The Problem of Global Warming
Global warming ,according to the US Geological Survey site is an increase of the earth's temperature by a few degrees resulting in an increase in the volume of water which contributes to sea-level rise (US Geological Survey, 2008). Another definition of global warming, by the US Environmental Protection Agency, is an average increase in the Earth's temperature, which in turn causes changes in climate (Climate Change, 2006). Global warming is a problem for several reasons.
Our world depends on a certain climate. When temperatures gets too warm or too cold there are many species and plants that can not survive. According to the EPA, “Our health, agriculture, water resources, forests, wildlife and coastal areas are vulnerable to global warming and the climate changes it will bring. (Environmental Protection Agency, 2000)” As temperatures rise so do instances of malaria and west nile disease. These diseases thrive in hot environments. That is not the only danger global warming has on our health. People with cardiovascular problems would have added problems because of the heat. Elderly and children could die because of heat. A multitude of health problems would be exacerbated not to mention what global warming would do to our agriculture, which would escalate the incident of malnutrition.
Many of our vegetables such as Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower and Lettuce just to name a few grow in cooler temperatures. If temperatures continue to rise then there are many vegetables that would not be able to grow to maturity. In addition, most vegetables are started out as seedlings in the spring when the temperatures are still just starting to warm. If we do not have the cooler temperatures then how do we start out these plants. Other than vegetables a rise is temperatures would cause problems with other plants as well. This fact also reflects on our wildlife.
Heats kills many cooler weather plants each year in the summer but normally they come back each year because of seeds that have survived through the heat. If the temperature did not turn off cooler, these plants would eventually become extinct. The complete loss of a species of plants is bad enough but add to that facts that there are many animals that depend on certain types of plants and what you have is a catastrophy. As stated by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) “The golden toad (Bufo periglenes) and the harlequin frog (Atelopus varius) of Costa Rica have disappeared as a direct result of global warming. (Nature at risk - the impacts of Global Warming, 2006)” Animals such as polar bears live in cold regions and have begun to migrate to smaller and smaller areas. If the cold regions cease to exist then so do certain species. These are just a few of the problems that are caused by global warming. The important thing is what has been done and what can we do, not only on a grand scale but also the little things that will help out.
Causes of Global Warming and What We Can Do
Manufacturing plants produce a lot of smog into the atmosphere that helps contribute to the greenhouse gases. This became a problem during the Industrial Revolution.
In 1955, the government decided that this problem needed to be dealt with on a national level. The Air Pollution Control Act of 1955, was the first in a series of clean air and air quality control acts which are still in effect and continue to be revised and amended. (Fleming & Knorr, 2008) In 1963 the United States enacted the Clean Air Act with the Air Quality Act following the next year. These were comprised of many legislative rules and guidelines relating to the amount of pollution that can be produced by a manufaturing plant.
I believe one of the biggest hazards to our environments are automobiles. It is a well known fact that they produce tons of pollution into the atmosphere everyday. I remember when President Bush called for automobile manufacturers to change the way they make cars so that they produced less emissions. One of the biggest ways they have done that is with the new hybrid cars. We also see cars that run on bio-fuel and total electic cars. Even if you can not afford one of the new fuel efficient cars there are still things you can do to help your fuel consumption. Help you fuel consumption and you help the environment. For starters, the first thing that comes to mind is to keep the right amount of air pressure in your tires. Another biggie….don’t speed. Just slow down and go the speed limit. Keeping your air filter will also help. These are things my dad always told me on how to save gas in my car.
