Earth's ongoing deterioration

For the past several decades, there has been a constant debate on whether the Earth’s overall temperature has been on the rise or not. The arguments primarily consist of whether climate change is real, has it been mostly caused by humans, and if climate change is detrimental or not. The groups who tend to denounce these claims are usually particular politicians/political parties and immense corporations. While there have been numerous people and organizations that have consistently attempted to dismiss the reports of climate change, the reports still happen to remain factual. While climate change has consistently been proven to be legitimate and harmful, numerous people still tend to disregard the urgency of the warnings. Ignoring the advisories about climate change will result in the ultimate demise of Earth’s ecosystems. 

Climate change has been an issue for quite a while now and has repeatedly been backed up by credible facts and sources. According to Doyle Rice in USA Today’s news article “99.9999 percent chance we're the cause of global warming, study says”, “There's a 99.9999 percent chance that humans are the cause of global warming, a new study reported Monday,” (Rice, USA Today, 2019, Paragraph 1). Scientists have been trying to warn people around the world about how much of a negative impact that humans have on contributing to Earth’s overall climate change. In another USA Today article “UN's 'dire' warning: Act now on Earth's environment as human health 'increasingly threatened'”, Rice states “With regard to climate change, the report said time is running out to prevent its irreversible and dangerous impacts as global temperatures continue to rise,” (Rice, USA Today, 2019, Paragraph 8). 

There have been various case studies that have shown time and time again how substantial climate change is. “‘We can’t afford to ignore such clear signals,’ said Stephen Po-Chedley, a study co-author, referring to the past four decades of satellite measurements that plainly show increasing temperatures,” (Rice, USA Today, 2019, Paragraph 6). In NASA’s online article “The Causes of Climate Change”, it states “The industrial activities that our modern civilization depends upon have raised atmospheric carbon dioxide levels from 280 parts per million to 400 parts per million in the last 150 years,” (NASA, 2021, Paragraph 18). Ignoring the issue of climate change has only made matters worse and put the planet in an even more injurious state.

Not only has climate change been an issue for several decades, but it has also led to and contributed to the mass extinction and endangerment of various types of species. According to Doug Bolton’s online article “Koko the Gorilla issues a warning to humanity over the dangers of climate change” on The Independent’s website, “At any rate, Koko's species, the western lowland gorilla, are currently classified as 'critically endangered, due to the problems of poaching and habitat destruction they encounter in the wild,” (Bolton, The Independent, 2016, Paragraph 9). Climate change has also been causing a significant hindrance to Earth’s diverse ecosystems. According to National Geographic’s article “Global warming effects”, “The heat is melting glaciers and sea ice, shifting precipitation patterns, and setting animals on the move,” (National Geographic, 2021, Paragraph 1). 

The effects of climate change have only seemed to get progressively worse over time. “Rising temperatures are affecting wildlife and their habitats. Vanishing ice has challenged species such as the Adélie penguin in Antarctica, where some populations on the western peninsula have collapsed by 90 percent or more,” (National Geographic, 2021, Paragraph 6). Global warming has continued to jeopardize not only species and their habitats, but humans and the resources that we rely on as well. “Precipitation (rain and snowfall) has increased across the globe, on average. Yet some regions are experiencing more severe drought, increasing the risk of wildfires, lost crops, and drinking water shortages,” (National Geographic, 2021, Paragraph 8). If immediate action is not taken about climate change soon, the earth’s climate and environment will proceed to be on a dire decline.

The initial source of this problem with climate change, which is pollution, is also contributing to the demise of human life and health. The pollution is predominantly caused by an excessive amount of greenhouse gases, which are primarily emitted by man-made machines and vehicles. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, “Indeed, tailpipe pollutants pose health risks at every stage of life, and can even cause premature death. But the impacts of climate change, driven by global warming emissions, also affect people's health and the well-being of entire communities,” (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2008/2018, Paragraph 11). Also, Science Daily states that “Pollutants can cause disease, including cancer, lupus, immune diseases, allergies, and asthma,” (Science Daily, 2021, Paragraph 4).

While everyone seems to be impacted by pollution and climate change, people from minority and low-income demographics are more likely to be vulnerable and exposed to these deadly pollutants. “People in low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionately exposed to higher levels of air pollution. Marginalized by urban segregation in American cities, these communities are often located near freight centers and heavily traveled roadways, and can lack access to the resources to adapt to—or move away from—air pollution and climate-related damage,” (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2008/2018, Paragraph 12). 

Constant exposure and even ingestion to such noxious pollutants have even caused death amongst people across the world. According to Science Daily, "Water pollution causes approximately 14,000 deaths per day, mostly due to contamination of drinking water by untreated sewage in developing countries," (Science Daily, 2021, Paragraph 16). The contamination from pollutants is not only destroying Earth's environments, but it is also destroying human resources, health, and lives.

The issue of global warming has been a problem that has only grown increasingly critical over time. Although climate change has always been proven to be verifiable and damaging, it has usually been dismissed by a copious amount of people, specifically politicians and distinguished corporate businesses. Not only has climate change been steadily proven to be accurate yet continuously dismissed, but it has also led to the mass extinction and endangerment of several different species. In addition, pollution continues to significantly and negatively impact both wildlife and humans. If climate change continues to be discounted and nothing is done about it on a more momentous and aggressive scale, the Earth's ecosystems, life forms, and resources will inevitably end up being completely depleted and devastated.

Works Cited

(N/A), (N/A). “Cars, Trucks, Buses and Air Pollution.” Union of Concerned Scientists, 23 July 2008, https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/cars-trucks-buses-and-air-pollution#bf-toc-5.

(N/A), (N/A). “Global Warming Effects.” Environment, National Geographic, 3 May 2021, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/global-warming-effects.

(N/A), (N/A). “Pollution.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, n.d., https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/pollution.htm.

(N/A), (N/A). “The Causes of Climate Change.” NASA, NASA, 30 Aug. 2021, https://climate.nasa.gov/causes/.

Bolton, Doug. “Koko the Gorilla Issues a Warning to Humanity over the Dangers of Climate Change.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 7 Jan. 2016, http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/koko-gorilla-cop21-environment-message-no-video-a6800761.html.

Rice, Doyle. “99.9999 Percent Chance We're the Cause of Global Warming, Study Says.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 27 Feb. 2019, http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/02/26/global-warming-99-9999-percent-chance-humans-cause/2994043002/.