America Should take the Lead in Stopping Global Warming Essay -- Climat

Because of the apparent melting of the polar ice caps, scientists have begun to admonish the industrialized nations that they must take extreme measures to stop global warming. America should take the lead in stopping global warming. There is much controversy among scientists as to whether or not global warming is actually happening. With all the evidence that has been collected, one can conclude that the Earth is showing signs of climate change. The Earth’s average temperature has climbed about one point four degrees Fahrenheit since the year 1880 (â€Å"Global Warming Fast Facts† 2007). The last two decades have been some of the hottest in four hundred years. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports that eleven out of the past twelve years have been the warmest since 1850 (â€Å"Global Warming Fast Facts† 2007). ("Data @ NASA GISS: GISS Surface Temperature Analysis† 2010) Figure 1-1 shows the increasing temperature. As one can see the rate at which the global temperature is increasing is staggering. This chart only shows the changes in temperature for only twenty years, one must think what the chart for 2000 till present day must look like. Global warming could possibly be one of the most devastating events that our Earth has seen. The climate changes are destroying some very precious ecosystems that do not adapt well to change. The coral reef is one example. The change in the water temperature is causing the coral to become bleached and die off (Markey 2006). â€Å"Bleaching† is the reaction that the coral has to the changing water temperatures. When the water changes, the coral secretes its food making algae, making it die. In 1998, the El Nino weather pattern brought the most spread of bleached coral. â€Å"16%... ...exhibitgcc/>. National Geographic news team. "Global Warming Fast Facts." Daily Nature and Science News and Headlines | National Geographic News. National Geographic, 1996. Web. 07 Jan. 2010. /2004/12/1206_041206_global_warming.html "National Hurricane Center." National Hurricane Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2010. . Pew Center. "Global Warming Facts and Figures | Pew Center on Global Climate Change: The Pew Center on Global Climate Change." Homepage | Pew Center on Global Climate Change: The Pew Center on Global Climate Change. Web. 08 Jan. 2010. . Team #C006156. "Global Warming - How Harmful Is It ?." Oracle ThinkQuest Library . N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Jan. 2010. .