Synthesis Essay On Climate Change

The human species is speeding up its death sentence and most of us are too caught up with our own problems to worry about the environment. While there are many problems that the U.S. deals with; none are ignored and minimized like our fight to keep this planet’s climate at sustainable levels. There are many variables that come with climate change but are biggest contributions would be if we limited greenhouse gasses emissions, increase the genetic diversity within our agriculture, and increase/preserve the biodiversity within nature reserves.

Many companies (Exxon Mobile) and nations, like Russia and America, continue to underestimate the facts about climate change. The UN has established a Cap and Trade system which limits the amount of GG

“Most of the emissions of greenhouse gases have been, and still are, the product of human activities, namely, the excessive use of fossil energy, deforestations in the humid tropics with associated poor land use-management, and wide-scale degradation of soils under crop cultivation and animal/pasture ecosystems.” -Source-. While these four causes are used all the time, there are many ways for the emissions of GG’s to take effect, I see them as the beginning of positive feedback loop, which scientists describe as something that enhances changes, moving a system away from equilibrium and making it more unstable. For example, the excessive use of fossil fuels causes CO2, NOx, and Methane to be released into the atmosphere; each has an increase in its ability to retain heat from the sun. As the atmosphere heats up, permafrost (frozen layers of soil), melt releasing more methane into the air. For those unaware of just how much stronger methane is to carbon dioxide; “methane has 30 times the heat-trapping potential than carbon dioxide. “SOURCE Food production can also be added to the positive feedback loop. As cows eat more grass, they build up methane-filled gas, which during defecation & flatulence, a Danish study found that “the average cow produces enough methane per year to do the same greenhouse damage as four tons of carbon dioxide.” Source But it’s not just frozen dirt and cows

Climate change on the other hand is an international problem that all seven continents must participate in, in-order to keep this world decent for our future generations. It’s America’s gravest problem because America could care less about the environment as long as it’s making the money necessary to keep our defenses and economy stronger than everyone else. If we fail to keep our GG emissions low, improve our agricultural techniques, and preserve our natural forests then we’re on the path of self-destruction. Future generations will be left three options: clean up our mess, innovate quicker than ever & find a new planet, or wither and die along with everything