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Rumyah Rafique Mr.Majask World Studies B2 13 November, 2013 Complications with Energy Sources Today Throughout history, people have been need of energy sources, from the simple forms of energy, such as a horse drawn carriage, to the gas guzzling automobiles of today. People fail to realize the consequences of excessive energy uses. Modern energy sources may seem efficient but have certain problems that come along with it. Energy sources today affect polar ice caps and levels of pollution. Polar ice caps are often conceived as important because if they melted, then the world would flood, but there is another problem that poses a larger threat. The ice caps have a high albedo or brightness, reflecting about 90% of solar energy back to space. Global warming is causing these ice caps to melt, and in turn, the melting of the ice caps is contributing to global warming. It is a vicious cycle! How is human energy sources a part of all this? Simple; when humans burn fossil fuels such as oil, coal, or gas to create electricity or to fuel a car, they emit high levels of heat trapping gases. Since we use fossil fuels much more than we did, say, 60 years ago, much more heat trapping gases are in the air. True to their name, these heat trapping gases trap heat in earths atmosphere. This in turn results to global warming and polar ice caps melting.

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Levels of pollution are greatly affected through the sources of energy in use today. As mentioned before, burning fossil fuels create heat trapping gases that pollute the air. As well as obviously polluting air, energy sources can affect water. One of the most known instances of energy uses leading to a mass pollution of water is the BP Oil Spill in 2010. In June of 2010, a leak was found gushing out oil into the Gulf of Mexico. BP did cap the spill to stop it, but it was too late, the damage had been done. Almost 4.9 million barrels of oil had leaked into the Gulf. This shows the problem with energy sources, sometimes when trying to gain more resources, people end up hurting the environment. This tragic oil spill caused many fishermen in that region to have to quit fishing, as well as damaging the Gulfs marine biology. Energy sources today have a plethora of problems, including global warming, melting of ice caps, and pollution. Although there isnt an overnight solution to this problem, there are little things that can be done to help, such as limiting your energy use and looking for alternatives. Who knows? Maybe everyones homes will be solar powered in generation to come.

Works Cited "Arctic and Antarctic Polar Icecap Melting." Global Issues in Context Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2013. Global Issues In Context. Gale. International Academy High School. 13 Nov. 2013 "Air Pollution: Transborder." Global Issues in Context Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2013. Global Issues In Context. Gale. International Academy High School. 13 Nov. 2013

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"Water Pollution." Global Issues in Context Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2013. Global Issues In Context. Gale. International Academy High School. 13 Nov. 2013 "Chlorofluorocarbons." ESRL Global Monitoring Division - Halocarbons and Other Atmospheric Trace Species. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. "Global Warming Puts the Arctic on Thin Ice." Arctic Sea Ice. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. "Gulf Oil Spill." Smithsonian Ocean Portal. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.