Kassady Winfrey

ENG 112

Mrs. Carroll

April 14, 2019

An Evaluation of The Looming Threat of Global Warming

Climate Change, due to global warming, has been on humanity's radar for over 100 years. In

1886, Swedish chemist, Svante Arrhenius was the first to (correctly) theorize about the negative

effects of rising temperatures. Arrhenius’s theory would form the backbone of what science

would come to call global warming. It is not a new issue at all, but it is one with a long history of

being ignored by those in positions of power. The Trump administration, principally, has been

dismissive of global warming. “Rejecting scientists’ warnings about the dangers of global

warming, the Trump administration continues to unwind Obama administration-era rules aimed

at slowing climate change.” (Lyons). However, the negative effects of climbing temperatures

can no longer be ignored. Those that dismiss global warming as nothing to be concerned over,

fail to see the bigger picture. “A temperature rise of a few degrees may seem insignificant (. . .)

but even a small rise could wreak havoc throughout the world” (Cooper). Climate change is

happening, and the Earth is being affected on multiple negative levels. This report will address

some detrimental changes that are occurring, and the consequences that these changes are

creating.

Scientifically speaking, global warming is caused by the admittance of greenhouse gases into

the atmosphere. The admittance of such gases has occurred since the beginning of life. Plants
 Winfrey2

take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen, while humans (and animals) take in oxygen and

breath out carbon dioxide. So, a type of harmony was maintained. “until human population

soared and began burning fossil fuels greenhouse gases remained in relative balance” (Cooper).

Earth has maintained its livable temperature thanks to radiation waves that come from the sun.

These waves are then either absorbed by the earth or reflected into the space. Or, at least that is

how it should work. However, due to the high admission of greenhouse gases into the

atmosphere over the last century and a half, a type of one way ceiling is being created. Radiation

waves are being let in but are blocked from reflecting out (e.g. see fig. 1).

(Figure 1: An overview of how global warming works.)

Perhaps one of the most well-known negative effects of global warming is rising sea levels.

This issue receives a great deal of coverage in the media, and for good reason. The continued rise

of water levels is setting a dangerous precedent. Flooding is a major threat for cities all around
 Winfrey3

the world. “Global warming is causing oceans to rise at alarming rates, threatening coastal

cities across the globe with flooding” (Swope). Scientific opinion differs on what amount of sea

level rise to expect. However, there is a consensus that sea levels are expected to rise at least one

foot, globally, by the 2100. That is the conservative estimation. A likelier, and much more

worrying, scenario would be a rise of three feet or greater. “An ‘intermediate’ scenario — a 3.3-

foot rise by 2100 — is likely and would be much worse.” (Swope). Many individuals look at

rising sea levels as a problem for future generations, not realizing (or either not caring) that the

world is already being negatively impacted by it.

One of these impacts is water contamination. Ground water, accounting for most of the planets

fresh water, is at risk to be contaminated as salt water inches closer and closer to land level. Salt

water is, of course, dangerous to drink. Some serious side effects of drinking salt water being;

kidney failure, extreme dehydration, delirium, and seizures. Humans have a much lower salt

concentration than you would find in sea water. “According to scientific site, Earth Sky, the

concentration of salt in the body is about 75 percent less than you would find in sea water”

(Dray). This helps to explain why the consumption of salt water is so rough on the human body.

Another negative impact of rising sea level is forced “climigration” (migration due to climate

change). Tangier Island, a little known island, located twelve miles outside of Virginia in the

Chesapeake Bay area, can be considered the first major casualty the United States has suffered

because of rising sea levels (e.g. see fig. 2). Once a thriving island, Tangier is down to just 450

residents as more and more people are forced to leave due to the continuous rise in water level

surrounding the island. Tangier residents have been seeking help for a long time. “The residents
 Winfrey4

of Tangier Island have been pleading for help for years. Rising water levels and sinking land

have taken their toll, and the island is losing as much as 16 feet a year on one side, three feet on

another”(Svrluga). Tangier island is more than just a statistic, people, real people, are losing

their homes and livelihoods, yet President Trump (and others) dismisses climate change as some

sort of ruse. “Climate change skeptics view the threat posed by rising seas and a warming planet

as unproven and exaggerated. President Trump has called climate change a “hoax” perpetrated

by the Chinese” (Swope). Communities all around the globe are being uprooted thanks to rising

water levels. From the Arctic Circle to the South Pacific, climigration is driving people (and

animals) from their homes.

(Figure 2: A home threatened by water on Tangier Island.)

Another negative effect of global warming is mass animal extinctions. Scientist’s report that

since the 1970s the earth has lost half the number of its vertebrates (mammals, reptiles, birds,

fish, and amphibians), and that around 200 species have gone extinct in under 50 years
 Winfrey5

(Clemmit). Humans are largely responsible for state, with skyrocketing temperatures (due to

global warming) being one of the leading causes.

