Sea Levels and Melting Glaciers - Research Paper Example

They continue to say it’s a myth regardless of recent, clearly observable weather anomalies such as record heat, droughts, storms and floods in addition to melting ice caps and glaciers causing rising sea levels. These climate events were predicted by scientists’ years ago. Others admit the earth is warming but deny the source claiming naturally occurring global temperature cycles are to blame. By simply acknowledging the facts and ignoring political agendas, man’s impact on climate change becomes clear, unlike the air we breathe.

Man-produced air pollutants, chiefly carbon dioxide, are commonly referred to as “greenhouse gases.” Carbon dioxide is emitted naturally by mammals when they breathe out and taken in by growing plant life. This cycle does not pollute the air, however, carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere from the use of fossil fuels such as coal and oil by factories, electric power plants and automobiles not only pollutes the air but is causing an imbalance of the earth’s greenhouse effect. Part of the sun’s energy is reflected back into space by the atmosphere while part is allowed through and warms the earth.

Naturally occurring substances in the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide, keep this balance and the earth’s temperature relatively constant. . We have records of massive hurricanes striking what’s now New York as far back as the mid-13th century.” (Cooke, 2012). However, the warming seas, altered currents and higher sea levels due to higher climate temperatures made the storm larger, directed it on a path closer to the coast and amplified the reach of inland flooding. It seems reasonable to assume that global warming deniers, in general, have not objectively researched the available data.

The oil and coal industry tries to sway public opinion by spending millions to convince people “clean energy” is too expensive and not yet a viable option while hyping their own efforts to reduce carbon emissions such as by using “clean coal” technology, a process that does not exists. “The airwaves are filled with corporate-financed climate misinformation.” (Begley, 2011). Even those who refuse to believe the scientific data cannot escape the undeniable reality that unusually extreme weather events are taking place more frequently.

“Worldwide, the litany of weather’s extremes has reached biblical proportions.” (Begley, 2011). In 2010 Texas experienced a record drought. Many parts of the state did not have rain the entire year. Nearly1000 tornadoes ripped across the nation’s Midwest killing hundreds of people and causing billions of dollars in damage while record flooding inundated this region. Flooding in Australia and Pakistan left millions homeless. Heat waves in Europe and Russian have killed thousands. China, like Texas, endured drought conditions in most of 2010 which destroyed several millions acres that were once fertile farmlands.

Sea levels are rising by varying degrees on almost every coastline. This is just the beginning and the worst is yet to