A climate of ignorance: Secure future requires work now
Nicole Queri
Issue date: 1/23/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
Whether or not you enjoyed the fact that it has been flip-flop weather in the middle of January, the trend of global warming will only increase and we can count on our ski slopes being bare for a long time to come.
Global warming is essentially the increase in the Earth's average surface temperature and the projected average temperature for future years. The huge amounts of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere are primarily to blame. This carbon dioxide, for example, is causing the ice to melt at the poles. Moreover, it is human activity from everyday activities and practices that are truly causing the lukewarm temperatures in January. Twenty percent of carbon dioxide emissions come from cars and even the use of fossil fuels for electricity and heating add up to a whopping 40 percent of emissions. On top of this, aviation, buildings themselves and deforestation add to surprising high amounts of carbon dioxide production.
Are there any benefits to global warming? It seems that this side of the issue is never examined. Clearly, with anything, excess should be frowned upon, but moderate global warming actually could help food production in North America, Australia, and New Zealand. Moreover, a recent article elaborated on lost islands that have been frozen for centuries and are now being exposed, which are historical and archeological treasures. However, these are only good things if global warming was at a steady pace and not so rapidly becoming a worse and worse situation. Diseases such as malaria and Lyme disease could spread in North America and Europe will be more prone to droughts.
The rise of the ocean from melting ice caps could result in the erosion of valuable and irreplaceable coral reefs and ecosystems, causing the extinction of animal and plant species.
It seems impractical to think that human nature will sacrifice luxuries and immediate gratification for the sake of the environment. Humans have this natural and common thought process that the Earth will be around forever: the water will never run out, the air will always be breathable, and resources will magically replenish themselves. It seems that we have dug ourselves into a hole that we may never be able to escape. As kids we were taught to not waste and to recycle. We can still embrace these practices but we can also try to embrace other ideas. Hybrid cars must become more affordable and more information about them must be provided to the public to make them more appealing, both aesthetically and environmentally. Alternate energy resources must be examined.
Choose an energy supplier that uses solar or wind energy to generate the product that is distributed. While it may be true that every little bit does help, if bigger measures aren't taken, individual efforts will not make a significant impact in the global warming situation.
It seems that some of these concepts are slowly taking hold. Loyola College has embraced the new recycling program (I honestly didn't think it would catch on and make such a significant difference) and many residential buildings are embracing the usage of renewable energy. Even many hotels have implemented programs to cut down on the amount of laundry that is performed daily.
Hopefully our new congress will be able to make a dent in this important issue that will continue to affect generations until the Earth is gone.
But until major laws are passed and human beings embrace a non-excessive lifestyle, it would be best to keep your shorts and parkas out year-round.
Global warming is essentially the increase in the Earth's average surface temperature and the projected average temperature for future years. The huge amounts of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere are primarily to blame. This carbon dioxide, for example, is causing the ice to melt at the poles. Moreover, it is human activity from everyday activities and practices that are truly causing the lukewarm temperatures in January. Twenty percent of carbon dioxide emissions come from cars and even the use of fossil fuels for electricity and heating add up to a whopping 40 percent of emissions. On top of this, aviation, buildings themselves and deforestation add to surprising high amounts of carbon dioxide production.
Are there any benefits to global warming? It seems that this side of the issue is never examined. Clearly, with anything, excess should be frowned upon, but moderate global warming actually could help food production in North America, Australia, and New Zealand. Moreover, a recent article elaborated on lost islands that have been frozen for centuries and are now being exposed, which are historical and archeological treasures. However, these are only good things if global warming was at a steady pace and not so rapidly becoming a worse and worse situation. Diseases such as malaria and Lyme disease could spread in North America and Europe will be more prone to droughts.
The rise of the ocean from melting ice caps could result in the erosion of valuable and irreplaceable coral reefs and ecosystems, causing the extinction of animal and plant species.
It seems impractical to think that human nature will sacrifice luxuries and immediate gratification for the sake of the environment. Humans have this natural and common thought process that the Earth will be around forever: the water will never run out, the air will always be breathable, and resources will magically replenish themselves. It seems that we have dug ourselves into a hole that we may never be able to escape. As kids we were taught to not waste and to recycle. We can still embrace these practices but we can also try to embrace other ideas. Hybrid cars must become more affordable and more information about them must be provided to the public to make them more appealing, both aesthetically and environmentally. Alternate energy resources must be examined.
Choose an energy supplier that uses solar or wind energy to generate the product that is distributed. While it may be true that every little bit does help, if bigger measures aren't taken, individual efforts will not make a significant impact in the global warming situation.
It seems that some of these concepts are slowly taking hold. Loyola College has embraced the new recycling program (I honestly didn't think it would catch on and make such a significant difference) and many residential buildings are embracing the usage of renewable energy. Even many hotels have implemented programs to cut down on the amount of laundry that is performed daily.
Hopefully our new congress will be able to make a dent in this important issue that will continue to affect generations until the Earth is gone.
But until major laws are passed and human beings embrace a non-excessive lifestyle, it would be best to keep your shorts and parkas out year-round.
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