[~ A7lA DoNiA ~]

Describe a major environmental problem and what you believe should be done about it.



A major environmental problem, the magnitude of which we are just beginning to realize, is global warming.

When people say that the winters aren't as cold as they used to be, or that there was definitely more snow

in past years, they are correct. In addition to these personal testimonials, there is concrete visual

evidence of global warming. Most noticeable is the depletion of the ice caps. In recent years, glaciers

have been receding in greater amounts than in former years. One only has to visit a national park where

this recession is marked with signs indicating where the glacier reached in a particular year. The visitor

can see how much further away from a particular spot the ice is at the present moment.

When the ice caps, made of fresh water, melt, they change the salinity of the oceans, change the

currents, and change the conditions for survival for myriad species. Additionally, invasive species might

move in, affecting the entire ecosystem. This has a domino effect, as all species are interdependent and

survive according to predictable sources of food and living conditions. A specific example recently

described on an environmental calendar told of the effect of global warming on polar bears. The bears

cannot go out on the melted ice, which is how they get their food. This causes them to lose body fat and

even to be unable to give birth to cubs.

Global warming causes flooding, and because the warming of the earth causes dryness, fires increase.

When speaking of the causes of global warming, some experts say that ice ages followed by warming

have been cyclical throughout the eons and that there is not much that can be done about it. However,

most scientists believe that the actions of humans have speeded up this process. They blame the

increased burning of wood and fossil fuels-oil and coal-on an increasing population needing heat for

warmth and cooking. More energy consumption places carbon dioxide and other pollutants in the

atmosphere. Warm air trapped around the earth has been deemed the greenhouse effect.

While we cannot stop the naturally occurring climate changes, we can try to mitigate the rapid warming by

reducing our use of fossil fuels. Much publicity has been given to the love that Americans have for sports

utility vehicles which burn an inordinate amount of fuel and which are not required for the kind of ordinary

driving done by most owners. There are numerous additional ways in which we can reduce our

dependence on these fuels, ranging from insulating our homes, to lowering the thermostat in winter, and

raising it when we use air conditioning. Perhaps researchers can develop alternate sources of energy.

Presently an automobile is being developed that uses gas initially and then automatically switches to

electricity. Theoretically, this car will be able to run for fifty miles on one gallon of gasoline. Additionally, we

can support the scientific study of the effects of global warming. Perhaps we can predict such things as

where floods will occur or where crops will have difficulty surviving and take steps to overcome these

problems.

One thing is certain. Global warming is a serious environmental problem with ramifications that affect

almost every aspect of life.