A Global Affair of Global Warming by Kristina Sarceno

A Global Affair of Global Warming

Today, global warming is a very important issue.  Scientists are trying to find ways in which to stop the progression of global warming, and its harmful effects.  Even though scientists have known about global warming since the late 1850’s to early 1860’s, not much was done until the effects were visible and obviously detrimental.  In 1959, a scientist named Tyndall discovered that “some gases block infrared radiation.  He suggests that changes in the concentration of the gases (in the atmosphere) could bring climate change” (Weart).  In the years after this discovery, the world didn’t do much to stop this process from happening. Arrhenius, a scientist, did some research on carbon dioxide.  In 1896, he came to the conclusion that carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leads to global warming.

After meteorologists recorded the global temperature for many years, a trend of warming was observed from the late nineteenth century to 1930.  Some scientists were interested in how the temperature rise would affect the global climate, while others were not aware and/or did not care.  In 1938, Callendar argued, “that carbon dioxide greenhouse global warming is underway,” and reminded the scientific community of these predictions.  Taking all of this scientific research and ideas into account, Plass calculated that the addition of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere would “have a significant effect on the radiation balance. (Weart)”

The scientific community was still not convinced that global warming was really occurring, even after Revelle discovered that the oceans would not absorb the carbon dioxide that humans produce readily.  The levels of carbon dioxide have been rising since the Industrial Revolution, and this annual rise was recorded by Keeling in 1960.  After all of these discoveries and speculations, some people organized an environmental movement with the intent of spreading “concern about global degradation.” The result of this movement was the first Earth Day in 1970.  Along with this collaboration of the people, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was started.  This organization funded the most climate research in the world (Weart).

In 1975, the danger to the Earth that the greenhouses gases were causing was first recorded.  Following this knowledge, “Manabe and collaborators produced complex but plausible computer models which show a temperature rise of several degrees for doubled carbon dioxide.”  After all of these scientific discoveries that warned of global warming, the election of Ronald Reagan in 1981 brought “backlash against environmental movement” (Weart). How can one person’s power cause everyone’s concern for the environment to disappear?

The first attempt at a global fight against global warming was in 1985.  The Villach conference called for every country’s government to agree to enforce a limit on emissions.  Following this attempt, the Montreal Protocol of 1987 of the Vienna Convention “imposes international restrictions on emission of ozone-destroying gases.”  Ozone destroying gases also contribute to the greenhouse effect.  To facilitate this global attempt at restricting emissions, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was established in 1988 (Weart).

The United States has always been one of the countries that has not fully accepted blame or changed its habits to help out with the cause.  In 1992, the United States refused to work with many other countries at the conference in Rio de Janeiro, which produced the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (Weart).  For a long time now, the U.S. has rejected to partake in plans set forth by other nations calling for serious action against global warming.

More recently, in the past decade, more efforts have been made to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions.  Toyota first produced the Prius, the “first mass-market electric hybrid car,” in 1997.  Along with this new car technology, other alternative energy sources were being investigated.  Wind turbines started to become more popular as a source of renewable energy.  The Kyoto Protocol was conceived during this time.  This protocol joined together nations that signed a treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (Weart).

Despite new technology and knowledge of global warming, the Global Climate Coalition, formed in 1989, disintegrated and the U.S. pulled out again in 2002.  In 2000, the massive oil companies in the U.S. convinced the administration to deny that global warming was occurring (Weart).  The government was very convincing; forcing the general public to believe global warming was a hoax.  People don’t want to believe in and face the harsh reality.

In 2005, the Kyoto treaty was formed.  It pulled together all “major industrial nations except U.S., Japan, and Western Europe.”  In a regional aspect, U.S. entities pulled together in order to cut back on emissions (Weart).  Recently, scientists and environmentalists have realized just how much of an impact global warming is having on the planet.  The harmful effects are wide spread, harming plants, bodies of water, the ice caps, animals, and humans.  Many humans are in denial, believing that if they pollute or drive a gas-guzzling car, it doesn’t make a difference because they are only one person.  But multiply that by how many people who have that same belief, and it builds up exponentially.  If people altered their outlook and became more environmentally conscious, the world’s woes would improve drastically.

