Problem and Solution of Global WarmingEssay title: Problem and Solution of Global WarmingGlobal warming is the observed increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans. Higher temperatures threaten dangerous consequences: drought, disease, floods, and lost ecosystems. From sweltering heat to rising seas, global warming’s effects have already begun. Many people still believe that since the earth is so big, human beings cannot possibly have any major impact on the way the planet operates. The truth is we have grown so numerous and our technologies have become so powerful that we are now capable of having a significant influence on many parts of the earth’s environment (Gore 22). Without the help of the human race, and the listening ears of our politicians, we are going to leave this extreme crisis to the next generation.
Everyone can see the effects of global warming. Hurricane Katrina is the most recent event to hit our nation, and Japan just recently set an all-time record for typhoons. The science textbooks had to be rewritten in 2004 because they used to say, “It’s impossible to have hurricanes in the South Atlantic.” But that year, for the first time, a hurricane hit Brazil (Gore 84). The most dramatic effect of global warming is the accelerating melting in the Arctic. When the ice melts it raises the sea level, and when it’s finished melting, coastal property will eventually be 40 feet under water- leaving over 100 million people homeless. If we continue to see these rates rise and do nothing about it, there will be serious health problems, more extreme weather conditions, billion dollar industries will go bankrupt (skiing and wineries), and it will cause ecological catastrophes.
The history of the problem stems back to the 1960’s when global warming was first discovered and tested. It was discovered that the CO2 levels were now increasing more rapidly than every before. Studies show now that the top 10 hottest years on earth have been in the last 14 years, with the hottest being 2005. Also, in the past 650,000 years, the CO2 concentration never went above 300 parts per year. As of now, it’s almost reached 400. Scientists predict that 50 years from now, that number will be above 600 (Gore 64).
If we burn less fossil fuels it will reduce the CO2 in the atmosphere. The more CO2 we have, the thicker the ozone layer is and the less heat we let out of our atmosphere. When we reach the levels we were at for the 650,000 years before 1960, Global Warming will discontinue. There is proof and evidence gathered in the data showing our rapid incline of heat and CO2 in the atmosphere. Although there is a complicated explanation of the relationship between temperature and CO2, the less CO2, the lower the temperature.
There are many causes of the increased CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions, but one of the most devastating is the heavy carbon dioxide being released from the power plants. Coal from burning the fossil fuels emit tons more CO2 than natural gas and oil. Carbon dioxide emitted from cars is also a huge problem- about 20% of the U.S.’s CO2 emission comes from our cars. There are also dangerous amounts of CO2 coming from trucks, airplanes, and buildings. The lack of trees and deforestation also plays a big role and is responsible for 25% of all CO2 emitted in the atmosphere.
The good thing is that global warming isn’t going completely unnoticed. At least 16 cases, drawing on a variety of legal cases, are pending in federal or state court. These cases have to do with legal wars on oil, electric power, auto, and other companies whose emissions are linked to global warming. The best and biggest solution would definitely be for our countries to work together to make laws against letting such high amounts of CO2 enter the atmosphere. There should be very harsh punishments for these companies that emit so much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and laws to make them change them. Some say that since Hurricane Katrina’s fury was powered by unusually warm Gulf water, and since such warmth could result from global warming, companies that have pumped the atmosphere full of greenhouse gases should be liable for damages (Carey and Woellert 1).
Another solution, and possibly the first step for the world to work together to reduce global warming, is to put energy efficient, renewable energy, and vehicle technology solutions in place at a federal level. California has been the only state to step up to the plate. In August 2006, the California state legislature passed the landmark Global Warming Solutions Act which mandates that the state’s greenhouse gas emissions be rolled back to 1990 levels by 2020 (The Vote Heard around the World 1). This first-in-the-nation law puts a cap on gas emissions from power plants, refineries, and manufacturing plants. Since the United States currently produces 70 percent of its electricity from fossil fuels and only two percent from renewable resources, it is certain that by converting
totaling 85,000 megawatts of solar, wind, biomass, and wind energy—roughly 5 megawatts—into “green” energy, the state will almost certainly have to step up and stop generating more. Since the transition in the late 1970s, states have had an incentive as well to reduce their carbon footprint and to step up to the plate. This is due in large part to the presence and growing presence of large, growing communities that have developed coalitions, like California’s—a diverse mix of farmers, ranchers, ranchers’ associations, communities of color, indigenous and environmental organizations—to do the work. This will increase demand for energy from renewable sources such as solar, wind, biomass, and other unconventional sources which are the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Some of these groups are the National Guard Corps, Air Force, Civilian Conservation Department, and public servants. A large contingent of these organizations are the C.F.I. and EPA, which are responsible for the development and operational of public and private infrastructure across the United States, and the military that deploys and maintains its armed forces. The National Transportation Safety Board—called the Federal Safety Council, after the first president of the Council of Security Cooperation—is responsible for all air safety inspections conducted by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and National Civil Aviation Safety Administration (NACAA). Each of the three agencies also has a large mandate to identify, train, and maintain national and commercial aviation safety and intelligence laboratories. Each of the three agencies also has a small contingent and in many cases, a large contingent to the contrary, and many of these organizations also have a large contingent to the contrary when it comes to conducting risk assessment, which often requires national and private aviation organizations to do their best to assist the FAA in its oversight of its operations. But the big question is: Are these organizations capable of providing what they are promised? There is no indication that the C.F.I. and EPA have been forthcoming with any recommendations. The C.F.I. has since said it would like to make “significant changes in how it evaluates risk assessments”. And yet despite the fact that the C.F.I. and EPA can only do their best in an emergency, when they are facing a threat of a terrorist attack, and the threat of nuclear proliferation, they still need to make their efforts credible. In addition to their ability to perform safety assessments, the C.F.I. has to be able to identify threats to the safety of its clients, not to mention protect those against who choose to use those efforts as a threat (Dorothy Clements, PhD, and Christopher Pugh, PhD, are three coauthors of the study). This is not surprising, given their current position on protecting the United States against terrorist actions, terrorist acts, other threats, and other economic and social challenges—though the C.F.I. seems to have less of this at hand. In addition, their knowledge of the legal system and the law (with the exception of several cases brought against them, of course) cannot do much at all to