The Big Picture

For the past week I have watched NBC’s nightly news looking for stories pertaining to global warming or climate change. After studying this subject throughout the past eight weeks I expected to find a global warming story with its emphasis placed on how it affects humans. I was wrong, the first big story that was covered during the week dealt with animals.
The wildebeest makes it home in Africa and makes a trek every year from Tanzania to Kenya in search of food and water. Along the way they have to deal with the fear of vultures, lions, and high current rivers. These problems in themselves are tough to overcome in their search for survival. You can now add another issue to there trek and this one may be the most important of them all and it deals with global warming and climate change. The wildebeest are having immense trouble with the rapid changes in climate on a yearly basis. One year all it did was rain and the next brings a tremendous drought. Wildebeest’s are thrown off by these climate changes because they are unable to adapt to them. So when it comes time to make their journey from Tanzania to Kenya because of these changes in climate they are becoming unaware of even which direction to begin their journey. This has caused more Wildebeest’s to die in recent years of starvation and lack of water when that number used to be attributed to lions and strong river currents. We seem to forget that we share this world with animals as well and our actions not only affect other humans but these creatures. I felt this story to be very informative and was interested with the fact that NBC chose a story about global warming I believe many people are unaware of. People are sick of hearing the same global warming and climate change stories nightly but when you throw this type of story into the news I guarantee it grabs a lot of people’s attention.
Another story pertaining to global warming covered this week dealt with Hurricane Noel. Although it is not a direct result of global warming hurricanes are one of the many perceived results of it. The New England, Cape Cod area was determined to be the most in danger with winds that were suppose to reach as high as 80 MPH. It began off the coast of North Carolina with winds between 30-50 MPH and beach erosion became a huge problem. The shore line was being pushed back very close to homes and other buildings causing concern. Tropical storms such as hurricanes are fueled by warm, moist air that rises and then has water vapor condense (Wikipedia "hurricanes"). Warm, moist air is what gives hurricanes a correlation to global warming. As the years have gone by and the surface temperature has risen hurricanes have become more prevalent and more violent. Although it cannot be proven that global warming is the direct cause of this I believe that it plays a major role.
As I watched the news this week and the stories covered pertaining to my subject I was impressed how NBC went about covering the issue. It is very easy to bore people with stories on global warming and climate change because they have heard about how humans are causing global warming and the effects it is having on them so many times. The fact that NBC brought in a story about animals is a way to gain viewers attention because it is something they may not have heard much about. Earlier in my blog I covered a story about how coral reefs are being destroyed by global warming, that story and the story NBC covered on wildebeests are more interesting to me then just hearing about how the core temperature of the earth is rising. I feel that people need a reason to change there lifestyles in order for them to act. When people see that not only are humans being affected by global warming but animals as well I believe it has a huge impact. Although NBC did not cover many stories pertaining to global warming this week they were still able to inform the public in different ways about this very crucial issue. Also, next week they are having a weekly special called “Goes to the Ends of the earth” in which they look from pole to pole at environmental issues in our world today. So next week it seems they will look into global warming and climate change on a deeper level.
As I have wrote this blog for the past 8 weeks about global warming it is clear to me that something needs to be done. Although this issue cannot be fully resolved overnight we need to start making changes to help slow it down. We have seen that global warming affects more then just humans; it affects animals and other wildlife as well. This problem may never be completely solved but steps need to be taken to control it before some of these issues it produces spiral out of control.

Unique Problems

In past week scientists have discovered two major problems that global warming has produced, and one you may not be to familiar with. In an "Arctic Report Card" produced by a United States team of scientists they show that the reduction of sea ice in the arctic is 23% below the previous record in 2005 (The New Zealand Herald). This startling fact also is tied in with the fact that the condition of permafrost has changed dramatically over the past 30 years (The New Zealand Herald). Scientists believe that whatever is causing the permafrost to get warmer is directly tied into global warming (The New Zealand Herald)
Another issue that has been brought about in recent news is one that many people are not familiar with. While ocean temperatures warm in response to global warming a leading marine biologist states that the climate change has caused the spread and severity of deadly coral reefs across the Great Barrier Reef (Beeby: Science and Environment reporter). Scientists fear that if this climate change continues coral reefs could be extinct within the next few decades (Beeby: Science and Environment reporter). Professor Bette Willis explains the reason behind the killing of coral reef's has to deal with an outbreak of "white syndrome" (Beeby: Science and Environment reporter). "White Syndrome" is a pathogen that kills coral and it has increased in the past few years by 20% in a direct correlation to global warming, this syndrome along with storm damage and poor water quality are threatening the lives of our coral reef's (Beeby: Science and Environment reporter).
So as you can see global warming has an effect on many different issues across the world. A lot of the issues that global warming brings out people are completely unaware of, and when there is a lack of knowledge on a subject there tends to be a lack of interest. People hear over and over on the news about the same problems global warming is causing. A lot of the time the news is explaining to people that our lifestyle is causing the earth to warm and it is affecting things like the rise in sea level and shrinking of mountains. If people regularly hear of only the same issues they will become uninterested on the subject even if it is a subject as important as global warming.