Polar Bears, having long been the face of the climate change movement, are one of the

animals most at risk of extinction. As ice melts and water rises, their home is disappearing (e.g.

see fig. 3). Numerous sources have documented the rise in temperature presently occurring in the

Arctic.

The scientific evidence that the polar bear’s Arctic home is warming twice as fast as the

rest of the planet is overwhelming, supported by reports like the National Climate

Assessment, which was compiled by 13 federal agencies. In some Arctic regions,

scientists have documented declines in polar bear numbers and disturbing signs of

physical deterioration linked to the loss of ice. (Goode)

As their habitat melts away polar bears are forced to swim across vast amounts of ocean in their

search for fresh ice. Some bears never make it, as exhaustion leads to them drowning. Such

horrific occurrences are becoming more and more common; as rising sea levels pose a threat to a

multitude of different species.

 Winfrey6

(Figure 3: A mother polar bear and cub stranded on a lone sheet of ice.)

The American Pika, a relative of the rabbit, is another animal teetering on the edge of

extinction. This small, highly active, animal stays busy during the hottest months of the year

stock piling food for winter. Possessing a dense furred coat, this small creature is unable to

tolerate the rising temperatures. “Densely furred, they can't dissipate heat easily, so hotter

temperatures during periods of high activity can create thermal stress” (Gale). The Pikas

extinction would come forth as a direct result of climbing temperatures. As the climate around

them continues to warm, American Pikas are forced to seek out new habitats. “. . . local

extinction rates have increased almost fivefold in the past ten years, and the rate at which the

species is moving up the mountain slopes has increased 11-fold over the same period” (Gale).

The threatening extinction of the American Pika would have far reaching consequences, as much

of the surrounding wildlife depends on the Pika as part of their regular diet. As bad as all of this

sounds though, there is reason to hope. “Many scientists say that adopting biodiversity-friendly

alternatives, such as using renewable fuels and better managing suburban sprawl, could
 Winfrey7

significantly slow the disappearance of plants and wild animals” (Clemmitt). Let’s hope that

such a change is soon to come, and in time to save the American Pika.

Passing on a planet that isn’t on the brink of catastrophic collapse is what's owed to future

generations. Right now, due to in part to rising temperatures and rising water levels, the legacy

being created isn’t a pretty one. When President Obama took office in 2008, climate change was

brought to the forefront of matters. However, under the current administration, it has once again

been pushed onto the back burner. How certain individuals have continued in a state of disbelief

concerning global warming is unfathomable. The (scientifically backed) signs are all around. The

current administration is suffering from shortsightedness, and dollar signs are the only thing

being seen. Nevertheless, they fail to realize that money will be meaningless on a planet that can

no longer support human life.

 Winfrey8

Works Citied
Lyons, Christina L. “Will Deregulatory Efforts Harm the Environment?” Shibboleth Authentication
Request, CQ Researcher, 13 Oct. 2018,
library.cqpress.com.proxy039.nclive.org/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqr_ht_climate_change_2
018&type=hitlist&num=8.

Cooper, Mary H. “Are Limits on Greenhouse Gas Emissions Needed?” Shibboleth Authentication
Request, CQ Researcher, 1 Nov. 1996,
library.cqpress.com.proxy039.nclive.org/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre1996110100&typ
e=hitlist&num=6.

Swope, Christopher. “Are Cities Prepared for the Growing Threat?” Shibboleth Authentication Request,
CQ Researcher, 16 Feb. 2018,
library.cqpress.com.proxy039.nclive.org/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2018021600&typ
e=hitlist&num=10.

Clemmitt, Marcia. “Is a Mass Die-off Underway?” Shibboleth Authentication Request, CQ Researcher, 15
Dec. 2017,
library.cqpress.com.proxy039.nclive.org/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2017121500&ty
pe=hitlist&num=12.

Svrluga, S. (2012, Nov 21). Harboring hope on tangier island. The Washington Post Retrieved
from
https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/117680
3924?accountid=10163
 Winfrey9

Goode, E. (2018). Climate change denialists say polar bears are fine. scientists are pushing back.

"Climate change hounding out American pikas." Geographical, June 2011, p. 12. Science In
Context,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A261150751/SCIC?u=nclive&sid=SCIC&xid=4922d
ab7. Accessed 14 Apr. 2019.

https://www.loe.org/content/2014-07-11/tangier-flood-girl-baldeaglebluff.png

https://www.polartrec.com/files/members/mark-goldner/images/greenhouse-effect.jpg

https://azoomansmusings.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/polar-bears.jpg