Global Warming

by Katie Thayne

The issue of global warming has been disputed by many politicians and people worldwide. Some people don’t believe it is even a real issue. Here are some facts to support that it is. Humans have already raised the Earth's temperature by one degree Celsius by burning fossil fuels. The ocean is rising, and natural disasters are becoming more severe. It is certain that almost every area of the world is experiencing these events. What isn't so certain is how bleak the future of our Earth will be. Our planet's future has many possible outcomes, but they all depend on how humans act now.
Global warming has become a big deal in the past few years. High temperatures and heavy precipitation events are increasing. Glaciers and snow covers are shrinking and sea ice is retreating. “Seas are warming, rising, and becoming more acidic, and flooding is becoming more frequent along the U.S. coastline,” according to globalchange.gov. It is expected that by 2025 sea levels will be 15-25cm higher than what they are now.
Many people were affected by how low the local water level was this summer. Ririe, Palisades, American Falls, and many other reservoirs experienced a severe water level decrease. When my family and I went boating at American Falls at the beginning of the summer, the water level had dropped almost 15 feet! That was at the beginning of the summer! The water levels were so low because we were already having a super dry summer. Later on in the summer the weather was in the mid eighties and nineties. This caused a light drought in Rexburg, Idaho.
All of these things are proof that global warming is a problem. Because humans keep burning all these fossil fuels, it is causing a major effect on our planet. Some things we can do now to prevent things from getting worse are being more energy efficient by using more natural light, turning off water when it isn't being used, turning off lights when there isn't anyone in the room, washing your clothes in cold water if possible, and making sure to recycle. These seem like little or simple tasks, but they can make a big change if you do them often.