Not as Easy as it Sounds

Many people who hear about the damage global warming is causing our world believe the solution to the problem is much easier then it actually is. Someone who is not familiar with all of the consequences global warming produces would tell you that if you cut back on the use of fossil fuels and use more efficient energy types global warming can be controlled. Well, it is not that easy. As I have stated in earlier posts we are going to need to tackle this problem in steps. Last month a British economic consulting firm, Lombard Street Research, calculated that to prevent global warming every year would cost the world $18 trillion, that is 45% of the worlds global domestic product per year (National Post).
The main reason it would cost so much to control this problem is oil (National Post). To begin the process of stopping global warming oil consumption we need to be cut. The problem is that countries like China and India whom are rapidly industrializing are not going to cut their oil usage because they feel their industrialization is lowering the amount of poverty in their country (National Post). If China and India refuse to cut consumption of oil that leaves countries like the United States and Canada to do the cutting. I don't see these two countries or any two countries for that matter taking the hit of cutting back on oil consumption when others are not. For there to be any progress when it comes to reduction to global warming countries across the world as a whole will need to cut back their consumption of oil.
With so many issues surrounding global warming and the money it will take to get it under control some scientists are now questioning how important of a subject it is compared to something like poverty levels across the world (National Post). Is it going to be more productive for our country to try and control global warming, or would we be better served trying to help the poor countries get on their feet? Both topics are very important and either side could easily be debated as to which is more important. The bottom line behind all this is controlling global warming is not nearly as easy as some make it out to be. There is more to it then using less fossil fuels or using a better source of energy. There can't be just two or three countries trying to control global warming because that would never work. Until the whole world realizes that the world as a whole needs to stop global warming I can't see a dramatic change in the near future.

Global Warming and Politics

For many years now Al Gore has been a major activist when it comes to stopping "global warming". Gore has produced an Oscar winning film called "The Inconvenient Truth," the problem is that not all of his facts within the movie may not be correct (The Express). Some believe this movie to be an attempt to brainwash children so that they become scared of the consequences that may be produced by global warming. Although many believe Gore's film to be very helpful the fact that he uses some false information to get his point across is not the way to go. Gore claimed that melting glaciers could raise sea levels by 20 feet in the near future. This statement was refuted by many scientists who believe that a 20 foot rise in sea level won't happen until at least another millenium(The Express). Gore also claims that Hurricane Katrina, the drying of Lake Chad and the loss of snow on Mount Kilimanjaro are all results of global warming, the problem is his lack of evidence to back up all of these occurrences.
Al Gore is seen by many as a major political figure and people buy into his beliefs. Which is a good thing, because global warming is a huge problem and we need to start taking steps to fix it. I've stated in earlier entries that if a major figure is able to voice his opinion on global warming he may be able to get many people people to follow his lead. This is exactly what Al Gore is trying to do, but Al Gore has also has become the reason why people shy away from even caring about global warming. Gore claims that he is trying to stop global warming yet he lives in a 10,000 square foot Nashville home, with 20 rooms, not to mention he has another 4,000 square foot home in Virginia (USA Today). For someone so avid about global warming living in these large homes isn't the best way to conserve energy. Along with living in these large homes Gore does not use what he himself calls "green energy" which he has advocated for in every household. If a household pays a few extra dollars a month they can be powered by "wind energy" which is much more energy efficient then what we use now (USA Today). When asked why he didn't use this type of energy even though he advocated for it, Gore said "he was working on having it implemented in his homes" (USA Today). Now that doesn't sound like a person we want being the role model for ecology in our country.
The fact that Al Gore is a true believer in global warming and the fact that we need to take steps to fix it is a great thing. The fact that he himself does not take the necessary steps to help the situation is not a good thing. People look for someone important that can relate to when it comes to major topics in our world. The problem is when they find out that person is doing things that go against what they claim to believe in, as in Gore's case, those people lose belief in the situation as well. This country needs global warming activists who actually take a stand on the arguments they make, not ones who explain the problems and then contradict themselves by doing exactly what they tell others not to.

