Global warming occurs when the levels of greenhouse gasses rise and
less infrared light, or heat, escapes the earth's atmosphere. Thus,
the temperature experienced on Earth begins to rise. Climate change
is a part of the Earth's history. There have been dramatic
fluctuations in overall average temperature for the past 150,000
years that suggest a direct association with carbon dioxide levels.
In the past the temperature highs and lows have been in tandem with
carbon dioxide level highs and lows, this does not seem to be a mere
coincidence.
Global warming is a crisis of human perception in competition with
natural cycles, which we have ignored for far too long. A few
examples might make this clear: There are many possible adverse
side effects of global warming on living and nonliving systems. For
example, the displacement of habitat would affect the natural
selection of local flora, which feed the fauna that a human
community ultimately depends upon for food or cash. Similarly, our
dependence on the natural environment will become painfully clear in
terms of coastline property loss. Although one might be able to
place a dollar figure on the latter, both will demand a shift in
lifestyle for humans within both scenarios.
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WATER
In many places across the planet, water can be a life or death
commodity. Even though two thirds of the planet is covered by water,
the amount of freshwater is actually much less. Geologists believe
that the total amount of available freshwater equals approximately
two percent of the water on the planet, only half of that is suitable
for human uses like showers, plumbing, industry, and agriculture
(World Resources Institute). Furthermore, experts calculate that
humans are now taking half of the available fresh water on the
planet, leaving the other half to be divided among more than...