Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming, Thesis

There are several models using the scientific method used to measure and support the concept of global warming. Scientists are measuring items that have remained on Earth for millions of years, such as the ice core samples, but they are also measuring tree rings and other living indicators of the Earth's temperature. Scientist Johansen continues, "By 1998, the Earth had sustained 20 consecutive years above the 1961 to 1990 average temperature, with the upward curve steepening toward the end of the period" (Johansen 34). This has continued into the 21st century at an even steeper rate, and the scientific evidence points to even greater warming in the next decades.

The bottom line on global warming is that people need to take it more seriously. It seems that many people still do not understand the reality of global warming, and that if the planet continues to warm the way it has been over the past 200 years, there will be a time when it becomes inhabitable for human life. In addition, there will be dire consequences for humans before that, (such as the ocean levels rising, wiping out millions of miles of coastline and cities), the rain forests disappearing, weather becoming much more drastic, and many other situations. The risks are great, and the benefits (additional rainfall in some areas, for instance), are few.

Of course, something must be done. People can conserve and begin to think "green" in an effort to conserve carbon dioxide, and they can drive cleaner vehicles, and many people are already doing that. However, a larger, global solution must be developed that can tackle the problem on a larger scale. That is why my environmental group is proposing to fund a project to wrap the Earth's ice sheets in plastic wrap or another material, retaining the ice and keeping it from melting, which helps to reduce the effects of global warming, because the ice actually reflects the sun's rays, helping to keep the Earth cooler. As the ice disappears, it actually enhances global warming, so keeping the ice is one key element of helping to stop global warming.A test project in Greenland indicated that covering the ice with a layer of reflective white plastic does indeed protect the ice from melting, and on a grand scale the project could cover the Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets, which would help keep ocean levels from rising due to ice melt, as well.

There are two problems with our proposal. First, the cost of creating the plastic wrap is heavy, and producing plastic uses fossil fuels, so another type of material should be developed that would withstand the drastic weather conditions at these sites, but would still protect the ice from melting. The other problem is actually deploying the covering - it is labor intensive and requires dedication from the individuals working to deploy the coverings. The other risk is that this is just one part of a solution that must be addressed globally. Reducing energy emissions, more research, and other creative solutions will need to be developed, and quickly, if we are to truly stop global warming and turn the climate around.

In conclusion, global warming is a serious issue that most people seem to be ignoring. You cannot "see" global warming, but it is as dire a threat as the threat of terrorism is to our country. Scientific evidence supports the idea of global warming, and even if some people choose to believe it does not exist, there is overpowering evidence that it does, it is affecting our lives right now (larger storms, more and more devastating hurricanes, etc.), and it is going to continue to affect our lives in the future. We need to think outside the box when it comes to global warming, and we need to start now.

References

Editors. "Wrapping Greenland." Discovery.com. Oct. 2008. 19 Dec. 2008. http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/project-earth/lab-books/greenland/greenland-guide1.html

Johansen, Bruce E. The Global Warming Desk Reference. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2002.

Pidwirny, M. "The Greenhouse Effect." Fundamentals of Physical Geography, 2nd Edition. 2008. 19 Dec. 2008. http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/7h.html

Wheldon, Julie. "Greenhouse Effect Is a Myth, Say….....