The debate over the Greenhouse Effect rages on. Is the temperature of the earth really rising? Are humans truly to blame? Is it the cause of the increase in deadly weather across the globe? And the big question is, of course: what should we do about it? Governments are throwing money at it in the vain hope that it will just go away, and environmental groups are making life near impossible for some in an effort to stop any human interruption of natural resources whatsoever. What people really need to do is treat the earth, the environment, and their fellow human beings with respect and let the earth solve its own temperature problem.
Anyone twenty years or older with a reliable memory can tell you that the earth's temperature is actually rising. Those who don't meet both these criteria can check their local almanac. However, temperature fluctuations aren't new to the world.
Throughout the history of the earth the temperature has been fluctuating. Humans certainly are contributing to the change somewhat, just like every other factor on the earth is contributing to its condition, but we may not be able to control the change even if we made drastic changes. Given the immensity of the earth and the multitude of factors that go into determining the temperature, we may not be able to make any noticeable change at all.
However, we should be taking the emission of greenhouse gases into consideration. While we can't prove the extent of the effect that our own greenhouse gas emissions are doing on the world's climate, we can prove the effects it's having on our own health. Air pollution causes health problems in every first-world, heavily-populated city across the globe. Furthermore, many people cut down the trees and plants that naturally would inhabit their yards and replace them with grass and other small plants that not only produce less clean air, but also demand great amounts of water.
Instead of worrying about the world's temperatures, we should be seeking to eliminate harmful gases and producing plant life for our own benefit. People won't do much about a problem that's not going to devastate the human population for a million years and is so overwhelming that their part will do very little. But they will make an effort if they think that they can make a real change in their world today or in the near future for their children. Asthmatics will want the benefit of breathing easier, parents will want the benefit of letting their children play outside whenever they want, and adult children will want the benefit of not worrying about their aging parents' health. Let's go ahead and try to change our world, but let's do it for a reasonable, tangible reason, not for some controversial scientific reason that is far out of our reach.
