Global Crisis Essay
Kasey Wang
Earth’s Degradation due to Global Warming, and Climate Change
Earth is home to over 7.9 billion people. During the time humans have spent modifying the earth for survival and needs, environmental changes have worsened. Climate change has become an enormous global crisis that affects not only the cleanliness of the earth but wildlife, natural environments, and the overall future of humanity. Although this is an uprising problem, many sit back and disagree to believe the truth behind global warming damages. Ice is melting, temperatures are rising, droughts are worsening and the guarantee of humanity's existence in the far future is unknown. The issue of global warming is one of the most pressing crises of the new generation and will continue to worsen.
Climates have risen and fallen, but within recent years, the statistics prove that water temperatures are truly rising. Greenhouse gasses are one of the main influences when it comes to changing climate. Greenhouse gasses are processed from burning fuels, coal, and other gasses. In David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet documentary, biologist and broadcaster Attenborough shared his opinions and thoughts on maturing in a world that is dying. Continuing his life story as a man of adventure, he shares the proven fact that “The Summer Sea ice in the Arctic has reduced by 40% in 40 years. Our planet is losing its ice. The most pristine and distant of ecosystems is headed for disaster.” As the toxicity level of gas rises, the heat has been trapped within the atmosphere of the earth thus causing global temperatures to rise. According to NASA’s article titled “The Causes of Climate Change,” scientists behind NASA's department of climate change believe that “Certain gasses in the atmosphere block heat from escaping. Long-lived gasses that remain semi-permanently in the atmosphere and do not respond physically or chemically to changes in temperature are described as "forcing" climate change.” In other words, man-made gasses such as carbon dioxide and fossil fuels are forcefully pulling the temperature down. Unnaturally, the world has been revolving around human convenience and is now paying the price.
Many individuals have refused to agree to the fact that the earth is changing for the worse with global warming. After personally interviewing two students on the CSUN campus, I have received opposite answers to my general question, “Do you believe climate change is real.” Freshman accounting major Kaylah C. states “I haven’t been around enough to see a real difference. I’m not too sure as of right now, but maybe my thoughts will change in the future.” However, on the other hand, other individuals such as child development major freshman Emily Lissete disagreed with this statement by saying “People need to see the facts. Climate change is a domino effect.” Global warming and climate are related events that have causes and effects. A multitude of data and analytical statistics have proven that there is in fact a difference between past and present. The main set of gasses that contaminate the earth’s health consist of water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane. These four greenhouse gasses each fault the aftermath of the earth’s degradation. Water vapor acts an effect on the earth’s water temperature. As temperatures rise, water vapor increases. Carbon dioxide is another factor that leads to forceful climate change. As humans create and produce with fossil fuels, climate change is a slow-burning process that awaits. With many more to add, the overall fact is true. The world is disintegrating with human activity.
The aftermath of continuous human activity has caused extreme differences from the past. In NASA’s pictorial slideshow, scientists have taken satellite photos of the earth's decreasing amount of ice. In this particular satellite image, NASA was able to highlight the disappearance of ice on a Chilean volcano within two years. The left half was taken on January 13th, 2018, and the second image was taken on January 8th, 2022. The difference is evidence of how quickly climate change is affecting the world. In addition, another recent picture was taken of an Antarctic peninsula that has detached and lost almost half of its original sea ice form within a similar span of two years.
Shifting from a stable structure of natural ice, the arctic sea is suffering from demolition caused by the rapid increase in global temperature. As a result, wildlife and sea animals have been impacted to an extreme extent. Studies show that certain species of fish have been permanently migrating to other parts of the sea due to rising temperatures. In the AJ+ animated informative cartoon titled Climate Change Animation Shows Devastating Events, the video depicts the global issue and its impact. Specifically, it presents scientific research and data that have proven that the “sea has been getting warmer since 1970.”
Although the world is currently fighting to find a permanent solution to global warming, problems awoke and action had to be taken. The United States Environmental Protection Agency, otherwise known as “EPA” is an independent agency that was constructed by former President Richard Nixon in 1970. Even though the EPA was born before present-day knowledge regarding the spread of environmental issues, the purpose and strength of the organization grew and conducted an informative book titled, Climate Change Effects on Stream and River: Biological Indicators: A Preliminary Analysis. In this research-filled book, the main idea the EPA recognizes is the importance of ecosystems being connected to the health of rivers and streams. According to the EPA, air temperatures in the world have increased “0.6 degrees Celsius within the last 30 years, and 0.8 degrees Celsius over the last century.” In addition to the increases in air temperature, rivers and streams have been negatively struck by the overall aftermath of human activity. Once in tune with nature, stream and river flow have been unnaturally fluctuating within the last several years. Following the trend of air temperature, water flow has been influenced by the changes in air furthermore creating an uneven rippling effect.
