Author: Tsai, Chiao-Ju
The main cause of the warming in climate is the greenhouse gases people produce. The Earth's climate has been changing throughout history, experiencing seven glacier cycles in the last 650,000 years (NASA). Though the temperature has been rising for 11,700 years, human influence has made it increase faster. It does not just affect animals and plants, but also humans too. We are now suffering greatly under the consequences of climate change. Thus, even though the climate has been changing for years, we are the main cause of climate change.
There are many causes of global warming, mainly human activity. The Industrial Revolution was the start of global warming because people produced more greenhouse gases. Burning fossil fuels is the most significant cause because it creates carbon dioxide. Deforestation also worsens global warming, creating over one-fifth of the global greenhouse gases. The third most emission is agriculture, holding up to 13.5% of emission (Union of Concerned Scientists). Human activity is the main cause of global warming, so by decreasing these emissions, we can stop global warming.
There is an argument on whether global warming is real or not. According to the Milankovitch cycles, our Earth should be experiencing an interglacial ice age, meaning a declining temperature. However, each decade since 1980 has been hotter than the previous one on average, and 2009-2019 was the hottest ever recorded (World Meteorological Organization). These facts prove that the temperature has been rising, so global warming is happening. The existence of global warming is undeniable--it is happening and we should stop it from happening.
Along with the heat, droughts and floods worsen because the Earth’s water cycle has sped up through an increase in the rate of evaporation from soil and transpiration from plants (EPA). Even more, droughts and heat make the risk of wildfires rise. Such cases happened in California and Australia, both of which experienced severe wildfires after harsh droughts. California’s most devastating wildfires all started at the end of a six-year drought (Lindsey) and Australia’s 2019-2020 wildfires that followed one of the worst droughts the continent has experienced.
Extreme weather is unusually severe weather that has become more frequent because of climate change. Over the last fifty years, high temperatures, heavy downpours, severe floods, and droughts have become prolonged in the US (USDA). Since 1991, the amount of rain falling events has been significantly above average. In the United States, floods caused 4,586 deaths from 1959 to 2005 (National Climate Assessment). As seen above, these years, extreme weather has been increasing in frequency and getting stronger.
Climate change should be dealt with. The drastic temperature changes give an increase in the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events. The National Climate Assessment finds that the number has increased in the United States, and the strength of these events has increased, too (Center for Climate). These disasters have caused significant damage around the world, including burning down forests, drowning animals, and causing heat stroke. Thus, we should prevent them from happening to protect our planet.
Climate Change can cause global warming, droughts, wildfires, and extreme weather. It is caused by the increase of greenhouse gases caused by humans, which started since the industrial revolution. Greenhouse gases cause global warming because it keeps heat, they include carbon dioxide, methane etcetera. Also, global warming can cause droughts, which make wildfires more likely to happen. Another effect of climate change is extreme weather, including heatwaves, heavy downpours, and major hurricanes. All of these effects can cause mass damage to our world. Therefore, it is essential for us to stop global warming.
Climate change is an issue caused by humans, so it is our responsibility to solve it. There are many ways to lessen climate change, including making a change and speaking up. "Change only happens when individuals take action," Aliya Haq, deputy director of NRDC's Clean Power Plan initiative, says (Melissa). Individuals can create changes, such as reducing water waste, traveling by public transportations, and buying products with low carbon footprints. Even though these tiny changes may seem petty, once all these actions add up, they can create a significant difference in the world.
An even more efficient change would be for a country to set rules to limit the production of greenhouse gases. The three most primary producers of greenhouse gases are burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and agriculture. If a country sets policies to limit these actions, it can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, governments are not actively moving to eliminate climate change, so as citizens, we can speak up and call for a change, such as the Swedish Activist Greta Thunberg. Speaking up to the government can create a big difference; it can reduce the major emissions of climate change, thus reducing climate change (Melissa).
Around the world, governments have been making plans to stop climate change with policies and regulations. In April 2018, 10 developing countries had successfully completed their national adaptation plans to solve climate change. The European Commission intends to achieve climate neutrality in the EU by 2050, including a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 (CABUZEL). In the US, President Biden announced that the US would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least half over the next decade. Countries around the world are making movements to lessen climate change, and these policies and regulations would only work if each of us makes an effort.
Works Cited
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EPA. Climate Change Indicators: Drought, https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-drought
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NASA. Climate Change Evidence: How Do We Know?, https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/
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https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-wildfires
“2020 Was One of Three Warmest Years on Record.” World Meteorological Organization, 20 Jan. 2021, public.wmo.int/en/media/press-release/2020-was-one-of-three-warmest-years-record.
July 17, 2017 Melissa Denchak. “How You Can Stop Global Warming.” NRDC, 9 Aug. 2021, www.nrdc.org/stories/how-you-can-stop-global-warming.