Sunday, April 18, 2010

Global Warming and the Environment

The issue of global warming is one that posses a lot of problems for many people. No one can be sure that our planet growing dangerously warmer, but some scientists spend a majority of their time researching trends in temperatures to determine if our planet is actually facing a larger problem than once expected. Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of Earth’s near-surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation. This issue is one of the most important and complicated issue facing world leaders today. Evidence of global warming is shown in increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of ice and snow, and rising global average sea level. While there are many people who believe in and fear global warming, there are others that consider it to be simply a theory and do not consider it a threat to the Earth. Scientists have determined that a number of human activities are contributing to global warming by adding excessive amounts of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide accumulate in the atmosphere and trap heat that normally would exit into outer space. In my opinion, global warming is a problem that is over-exaggerated. The pace at which our planet is warming is so slow that I fail to see how anything drastic will occur any time soon. That fact that people are so concerned with this problem almost humors me. I am not saying that I do not believe we have a problem with global warming but I do feel that it is not as big a problem as people make it out to be.

Along with global warming, there are also a lot of issues and problems regarding our environment. Human behaviors and actions are causing destruction to the environment without our knowledge and many environmentalists and conservationists are working hard to bring awareness to these problems. Along with these people, the government is also working to find new ways to do things that would be better suited for the environment. The problem is that people aren’t concerned about the environment and they are unwilling to change their ways in order to prevent environmental destruction. Every time a person drives a car, they are causing a gas to be emitted into the air that is dangerous, yet public transportation and carpooling are often looked down upon. If people used mass transportation, that would eliminate a good amount of gases entering the air. Another issue that effects the environment is trash and waste. Recycling programs are either not implemented or not taken seriously. If everyone in the world recycled and reused goods, the environment would be in much better shape. There are hundreds of programs and campaigns that focus on improving the environment. People are encouraged to plant trees, recycle their bottles and cans, and carpool with other people in an attempt to decrease the damage being done to the environment. The people in this world need to take better care of our home because it is the only one we have. If we do not respect it, we could end up slowly killing ourselves without even realizing it.

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