As a California resident, the last 19 years of my life have been filled with droughts and flash news concerning the conservation of water presented in the media. From dry canyons to the death of rivers and creeks, the proceeding subject of droughts is not leaving the news anytime soon. Not only is climate change affecting water flow, but the decrease in water production has been an ongoing issue that has the potential to create “water refugees.” As precipitation percentages are dropping, droughts are becoming more common within multiple regions. National Geographic’s research society devised an article sharing the issue by sharing the causes of droughts and how humans can predict life in the future living with the worsening condition. National Geographic emerging explorer Alexandra Cousteau states that “water problems such as drought, storms, floods, and degraded water quality will create water refugees.” In other words, civilians from drought-filled regions will begin moving in search of resources for water, thus creating political and government-issued debates.
Within the past century, multitudes of organizations, clubs, and activists have gathered together to rally against government officials who deny the truth about global warming. Sing/songwriter Paul McCartney delivered a song to the public titled Despite Repeated Warnings that showed a direct symbolization between the mad captain and the iceberg to the problems the world faces with global warming. In the opening verse, McCartney sings, “Despite repeated warnings, Out danger’s up ahead, the captain won’t be listening to what’s being said…” (0:01-0:24). Just as McCartney sings, government officials often deny the truth about the troubles of climate change. Often stating it’s fake or a publicity stunt for attention, problems that circulate the matter of global warming and indefinite environmental issues continue to stay inactive in many cases. David G. Victor, a political scientist and public policy professor at the University of California San Diego wrote a novel that demonstrated the exact changes and predictions humans can now anticipate with the worsening conditions. In his novel titled, The collapse of the Kyoto Protocol and the Struggle to Slow Global Warming, Victor shares that “Even greater uncertainties arise in the next step: to demonstrate that changing climates create hazards for humans and Nature.” With this, humans can now see that the nature of the world is changing from within. Man-made creations such as cars and industrial factories are growing, and the planet that is supporting them is dying.
Although many factors contribute to the rising rate of global warming and climate change, recent activities show many forms of restoration. For example, the image presented below shows an individual attending a climate change march in January of 2017.
However, the cost of history still causes damage to our society today. The world has become predictable in human action enough to see the future. The damages that climate change has brought will not be erased from history anytime soon. The reluctant force of nature has fought and lost the battle against the continuous actions of humanity's creations.
As climate change history dates back to before my time, I have been living in a fossilized world awaiting its demise. If action is not taken sooner or later, the world will collapse into itself alongside its natural creations. Global warming has taken the lives of many wildlife creatures and healthy environments before the introduction and extreme usage of greenhouse gasses, fossil fuels, and many more underlying factors that add to climate change. Temperatures are dropping drastically, ice is melting, and nature is calling for reinforcement against its departure. Sustained studies and tests have been run to conclude the unlying fact that climate is among us and is present, and it is up to the next generation to fight the battle against time. As a second-generation college student, I live to see the truth and stand up against the causes of climate change. Just as David Attenborough states in his autobiographical informative documentary, “We rely entirely on this finely tuned life-support machine, and it relies on its biodiversity to run smoothly.” Therefore, we as humans must take responsibility for mother nature, nourish the planet until we clear away.
Works Cited
Attenborough David. “David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet.” Netflix, September 20, 2020,
https://www.netflix.com/title/80216393
‘Climate Change Effects on Stream and River: Biological Indicators: A Preliminary Analysis. EPA, https://permanent.fdlp.gov/LPS117418/CC_INDICATORS_FINAL.pdf. Accessed March 2008.
C. Kaylah. Interview with the author. March 20, 2022
Climate Change Animation Shows Devastating Effects - Youtube, uploaded by AJ+, June 12, 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7jpMG5DS4Q.
David G. Victor “The Collapse of the Kyoto Protocol and the Struggle to Slow Global Warming”. Princeton University Press. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/csun/reader.action?docID=3030297. Accessed 2004-08-15
“Drought.” National Geographic Society,
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/drought/. Accessed January 21, 2020
Lissette, Emily. Interview with the author. March 21, 2022
NASA, “Arctic Peninsula Loses Attached Sea Ice.” Jan 16, 2020, Jan 26, 2022
https://climate.nasa.gov/images-of-change/?id=781#781-antarctic-peninsula-loses-attached-sea- ce.
NASA, “Shrinking Snowcap on Chilean Volcano.” Jan 13, 2018, Jan 8, 2022
https://climate.nasa.gov/images-of-change/?id=784#784-shrinking-snowcap-on-chilean-volcano.
Taylor, Matthew, and Vaughan, Adam, “New York activist groups campaigning in January 2017.” January 2017, Getty Images,