Global warming is a term on the lips of many people these days. Just what is global warming? First of all, a definition: Global warming is a perceived increase in temperature around the world.
Some people believe that global warming is a myth. They don’t believe the environment is in danger. Global warming is not just a theory, it is real and it is happening now. The temperature of the Earth is rising, the ozone layer is decreasing, we are trapping increased heat in the atmosphere and sooner or later a number animal species will become extinct and human health will be at risk. Across the globe there have been increases in droughts, hurricanes, floods and unusual weather occurrences that hurt crops, destroyed homes and have taken lives. The temperatures in 2012 have been the warmest since records started to be kept in 1880. The last century has seen the temperature of the Earth rise because of the excessive use of fossil fuels that have made a hole in the ozone layer.
There are a group of scientists that meet in London to discuss the Earth and what is in store for the future of the planet. The Planet under Pressure Conference (PUP) has concluded that the Earth is coming to the point where a recovery from global warming will not be possible. They believe that by 2100 the temperature will rise by 6 degrees Celsius (42.8 degrees F) if gases continue to rise without control. This would result in the loss of ice sheets and rainforests. The tropical rainforests produce 40% of the world’s oxygen.
Global warming would not only affect the animals on Earth but also the humans. The world will see a dramatic change over the next 100 years unless we try to make changes and do our part to conserve the planet.
Barack Obama said, “All across the world, in every kind of environment and region known to man, increasingly dangerous weather patterns and devastating storms are abruptly putting an end to the long-running debate over whether or not climate change is real. Not only is it real, it's here and its effects are giving rise to a frighteningly new global phenomenon: the man-made natural disaster.”
He refers to global warming as a “man-made disaster.” I believe this statement truly reflects what is happening to the planet. We as humans have put ourselves in this alarming position and now we must suffer the consequences that lie ahead of us unless action is taken immediately. Some of the effects we may be able to reverse but some we will never be able to return from. Why it that some people cannot believe that climate change is real? World leaders and global scientists all point to the dangers that we will face as a result of global warming. The argument is too strong to be ignored any longer.