Kuo, Becerra, McCaffree 1

Keith Kuo, Ricky Becerra, Amy McCaffree

English 1010
Lana Wolverton
January 8, 2015
Heat Rise Going Global
Every time that someone turns on a light, drives a car, buys groceries, or simply charges
their phone, C02 emissions are being pumped into the atmosphere and heating up the earth.
Many factories: Power plants and automobiles are a major contribution to the climate change
because of the C02 emissions, which they send out. A worldwide effort is needed to inhibit and
limit the gas emissions being produced (Begley). If regulations are created on gas emissions
throughout international countries C02 levels would drastically fall. Although most of the big
changes could be made possible by new laws, many changes can start with you and me.
The effects of climate change are drastically growing and will continue to grow if we
dont do anything about it. Climate change has been a nuisance to environmentalists in recent
years, and has been affecting much of the Earth. Much of the main problems consist of
environmental, health, climate, and even economic changes. Over the years, scientists have
conducted experiments to understand the effects of global warming and have been searching for
solutions to prevent it from getting worse. These are problems that everyone can witness first
hand and that we are all affected by. We have been warned by scientists about these dangers and
problems of climate change.
Environmental effects can be seen daily. For example, this current winter having instead
of freezing temperatures with snow in mid-December, now you can witness an occasional warm
sunny day without snow or clouds in the north, or dry climates suddenly becoming humid and

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rainy. Another example can be seen the Amazon rainforest which is drying out slowly due to
increased climate temperatures (Begley). One of the most popular effects seen in the
environment is the melting of the polar ice caps, which take up a big portion of the earth. The ice
sheets declined by about twenty-seven percent in the last thirty years. The ice sheets hold around
seventy percent of earths fresh water and it is reducing rapidly (Long).
There is also a huge health factor that comes with climate change. The article, Global
Warming Effects around the World informs, As our climate changes, the risk of injury, illness,
and death from the resulting heat waves, wildfires, intense storms, and floods rise (Health). In
other words, the article is trying to explain how global warming effects are causing negative
consequences to human health. As it gets hotter in certain regions or floods occur, and the air
becomes more polluted, we all become vulnerable to health risks due to these situations.
Another important effect that has a huge impact on everyone is the economic problems
that can come from climate change. Both scientists and economists agree that global warming
and rising temperatures will have an expensive effect on our local and global economies. As
storms, floods, fires, and other climate changes start to pour in; drastic infrastructure and crops
can be destroyed. This causes damages that would have to be repaired eventually and it would be
extremely expensive. Because of a situation like that, much of the productivity would stop so
there would be no money circulating the area affected. As well as the crops that may be produced
in the area affected, no crops would mean inflation in food prices and a scarcity of the crop
(Revesz et al).
As we go through the many issues which are created by climate change, there are
immense problems caused by the rising temperatures of earth. You can see that the effects not
only have an environmental but also an economic effect. These significant problems are

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growing, and as long as we dont help stop them they will just continue to grow and keep getting
worse. It is important that we fix these problems in the environment so that we can prevent
health and economic downturns which negatively affect the population.
Global warming has caused many problems in our ecosystem that will only continue to
increase. In Effects of Global Warming, National Geographic reminds us of the signs of
global warming that are already showing up in our environment. One example is all of the
animals that are affected by the climate change. National Geographic states, Ecosystems will
changesome species will move farther north or become more successful; others wont be able
to move and could become extinct (Effects). Although some animals may become more
successful, this means that the majority of animals will be harmed and eventually go extinct.
Another concern is that the climate change is likely to alter the distribution of freshwater in many
regions, which is a necessary resource for human activities and ecosystems (Long). As
freshwater resources decrease, the demand increases, causing trouble for society and ecosystems.
In addition, there are multiple health consequences as a culmination of global warmings
doing. In recent history the ramification of deadly heat waves have taken thousands of lives. In
the piece, The Consequences of Global Warming, the NRDC beseeches their audience about
the recent heat waves in recent history. NRDC expresses, In 2003, extreme heat waves claimed
as many as 70,000 lives in Europe. In France alone, nearly 15,000 people died during two weeks
of soaring temperatures, which reached as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit. The author alludes to
the past when Europe reached a record high heat temperature and because of the tin roofs and
metal lining and lack of air conditioning in the cities of Europe, houses became like microwaves
and the residents died of heat exhaustion. Some cities and even some countries do not have the
economic power and government control to regulate the safety of houses and buildings and

