The Warming And Its Effect On Human Health - 1367 Words

As President Barack Obama once stated, â€Å"There’s one issue that will define the contours of this century more dramatically than any other, and that is the urgent and growing threat of a changing climate† (The White House 2014). Climate change is at the forefront of politics in the twenty-first century. Scientists agree: the planet is warming and something must be done. There is a consensus among the scientific community, with 97% of experts agreeing that humans are causing global warming. For comparison’s sake, â€Å"scientists are as certain that humans are responsible for most recent climate change as they are that cigarettes are harmful to human health† (Romm 9). Despite this scientific certainty, many humans are still skeptical about climate†¦show more content†¦These gases â€Å"trap some of the reradiated heat, as they act as a partial blanket† for the planet (1). This process keeps the planet much warmer than it would be otherwis e, allowing it to be habitable for humans. Since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution in the early nineteenth century, humans have been emitting â€Å"billions of tons of extra greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, causing more and more heat to be trapped† (2). The primary greenhouse gas emitted by humans is CO2, mostly by coal-fired power plants. Carbon continues to accumulate in the atmosphere, with emissions today being â€Å"six times higher than they were in 1950† (2). This chain of events has caused the Earth to warm by 1.5 ° F (0.8 ° C). About 1 ° F of this warming has occurred since 1970, suggesting that the planet’s temperature will continue to increase more rapidly. This science is at the basis of climate change, and understanding this process is crucial in finding solutions. A warmer planet is currently and will continue to impact society on a large scale. As the U.S. Pentagon described, climate change is a â€Å"threat multiplier† (Powers). The risks that accompany climate change are extensive. One of the â€Å"most visible and dangerous† of these risks is sea-level rise (Romm 4). The warming caused by humans has led to a rise in ocean levels. This increase is by at least several inches. In addition, the rate of sea level rise has doubled in the last century. This