Global warming has recently been gaining the spotlight as the debate about the issue grows more heated. The trouble however is that scientists and researchers aren’t discussing the causes, effects and solutions pertaining to the problem rather, they are engaged in the discussion of whether or not the problem poses real threat or if it is even a legitimate claim to begin with. It wasn’t long after the tweet that the president Barack Obama posted on May 16 that; “Ninety-seven percent of scientists agree: climate change is real, man-made and dangerous” that the discussions regarding the reality of global warming flared up again. According to Jason Taylor, the co-founder of the weather channel ‘Express’, there has not been any considerable global warming that was caused by man, and nor is there need to worry as regards to any in the future. The other side of the debate however is more convincing. Apart from the fact that the claim made by president Obama is quite true, at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a gathering of about 600 scientists belonging to about 40 different countries presented the claim that it is quite likely (more than 90% certain) that the human activity may lead to rise in the global temperatures of between 3.2 and 7.2 degrees by the end of the century.
Many people who are claiming the issue to be nothing more than a myth among others also presented the argument that there is hardly any consensus between scientists regarding the reality of the global warming. The fact however points to another direction. Surveys are being conducted to find out the opinion of scientists about the global warming issue and according to the 2013 survey led by John Cook found that 97 percent believe that human activity is causing rise in temperatures around the globe. We now have proof of the tweet posted by the president and have simultaneously proven that there is after all consensus among the scientists regarding the validity of the issue. The discussion, therefore, concludes that global warming, in fact, is a legitimate issue, and we should take steps to neutralize the problem as much as we can.
According to John Lieberman, “Global warming is not a conqueror to kneel before - but a challenge to rise to. A challenge we must rise to.” So let’s review the problem as an issue now that the matter of its validity has been settled. The factors that give rise to global warming are countless in number, the most major of them being the increasing carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere. Since electricity production accounts for two-fifths of the total carbon dioxide emissions, the new and improved electrical gadgets keep clambering our demand for electricity and so the pollution keeps on intensifying. In addition, our recent culture of driving cars is responsible for 33% of the carbon dioxide emissions, and the culture is still growing in popularity. On top of everything, we make matters worse by cutting down so many trees and forests. We require more and more wood for charcoal and for wood and paper products and the trees become the new victims to our needs.
We have yet to comprehend the magnitude of the devastating effects that global warming could have on our planet and our lives and the extent to which we might suffer if the problem is not taken care of shortly. We had already sustained quite some loss by looking the other way when scientists and researchers kept warning us about this problem. According to the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the average worldwide temperature has increased by about 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit’s which is about 0.8 degrees Celsius in the past 100 years. These temperatures could continue to climb at a startling rate if something isn’t done soon to tackle the problem. Another corollary of this problem that we may be likely to suffer from is the extreme weather events. Scientists have laid claim that global warming could bring about natural conditions like heat waves, blizzards, droughts and rainstorms at an increased frequency. Global Warming could also contribute to major shifts in climatic patterns with variations in the seasonal temperatures, rainfalls etcetera all around the globe. For instance; in the northeastern United States, climate change may bring increased rainfalls but in the Pacific Northwest, rainfall is forecasted to decline. Decrease in the proportion of ice is another foreseeable end result of global warming. Scientists fear the reduction in the Arctic sea ice and in 2012; we documented the smallest amount of Arctic ice ever recorded.
The per capita emission of greenhouse gasses in America is 21 tons, which shockingly is four times higher than the global average. It is about time that we stood up to the problem and did our part to keep in check our individual carbon footprint. The first step that we could take is to make a wise choice with our car and go for one that uses the least fuel. We could also help a lot by making our home air tight so that the thermostat could work efficiently and isn’t put under too much stress. The thermostats that we buy should also be programmable ones so that we can adjust the heat to our convenience and save a little extra energy. One can reduce heating and cooling emissions by 15% simply by using a programmable thermostat. Additionally, old home appliances including refrigerators and air-conditioners should be replaced with newer ones to reduced energy consumption.
We have seen what the majority stands for, and it’s time that we too pick a side. But we must do with extreme caution because ignoring the problem might not be the wisest thing to do. We have seen how adversely global warming could affect us and for the sake of our own safety, we should ignore the other side of the discussion and do our part to help with the issue.
Works Cited
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Taylor, Jason. 'Global warming the greatest scam in history' claims founder of Weather Channel. 23 October 2014. <http://www.express.co.uk/news/nature/526191/Climate-change-is-a-lie-global-warming-not-real-claims-weather-channel-founder>.
Proctor, J. Is Global Warming a Myth? 8 April 2009. <http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-global-warming-a-myth/>.
ABRAMS, LINDSAY. Yet another study confirms the “overwhelming” scientific consensus on climate change. 11 August 2014. <http://www.salon.com/2014/08/11/yet_another_study_confirms_the_overwhelming_scientific_consensus_on_climate_change/>.
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Markham, Derek. Global Warming Effects and Causes: A Top 10 List. 07 June 2009. <http://planetsave.com/2009/06/07/global-warming-effects-and-causes-a-top-10-list/>.
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