Class Journal on Global Warming

Essay by PixieGiniUniversity, Bachelor's March 2002

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In my opinion, global warming is one of the most devastating environmental problems we as human beings have created. The toughest part of this is solving the dilemma. It seems that many people do not take the threat of global warming seriously and consequently do not do anything to change the way they are treating the Earth. "Some day, the Earth will warm, the oceans will rise and the weather will change. But each one of us will feel global warming's effects, if in different ways. It will hit us all where we live." 1

Global warming is "a rise in the average temperature of the earth's climate due to a build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere." Our society is mostly powered by fossil fuels which contribute to global warming.

After reading a bit of information on global warming, several questions came to my mind. Why don't people know the urgency of this situation and why hasn't the government put laws into place that will help our Earth's future? After reading further I found that fossil fuel companies have vast reserves of money to pay for lobbyists, advertising, and their own studies to counter scientific evidence.

I still wonder where the government intervention is.

Global warming may be an international problem requiring global solutions, but we must take action in our own homelands now. If the fossil fuel companies and the government will not make significant changes, then we human beings must take action. What exactly can we do? Following are some tips I took from the National Resource Defense Council website:

1. Buy energy-efficient appliances. Most major appliances carry Energy Guide labels, required by federal law. New refrigerators and freezers are, on average, about 75% more efficient than those produced in the early 70s. Remember that the refrigerator...