“There is no way global warming is a thing. Think about how cold it is here at Penn State in the winter! We don’t have a thing to worry about when it comes to global warming. It doesn’t exist.”
While countless people throughout the United States and the world believe the above statements to be true, they could not be more incorrect. Just last year I was one of the people who did not believe in global climate change. I was fortunate enough to take an earth science class here at Penn State. The class truly opened my eyes and forced me to realize that the Earth will not be around forever, and that we as humans are destroying it. Since the year 1880, the global temperature raised roughly 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Now I know what you are thinking: How does only 1.4 degrees make such a huge difference?
One specific reason the temperature increase has such an immense impact is regarding the ice masses throughout the world. This temperature change causes 287 billion metric tons of land ice to melt each year. Scientists are not kidding when they say your grandchildren will never see a polar bear. Another horrific result of global climate change is that the rise in carbon dioxide is causing the sea levels to rise at a steady rate. This happens because water molecules expand when the temperature is warm, and shrink when it is cooler. Due to the rise in temperatures over the last century, all of the water molecules in the ocean are expanding. From space, NASA is able to see the impacts of global warming, including the sea level rise. NASA is comprised of well educated individuals. The people who are researching these issues are not random people pulled off of the street. There is mass credibility in both the researchers and in their results.
This map above shows beaches along the East Coast of the United States. The red and yellow colors on the map display the places in critical danger due to the rising sea levels. It is highly likely that your great grandchildren will never be able to see Miami, or Virginia Beach. Within about the next century, all of the beaches that we know of could be gone.
For those who think it is too late to stop the problem: it is not. All around the world, people are taking on numerous different methods to help slow down global climate change. One approach is stopping the sea level rising in its tracks, by building large dams and walls by the coastline. Many other places around the world are taking a more preventative approach. These can include different ways of producing energy such as windmills or hydroelectric energy. Other efforts can include things as simple as recycling, or walking to work instead of driving
Still don’t think of global climate change as an issue? Believe what you would like; however, if nothing is done about the issue relatively soon, your descendants will pay the ultimate price. While global climate change cannot be immediately stopped, it can be slowed down significantly. As far as we know, there is only one habitable planet in the universe: Earth. In order to ensure the safety and well being of future generations, we must take action now and help protect our world.