The Facts

The Irish Times is reporting that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Control (IPCC), is giving warning to humans that change in lifestyles must be made. As I talked about before, some believe global warming to be a natural change and feel humans don't play a significant role in its existence. The IPCC has stated that it is very likely, almost 90% sure, that global warming has come from humans, primarily from the use of fossil fuels (Science Today). For all of those who doubt this theory the IPCC web site has put up their summaries and their reports for those to review.
The bulk of the IPCC argument stems from the fact that over the last 50 years the world has warmed at a pace like never before. The IPCC fears that even if we stopped emitting so many greenhouse gases into the atmosphere the damage we have already caused with still heat the world as the years pass. Although the heating process with happen at a much slower pace if humans start realizing the consequences of emitting so many greenhouse gases. With glaciers shrinking and the sea level rising we need to start taking steps to getting this problem under control.
The problem is that with so many people believing global warming isn't our fault it is hard to get everyone on board when it comes to controlling the problem. It seems that for some reason it is going to take a jaw dropping change for people to realize how important of an issue this really is. With the IPCC predicting the world to warm at .2 degrees per decade over the next 20 years it is time to start cutting back on the gas emissions (Science Today).
The response to global warming is clear. You can think whatever you want about it but the fact is that the amount of fossil fuels being emitted into the atmosphere is running the temperature of the earth higher and higher every year. People are always complaining when there is a gigantic problem and there seems to be no way to fix it. In this case there may not be a way for humans to make the problem disappear but we do have the power to help control it. How drastic of a problem will global warming become in the near future? Our actions as humans with determine the answer to that question.

Are we Really to Blame?

Although there are many who believe humans play a large roll when it comes to global warming, some scientists believe otherwise. In his article titled "Who is the Real Culprit" a doctor by the name of Andy Ho believes that carbon dioxide is not the true cause of global warming. The main point that Dr. Ho was trying to convey had to deal with that fact that carbon dioxide is not the main cause of global warming and therefore humans are not the main cause. I do not agree at all with Dr. Ho for the fact that it has been proven time and time again taht carbon dioxide plays a roll in global warming.
The problem is that Dr. Ho is backing up his argument by explaining that he feels the sun to be a bigger contributor to global warming then humans. This statement has been proven wrong by many scientists who believe the sun has not been a cause of global warming for thousands of years. I believe that humans are playing a large roll when it comes to global warming but the temperature of the earth is not rising nearly as fast as certain people believe. This doesn't mean that this issue is not an important one.
If humans had no role at all when it came to global warming, then this topic would stop coming up so often in the news. The way our world lives these days has given some scientists reason to believe we are to blame for a part of global warming. We are emitting more greenhouse gasses into the air now, then ever before. The fact that our world is developing at such a rapid pace leads me to believe that humans have played some sort of role when it comes to global warming.
Although science has never proven that global warming has been caused at all by humans it is clear to me that we play a major roll in its development. Most recently global warming has caused a decrease in alpine glacier sizes, and warmer, dryer conditions throughout the Middle East. It cannot just be a coincidence that as our world continues to develop these types of things start to happen. Although some believe that humans play no role in global warming, in my mind it is clear that they we something to do with it.

Trying to Control Global Warming

If the countries of the United States and China continue to emit greenhouse gases into the air at the rate they are now, it will harm poor areas such as Africa more then it will themselves. The United States has always been a proponent of helping other countries by using their resources. In this case no resources would be needed. The United States and China are countries that are fit to deal with the problems that can be caused by global warming. On the other hand, countries in Africa would be at more of a risk because of the resources they have compared to what the United States and China have.
The greenhouse gases being emitted into the atmosphere are not only leading to a higher temperature on earth but they are also causing huge economic losses. Although they have no come up with an exact number of dollars per ton of carbon or per ton of carbon monoxide the cost is becoming increasingly expensive (Wikipedia "global warming"). If it is costing it so much to deal with the problems of global warming why won't we come up with a better system to deal with it? In my mind the first step with be to try and enact the Kyoto Protocol, because it seems that all it is doing is being a label for something that has never been put to use. The United States would either need to hop on board with the Protocol, or come up with a better solution that other countries would buy into.
There is going to need to be drastic improvements within the economies of the United States and China if we want to turn this problem around. Countries all over the world look at the United States and China as the benchmarks when it comes to their actions. If both of these countries can lead by example there will be a better chance of other countries buying in to the theory that maybe global warming can be controlled.