Global Warming A Serious Threat Essay, Research Paper

Is global warming a serious threat?

As human technology has been developed by scientists and researchers, we not only get a comfort in living throughout our life but it also helps people to find more jobs and less popery. However, on the other hand, there are some increasing problems on our planet earth due to human activities. They increased the global temperature about 0.5F to 1.1F (0.3 0.6C) since the last half of the 19th century (Global warming 1). The increase in global warming causes the “raising sea level”, “changing precipitation”, and “other local climate conditions” (ESP impacts of Climate Change 1).

The ESP states that “changing regional climate could alter forests, crop yields, and water supplies. It could also threaten human health, and harm birds, fish, and many types of ecosystems.”

The threat to human health is due to local climate. The reason why local climate threatens human health is that “extreme temperatures can directly cause the loss of life”. And also many serious diseases appear in warm places. But not only is it that “warm temperatures can increase air and water pollution, which in turn harm human health” (ESP Health 1). The hot temperature, which could be the most direct effect of climate change, causes the heat problem. Because their cardiovascular system has to work harder to keep the body cool during hot weather. The temperature causes harmful effects to human health and another is cause of lung problem. “Higher air temperatures also increases the concentration of ozone at ground level”. When this happens, the harmful ultraviolet radiation in the upper atmosphere reaches the earth’s surface. The ESP states that “Ozone damages lung tissue, and causes particular problems for people with asthma and other lung diseases. Even modest exposure to ozone can cause healthy individuals to experience chest pains, nausea, and pulmonary congestion”. The data from ESP shows that heat wave killed 700 people in the Chicago in July 1995 and U.S., only 1000 people died from the cold each year, while twice that many died from the heat (ESP Health 1). Global warming also creates warm areas more which causes the certain harmful disease to appear. The ESP points out that:

Diseases that are spread by mosquitoes and other insects could become more prevalent if warmer temperatures enabled those insects to become established farther north; such “vector-borne” diseases include malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, and encephalitis. Some scientists believe that algal blooms could occur more frequently as temperatures warm -particularly in areas with polluted waters-in which case diseases such a cholera that tend to accompany algal blooms could become more frequent.

The agriculture could be harmfully affected by global warming. The only success of harvesting is really dependent on climate because crops grow in the moist soil most of time. The data from ESP points out that “during extended droughts such as the 1930s Dust Bowl, crop failures have been widespread”. The crop failures also occurs because of the increasing heat stress, flooding, and effecting of soil with salt due to sea level rise. (ESP Agriculture 1) There are some bad and good sides of agriculture because of the global warming. The bad side is that in some cold places, warm temperatures could lengthen the growing season. And also according to ESP “higher CO2 levels also increase the efficiency with which plants use water, which may tend to offset some of the adverse effects of drier soils.” The good side of it is that “warmer temperatures would make it profitable to cultivate new lands, potentially increasing production by 0.2-1.2 percent. Other studies have concluded that the 1 2C warming expected in next 50 100 years may lead to increased agricultural production” (ESP Agriculture 1). However, the changing climate condition could make some places wetter and other area drier. And also it can affect badly to the environment that some cultivate areas where cold could eliminate ecosystems (ESP Agriculture 2).

Due to global warming, sea level has been changed. “Global sea level was about 100m (328 feet) lower than current levels at the coldest point of the last ice age about 18,000 years ago” (Policy Implications 25). The reason why sea level has been arise so much is because of the melting of the northern continental ice sheets between 15,000 and 7,000 years. And there are some other reasons too. “Some have suggested that global warming due to increased atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases could lead to disintegration of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, most of which is grounded below sea level” (Policy Implications 25). There has not been big changes yet but global warming can rise about 10m (33 feet) if entire ocean from 0C (32F) goes up to the current global average ocean temperature (Policy Implications 26).

To solve all kinds of problems caused by global warming, people must start to use renewable energy. According to the Union of concerned scientists:

Renewable energy technologies tap into natural cycles and systems, turning the ever-present energy around us into usable forms. The movement of wind and water, the heat and light of the sun, steam trapped underground, the carbohydrates in plants.–al-are natural energy forms that can supply our needs in a clean, nonpolluting, and sustainable way.

Maybe the best solution for the global warming is not that far away. We just have to think about other creatures besides human beings and love our planet earth and try our best not to hurt them.