Global Warning: A Call to Action

Natural disasters occurring more frequently, polar caps melting, sea levels

rising, warmer temperatures promoting disease spread…words describing events

that are usually related to the end of time.” In the last 20-30 years, the Earth

has been experiencing an unnatural peak in climate change leading to

higher temperatures advocating natural disasters, polar caps melting, sea

levels rising and warmer temperatures prompting disease spread”.

(Anthony, 2010) Terms usually used to describe the end of time also fit to describe

the consequences of Global Warming on our Earth. There is now consensus

amongst most scientists that Global Warming is real, an issue that has much

speculation due to so many variations of information through the recent decades

can no longer be ignored due to the proof that there is a problem.

Global Warming, an issue with much controversy has been blown up by

different kinds of organizations, activists and politicians for many different reasons.

In between these motives exist some that are derived from purely monetary

reasons or reasons that are truly irrelevant to actually make progress in general.

The information has been manipulated to benefit the policy maker or activists rising

doubt in the minds of their audiences and making room for speculation. The facts

are clear: “Climatologists (scientists who study climate) have analyzed the

global warming that has occurred since the late 1800’s…a majority of

climatologists have concluded that human activities are responsible for

most of the warming.” (Mastrandrea, 2005) Global Warming, is real, and is

shaping our environment at an alarming rate. “Thousands of icebergs float off

the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula after 1,250 sq. miles of the Larsen B

ice shelf disintegrated in 2002…Antarctic ice shells have been shrinking

since the early 1970’s because of climate warming in the

region”(Mastandrea,2005). The climate changing at such high speeds is due to

the level of Carbon Dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. The Carbon Dioxide

causes a second layer from in the atmosphere through which radiation from the sun

has to escape, causing the radiation to bounce back from the surface of the earth to

the layer created by the Co2 at much higher speeds and for a longer period of time

before it is released back into space. In the chart below, you can get an idea as to

how much Carbon Dioxide is being emitted into the atmosphere and why we are

experiencing such a rapid increase in temperature resulting in all the consequences

of Global Warming.

Just in the year 2000, the United States alone emitted 1600 million metric

tons of Carbon Dioxide and in recent decades, the burning of fossil fuels and

deforestation just keeps rising. This will result in an increase in temperature yet
again, causing even more disasters like Katrina, Sri Lanka and Haiti. The predicted

value of temperature increase in the next century is dangerous, “a rise in temp of

2.5-10.4 degrees F ( 1.4 – 5.8 degrees C) by 2100.” (Mastrandrea, 2005) This

can only worsen the conditions of Global Warming of our planet.

There can be many solutions but that would require a long process of altering

the way we use our energy. Clearly, the simplest solution to the problems caused

by the emissions of Carbon Dioxide causing the unnatural increase of temperature

(Global Warming) in our planet would be to cut down the use of fossil fuels. Even

the smallest decisions can make the biggest differences when done in large

numbers. With that being said, the policy I would like to see take action is one that

requires major power countries such as the U.S., Canada, U.K and China to cut their

Co2 emissions completely for one day. All countries being put into a schedule

designed to having the days they are Co2 free to be one after the other. So in other

words, have a week or a couple of weeks where each day one of these countries

cuts their Co2 emissions consecutively. Hopefully, seeing such an action by big

power can inspire others to act ‘green’ during these weeks and promote the change

towards a better environment because it is a gradual change that has to be

accomplished in order to alleviate Global Warming.

References Page:

(Anthony, E. Dr., interview, October 13, 2010)

Schneider, S. H. (1989). The greenhouse effect: science and policy. American

Association for the Advancement of Science, 243(4892), 771-781

Hansen, J. & Sato, M. (2004). Greenhouse gas growth rates. Proceedings of the

National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 101(46), 6109-

6114

Mastrandrea, M. D., & Schneider, S. H. (2005) Global warming. World Book Online

Reference Center, Retrieved from http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?

id=ar226310

Basu, P. (2005). Third world bears brunt of global warming impacts. University of

Wisconsin-Madison,

Image retrieved from http://www.news.wisc.edu/11878