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consequently risking lives. This is one of the many reasons why global warming should be
contemplated and reviewed to obstruct the progression of these phenomena.
Global Warming has caused a major change in weather patterns around the world. In
Global Warming is the Cause of This Years Extreme Weather, Susan Begley describes recent
changes in weather conditions that have been caused by rising temperatures. Some of these
changes can be seen by the amount of powerful hurricanes and intense rainstorms. She expounds,
For every rise of 1 degree Celsius (most of it man-made) in surface temperatures in the tropical
Atlantic, rainfall from a tropical storm increases 6 to 18 percent and wind speeds of the strongest
hurricanes increase by up to 8 percent (Begley). What Begley is trying to convey is that the
man-made temperature rises have been influencing the weather causing dangerous storms at an
increasing rate. This isnt the only problem we can observe due to global warming. Begley
continues to discuss the issues that have come up due to heat waves caused by high temperatures,
which is also a major issue in some parts of the world.
In "Global Warming: Improve Economic Models of Climate Change," Revesz
acknowledges the future costs of climate change. They consider the issue of crop growth and
food security. Yields of certain crops may start to decline in places of higher temperatures that
are caused by the climate change (Revesz et al). This will result in loss of food security, which is
very harmful to our economy and human health. If food growth and production decreases, than
the value of the stock and labor productivity would conclude in a considerable decrease, which
would negatively impact the economy (Revesz et al).
Though we are experiencing some rises in temperature, pollution, and animal pattern
changes, some are still skeptic about the reliability on the theory of global warming. According
to the authors in, Global Warming & Climate Change Myths, Dr. Jan Dash wrote, on April

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2014, 176 reasons why global warming is a false statement and should not be considered. It is
the natural process the world goes through and facts such as CO2 not containing a temperature,
and therefore not attributing toward the greenhouse effect around the earth. The article also states
that CO2 did not initiate the past ice ages and concluding that the CO2 emissions are not a factor
toward the global warming. Many other important points were mentioned in the article and
should not be taken lightly. The reasons alluded to in the list are astonishing to say the least but
have flaws in their own way.
Upon further review in the article, it seems like Dr. Jan Dash reworded most of the
points. In other words, the author made the same reasons in the article, but changed the way he
stated them, which sounded repetitive and therefore made the skepticism seem bigger than it
really is. One of the logic the author states is, CO2 lags temperature (Dash). To clarify, the
author wanted to deplore the idea that the CO2 emissions we have nothing to do with the
increase in temperature globally. Although that statement may be true, CO2 still does factor into
the increase in temperature. CO2 may lag temperature but it does not escape the atmosphere and
CO2 traps the dangerous UV rays and heat given off by the sun. This has a risk to the peoples
health and the natures natural life cycle.
Another logical thought Dr. Jan Dash touches upon is that CO2 is not the main source of
the past Ice Age. The author pronounces, Were heading into an Ice Age (Dash), and it should
come to our attention that the overall warming of the earth is false and instead of the earth
warming it is cooling. Other scientists have proven the fact that some parts of the world have
been cooling but on an average global scale, the temperature has been rising. Not to mention, the
Ice Age happened over 10,000 years and the global warming effects are going to happen in the

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next 100 years. The statement that the writer alludes to is redundant for the time being as 10,000
years is miniscule compared to the 100 years the global warming is going to affect now.
The author fails to mention the harm global warming has on the economy. With the rise
in temperature, some foods will not grow and because of the pattern of dry seasons, statistics
show that some of these plants are on the pathway to extinction. As the world grows in
population the demand for food becomes more strenuous and demanding. That being said, with
the climate change increasing, the plants are going to struggle to grow in a faster rate. An over
use of soil abuses its nutrients and takes time to regenerate to gather more nutrients. If we keep
on exploiting the soil, soon the soil will be malnourished of its nourishment and the area of
growth for the fruits and vegetables will be diminished and soon be gone. The inflation for food
will rise. A basic necessity for sustenance will quickly become an unaffordable luxury and the
people will look to cheaper food and even that will have an upsurge on its price. The climate
change will greatly affect our world's economy in the near future (Dash).
If we come together and make an effort to hamper the global warming harms now, we
can improve the earths condition by colossal amounts. The other the point of view on this
argument has brilliant purposes to believe that global warming is a myth, but the global warming
facts outweigh the myth. Global warming is a danger and should be controlled and monitored to
rejuvenate the world for natures and the peoples health.
One of the biggest reasons the dilemma on global warming has not yet been solved is
because global warming is still a theory. No one can prove if it really is or isnt happening. The
scientists are not sure if it is the natural process of the earth or if it is human caused, but facts to
do not lie. Temperature is rising and we should do our part as citizens to monitor what we emit to
the air and produce a cleaner future. For example, we could not leaving cars idling for too long,

