One of the biggest scientific questions of our age is whether or not global warming will harm us in the near future or in the later future. There has been large debate over the past few years whether or not global warming is really effecting us, and if sea levels will continue to rise as glaciers continue to melt. There is scientific fact, however, that can prove sea levels have risen substantially over the past century. According to dosomething.org, since 1870, sea levels have risen about 8 inches. Many say this is a result of global warming, glaciers are shrinking, and ice on rivers is melting at a very fast rate. Here is a video of the largest glacier calving ever caught on film. It’s a video that you don’t want to take your eyes off of, because of how mind blowing the size of the glacier is, and the way in which it melts. Glaciers of this size are continuing to melt daily and are entering into our oceans, producing for higher sea levels.
Heat waves have also increased over the past years substantially. In the last fifty years, the temperature in the United States has increased by two degrees, and rainfall and other precipitation has increased by 5%, according to dosomething.org. With temperatures increasing, and precipitation increasing, this means rain will be falling at a higher, and warmer rate. If this happens, then oceans will continue to become warmer and warmer, putting some wildlife at risk. As said above, precipitation has increased, as well as the likeliness of horrible storms. According to nfw.org, historic storms that happen once every twenty years are predicted to happen once every four to six years by the end of the twenty first century. We are beginning to become used to dealing with a terrifying hurricane every year, and everyone is left wondering where the next one will strike, and how many it will effect.
There is no doubt that global warming has had some sort of effect on everybody’s lives at one point or another. Personally, from the facts that I have seen while doing research, it seems that it is becoming more and more of an issue as time goes on. Who knows how much our sea level will rise in the next century or two, because if it keeps rising, a long way down the road there will be no land to live on.
https://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Threats-to-Wildlife/Global-Warming/Global-Warming-is-Causing-Extreme-Weather/Floods.aspx
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/55460/20150527/21-amazing-facts-global-warming-climate-change.htm
This is a very current issue, and is also connected to difficulties the United States is facing, the number one problem being the California drought. This article describes a study done at Stanford that shows strong evidence linking this drought to global warming. The Stanford scientists stated in the paper they wrote that, “the atmospheric conditions associated with the unprecedented drought currently afflicting California are “very likely” linked to human-caused climate change” (Than). Although some people still do not believe that global warming is real, it is having very real effects on the Earth, effects that may soon become irreversible if we do not make some changes.
Last semester I did a big project about climate change and it really opened my eyes as to how severe the effects are and will be. It is honestly overwhelming. We’re at a point now where people need to accept the evidence and start to make behavior changes in our everyday lives. I think that the first step to make a difference with things of this size is definitely to be informed and understand what is happening. I hope our society shifts and starts to accept the facts.