One thing we did in my house to help the environment is to change the light bulbs. We changed all of our standard bulbs to compact flourescent lightbulbs (CFL’s). They last a whole lot longer than an average bulb and they use less electricity. I bought General Electric bulbs (6 pack) and the box said that I would save up to $30.00 a year by replacing those six bulbs. On About.com they claim “If every U.S. family replaced one regular light bulb with a CFL, it would eliminate 90 billion pounds of greenhouse gases, the same as taking 7.5 million cars off the road. (West, 2008)
The phrase “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” comes to mind. This is very good advice. If we can reduce the amount of plastics and other recyclables then we can reduce the amount of garbage in our landfills. As the materials in landfills break down they produce methane, which increases the amount of heat kept in our atmosphere. If businesses would recycle they could save a ton of waste each year. This example, by Joel Makower, is worth noting. A typical office generates about 1.5 pounds of waste paper per employee each workday. (Financial businesses generate more than two pounds.) That's roughly 350 pounds per employee a year—or a total of about 2.5 tons for a small, 15-person office. (Makower, 2008) That is a lot of waste per year that could be recycled. On a smaller scale, we can recycle papers, aluminum cans and plastic. Most cities now have a recycling truck that comes around once a week to pick up recyclables left on the curbside. More than just paper and plastic can be recycled. You should recycle old batteries, computers, cell phones, motor oil, tires and car batteries, just to name a few. A lot of big businesses now offering recycling of their products to help the environment. Some cities have made laws about recycling. Chicago and NYC have passed legislature that requires that certain stores, such as grocery stores, have recycling bins for its customers. The American Paper and Forestry Assn reports that paper recycling is at an all time high with 51 percent of paper being recycled but they are aiming for a goal of 55 percent by 2012. Recycling is a practice that has been around for a long time and one that we have a responsibility to continue.
Energy we use in our homes also helps the buildup of Greenhouse gases because the power companies that produce electricity burn fossil fuels to do so. We all know how to save electricity, by turning off anything you do not need or are not using but a lot of people will not do so. If for no other reason than to save money on their power bills they should turn off lights when they leave a room and turn off appliances they are not using. I, myself, turn off my computer when I leave home in the morning because there is nobody using it so why waste the power. As consumers of this earth we have a responsibility to take care of it.
The Governments Role in the Environment
Our government has enacted legislature to help combat what we American’s do not seem compeled to do ourselves. They enacted the Clean Air Act to control pollution and continue to update it regularly. They have created the US Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of State Office of International Information Programs: Climate Change, and the NOAA Paleoclimatology Program. All of these programs are intended to target the problem of greenhouse gases and pollution. We also have the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environmental Management, National Park Service, and the Natural Resource Conservation Service. So far, this is not enough. It is a good start but they need to do more. We do not need more agencies, we need the agencies we have to do a better job. I am usually the first person to say that the government does not need its nose in everything but we need it now. They have to do more on this issue. Yes, on a small scale we can help individually but we need our government to bring us together as a nation and help fight against global warming. The technology exists for solar power, wind power and renewable fuel resources. We absololutely have to stop relying on fossil fuels for all of our energy needs and look to other resources.
There have been several deveopments that are being worked on at the moment and even more things on a grander scale that can be done. First, the Nation Science Foundation has a project in the works for reducing the reliance on fossil fuels. As they report, they have a goal of “efficiently and economically converting solar energy and water into hydrogen and oxygen fuels.” And this is how it works. The hydrogen and oxygen gases produced will be usable by a fuel cell, where they will react to reform water, generating electricity for powering an electric car or other devices. The gases may also be used as a source of energy after the sun goes down, and will generate a carbon-neutral or oil-free source of energy scalable to meet future global energy demands. (National Science Foundation, 2008) These are the kind of “big plans” we need to change the way we are treating our earth. I sat down and watched Al Gore’s An Inconvient Truth and it was very eye opening. I do not know if more people just do not realize what trouble our planet is in or if they just do not care enough to do something about it. We have no right to take this away from our children and grandchildren.
Conclusion
From the time I was a child I loved to go camping. There is something about getting away from it all and just enjoying nature in its truest form. I would feel true sadness if my ancestors could not enjoy our planet as we have. The smell of the grass and flowers, the excitement kids feel over creepy crawlies they find on a nature walk, the feel of a cool breeze on a hot summer day. We should want these things for future generations to enjoy. As I have said before, we have an obligation to take care of our planet. If we do not take care of our environment then we should not expect it to take care of us.
