Global warming is the increase in the temperature of Earth’s atmosphere, caused by the greater amount of greenhouse gases. The greenhouse effect is a process that traps heat from the sun using greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere (here is a video that explains the greenhouse effect in more detail: What Is the Greenhouse Effect?). Normally, the greenhouse effect keeps Earth at the right temperature for different ecosystems to thrive. However, with the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the greenhouse effect has intensified and the Earth is starting to become too warm.
Causes of increased greenhouse gases:
There are many different greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, ozone, and more. The increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is mostly due to human actions. We constantly burn tons of fossil fuels to produce energy, but it also releases greenhouse gases, mostly notably carbon dioxide. The website of the EPA (https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions) lists the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. and the percentage of America’s total emissions coming from each major source. In 2018, the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions are from fossil fuel combustion to fuel vehicles for traveling, producing electricity, the production of goods and services, heating buildings, and agriculture. Of course, there are other ways to produce electricity, travel, and produce goods/services, but burning fossil fuels is the most prevalent way. It is cheap, quick, and it produces a lot of energy. It is much easier to burn fossil fuels than produce energy using more environmentally-friendly ways.
Another leading cause of global warming is the rapid clearing of forests for the wood in order to produce goods like paper and furniture. Forests absorb a lot of the Earth’s carbon dioxide. Therefore, humans not only increase the amount of greenhouse gases, but we also curb the amount of greenhouse gases that trees can take out of the atmosphere.
Effects of Global Warming:
You may think that global warming isn’t important, or that you may be able to enjoy more beach days if it’s warmer out. But global warming is having serious effects on ecosystems worldwide, and the effects will keep increasing. Much of the released carbon dioxide, or CO₂, is absorbed by the ocean. The growing amounts of CO₂ in the atmosphere leads to more and more CO₂ dissolved in the ocean, which makes the water more acidic. This will have serious effects on marine animals. For example, coral animals need to bond calcium and carbonate ions together to build their coral skeletons. When the ocean water becomes more acidic, the carbonate ions bond with the extra hydrogen ions, and the coral animals have less carbonate ions to work with. This then affects the whole ocean, as coral reefs provide habitats for many different marine animals.
The acidification of the ocean is just one of many harmful effects caused by global warming. There are many other consequences of climate change. Polar bears that live in the Arctic need sea ice to hunt, and the increase in temperature melts the ice they rely on (see my polar bear article: Polar Bears). Melting sea ice also leads to rising sea levels, which has caused floods and other natural disasters. Other animals and plants respond to stimuli that are affected by climate change. For example, many plants start to bud flowers when the temperatures rise at the start of spring. Some plants are starting to bloom much earlier because of the rising temperatures. However, if they bloom before they usually do, pollinators such as bees might have not emerged yet. This means that they will not be able to reproduce.
Ecosystems worldwide are connected in many different ways. Factors such as a 1℃ increase in temperature can have huge consequences. One little change can ripple through the world, affecting an ecosystem that is on the other side of the globe. This is because of all the interactions that a single organism has with all the other biotic and abiotic factors in their environment. As such, it is nearly impossible to list all the ways that global warming can
throw off delicate balances within Earth’s biosphere.
Ways to help:
Humans need to drastically reduce carbon emissions, and quickly. Really, the only way to stop global warming is to have a net zero of carbon emissions. We have to limit our usage of fossil fuels and try to use more clean sources of energy. Try to do the little things that you hear about all the time, like trying to walk or bike more and turning off lights when you don’t need them. Using solar panels and harnessing other forms of renewable energy such as wind energy and hydro energy will also help. Since trees take in carbon dioxide, planting trees would lower the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. You should also try to decrease the amount of paper and other products you use that come from forests. You can see my article on easy ways to be green: Animal Awareness: 10 Easy Tips to be more Green!
Carbon offsetting is another way to help. It is basically where somebody emits greenhouse gases, but makes up for it somehow. They might plant trees to absorb the same amount of greenhouse gases that they produce, or pay someone to produce renewable energy to make up for the nonrenewable energy sources they used.
Agreements, Treaties, and Plans to Lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions
One of the most significant international attempts to limit greenhouse gas emissions is the Paris Agreement. It was ratified on November 4, 2016 with the goal of limiting climate change to an increase of 2℃, although the countries that agreed hope for an increase of 1.5℃. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has a site that details the Paris Agreement more precisely: The Paris Agreement | UNFCCC. While the Paris Agreement was a start, the actions that countries have taken are still not nearly enough to meet the goal of a 2℃ change in global warming. Additionally, the U.S. pulled out of the Paris Agreement in 2017, and the United States is the second largest carbon emitter.
The Green New Deal is a report that is about what the U.S. has to do to combat climate change quickly. It has many goals, including the U.S. having zero greenhouse gas emissions. However, there are many issues that come with taking action to reach that goal. For one, the amount of fossil fuels that are burned would have to be lowered, which means that some people working in power plants might lose their job as America switches to clean energy sources. There are many other problems too. This video gives an in-depth explanation of the Green New Deal: The Green New Deal, explained. Here is an article that also talks about the Green New Deal: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/21/climate/green-new-deal-questions-answers.html
The president elect, Joe Biden, says he will execute his Joe Biden’s Build Back Better Plan to address climate change issues. According to Biden, constructing infrastructure, creating jobs, and building a clean energy ecosystem are all parts of his plan.
Here is a fun, interactive site for kids that teaches them about greenhouse gases: Meet the Greenhouse Gases!
And here is an interesting proposal on how to help combat climate change: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/28/climate/climate-change-geoengineering.html?referringSource=articleShare
Sources:
https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement
Reece, Jane B. Campbell Biology Concepts & Connections. Eighth ed., Pearson Education, 2009.
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