Climate Change

Dmitriy Sharshiner
Global warming is the rise in the average temperature of Earths atmosphere
and oceans since the late 19th century, and the prediction that it will keep rising.
According to modern day science, the Earths mean temperature has increased by
about 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit since the 20th century, with two thirds of the increase
happening since the 1980s.
The scientific theory states that global warming is occurring due to an overabundance of greenhouse gasses and fossil fuels. Though greenhouse gasses are
necessary for life on earth, the over abundance has caused change in our climate.
According to scientists that change is completely man-made. Much of the situation
we see today started in the 1700s during the industrial revolution, with the rise and
production of cars, trucks and factories. Humans started emitting a large amount of
fossil fuels into the atmosphere, as the world became more industrialized into the
modern machine/technology driven world we see today, the amount of fossil fuel
emitted by humans kept increasing. Though it is true that climate has been changing
constantly since the beginning of time, there is currently more carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere than at any other point in the last 800,00 years.
The effects of global warming can be seen through simple observation of the
changes on our planet.
In Antarctica, the glaciers, Ice Rivers, and lakes are melting. In the United
States, the snowpack in the Western Mountains has been on a consistent decline.
There are currently many areas throughout the world-experiencing drought, from

California to the Middle East. On average there has been a 5-20% decrease in rainfall
over the last 100 years. In 2012, Africa had an estimated 300,000 refugees
immigrating to European countries; this in large part due to the major drought
Africa is currently experiencing. The global area affected by drought has
significantly increased since the 1970s.
There are also other global phenomenons happening that scientists claim is
caused by global warming. Cold days and frost are overall less frequent over land
areas (living in Utah and writing this paper in December, I can definitely attest to
that), there are much more frequent hot days, while nights are very cold, there has
been in increased incidence of high sea levels, and an increase in intense tropical
cyclone activity in the North Atlantic since the 1970s. The effects are so serious
that, according to scientists, if global warming is not stopped, the future will bear
severe consequences. One obvious consequence is the potential of the ice caps
completely melting, causing water to rise, and swallowing the entire human race
Due to the immense research I did on global warming, (most of this research
was done a year ago for my Writing 2010 course), I am certain that the effects and
consequences of climate change are very real. Most people that dont believe in
global warming live in industrialized countries, and use religious or political
ideology to back their thinking, claiming it is some great conspiracy, and all the
while completely ignoring the science and reality around them. Truth is, there
where 262 million people that where affected by climate disasters in 2004, more
than 98 percent of those people lived in developing countries.