Global warming ,according to the US Geological Survey site is an increase of the earth's temperature by a few degrees resulting in an increase in the volume of water which contributes to sea-level rise (US Geological Survey, 2008). Another definition of global warming, by the US Environmental Protection Agency, is an average increase in the Earth's temperature, which in turn causes changes in climate (Climate Change, 2006). Global warming is a problem for several reasons.
Our world depends on a certain climate. When temperatures gets too warm or too cold there are many species and plants that can not survive. According to the EPA, “Our health, agriculture, water resources, forests, wildlife and coastal areas are vulnerable to global warming and the climate changes it will bring. (Environmental Protection Agency, 2000)” As temperatures rise so do instances of malaria and west nile disease. These diseases thrive in hot environments. That is not the only danger global warming has on our health. People with cardiovascular problems would have added problems because of the heat. Elderly and children could die because of heat. A multitude of health problems would be exacerbated not to mention what global warming would do to our agriculture, which would escalate the incident of malnutrition.
Many of our vegetables such as Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower and Lettuce just to name a few grow in cooler temperatures. If temperatures continue to rise then there are many vegetables that would not be able to grow to maturity. In addition, most vegetables are started out as seedlings in the spring when the temperatures are still just starting to warm. If we do not have the cooler temperatures then how do we start out these plants. Other than vegetables a rise is temperatures would cause problems with other plants as well. This fact also reflects on our wildlife.
Heats kills many cooler weather plants each year in the summer but normally they come back each year because of seeds that have survived through the heat. If the temperature did not turn off cooler, these plants would eventually become extinct. The complete loss of a species of plants is bad enough but add to that facts that there are many animals that depend on certain types of plants and what you have is a catastrophy. As stated by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) “The golden toad (Bufo periglenes) and the harlequin frog (Atelopus varius) of Costa Rica have disappeared as a direct result of global warming. (Nature at risk - the impacts of Global Warming, 2006)” Animals such as polar bears live in cold regions and have begun to migrate to smaller and smaller areas. If the cold regions cease to exist then so do certain species. These are just a few of the problems that are caused by global warming. The important thing is what has been done and what can we do, not only on a grand scale but also the little things that will help out.
Causes of Global Warming and What We Can Do
Manufacturing plants produce a lot of smog into the atmosphere that helps contribute to the greenhouse gases. This became a problem during the Industrial Revolution.
In 1955, the government decided that this problem needed to be dealt with on a national level. The Air Pollution Control Act of 1955, was the first in a series of clean air and air quality control acts which are still in effect and continue to be revised and amended. (Fleming & Knorr, 2008) In 1963 the United States enacted the Clean Air Act with the Air Quality Act following the next year. These were comprised of many legislative rules and guidelines relating to the amount of pollution that can be produced by a manufaturing plant.
I believe one of the biggest hazards to our environments are automobiles. It is a well known fact that they produce tons of pollution into the atmosphere everyday. I remember when President Bush called for automobile manufacturers to change the way they make cars so that they produced less emissions. One of the biggest ways they have done that is with the new hybrid cars. We also see cars that run on bio-fuel and total electic cars. Even if you can not afford one of the new fuel efficient cars there are still things you can do to help your fuel consumption. Help you fuel consumption and you help the environment. For starters, the first thing that comes to mind is to keep the right amount of air pressure in your tires. Another biggie….don’t speed. Just slow down and go the speed limit. Keeping your air filter will also help. These are things my dad always told me on how to save gas in my car.
