An Eminent Threat to the Planet Essay

Global warming is certainly a danger that threatens our society. While it may not drastically affect this generation, if things keep going as they are, future generations will have to deal with the problems that people are presently causing. Global Warming and Greenhouse Gases Global warming refers to an overall increase in the temperature of the earth. This is due emissions of greenhouse gases, which are essentially pollutants which damage the earth’s ability to maintain itself when they are released into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a particularly common greenhouse gas that is emitted by the activities people all of the time. An overload of these gases prevents the ability of the atmosphere to absorb some of the rays from the sun, as the ozone layer is damaged. Fossil fuels, such as gasoline, diesel, and kerosene release fumes into the atmosphere that damage the atmosphere’s ability to regulate the earth’s temperature by allowing and preventing solar rays from reaching the surface. Climate Change and seal Level Rise Although current climate change is best represented by more extreme temperatures (higher high temperatures in the summer, and lower lows in the winter), ultimately the earth is expected to warm up. Many scientists have hypothesized that within the next century, the earth may warm by up to two degrees Fahrenheit. Although this does not seem like a lot, it could cause the melting of the outer layers of Antarctic ice, which would cause a rise in sea level by up to a few feet over the course of the next century. But the rate of global warming is expected to increase, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. If this occurs, and due to the expansion of Antarctic ice and the melting of some ice caps, sea level could rise by several feet, which would have devastating consequences. Life as we know it would be completely altered by any significant rise in sea level. Because water allows for trade and transportation, most major communities are built close to the coast of continents, rather than the interiors. That being said, if sea level was to rise so much as ten feet, many cities would be completely destroyed. Miami, Florida would have to be evacuated, as would most of the towns within fifty miles of the United States Gulf Coast. Much of the land in the Caribbean would be submerged, as would many islands in the South Pacific, and even some areas in Europe, such as the Netherlands. How Our Current Activities are Causing Global Warming Although exact measurements of the rate of the rise in temperature and thus, sea level are presently immeasurable, the way human beings are living today will certainly ensure that they will be significant. People are causing more emissions of environmentally and atmospherically dangerous gases than ever before, and we do not seem like we are going to stop any time soon. More cars are on the road, more airplanes are in the air, and more boats, including large freighters and barges are in the water than ever before, and as the planet’s population increases, so will the amount and volume of our emissions of dangerous gases. If we intend to hinder global warming in any way, we have to realize that our present course is not environmentally friendly, and it will lead to a rise in temperature (and a greater abundance of pollutants). We need to invest in clean fuels, and even though researching alternatives to our current fuels will be costly, it is well worth it in the long run, because global warming is a fast way to destroy our planet. References U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Climate Change: Greenhouse Gas Emissions. 2009. http://www. epa. gov/climatechange/emissions/index. html U. S. Department of State. Climate Change and Overview. 2009. http://www. state. gov/g/oes/rls/rpts/car/90312. htm