Global warming has become a major concern in recent years. Politicians, lobbyists, scientists, and major corporations all have voiced their opinions and concerns, but there still seems to be a lot of uncertainty regarding the issue. Many people attribute the problem to pollution, which can come from cars, airplanes, factories, and many other places. The problem has become more apparent with the increase of natural disasters like hurricanes, tornados, and earthquakes. Images of polar bears trapped on tiny ice caps show us that the large glaciers that used to be in the arctic and Antarctic areas are melting. Though some people argue that all of these things are just part of the earth’s natural cycles, I believe that global warming is a real, man-made problem. We must make changes to our lifestyles in order to address this problem.
As I mentioned above, there have been many natural disasters in recent years. “In 2011, for instance, an unprecedented 14 disastrous weather events resulted in an estimated $53 billion in damage –- not including health costs” (“Extreme Weather”). 14 disastrous weather events in one year average out to more than one per month. We have all seen the damage on the news or worse, some of us may have been affected directly by these dangerous occurrences. It is likely that these dangerous weather conditions have been caused by human actions. The author of “Extreme Weather” explained that the increase in temperature is due to greenhouse gas pollution. This raises the likelihood that natural disasters will occur.
We can make a difference by just taking the bus more often, carpooling, or riding bikes when possible. Other ways that we can help would be to purchase local products to cut down on shipping fuel, and to keep home heating to a minimum when possible.
Flooding has also been a problem as a result of the increase of storms. Storms have increased the sea level and have caused large amounts of flooding. Flooding can cause severe damage to homes and businesses, not to mention roadways and other important structures. This was shown with the news coverage of Hurricane Katrina, as well as the recent Hurricanes Irene and Sandy.
Those who are aware of the global warming problem are working to reduce the problem. However, these efforts have not been enough. “Global emissions of carbon dioxide were at a record high in 2011 and were likely to take a similar jump in 2012, scientists reported in early December 2012 — the latest indication that efforts to limit such emissions are failing” (“Global Warming and Climate Change”). We need to be more aggressive in our actions in trying to reduce our human impact on the planet. The authors of “Global Warming and Climate Change” also point out that the initial goal of limiting the rise in temperature of Earth is very close to being unreachable. This goal was set only three years ago, yet it may already be out of reach. The goal that was set is going to be difficult to achieve at the rate we’re going. We need to set realistic goals that can be achieved, but we also need to work harder to meet these goals.
Many people disagree with my claim that global warming is a real problem caused by man. Some may argue that the only people who disagree with this issue are involved with big businesses that would lose a lot of money if actions had to be taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Others may say that the politicians who disagree with the global warming theory are somehow affiliated with these big businesses. According to Taylor, there are scientists from many different areas of science declaring that they are skeptical of global warming. However, Taylor goes on to say, many of these scientists go against what they actually believe in order to gain favor from newscasters and politicians. His argument is the result of a recent study that was published in a scholarly scientific publication. The study, which consisted of a survey of established scientists, showed that “only 36 percent of geoscientists and engineers believe that humans are creating a global warming crisis” (Taylor). Taylor went on to explain:
The survey finds that 24 percent of the scientist respondents fit the “Nature Is Overwhelming” model. “In their diagnostic framing, they believe that changes to the climate are natural, normal cycles of the Earth.” Moreover, “they strongly disagree that climate change poses any significant public risk and see no impact on their personal lives.”
The scientists who completed the survey reported that the natural disasters that I highlighted above are merely natural occurrences that are part of the earth’s natural cycle. This study may have an impact on efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Without the support of the scientific community, it will be difficult to convince people that global warming is real and caused by humans. One may question whether or not the scientists in this study have affiliations with certain corporations that could lose significant amounts of money if actions needed to be taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Clearly, there is a lot of uncertainty regarding global warming. We need to find out more about the problem so we know how to address it. As Yeatman asserts, “a significant amount of global regret may apply if we divert too much of our global wealth to solving what may be a non-existent or trivial problem.” We certainly don’t want to waste our money on trying to solve this problem if we are spending money on the wrong things. However, there is still a great deal of evidence that global warming is caused by carbon emissions. We need to focus our efforts to research global warming further. I believe that the problem is real and man-made, and suspect that this would be the outcome of a major investigation into the problem. Once we can all agree that the problem is very real and that we have caused it, we can then begin to formulate a plan to reduce the problem. This plan should include a search for alternatives to fossil fuels. In the meantime, we must all do our part and try to reduce our impact on global warming. We can do this by limiting our travel by automobile. Carpooling, taking the bus, walking, or bike riding are more responsible alternatives that will reduce carbon pollution. Purchasing locally grown foods and shopping locally in general will also help by reducing the amount of shipping and thus reducing the amount of fuel burned. By taking these steps, we may be able to slow down the pace of global warming.
Works Cited
“Extreme Weather: Impacts on Climate Change.” NRDC. National Resource Defense Center, 31 July 2012. Web. 14 Feb. 2013.
“Global Warming and Climate Change.” New York Times. n.p., 8 Jan. 2013. Web. 14 Feb. 2013.
Taylor, James. “Peer-Reviewed Survey Finds Majority Of Scientists Skeptical Of Global Warming Crisis.” Forbes. n.p., 13 Feb. 2013. Web. 14 Feb 2013.
Yeatman, William. “Global Warming 101: Solutions.” Global Warming. n.p., 4 Feb. 2009. Web. 14 Feb. 2013.