One thing we did in my house to help the environment is to change the light bulbs. We changed all of our standard bulbs to compact flourescent lightbulbs (CFL’s). They last a whole lot longer than an average bulb and they use less electricity. I bought General Electric bulbs (6 pack) and the box said that I would save up to $30.00 a year by replacing those six bulbs. On About.com they claim “If every U.S. family replaced one regular light bulb with a CFL, it would eliminate 90 billion pounds of greenhouse gases, the same as taking 7.5 million cars off the road. (West, 2008)
The phrase “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” comes to mind. This is very good advice. If we can reduce the amount of plastics and other recyclables then we can reduce the amount of garbage in our landfills. As the materials in landfills break down they produce methane, which increases the amount of heat kept in our atmosphere. If businesses would recycle they could save a ton of waste each year. This example, by Joel Makower, is worth noting. A typical office generates about 1.5 pounds of waste paper per employee each workday. (Financial businesses generate more than two pounds.) That's roughly 350 pounds per employee a year—or a total of about 2.5 tons for a small, 15-person office. (Makower, 2008) That is a lot of waste per year that could be recycled. On a smaller scale, we can recycle papers, aluminum cans and plastic. Most cities now have a recycling truck that comes around once a week to pick up recyclables left on the curbside. More than just paper and plastic can be recycled. You should recycle old batteries, computers, cell phones, motor oil, tires and car batteries, just to name a few. A lot of big businesses now offering recycling of their products to help the environment. Some cities have made laws about recycling. Chicago and NYC have passed legislature that requires that certain stores, such as grocery stores, have recycling bins for its customers. The American Paper and Forestry Assn reports that paper recycling is at an all time high with 51 percent of paper being recycled but they are aiming for a goal of 55 percent by 2012. Recycling is a practice that has been around for a long time and one that we have a responsibility to continue.
Energy we use in our homes also helps the buildup of Greenhouse gases because the power companies that produce electricity burn fossil fuels to do so. We all know how to save electricity, by turning off anything you do not need or are not using but a lot of people will not do so. If for no other reason than to save money on their power bills they should turn off lights when they leave a room and turn off appliances they are not using. I, myself, turn off my computer when I leave home in the morning because there is nobody using it so why waste the power. As consumers of this earth we have a responsibility to take care of it.
The Governments Role in the Environment
Our government has enacted legislature to help combat what we American’s do not seem compeled to do ourselves. They enacted the Clean Air Act to control pollution and continue to update it regularly. They have created the US Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of State Office of International Information Programs: Climate Change, and the NOAA Paleoclimatology Program. All of these programs are intended to target the problem of greenhouse gases and pollution. We also have the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environmental Management, National Park Service, and the Natural Resource Conservation Service. So far, this is not enough. It is a good start but they need to do more. We do not need more agencies, we need the agencies we have to do a better job. I am usually the first person to say that the government does not need its nose in everything but we need it now. They have to do more on this issue. Yes, on a small scale we can help individually but we need our government to bring us together as a nation and help fight against global warming. The technology exists for solar power, wind power and renewable fuel resources. We absololutely have to stop relying on fossil fuels for all of our energy needs and look to other resources.
There have been several deveopments that are being worked on at the moment and even more things on a grander scale that can be done. First, the Nation Science Foundation has a project in the works for reducing the reliance on fossil fuels. As they report, they have a goal of “efficiently and economically converting solar energy and water into hydrogen and oxygen fuels.” And this is how it works. The hydrogen and oxygen gases produced will be usable by a fuel cell, where they will react to reform water, generating electricity for powering an electric car or other devices. The gases may also be used as a source of energy after the sun goes down, and will generate a carbon-neutral or oil-free source of energy scalable to meet future global energy demands. (National Science Foundation, 2008) These are the kind of “big plans” we need to change the way we are treating our earth. I sat down and watched Al Gore’s An Inconvient Truth and it was very eye opening. I do not know if more people just do not realize what trouble our planet is in or if they just do not care enough to do something about it. We have no right to take this away from our children and grandchildren.
Conclusion
From the time I was a child I loved to go camping. There is something about getting away from it all and just enjoying nature in its truest form. I would feel true sadness if my ancestors could not enjoy our planet as we have. The smell of the grass and flowers, the excitement kids feel over creepy crawlies they find on a nature walk, the feel of a cool breeze on a hot summer day. We should want these things for future generations to enjoy. As I have said before, we have an obligation to take care of our planet. If we do not take care of our environment then we should not expect it to take care of us.
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