Climate change is one of the most pressing environmental concerns of the 21st century. Hite and Seitz (2016) state that issues such as global warming, extreme weather conditions, the rise in the sea level, and the disruption of natural ecosystems are all linked to the problem of climate change and have a potentially disastrous effect on the Earth and the quality of life on it. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, 2017) agrees that “Observations across the United States and the world provide multiple, independent lines of evidence that climate change is happening now” (para. 1).
There are a number of reasons for the climate change, according to climatologists. However, the most substantial adverse effect on the environment is caused by human activity: “Notably, population and economic growth are the most important drivers of increased greenhouse gas emissions” (Hite & Seitz, 2016, p. 172). After the worldwide industrialization, many companies opened large-scale manufacturing facilities that caused an increase in gas emissions (Hite & Seitz, 2016). The development of car industry and increased car use, on the other hand, are also linked to higher emissions of gasses into the atmosphere.
One of the results of human activity is the rise of CO2 levels in the air, which is believed to cause a rise in temperature, otherwise known as greenhouse effect (Hite & Seitz, 2016). For instance, when European and American scientists studied a core of ice to determine the change of weather conditions in the past, they found that the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere today is higher than in any other period of time and that there is a strong positive correlation between the levels of CO2 and the Earth’s temperature (Hite and Seitz, 2016). EPA (2017) provides an explanation of the relationship between the CO2 levels and global temperature: “Greenhouse gases act like a blanket around Earth, trapping energy in the atmosphere and causing it to warm” (para. 2).
Scientists argue that there are multiple reasons to believe that the climate change has already started. One most direct effect of the changing climate is the increase in world’s average temperature. Hite and Seitz (2016) state that “Since the 1980s, every decade has been warmer than the previous one, which represents the warmest period since modern industrialization (1850) and likely the warmest in the last 1,400 years” (p. 172).
EPA (2017) argues that one of the effects of climate change can also be observed in the changing weather conditions: the agency explains that some areas of the world have already experienced significant changes in rainfall, which resulted in more floods, droughts, and intense rain. The melting of the mountain glaciers and Arctic ice sheets, as well as the rise in the sea level, are also considered to be the proofs of climate change (Hite & Seitz, 2016).
These effects also result in the disruption of natural ecosystems, which threaten the survival of many animal and plant species (Hite & Seitz, 2016). Finally, the evidence of climate change can also be observed in our everyday lives: for instance, a higher rate of infectious diseases is widely attributed to air pollution and the changing temperatures (Hite & Seitz, 2016).
Overall, climate change is an important issue that can only be solved by reducing our carbon footprint. Some of the ways in which this can be done include finding new energy sources, imposing a carbon tax, and decreasing deforestation (Hite & Seitz, 2016). However, all of these initiatives need to have a distinctive global approach, so it is crucial for all countries to understand the potential impact of climate change and to agree on the measures to decrease the human footprint on the environment.
References
Hite, K. A., & Seitz, J. L. (2016). Global issues: An introduction (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2017). Climate Change: Basic Information. Web.