I recently watched a documentary on the effects of global warming on our planet. It touched me and has forced me to write about this major problem our planet is facing. I never realized that we are such a big part of the problem. Our demand on fuels in this fast paced life is causing us to pollute this beautiful planet. Not only has our dependence on fuel caused this problem but our need to consume so much energy through electricity has also played a part as well. The average temperature increase has been about 1 degree over the last 200 years. That doesn't sound so bad but if you consider that the latter part of the last century has increased temperatures more than any in the last 400 years.
Our coral reefs are feeling the effects as well. In 1998 we saw many areas of the reef experiencing bleaching or stress related death of the reef due to increasing water temperatures. This could get even worse within the next 50 years if the water continues to heat up at the rate it is now heating up at. Artic ice is melting as well, making it hard for the polar bear population to survive. The region may even have an ice free summer by 2040 if we don't get a grip on this problem. Glaciers and mountain snows are beginning to melt as well. In the early 1900's there were over 100 glaciers in Montana's Glacier National Park, now there are barely 20.
We are creating more carbon dioxide than the plants and atmosphere can absorb. It's ironic; the burning of the fossil fuels that once were roaming dinosaurs millions of years ago, are now creating a problem in our day. In their day too much carbon in the atmosphere caused their demise, as well. Are we following in their footsteps? Are we creating our own extinction level event? If we are, we are creating it at rate faster than it took to kill the dinosaurs we are burning as fuel today. I know we may not see it in our time, but what about our children and their children? We need to get the smartest minds alive in a room together to come up with a new way to fuel our ever-expanding needs to fuel our lives. I feel that if we can put a man on another surface, such as the moon, we can come up with a newer, safer, less expensive way to fuel this progressing world.
I know that these gases will remain in the world's atmosphere even if we do try to stop them, but shouldn't we try to eliminate them as much as possible. Just 2 degrees, in increase, will tip the scale of the way we live our lives. I want to be a part of the solution not the problem. I personally think that solar energy is one of the best ways to decrease the use of oils to heat and cool our homes. There's also wind energy too. Although with wind energy you need a windy empty area for the windmills. I'm not a scientist or an expert on any of this stuff just a concerned citizen of earth. I feel that I should help earth as much as I can, but I am just one person. If I can reach another with this article and then they can reach another by telling them about this article then I have done my part to educate the world on this, such a delicate issue. Not enough people understand how big this is and how big our part is in it all.
If the earth temperature continues to rise then we could see sea levels rise as well. This could be devastating to hundreds of millions of people that live and work within 3 feet of the sea level. New York would be flooded and Louisiana and Florida are especially at risk. Our oceans conveyor belt could change and the warm water flow could stop, sending Europe into another ice age. Too many species face extinction due to changing ecosystems and acidic oceans. We need to act fast and act at all if we plan on hitting this thing head on. I wish I could get this article into every home. I feel that it's everyone's responsibility to help dry our planet's tears.
