Science MCOM.
Earth Science Story.
Dakota Phillips.
[Link]
[Link]
Intro
I wanted to write a story on Global warming and I wanted to evolve it into a story to
make the reader more aware of how global warming impacts the world. Im trying to target this
story to an audience of younger youth. Im attempting to write this story in a way that will
influence people and make them take global warming more seriously.
Global Warming
Global warming is a world wide crisis that effects the environment in many different
ways. Global warming is an occurrence where the climate of the environment gradually increases
over time. Global warming is widely debated on weather it is actually real or not. This dramatic
climate change is effecting the greenhouse effect, the melting of the polar ice caps, and the
temperature of the ocean.
The greenhouse effect is the circumstance of solar radiation from the sun getting trapped
in the earth's atmosphere. The various gases build up and create a warmer climate because they
are caught in the atmosphere. One of the gases includes carbon dioxide from human activities,
one of which being fossil fuels, the energy needed to provide transportation and electricity.
Methane gases are also caused by human activities, but from natural processes, such as raising
livestock.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Each of these gases
can remain in the atmosphere for different amounts of time, ranging from a few years to
thousands of years. All of these gases remain in the atmosphere long enough to become well
mixed, meaning that the amount that is measured in the atmosphere is roughly the same all over
the world, regardless of the source of the emissions. Some gases are more effective than others at
making the planet warmer and "thickening the Earth's blanket." For each greenhouse gas,
a Global Warming Potential (GWP) has been calculated to reflect how long it remains in the
atmosphere, on average, and how strongly it absorbs energy. Gases with a higher GWP absorb
more energy, per pound, than gases with a lower GWP, and thus contribute more to warming
Earth. ("Overview of Greenhouse Gases." Http://[Link]. EPA, 24 Feb. 2016. Web. 14
Mar. 2016.)
The gases in the atmosphere create a wall where solar heat from the sun gets trapped and
the Earth is unable to release the heat out. This causes the climate of the Earth to increase
temperature.
This increase in temperature has caused the melting of the polar ice caps to occur. Alone
with the temperature, global warming impacts the melting of the polar ice caps. The melting of
the glaciers has many impacted the ecosystem. Glaciers and sheets of ice melt away in places
like Greenland and Antarctica. Melting of these glaciers and sheets of ice add more water to the
oceans causing sea levels to rise. The rising of the sea level negatively impacts our environment.
While the ice bergs havent created a large issue yet, it shows one what can happen with
global warming in the future. According to Author and environmentalist Alec Hohensee, ever
since the 1900's, it has been estimated that the sea levels have risen approximately 6-8 inches. It
is estimated by the year 2100, that the oceans will elevate up to 80 centimeters. This rise in the
ocean will cause ocean front cites to have negative effects during storms, making it dangerous
for cities like Seattle which could have flooding and increased water levels submerging roads in
the city. Antarctica is covered in around two hundred meters of solid ice. It is estimated that if all
of the ice in Antarctica melted, then sea levels would rise two hundred feet. If this ever happens,
this can drastically change the world as we know it.
Certain animals will eventually disappear because the ice is melting. For example, polar
bears are dependent on the ice bergs, as it is their platform to catch pray. According to the World
Wildlife Fund, they believe the ice is melting at a rate of 9 percent every 10 years. This effects
the polar bears natural environment, which effects how they live. Penguins are also being
affected by the climate change as well. According to [Link] an estimated fifty
percent of penguins have slowly depleted over the last fifty years. Due to the ice melting,
trekking to get to their breeding grounds has become more difficult over time.
Alone with just the sea levels rising, ocean temperatures have increased as well,
dramatically impacting a variety of marine life and their ecosystems. The coral reef is negatively
effected by this occurrence. Many different species of fish are dependent on the coral reef to
survive. According to [Link], Coral reefs are threatened by rising water
temperatures, ocean acidification, and sea-level rise. Coral reefs typically live within a specific
range of temperature, light, and concentration of carbonate in seawater. When increases in ocean
temperature or ultraviolet light stress the corals, they lose their colorful algae, leaving only
transparent coral tissue covering their white calcium-carbonate skeletons. This phenomenon is
called coral bleaching. Even small increases in water temperature can cause coral bleaching. If
such stress continues, the corals can die. As corals die off, the number of marine species
supported by the reef declines, and local extinctions can occur. (Brooks, John. "Temperature
(ocean)." [Link]. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2011. Web. 14 Mar. 2016.)
With global warming impacting the environment, all three of these things are causes and
effects of each other.
