Earth is Like an Oven
By: Adam Isaac
Cooking. When most people hear this
word, they think about food. Recently, with the earth heating up at a constant
alarming rate this term has come to encompass certain species of plants and
animals as well. Plants and animals that can’t adapt to warmer temperatures are
slowly dying out.
In the Science Debate article
Hillary Clinton stated that “Climate change is an urgent threat... of our time
and the impacts are already being felt around the world and at home” (Science Debate).
This article’s focus will be the validity of this statement. Is global warming
an urgent threat? Is it something that has happened before? What impacts have
been felt? Are these impacts something to worry about?
Global warming is a phenomenon that
is caused by the emission of greenhouse gasses, or a gas that slightly raises
the temperature of the earth. Not only is the temperature of the earth raised,
but the protective ozone layer that keeps harmful radiation from entering the atmosphere
is slowly being thinned (Lashof).
One common example of a greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide. A common chemical
that we exhale, and is spewed from cars and machines in the form of exhaust.
According to a study done by Terry L. Root, because of greenhouse gasses the
average temperature of the earth has risen .6 degrees in the past one hundred
years and is expected to continue to change at a faster rate (Root).
(See chart labeled “Change in Earth’s Total Heat Content”) That may seem like a
very small amount of change, but think about it for a minute. The only reason
why life is sustainable on earth is because the earth is exactly the right distance from the sun. If the temperature
continues to rise, ice will stop freezing in certain areas. This will, in turn
make it harder for certain aquatic species to survive. Amphibians, for example
are facing widespread extinction (Pounds).
With the coming extinction of some plants and animals, other animals that
depended on them as a food source will either have to find a different food
source, or go extinct themselves creating a ripple effect.
Global warming will also get worse
as time goes on. The ocean is currently a carbon dioxide pit. It absorbs
roughly half of the carbon dioxide emissions that humans produce (Cox).
Eventually,
like any pool being filled with water, it won’t be able to hold any more. At
this point, the ocean will become a
source of the harmful greenhouse gas. Thousands upon Thousands of gallons of
greenhouse gasses will then pour out of the ocean and float up to the
atmosphere. Thinning the protective ozone layer, and heating our earth.
Global warming is more of a problem
than a lot of people think it is. It is mainly caused by human beings, and is
causing a change in climate which can lead to the extinction of certain
species. Just like with any real problem, there are people that accept it,
others that argue it doesn’t exist, and others that fight against it. Fighting
against global warming is a worthy cause. By fighting global warming, as Hilary
Clinton agrees, will strengthen our environment, and leave a better world for
our children.
Works cited
Science
debate. 2016. http://sciencedebate.org/20answers
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v421/n6918/abs/nature01333.html
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