Every car should be taken off the streets and replaced with electric, hybrid, compressed air, or hydrogen powered cars.  Unfortunately, in the United States, people believe the bigger their car, the more important they are to the world.  Yeah, the more important you are in the killing of the environment!  I say to them “Stop thinking you are cool because you are driving around in the city in a huge Hummer; meanwhile you are not using it to go off-roading.”  The United States’ dependence on foreign oil is not only putting the government in a horrible situation with other countries, but it is also a primary cause of the emission of greenhouse gases.

People need to stop wasting gas by buying huge SUVs for which they have no use.  I was watching the vehicles that drove by my house and 8 out of 10 of them were either SUVs or minivans that get horrible gas mileage.  And people complain why gas is so expensive! They are using it up way quicker than it is being found, all to power their cars that have more horsepower than they know what to do with.  Why don’t people use their common sense and buy cars that don’t eat a hole through their wallets?  Why not buy an electric car, hydrogen powered car, or even a hybrid?  They are worth the money!  They save you so much money in the long run, and also so the environment from the burden of greenhouse gases that are emitted from the combustion of petroleum products.

Also, why the hell did electric cars disappear off the streets of California after they were becoming very popular?  The oil companies don’t want people to purchase and use cars that do not require gasoline because the demand for gas would drop, decreasing sales, and their livelihood.

The United States has the biggest per capita waste in the world.  People do not recycle because the government does not enforce it properly.  What ever happened to reusing plastic containers or bottles?  If you can’t use it anymore, don’t just throw it away, recycle it; it saves money, precious resources, and cuts back on emissions from the burning of plastics with the trash.  The petroleum that is used to produce plastics and to make oil and gasoline not only leads to global warming, but it also affects the environment in other detrimental ways (oil spills or leaks, depleting fossil fuels).

“There is a great reluctance on most societies to act hastily.  The attitude of many citizens and governments is to wait and see how bad the problem is before we commit any substantial resources to addressing it” (Kump 337).  If we wait until it gets really bad, there will be no way to go back.  If we start fighting global warming right now, there is a chance we can win.  Its just like if you are in a boxing match.  If you wait until the end to fight back, you will be fighting a battle you cannot win.  You will be so far beaten that any efforts you make to fight back will be useless.   “Many climatologists feel that it will be a matter of only a decade or two before the evidence of global warming becomes impossible to refute” (337).

Instead of using oil for energy, renewable energies should be the source of energy.  “Every kilowatt-hour of electricity or gallon of gasoline saved is one less that contributes to carbon dioxide buildup in the atmosphere” (337).  Wind, tidal, geothermal, solar, and hydroelectric power are all renewable forms of energy that do not relese polluting emissions.  The only concern that has been voiced against any of these forms of energy are against the hydroelectric and wind energy systems.  In order to produce hydroelectric energy, a dam has to built so the water can then flow through turbines*.  So, this form of energy does not need to be used if we use the other forms to their full potential.  The concern with wind-powered energy is that the wind turbines are “ugly” and ruin the view from people’s property.  If you think wind turbines are ugly, then I guess you would rather be living in an environment that is polluted, steaming hot, and covered in water; that is most likely how the world is going to end up if changes are not enforced soon.

All of the countries around the world have to work together in order to make this plan effective.  If one country does it and another doesn’t, it is not going to work.  All of the countries and people within them have to join together and battle global warming as a group.  If everyone cuts back on emissions and their use of non-renewable resources, the environment will improve and global warming should be under control.  Since the U.S. uses the most fossil fuels, it is essential that our country becomes extremely proactive in providing solutions.

If global warming keeps going at the rate it is right now, many organisms will lose their habitats and probably become extinct.  Possibly some of the organism we need in order to survive will no longer be around.  In the end there will not be life as we know it thanks to people’s carelessness and disregard for the environment around them.

*The objections include how the dam could alter the natural ecosystem and could be a potential eyesore.