The past two hundred years of the earth’s history have been filled with exciting new discoveries, inventions, developments, and advances. Countless dreams that were once deemed impossible have come to be realities. Unfortunately, in the face of these successes, we are faced with adversity, and another not-so-exciting reality: global warming.
The industrial growth that accompanied the aforementioned events has dramatically altered many of the earth’s naturally occurring processes. The amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere has surpassed normal levels, and as a result temperatures are increasing.
Sadly, the current administration has not decided to make the issue of global warming a priority. I realize that there are many issues that demand attention, but this is one that, if ignored, has the potential to end life as we know it. The effects of global warming are not and will never be trivial. Within our lifetime we will begin to see large-scale natural disasters resulting from global warming.
One beacon of hope in the midst of this troubling issue is the position that California has taken. A bill that calls for a twenty-five percent decrease in greenhouse gas emissions is now moving through their legislature, and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has agreed to support it. I believe that efforts like this are necessary in order to stimulate changes in the way we approach the issue of global warming, considering the fact that our federal government currently only supports voluntary efforts reduce emissions.
I can only hope that our generation chooses to make global warming a priority before we no longer have the option to ignore it.
I strongly recommend this site if you’re interested in this issue: www.climatecrises.net, and everyone should definitely see Al Gore’s eye-opening film, An Inconvenient Truth.
Governor Ahhnold is my favorite Republican. Anyway, I don't think people put much thought into global warming because it doesn't seem to be an immediate event, but something that has to undergo several processes; these are the same people that can't seem to find the connection between the increased number of tropical storms/hurricanes, and the noted hotter temperatures within the past years.
People have to be made more aware of what may happen in the future if action isn't taken now. I want my future grandkids to know what a glacier is, for goodness sakes.
I've seen An Inconvenient Truth, and it is an excellant film. You should definetly go see it.
mleliza: If you're lucky enough to live that long. Global Warming threatens everybody. Think a hurricane over Lake Michigan. Think a Hurricane over New York. And imagine each of them being more powerful than Katrina, and killing millions more people. Imagine rampant forest fires that rage across every part of the nation. Talk about thousands of fish dying, destroying hundreds of small fishing community economies.
And there's worse. While fixing global warming is expensive, not fixing it will be oh so much more deadly and expensive.
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If a society is willing to give freedom for temporary security, they deserve neither.
LOL I was just about to say that you should be Al Gore's right hand person, but I see that you've seen the film.
But, basically you're correct on this and there are others who speak of it as well. Is it being heard, sure. But, how do you get a bunch of clowns with red noses to listen to you, if you're being straight with them? First, you have to play their game...and with the government, this might mean, "How could make them money". And that's how it seems to be. That's even with the newer and much younger, such as those around even the ages of 12 years old....people are just so greedy and about themselves, that they don't give a damn that planet that gave them what they need, might be dying real soon. That's like way worse then a child not caring that their parent is about to die.
It's time to give back, and not just a little bit, but as much as as we possibly can.