Global Warming | Teen Ink

Global Warming

September 5, 2009
By Ashley Paholski SILVER, Ivoryton CT, Connecticut
Ashley Paholski SILVER, Ivoryton CT, Connecticut
8 articles 0 photos 1 comment

To blame humans or not to blame humans for global warming, that is the question. Global warming is an increase in temperature world wide. Report has noted, 11 out of the last 12 years have ranked among the warmest on record. CNN has stated that temperature changes have been notice over the last 50 years, due to human activities. 90-99% of daily human activities cause global warming. With this factor scientists have predicted the temperature will increase 3.2 to 7.1 degrees Fahrenheit. Yes humans are to blame for global warming because of population growth, deforestation, and the use of non-environmentally safe products. This world wide issue must be addressed to everyone!

First, the increase in population has had a major affect on Global warming. With more population comes the use of more cars, boats, planes, etc. These powered vehicles cause more C02to enter the air. Everyone is acknowledging that we need to make a change in our way of living. More cars and more planes are pouring enormous amounts of C02 into the atmosphere. “Most global increases rare due to increases in carbon dioxide from fossil fuels,” says CNN. This is true; did you know that aviation causes 3.5% of global warming? This seems like a little amount but, if you think of all the times planes depart and land per day it really adds up. Then, when there is traffic people’s car engines could be burning fuel for at least over an hour. They can use up to600 million gallons of gas, while just sitting in traffic. This is very common in many cities, world wide. I found that the amount of fossil fuels that are burned during traffic translates to 7.5 million tons of carbon dioxide. Vehicles with poor gas mileage contribute even more than regular cars do. Imagine all the transportation that occurs throughout the day keeps increasing as the population does. There will be so much carbon dioxide emissions that temperatures will increase by many degrees. We need to minimize our use of these items in order for our economy to avoid suffering. If we don’t change our actions it could change our lives forever!

Second, deforestation has had and still continues to have a tremendous affect on global warming. Deforestation is the process in which too many trees are being cut down. An example of this is in the Amazon Rainforest. Within twenty-six years it went from a dense thick layer of green forest, to an empty looking area. When we are cutting down trees the process of photosynthesis can not take place. Therefore large amounts of carbon dioxide are left in the air, and there is less oxygen. These C02 bonds interfere with the C03 in the ozone. Global warming is greatly affected by deforestation due to the increase in green house gases it causes. Millions of acres are being cut down each day. In fact, these acres happen to be the size of Italy. When these trees have fallen or have been burned carbon dioxide enters the air. Trees 50% carbon dioxide, so when deforestation takes place the carbon dioxide is released. This most prominent green house gas makes up 50% of every tree, so when multiple trees are cut down, it could be released at least twenty-five times. Because of the recent facts you’ve heard deforestation is the second major principle that causes global warming. It accounts for 25% of carbon dioxide emissions. With our actions we are losing temperate forests. Temperate forests are good forests to keep, around because they serve a big part in reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. These forests absorb two billion tons of carbon dioxide on their own. Who knew that, that a productive job, which brings in many products, could be so much trouble?

Lastly, we use non-environmentally safe products. We use things such as hairsprays, which are aerosols. Aerosols have been forming holes in the ozone layer for years. “We need to use more environmentally friendly technologies,” acknowledges Bush. An example of this is a hybrid car. A hybrid car runs mainly on sunlight, not oil. This way it is not burning tons of fossil fuels. It was the first time Bush had discussed this matter in a State of the Union address, so it must be getting serious. Bush had to confront this serious challenge of global changing climate due to using products like aerosols. Aerosols that are sprayed into the air travel upward and contribute to those broken O2 and O3 bonds. These products contain a fluorocarbon, which are green house gases. They make up 5% of the world’s green house gas emissions. These gases are a major cause of temperature increase. Not only do they raise the temperature, but they also keep infrared light from leaving the earth. So while the sea are melting we are developing skin cancer from those rays. Not only is it aerosol cans, but refrigerators, and air conditioners contain fluorocarbons too. With a few sprays here, and one or two there the temperatures are increasing.
On the other hand, some people argue global warming is due to solar variability. The definition of solar variability basically how hot the sun is. People argue that this can not be controlled, which is true, but there is more support to why it doesn’t make a difference. For example, scientists have only been tracking this for thirty years. This is not a very long time to be studying this factor. Compared to something like plate tectonics, which have been studied for at least fifty-seven years. Besides this many articles state that solar variability only plays a MINOR role in global warming. The rest of the factors are due to human activities, which have been studied so well that there is exact evidence of what it is doing, and why it is our fault. All these facts come with more than a paragraph of support too. During the time when scientists were studying global warming solar variability was not well determined yet. It was almost like a theory to the scientists at first. This means that scientists can’t fully support that solar variability is a cause of global warming. Now they may have facts, but are they as strong as the ones on human activities? Absolutely not, human activity facts are stronger and more detailed. People may think that they are defending a strong side in this issue, but really it is the weakest side of them all.
In conclusion humans are to blame for global warming because of population growth, deforestation, and the use of non-environmentally safe products. We have support from many articles and even the president that we need to do something about our actions. Whether it’s changing the products we use, or reducing the amount of fossil fuels we burn, its up to us to fix the problem we created. I encourage you to take a stand and address the problem, to let everyone know we made our planet like this, and it’s our job to fix it!


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This article has 3 comments.


Olivia said...
on Aug. 12 2014 at 9:38 am
This is a great artical and I personally enjoyedd reading the factual outlines. Yet, although everyone is taking part in the pointing blame for global warming, do you not think that whether global warming is real or not is not the over-whelming issue here? If we have solutions at hand to slow global warming shouldn't we concentrate on solutions to assisting our planet instead of pushing and shoving the blame around?

Brian H. said...
on Feb. 9 2014 at 2:17 pm
Dear Ashley P. :     I am writing to you because i agree with you and that you article "Global Warming" was intresting and imformitive.      I think that to many people belive that global warming is fake because recently the country has had very cold weather.  But people don't realize that its not only global warming its climate change.  Climate is what a place is averagely like in a ten year period or so.  That means that we haven't had enough time to show that our one and only planet is changing and changing for the worst.      So i ask everyone to follow ways to prevent global warming (climate change) and help save our amazing planet.       If we keep polluting like thisthan we will destroy this planet in the next centrie or so.  Remember there is no planet b for us to go to.  This generation is our last chance to save Earth. Sincerely,  Brian H.

on May. 20 2010 at 10:42 am
Hala Al Boainain BRONZE, Doha, Other
1 article 0 photos 1 comment
Great article. It's a cause I believe in. And I actually wrote an article, about cows and how they impact the environment negatively. In my research, I found that they also cause Global Warming. It's all because people won't reduce their meat consumption. So, I agree that it is people's fault.