Global warming is caused by the so-called ‘Greenhouse effect’, when gases in Earth’s atmosphere, such as water vapor or methane, let the Sun’s light enter the planet but keep some of its heat in. Humanity plays a role in it as well, since industries create more CO2, further warming the planet. This has a harmful influence on humanity’s food, oceans, and health.
Global warming’s influence on oceans causes ice sheets melting, which leads to sea levels rising and flooding coastal regions. In cities, global warming allows more smog to accumulate, causing diseases. Even an individual can play their part in stopping global warming by recycling garbage. Some other, more global, ways of stopping climate change is to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy, which does not produce the greenhouse effect.
Over the four years of Donald Trump’s presidency, his administration dismantled many climate policies concerning clean air, water, and animals. This was supposedly done to help business, but it proved unsuccessful in that regard as well. It does not help some of the more common American families. The changes may lead to a significant increase in greenhouse gas emissions and subsequent warming over the next decade.
According to B. Lomborg, the ecological crisis predicted by the ‘green’ did not happen yet. To prove his point, he brings global statistics; for example, he claims that more food is now produced per population than at any time before (Lomborg, 2001). In comparison to L. R. Brown, Lomborg brings more global statistics, while Brown examines different countries separately. For example, Lomborg claims that, by 2100, the human population will stabilize (Lomborg, 2001). Brown, however, says that, while population growth has been around forever, the majority of new people are being born in poor countries, which may cause famine. Speaking of crops, Lomborg mentions that agricultural production in the developing world has increased by 52% since 1961 (Lomborg, 2001). However, Brown insists that the situation may rapidly change if, during the crisis, an exporter of food stops their trade.
Thus, global warming is real and is a very dangerous threat. Lomborg’s reasons sound comforting, but even he admits that the problem is still there. While it is possible to stop it with alternate energy sources or even colonization of other planets, it remains the most important environmental concern. Still, it is not the only one, and some other hazards such as pollution may replace it in the future.
References
Brown, L. R. (2011). World on the Edge: How to Prevent Environmental and Economic Collapse. W. W. Norton & Company.
Lomborg, B. (2001). The truth about the environment. The Economist.