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Marisa Summers
Mr. Facchin
College Prep English
December 19, 2014
Global Warming, Fact or Fiction?
Growing up, I never really thought about global warming, except when it was mentioned
on the worldwide news. I remember passing through the living room, hearing about the rising
temperatures and problems it was causing. I would quickly become worried thinking, “What is
happening to our planet?” Aside from that, it was never an issue that crossed my mind; it wasn’t
affecting me, so I could care less. As I grow older, I am hearing more and more about global
warming. With the changes in the weather, it’s hard not to be confronted with it. There’s not
much we can do to prevent it without knowing the causes of it. What are the causes of global
warming? The viewpoints of what is causing global warming vary from scientific outlooks to
religious perspectives. Some believe that the human race is the cause of global warming. I have
also heard some say that global warming is to be expected, according to their religion.
It is clear that global warming is indeed happening. The cause is unclear. Personally, I
haven’t noticed any drastic signs of global warming. It is said that the temperatures are rising,
but it does not seem very significant. I often wonder, at what point will these climate changes
become extreme? It has caused a variation in the earth’s normal patterns, but when will it
become unbearable? If this controversial issue gets out of hand, I can only imagine that these
rising temperatures will cause animals to die out, food supplies to decrease, and human
population to decline.
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Climate changes on earth seem to be happening very gradually. There hasn’t been a rapid
or sudden change in the climate, the temperatures rise fairly slowly. So my question is, is global
warming as serious as people make it seem to be?
Global warming has recently started to look like a big issue. Believe it or not, changes in
the climate have been going on for awhile. It started long before humans came along. Although
global warming has been happening before the existence of humans, scientists believe the human
race has sped up the progress of it (http://www.life123.com/).
Before deciding how serious this subject is, we must know what it is. So what is global
warming? Global warming is the heating of the earth’s atmosphere. Naturally, the sun heats the
earth’s atmosphere and this heat reradiates back into space. Gases called greenhouse gases get
trapped in the earth’s atmosphere, warming the ground, air, oceans, and clouds. The main
greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide but there are more, some of which have been created by
humans. The earth goes through natural warming and cooling periods, but has been going
through an abnormal trend of warming. Scientists believe this has a lot to do with global
warming (Berne).
The trapping of these greenhouse gases causes a discernible problem: rising temperatures.
Global warming generates many problems and changes but this is the most obvious problem of
them all. The evidence of these rising temperatures has been recorded and it is noted that the
2001-2010 decade was the warmest since 1880 when records first started
(http://www.climatehotmap.org/).
The climate changes that have manifested on the planet seem to have a domino effect.
One problem leads to another. With rising temperatures comes melting glaciers and with melting
glaciers comes rising sea levels. High temperatures make glaciers melt faster and eventually
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disappear. Climate changes not only affect the earth, but also the living species on the earth. The
melting of glaciers and ice caps has a negative impact on its inhabitants. Polar bears are
predicted to go extinct if this event continues. They have been drowning because of the long
distances they have to swim to get to ice floes (http://www.nrdc.org). During the Arctic ice melt
of 2011, a female polar bear swam for nine days across the Beaufort Sea without stopping. It cost
the polar bear 22 percent of her weight and her cub. Polar bears rarely spend time on land, except
during the summer and during this time they do not eat much. The summers are extending and
the bay takes longer to freeze up causing the bears to go longer without food
(http://www.nwf.org). The polar bear is just one example of the many species that are being
affected by global warming.
Melting glaciers, rising sea levels, and dying polar bears, it all may seem irrelevant to us.
A closer look at climate changes has opened my eyes; global warming will impact humans as
well as animals. The melting of glaciers is far out of my reach, but the weather in my area is not.
Rainy days, they make everyone happy, right? Of course not, I personally feel down on rainy
days. With increased temperatures comes increased precipitation. Generally, the wetter places
become wetter. The drier places get even drier. This creates the problems of flooding and
droughts. The warming of the earth results in more heat waves
(http://www.climatecommunication.org). Heat waves can be harmful to a human’s health. In
severe heat a human can go through heat exhaustion or worse, a heat stroke. Each year there are
688 deaths related to extreme heat (CDC). Overheating can have a negative influence on the
nervous system, circulatory system, and the organs (http://www.scientificamerican.com).
