Global Warming Explained

You’ve heard about it on TV, seen it mentioned in the newspaper – but what exactly is global warming? The ecosystem on earth has been changing – especially in recent years. Scientists have attributed this change in the earth’s ecosystem partly to humankind. But what have we as humans done to make the earth start to become warmer?

The cars we drive and factories we work at all emit gasses of carbon dioxide. This large amount of carbon dioxide is not naturally found in the earth’s atmosphere – we have put it there. But instead of leaving the atmosphere, this carbon stays – and it acts like a warm blanket not allowing heat to escape. When heat doesn’t escape it warms the earth. And there you have it: global warming.

Ok, so it’s getting hotter outside. We’ll just buy more ice cube trays and crank up the A/C a few degrees. But think about it. If the earth starts to become hotter, this makes it harder for us to breathe. It also makes our drinking water unable to drink and changes the weather such as creating catastrophic hurricanes. And the Artic ice caps are already starting to melt. These ice caps are so huge that when they melt it causes the oceans to rise – and the coastlines are heavily populated!

There are also health risks that can be caused by global warming. When the temperature rises, disease-carrying mosquitoes and rodents flourish. This will infect more humans with such life-threatening illnesses as malaria, dengue fever and encephalitis. And no A/C in the world can fix that.

So global warming is not just an environmental issue. It could potentially wipe out humans if we keep going at this rate without changing our lifestyles. But you’re just one person, how can you help “save the world”? Simple: start by changing the way you live. Instead of wasting water, why not buy an inexpensive low-flow showerhead? Recycle everything from bags to bottles and landfills will stop being so overloaded.

The most important thing you can do is to spread the word about global warming. Tell a friend, colleague and family members the small steps you’re doing to help stop global warming. They won’t look at you like you’re nuts – they’ll look at you like a hero.