Global Warming

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorCollege, Undergraduate April 2001

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Global Warming In the past ten years global warming has become a heated topic for discussion in just about every aspect of everyday life. Global warming is a phenomenon caused by human activities that are altering the chemical composition of the atmosphere through the buildup of greenhouse gases, mostly composed of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous. These gases are caused mostly by automobile and industrial exhaust, which mainly burn fossil fuels (EPA 1). Whether it is on the radio or television, global warming has been discussed by just about everyone on this planet at one time or another. Many of these people, however, have different views on this topic. Some think that global warming is a serious problem that must be dealt with quickly and thoroughly if the human race is to survive in the future. Skeptics conclude that global warming is not a problem and that there is no reason to be concerned with it.

Others believe that global warming is simply based on political issues and have nothing to do with the actual environment. Despite the controversy over this subject, it agreed that global warming is a major topic of environmental and political agenda.

Many citizens of earth agree that our planet is seriously threatened by global warming. Climatologists are confident that over the past century the global average temperature has increased by about half a degree Celsius (Scientific America 1). This may not seem like much, but this small increase in temperature can have a severe affect on the environment. Members of the scientific community conclude that global warming affects many aspects of the environment, including sea levels, coastlines, agriculture, forestry and wildlife (World Book 232). The effects of global warming, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, may also alter crop yields and water supplies. Studies conducted...