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or turning off the lights when they are not in use (Hartfield). If we dont, more restrictions will
be enforced onto the whole world costing a fortune to oversee the emitting pollution (Almasy).
Programs have already been created by the government to track these problems. For example, the
E.P.A. has been looking over the earths health at great costs from federal funding
(Almasy). Lets do our part by start tracking our own emissions and help the earth.
In conclusion, climate change and global warming are entities to be considered and dealt
with. The repercussions of this topic are monumental with the environment, health, climate
change, and economic impacts. With the environment ever changing and adapting, human force
is also a factor to altering the ecosystem. The warming of the earth is causing disruptions in the
ecosystem and more and more animals are becoming near extinct because of the loss of various
animals. The animal patterns have changed, for example animals have migrated to different
places. Predators are having to find new sources of food and ergo interrupting the natural process
of the animal food chain. This is unorthodox as humans are now increasing in size and the CO2
emissions are bound to escalate distorting the ecosystem even more. The health impacts are not
to be forgotten as they are as critical as everything else. Many countries are not as privileged as
others and they dont have the regulation and education about the dangers of high heat. In a
global sense, the earth has been rising in temperature, some places more than others, and these
fluctuations in heat have taken thousands of lives which could have been prevented if informed
earlier about global warming. To predict the outcomes of economic strength, all factors must be
considered including the environment. As the weather gets warmer, the economic models change
in a consequential way. The temperature change makes it hard for some plants to grow and then
causing inflation in the price for the food. A basic necessity to say the least, and for everyday

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item become more expensive, the under privileged will have a tougher time to acquire the basic
necessity. These are just the few of the many reasons why global warming should be dealt with.

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Work Cited
Almasy, Steve. Invest now or Face Irreversible Effects of Climate Change, U.N. Panel
Warns CNN.com. CNN, 2 November 2014. Web. 5 December 2014.
Begley, Sharon. Global Warming is a Cause of This Years Extreme Weather.
Newsweek 152. (2008): 52. Web. 8 December 2014.
Dash, Jan. Global Warming & Climate Change Myths. skepticalscience.com.
Skeptical Science, April 2014. Web. 12 December 2014.
Effects of Global Warming. environment.nationalgeographic.com. National Geographic
Television, 26 March 2007. Web. 7 December 2014.
Hartfield, Elizabeth. Obama: Climate Change Growing and Urgent Threat
CNN.com. CNN, 23 September 2014. Web. 5 December 2014.
Health www.climatehotmap.org, 2011. Web. 17 December 2014.
Long, Douglas. Issues in Global Warming. Global Warming 18-24. New York: Facts
on File, 2004. Print. 8 December 2014.
Revesz, Richard L. et al. Global Warming: Improving Economic Models of Climate
Change. web.stanford.edu. 04 April 2014. Web. 5 December 2014.
The Consequences of Global Warming On Health nrdc.org/globalwarming. Natural
Resources Defense Council, 23 October 2014. Web. 17 December 2014.

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Survey Results
We asked over 50 students to take the survey and these were the results:
The culmination of opinions were rounded to the nearest percent.
1. How much do you know about global warming?
23% Good
2.

18% No

Do you think changes should be made to hinder global warming?

83% Yes
4.

9% Bad

Do you think global warming is happening?

82% Yes
3.

66% Sort of

17% No

Where have you heard of global warming?

36% Online

30% TV

30% Friends and Family

4% Other

Other Sources: book, newspaper,

5.

Do you think global warming is a myth?

80% Yes

20% No

From the results of question one, it shows that more than half of the students did not have
complete knowledge of global warming. This is an issue since global warming is an upcoming
problem that should not be ignored. In question two, more than 80% of the students believe
global warming is happening. This is alarming because over half have little to some knowledge
about global warming but 80% believe it is happening. Global warming must be taught to give
the students complete knowledge and the threats global warming consists of. Like question two,
question three gives a similar result to question two as global warming is happening and the
students know that it is a threat that needs to be handled with. Question four is very interesting;
all the given options were near even. The students have heard of global warming from nearly all

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sources of media. Question five is similar to question two and three and therefore receives a
similar result as those two questions.