Don’t be a Donald Trump. Global warming IS real, and the planet is getting warmer. It doesn’t work how most people expect, which is what leads to complete morons such as Trump denying it.
The planet gets warmer and cooler all the time, and has been doing so for many, many, many years. Humans have seen what can happen to the world in these situations – we’ve lived through the most recent Ice Age. However, our modern day fumes and pollution are interfering with this natural process, and it’s going to cause us some issues.
The global temperature has risen 1C since pre-industrial times (thought to be between 1850 and 1900) and experts are saying it will rise by 2C in 2050 unless we make an effort to cut down are carbon emissions. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but it would actually make quite a lot of difference to the world.
London would be as warm as Barcelona, meaning our summers would be even warmer than they are now as well as Winters. This might sound great, but the UK hasn’t had enough time to adapt to this. It’s possible that the ground’s reaction to the sudden temperature change could see destructive effects. Sea levels are likely to rise too, since polar caps will be melting. Not good news for any of our Arctic natives such as Polar Bears, and a lot of coastal cities and towns will be flooded.
Image: National Geographic
Efforts need to be made to stop the global temperature rise from exceeding 1.5C, as it’s said that anything above that would lead to an “uncertain world”. However, global efforts are apparently not sufficient enough to prevent a 2C increase, nevermind 1.5C. If things carry on as they are, it’s estimated that there would be a 2.9C to 3.4C increase by 2100.
So, how do we stop this global temperature increase? I quite like Earth, and it would be sad and extremely self-centred and ignorant to just let its surface burn to a desert, especially since we know we’re doing it. To stop us exceeding this 1.5C increase, emissions need to be reduced by 45% by 2030, and then net zero by 2050.
A lot of this has got to come from the bigger companies, as they’re causing a lot of the problem. You can still help too though. Here’s a few ways you can make a difference:
– Recycle. Don’t just doom all your litter to landfill. A lot of materials can now be recycled such as paper, plastics, foil and glass amongst others.
– Eat less meat. That’s right, stop being an entitled meat eater. I’m not saying go veggie or vegan, just limit your meaty in take. Factory farms and cattle ranches are some of the biggest contributors to pollution world wide. The less we need, the better.
– Walk or cycle to work. If you’re driving to work but you know you can get there in 20 odd minutes without the car, just do that. Summer months are best for this, and you’ll feel good about it too.
Are you doing your bit to help control global warming? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.