Climate Change; Is it an issue?

Even though it has been said that there is much confusion and doubt about climate change, there has been a great deal of indicators to prove that the climate is changing. Right now it is getting warmer. According to this website, http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/indicators/pdfs/ClimateIndicators_full.pdf, human activities have substantially increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere which causes the Earth to trap in more heat. Studies show that from 1990-2005, worldwide emissions of greenhouse gases caused by human activity has increased by 26%. In the United States the frequency of heat waves has risen steadily since the 1970s, and from 2001 through 2009, 30%-60% of the States also experienced drought conditions. Other studies also show high annual precipitation totals have increased, the intensity of tropical storms exhibiting strong long-term trends, an increase in the amount of heat stored in the ocean, a rise in sea level, the ocean has become more acidic, glaciers are retreating, arctic sea ice is melting; the list goes on and on and on. Research also shows that the average temperature of the Earth’s surface has increased by about 1.2 to 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit since 1990. Human activities are such a major contribution to climate change because anytime we do things like using energy to drive, using electricity to make our lives easier, grow our own food, raise livestock, or throw trash away, we are releasing greenhouse gases.

 With all this being said, it should be noted that climate change should be a concern to all because it is likely to affect not only your society, but our entire world. This includes everything from water resources, food production, energy use, transportation and commerce, recreation, to even our national security. In the long run, impacts such as these could be extremely costly, far reaching, damaging as a whole to all. In the end, climate change will affect all nations, though some will most definitely feel the effects more intensely then other; such as developing countries.

Global warming is NOT an issue however, according to this website, http://heartland.org/ideas/global-warming-not-crisis, who believe that the important question are how much of the warming is natural, how sure are we that it will continue, and would continued warming be beneficial or harmful. From their point of view, they stated that probably two-thirds of the warming in the 1990s was actually due to natural causes. They also stated that warming trends already have stopped and forecast of future warming are unreliable, while the benefits of a moderate warming are likely to outweigh the costs.

 After reading through this website, it is clear to see how easy to is for someone to say global warming isn’t an issue in fear of higher taxes, more income redistribution, more wilderness preservation, more regulations on corporations, “smart growth”, subsidies for renewable energy, and again much, much more in order to address the situation and try to stop or prevent it. Bottom line, unless it is completely necessary, people are very unwilling to go down a road of high taxes and more regulations. To some, saying it is isn’t a problem is just all around easier and cheaper.

Personally I feel that thinking in such a way is just plain selfish and lazy. Honestly, many people could care less what the world will be like in 50 years, especially if they think they won’t be around to have to endure the damages. All I know is that if we don’t do something soon, future generations won’t be able to stand a chance. There will be so much more destruction, and devastation, especially with how fast our worldwide population is expanding.