Human’s health can decline not only through the overheating that comes with climate
change, but also through infectious diseases. Warmer temperatures make it easier for diseases to
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spread. Diseases like the West Nile, Lyme, and Dengue fever are spread through insects which
thrive in heat. Longer periods of heat give these insects more time to reproduce and even spread
malignant diseases (http://www.nrdc.org).
Believe it or not, global warming can contribute to dietary deficiency. Food productivity
is at risk because of the climate changes. Droughts are causing crops and livestock to reduce
their yields. The increased rainfall in some areas causes a delay in harvesting because of the
flooding (http://www.climatehotmap.org). The population of people is always growing. It is
becoming harder for food production to keep up with its demand. Food prices are constantly
rising along with the temperatures. The warmer temperatures may not be a completely bad thing
though. In fact, in some places the warmer weather could elongate the harvesting season as long
as an adequate amount of water is present. Typically, the negative impacts outweigh the positive
and global warming is not very beneficial in this aspect.
Yes, they are many problems that have risen because of global warming. It makes it
difficult to see what positive things come from climate changes. People are so stuck on the idea
that global warming is a terrible controversy that we never hear about how it actually can be
beneficial. As mentioned before, the growing season can be lengthened because of the heat. It
also creates more usable land for growing crops. Warmer temperatures make land more
agriculture-friendly. There is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere; humans can’t use it but
plants love it. This is good for the plant-eating animal species. Oil is a natural resource that is
very limited. Scientists have found that the Arctic has a great amount of oil which would have
been close to impossible without the melting of some of the ice in the Arctic. No one seems to
appreciate the heat now, but what about during those long cold winters? Heat bills can become
extremely high in the winter. So, maybe a warmer winter wouldn’t be so bad. Just as there are
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diseases that spread quickly in heat, there are cold-weather diseases that are just as fatal, like the
flu which kills many each year. The winter-time can be dangerous from snow and ice. Roads
become slick and many accidents occur. A warmer winter could eliminate this problem. Lastly,
some people just enjoy the warmer weather (http://listosaur.com).
Before doing any research, I thought that global warming was happening at an
unrecognizable speed. Scientists have recorded that rate of global warming is actually increasing
and temperatures have risen 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit around the world since 1880. I always knew
global warming existed, but I wasn’t aware of how much the earth is affected by it. The
problems caused by global warming are like a never-ending list. Some of these problems are
more important to us than others. I didn’t even realize how climate changes are impacting the
earth we live on. Without becoming educated on global warming, or any other subject for that
matter, it is hard to judge what is going on.
After learning so much about this topic, in the future, I believe global warming will get
worse. The thoughts on what is causing global warming vary, and whether or not it can be
prevented is still undetermined. Not only is global warming as serious as people make it seem to
be, but it is even more serious than people make it seem to be and in my opinion hasn’t gained
enough attention.
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Works Cited
Berne, Emma Carlson. Global Warming and Climate Change. San Diego, CA: ReferencePoint, 2008.
Print.
"Climate Change Threatens Health: Infectious Diseases." NRDC:. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2014.
"Consequences of Global Warming." Consequences of Global Warming. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Dec. 2014.
"Global Warming Effects on Air Temperature." Global Warming Effects on Air Temperature. N.p., n.d.
Web. 19 Dec. 2014.
"Global Warming Fast Facts." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, n.d. Web. 16 Dec.
2014.
"Global Warming and Polar Bears." Global Warming and Polar Bears. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2014.
"Global Warming Is Already Affecting Weather." Climate Communication. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2014.
Global Weirdness: Severe Storms, Deadly Heat Waves, Relentless Drought, Rising Seas, and the Weather
of the Future. New York: Pantheon, 2012. Print
Hertsgaard, Mark. Hot: Living through the next Fifty Years on Earth. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt,
2011. Print.
"How Should a Christian View Global Warming?" GotQuestions.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Dec. 2014.
"How Does a Heat Wave Affect the Human Body?" Scientific American Global RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 19
Dec. 2014.
"Top 10 Possible Benefits Of Global Warming." Listosaur Hungry for Knowledge. N.p., 06 Mar. 2011.
Web. 19 Dec. 2014.
"When Did Global Warming Start." Life123. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Dec. 2014.