Introduction

The average temperature and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have been increasing

exponentially in the past century. The effects of global warming have been demonstrated

worldwide in events such as the global temperature rising, warming oceans, shrinking ice sheets,

glacial retreat, decreased snow cover, rising sea level, declining arctic sea ice, more frequent

extreme weather events, and ocean acidification (Jackson, 2018). Since the mid-19 century the
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heat trapping effects of carbon dioxide have been visible, and the levels of atmospheric carbon

dioxide have been reaching record levels since the 1950’s. However, despite all of the evidence

supporting global warming, there is still a percentage of the population who do not believe that

global warming exists and that the government is lying about all of the statistics.

Evidence

Global warming can be defined as the long-term warming of the planet. “Global

temperature shows a well-documented rise since the early 20 century and most notably since the
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late 1970’s” (Jackson, 2018). The effects of global warming are only described as temperature

fluctuations while climate change is a broader definition that includes effects such as rising sea

levels and accelerated ice and glacier melting. Defining the differences between climate and

weather is also important when discussing global warming. Weather is the state of the

atmosphere at any given moment and usually described in time intervals of less than a week.

Climate is the weather of a given area over a longer period of time, usually 30 or more years

(2018). The future effects of global warming will most likely include global temperatures

continuing to rise, the frost-free and growing season for agriculture will lengthen, precipitation

patterns will change, more droughts and heat waves, hurricanes will become stronger and more
intense, the sea level will rise 1-4 feet by 2100, and the Arctic will become essentially ice free by

the mid-century.

During the 20 century alone the Earth’s average temperature has increased by about two
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degrees Fahrenheit (Jackson, 2018). While two degrees might seem miniscule, the global

average temperature over long periods of time is very stable. Also, small fluctuations in

temperature corresponds to enormous changes in the environment. “For example, at the end of

the last ice age, when the Northeast United States was covered by more than 3,000 feet of ice,

average temperatures were only 5 to 9 degrees cooler than today” (Jackson, 2018).

Impacts on Life and Nature

According to the National Climate Assessment, humans are the main cause of global

warming. The carbon pollution caused by burning fossil fuels release pollutants such as methane,

carbon dioxide, and soot into the atmosphere. This causes the heat from the sun to be trapped

causing the Earth’s global temperature to rise. Climate experts predict that by the year 2100, the

global temperature will rise by eight degrees Fahrenheit. (Denchak, 2016) Eight degrees doesn’t

sound like much, but that increase will cause numerous natural/economical changes to humanity

and Earth.

One natural effect the increase of climate will have is rising sea levels and more acidic

oceans. Polar regions are at risk because glaciers and ice caps are melting at rapid rates. This will

lead to our oceans increasing in sea level which in turn will threaten wild life, plants, and coastal

cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Florida. (Denchak, 2016) The pollution from our excess

emissions are being absorbed into the ocean harming marine ecosystems. “As this acidification

accelerates, it poses a serious threat to underwater life, particularly creatures with calcium

carbonate shells or skeletons, including mollusks, crabs, and corals.” (Denchak, 2016)
 The severity of disasters such as floods, droughts, storms, etc. have a direct connection to

higher temperatures, according to the National Oceanic and atmospheric Administration. “A

warmer climate creates an atmosphere that can collect, retain, and drop more water, changing

weather patterns in such a way that wet areas become wetter and dry areas drier.” (Denchak,

2016) According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “in 2015 there were

10 weather and climate disaster events in the United States—including severe storms, floods,

drought, and wildfires—that caused at least $1 billion in losses.”

The increase in temperature has also lead to a rise in death rates. As temperatures

increase, the chances of contracting disease increases as well. "There are more hot days in places

where people aren't used to it, they don't have air-conditioning or can't afford it. One or two days

isn't a big deal. But four days straight where temperatures don't go down, even at night, leads to

severe health consequences." (Denchack, 2016) Extreme heat kills more Americans a year than

tornadoes and hurricanes according to the CDC.

Argument

Poll:

Our poll was conducted on Twitter and posed the question, “What do you think when you hear

the term ‘Global Warming’?”. The answer options were the following…

1. What is Global Warming?

2. Does not exist

3. Avg global temp increase

4. Glaciers melting
 The poll we conducted certainly supported our groups feelings on our chosen topic/issue.

We all agreed before the poll on an idea of what we believe Global Warming was, and the results

of the poll confirmed that idea and confirmed that others agree with this idea. The results were

actually surprising due to the large number of sources we came across while conducting our

research that dispelled the idea of Global Warming all together.

As a whole, we were pleased with our results from the poll as it showed us that people

actually are educated on the matter, which is a step in the right direction. While our poll does not

answer whether or not people care about Global Warming, again it proves they are educated

about it. It is important to continue to educate people so together the human race can slow down

this process and hopefully and eventually start to reverse the effects of Global Warming. It starts

with one person but requires all humans to contribute. From all of our research, something needs

to be done immediately otherwise humanity and Earth face dire consequences. Our planet is

already showing major signs of Global Warming, which is why we decided to pursue this topic

for our project. The glaciers are melting, species are going extinct, average temperatures globally

keep increasing, species are migrating to new habitats, more tropical storms are appearing and at

more devastating rates, and these are just the most common effects associated with Global

Warming.

To all of us, it is terrifying to know our planet is in such a dire state right now. What is

even more terrifying is that there is still such a large percent of people that do not believe in the

idea of Global Warming and continue to do the things that are negatively affecting our Earth and

the environment. We do not know what the future holds due to all these changes so it is up to us

to fix it in order for Earth to still exist and for the species remaining to function. If we do not do

something, we will cease to exist and Earth will burst into flames (according to some).
We have made a few conclusions from our research and by completing this project. One of those

conclusions is that this issue is much more urgent than most believe. It typically takes a few

months for articles on for example, the trash island in the Pacific, to be published and reach the

public eye. By that time, the trash island could have doubled, even quadrupled in size. Our point

being, this issue is rapid and requires immediate concern and help. Another conclusion we drew

from this project was that people do not understand what exactly the term Global Warming

means. A lot of people know about the effects of Global Warming and believe those to actually

be Global Warming. This is dangerous because without knowing what Global Warming is and

the cause of it, as stated before, these people may continue to do the things that are harming our

environment. Overall, the largest conclusion we made is that Global warming is a much larger

issue than us and that it will take the entire human race coming together to help save our planet.

Conclusion/Call to Action

Being environmentally friendly can be difficult at times. According to the NRDC, if we

stopped all carbon dioxide emissions tomorrow, we would still see the effects of global warming.

Although initiatives to use clean energy has already begun with major companies such as Intel

and Apple. “Last year, Intel installed the then-largest wind micro-turbine array in the US on the

roof of its worldwide headquarters in Santa Clara, California. It has facilitated 18 on-site solar

plants at several of its facilities, representing an installed solar capacity of approximately 7,000

kW (and growing).” (Climate Reality Project, 2016) In our opinion, more people should be more

environmentally aware and use clean energy in their daily lives. One example is using solar

panels, which is now becoming more and more trendy. Another example would be using more

energy efficient light bulbs. Biking or carpooling to your destination is also a viable way to save
energy and cause less pollution. The future may look grim, but technological advancements have

made it possible to save more energy and pollute less.