Climate Change: Its Effects and How Humans are Contributing
2016 was the warmest year ever recorded averaging 1.69°F warmer than the 20th century averages. With eight months out of that year breaking the record for those respective months being the warmest recorded. These months were January to September, excluding June. To some climate change is seen as a way to take support away from the military, and to decrease its importance. However, in 2019 the US spent $732 billion on defenses which was more than the next 10 countries combined. However you like to look at it, climate change has become a more popular topic since 1950 when there was an increase in the world’s temperature. The increase in temperature has led to sea levels rising, habitats being destroyed, and farms struggling. Humans have contributed to climate change by burning fossil fuels that release CO2 into the air and cutting down forests that filter CO2 from the air.
Coastal towns being threatened by rising sea levels. Polar bears running out of ice to live on, and the severity of natural disasters increasing, which affects our food, are all different effects of the ever-growing topic of climate change. The warming from climate change has mostly occurred in the past 40 years. The top 6 warmest years ever have all taken place since 2014. With an increase in temperature, oceans are absorbing the extra heat. This has been increasing the temperature of “the oceans top 100 meters of more than .6 degrees F since 1969”(Holly Shaftel).
As the ocean’s temperature increases, the ice sheets in places like Greenland and the Artics have decreased in size. With ice melting into the ocean the water levels have nowhere to go but up. This causes problems for coastal towns and leads to major flooding. These ice sheets are also home to lots of animals from polar bears to penguins. As they lose their land their population also decreases. “With the doubling of the human population since 1970, the number of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians has dropped by more than half”(Oceanic Preservation Society). In the past 20 years, the sea levels have globally risen about 8 inches. Having overall hotter years means water can evaporate faster. This can lead to more intense and frequent storms.
Driving in your car not only emits carbon dioxide but forces you to buy a finite resource (gas) which through its collection and shipping process releases even more carbon dioxide. Of course, these gases are naturally occurring, but due to human activities, the amount in the atmosphere has increased.
Out of all the gases created by humans, carbon dioxide makes up 64% of the gases causing climate change. The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by 40% since the start of industrialization. Humans mainly create carbon dioxide by burning coal, oil, and gas. We could take carbon dioxide out of the air by planting more trees, but trees are another resource that humans use constantly, so we have begun cutting down more trees than we are planting causing deforestation. This not only gets rid of carbon dioxide filters but also destroys habitats for animals. As we destroy forests we replace them with new buildings or farming areas. These farms often have animal slaughterhouses. These slaughterhouses are not only inhumane but the process of keeping these animals is bad for the environment because these animals “produce large amounts of methane when they digest their food” (Climate Action). This methane gas is also a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. “Livestock farming contributes 18% of human-produced greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. This is more than all emissions from ships, planes, trucks, cars and all other transport put together”(Beth Daley).
On the other hand, some think that considering climate change as a national security weakens the term, and takes limited resources away from the U.S. military. The threat of other countries’ forces is what can sway people’s opinions. They want to modernize the military by using billions of dollars and keep the focus on the U.S.’s safety and not the environment.
While the effects of climate change are awful they have led to an increase in awareness around it. It is important for everyone to understand the potential effects no matter if you believe it or not. Although we might not stop climate change there are ways to slow down the current effects and ways to pave the way for future solutions.
