Global Warming can be defined as “a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants.”  Although some may not believe in global warming, evidence of it has already been found.  Global warming is speeding up quickly and we need to act quickly and efficiently to stop it.

Effects of global warming are already having an impact on the world.  One of the major effects currently going on is the long-term melting of ice sheets.  Without these ice sheets, animals such as polar bears have a hard time living and finding food.  If the ice continues to melt at its current rate, polar bears will begin to die quickly.  Another effect of global warming is a hotter climate.  Studies show that the world's climate is becoming hotter each and every year.  In fact, nine out of the ten warmest years in the instrumental record occurred since 2000 with 2014 being the warmest year on record.  As the temperature goes up each and every year with more carbon dioxide in the air, more water is needed, sea levels rise, and plants don’t have the same chance to grow.  In the next 150-200 years, the state of Florida is expected to be underwater due to global warming.  Clearly, we need to figure out a solution to this major problem.

There are many causes to all these effects.  Global warming is mainly caused by humans burning fossil fuels.  These fossil fuels contain carbon which combines with oxygen in the atmosphere when burned.  When the carbon combines with oxygen, it creates carbon dioxide that is trapped in our atmosphere.  Normally, the sun emits heat that passes through the atmosphere to warm earth’s surface and some of the heat is radiated back towards space.  However, with all the carbon dioxide in the air, the heat coming from the sun doesn’t continue all the way back to space.  This is because most of the outgoing heat is absorbed by the carbon dioxide and other gases and is re-emitted in all directions, warming the surface of the earth.  Another cause of the carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere is the use of energy.  The smallest practices that use energy really add up with the amount of people in the world.

There are a few ways humans can severely slow the process of global warming, but there is no completely stopping it at this point.  One way one could help is to simply plant a tree.  Trees absorb the carbon dioxide in the air and give off oxygen.  Use solar panels as your energy source.  Solar panels are a great way to use less energy, they rely solely on the power of the sun to give electricity.  Change the type of lights you install in your home.  Replacing regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs can eliminate 150 pounds or more of carbon dioxide per bulb each year.  Not only does switching to these bulbs reduce the amount of energy used, they also cost less than regular bulbs.  Reduce, reuse, and recycle.  These three ways cannot be stressed enough.  Recycling cardboard, plastic, glass, and metal can greatly reduce the amount of energy used.  It takes much less energy to create new products from material that has been recycled and reused.

Global warming is an extremely serious issue facing our world today.  If the people don’t stop burning so many fossil fuels and using so much energy, the average temperature in 100 years will be about 10-15 degrees fahrenheit warmer each and every day.  If we don’t stop using so much energy, the next generation and many more to come will live life much more different than we do today.