The Keeling curve is a graph that shows the earth’s surface temperature from the 1950’s and onwards. These recordings show that the earth’s surface temperature is increasing massively. It is only 0.9˚c above average at the moment, but it is believed that if the temperature continues to rise there will be devastating effects on the earth. There is a link between the keeling curve graph, the carbon dioxide emissions graph and the rising sea levels graph. It shows that as more carbon dioxide is released into the environment, the global average temperature is rising and also the sea level. I have mentioned the greenhouse effect, the keeling curve and briefly the effects of global warming. However I am going to go into more detail about these effects of global warming and explain what is happening.
Excess heat in the atmosphere creates more energy which in turn can cause hurricanes, flooding, drought, rainfall, heat waves, damaged coral reefs, glaciers to melt leading to the troubles of the polar bear. Hurricanes are becoming stronger and more frequent, islands are facing the reality of invading seas which can cause families to move out of their homes, like those on low level plains.
These conditions can also lead to heat waves that can kill millions of people in the summer, all due to the greenhouse effect. The low rainfall that leads to drought in the Amazon can then through cause and effect be responsible for forest fires. These drastic environmental changes have a direct link to the damage of the coral reefs from the warm seas, which when ravaged by hurricanes can lead to the destruction of more than half of these essential structures in the Caribbean. These are all major issues that have been created as a direct repercussion of human actions such as burning fossil fuels, leaving lights on, having heating higher than needed, driving your car and countless more wasteful actions. However, there is one more concern I want to talk about and that is the troubles of the polar bear which is suffering as a direct result of the melting of the ice glaciers.
The glaciers are melting rapidly and the rate has doubled in recent years. The Arctic has warmed three degrees and is melting so fast that all the arctic animals are at risk, especially those at the top of the food chain, i.e. Polar bears. The polar bears’ habitat has declined and numbers have been devastated by 25 percent since 1980. This is, again due to global warming, as the ice is melting weeks early giving the polar bears less time to hunt before their hunting grounds disappear. The effect of ice melting hugely concerns the lifestyles of the animals but also effects humans by flooding. Severe floods now occur every five to seven years with devastating effects on people’s lives and homes. I have noticed that the pattern of rainfall and flooding have changed over the past few years which I believe is due to the earth’s warming. This has a knock on effect on hurricanes and rainfall. Higher sea temperatures not only kill the coral reefs but make hurricanes more frequent and intense.
If global warming continues it is expected that rainfall could increase by 10 to 15 percent by 2030.
So is the climate changing? In my opinion, and that of world environmentalists, yes it is. The climate change is all linked to carbon dioxide emissions and rising temperatures, which are a direct result of our dependency on fossil fuels, growing population and the world’s need for easy, pre-packaged food with little thought to recycling.
If the world’s Governments do not act together to reduce the damaging by products of industry and our society, then are lives and this world that we take for granted will be over.
