Are we killing our own world? Quite possibly, yes.
Global warming – a concept where our Earth’s temperatures are rising, likely due to manmade emissions of carbon monoxide and other greenhouse gases – truly has the bleakest of outcomes. Melting polar ice caps, massive coral bleaching, deadly forest fires, crop failure and immense loss of animal and human life are all forecast. Scientific research states that should temperatures increase between -17 to -16 degrees Celsius (two to four degrees Fahrenheit), “one-third of species will be lost from their current range, either moved elsewhere or vanished.”
Place a space heater in your home; the fan blows warm air and takes the chill away from a cool winter’s day. Now, picture this on a much, much grander scale. A far bigger space heater is created when our own vehicle and factory exhaust seemingly puffs mindlessly into the sky; however, the warmth from those gases heats up our planet. Evidence of the forthcoming devastation has been already witnessed … Inuit hunters in our country’s far North have watched helplessly as polar bears move further north in search of ice floes or further south in search of food.
Perhaps roving polar bears will not hold any immediate interest for you; however, other impacts of global warming certainly will. Melting glaciers and severe droughts from global warming will cause dramatic water shortages. Rising sea levels, caused by melting glaciers, will result in severe coastal flooding. Many plant and animal species, which provide human food sources, will become extinct.
Former U.S. Vice-President and environmental activist Al Gore has been alerting audiences for years on the dangers of global warming. In addition, he is the author of the book, “An Inconvenient Truth” and the inspiration behind the movie of the same name. Gore’s powerhouse presentations have helped to convince over 1000 audiences to-date of the seriousness of this issue.
As Gore preaches, we have the capability to reduce the risk of global warming by simply reducing the amount of gas emissions. Walk short distances rather than drive. Recycle. Conserve hot water. Turn that space heater selector switch to “low”. But, it up to us to listen and pay heed.
Further recommended reading on this subject includes the following:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming
http://www.nrdc.org/globalWarming/f101.ASP
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1206_041206_global_warming.HTML
article by Rick Lauber is a published freelance writer whose work has been featured in numerous newspapers and magazines. When not writing, Rick enjoys visiting his favourite second-hand CD stores, taking long walks and playing pool. rlauber@canada.com.
