Global warming is an ongoing phenomenon since 1850 that describes the climate change due to the warming of earth’s surface. Global warming is caused by excessive amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that traps the heat and keeps it from moving out of the earth's surface. This climate change is currently one of the biggest concerns and threats of the world today, and it contributes enormously to the decrease in polar bear population. Human activities are the most responsible for the phenomenon. Over 200 years, a number of our activities, including fuel emissions, factory emissions, and deforestation, have been drastically increasing the amount of green house gases in the atmosphere. We have emitted greenhouse gases by combusting fossil fuels for energy and transportation, cutting down trees and burning forests to create pastures, driving cars, and using natural gases and oils. (NASA, 2014). Global warming is responsible for various transformations in the world, including the rise of sea levels, changing landscapes, economic losses, risked wildlife, and heat-related diseases (Nature, 2014). These greenhouse gases such as water vapor, CO2, methane, and nitrous oxide soak up the outgoing heat and re-emits it on the earth’s surface, increasing the temperature of the surface of the earth (NASA, 2014). This gradual and constant increase in temperature caused by global warming has destroyed the habitats of many species, leading to numerous extinctions and endangerments. If not treated properly, most species on earth, including the polar bears, will be extinct by the year 2050 (Nature, 2014). However, though human activities are the number-one cause of global warming, it is unimaginable for people to abruptly cut down all activities that affect global warming at this state. These activities such as combusting fossil fuels and running factories are essential for sustaining human activities. Industries need to constantly emit green house gases in order to maintain factories, and we need fossil fuels for continuous supply of energy. Cutting down our daily use of resources and energy will bring an abrupt halt to all human activities.
Reference List
- NASA.A Blanket around the Earth. Global Climate Change. (Date accessed: 02, 11, 2014.)http://climate.nasa.gov/causes
- SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. Polar Bears. Longevity & Causes of Death. (Date accessed: 02, 13, 2014.) http://seaworld.org/animalinfo/animal-info/animal-infobooks/polar-bears/longevity-and-causes-of-death/
No comments:
Post a Comment