relatively unnecessary in the paper industry. Furthermore, reducing

deforestation through government laws and restrictions is a necessary action due to the large

cleansing role that trees have. They help reduce carbon dioxide, and by doing so, they help

reduce global warming and the effects of climate change.

Despite all of the evidence that favors the concept of a man caused global warming, there

are some who may state that the current climate change process is natural. They believe that the

current effects of global warming are merely a cycle of the Earth’s temperatures caused by a

more active sun. Despite this theory, studies show that “solar irradiance changes can’t reproduce

the observed temperature trend over the past century or more without including a rise in

greenhouse gases” (“Climate Change Evidence: How Do We Know?”). Without the increased

greenhouse gas emissions, a more active sun cannot cause the changes that are currently

occurring the earth. That being said, the counterargument can be deemed false. The earth is

indeed going through a global warming process caused by increased carbon dioxide emissions

from human industries.

 Apud-Martinez 6

The solutions outlined in this research are realistically achievable through collaboration

and there is still time to reverse the changes of global warming. The negative effects of climate

change can be reduced by governments around the globe if they transition towards a solar energy

production process, improve the energy efficiency of building infrastructures, and decrease the

deforestation efforts around the globe. These changes are not only real and possible, but they are

also necessary.
 Apud-Martinez 7

Works Cited

“11 Different Sources of Alternative Energy.” Renewable Resources Coalition, 27 Feb. 2019,

www.renewableresourcescoalition.org/alternative-energy-sources/.

Biello, David. “10 Solutions for Climate Change.” Scientific American, 26 Nov. 2007,

www.scientificamerican.com/article/10-solutions-for-climate-change/.

“Climate Change Evidence: How Do We Know?” NASA, NASA, 23 Apr. 2019,

climate.nasa.gov/evidence/.

“Global Warming Emissions and Fuel-Cost Savings of Electric Cars.” Union of Concerned

Scientists, 1 Sept. 2014, www.ucsusa.org/clean-vehicles/electric-vehicles/emissions-and-

charging-costs-electric-cars.

“How Paper Is Made · Idaho Forests Products Commission.” Idaho Forests Products

Commission, idahoforests.org/content-item/how-paper-is-made-2/.

Lashof, Dan. “Transportation and Energy.” The Geography of Transport Systems, 11 Aug. 2018,

transportgeography.org/?page_id=5717.

“Tropical Deforestation and Global Warming.” Union of Concerned Scientists,

www.ucsusa.org/global-warming/solutions/stop-deforestation/tropical-deforestation-and-

1.html.
Apud-Martinez 8