Global Warming
Global
Warming is a controversial issue; it means an increase in the temperature of
the climate with some other dangerous changes in it. Many people think that
this issue is a recent one, however, others think that this issue started many years
ago. In this paper, the past and the present of this issue will be addressed
for more clarification of the starting point of global warming.
This
issue started when the oil was extracted, the chemical plants were built. In
addition to that, weapons played an important role in causing harmful damages
not only in human but also in the environment which then led to what called now
global warming. According to Monee, a woman I interviewed in Foxdale retirement
house, the issue started with the industrial development probably in 1940s. She
said that the factories and the weapons that used in the Second World War at
that time were releasing many chemical substances that cause serious damages
for both the environment and people; however, people in that time did not know
that these environmental issues would lead to what called global warming. She
also stated that this issue was not recognized until 1980s. People in 1940s and
1950s were concentrating on how they can develop their jobs and their lifestyle
without thinking about the damages that this kind of actions or decisions such
as building many factories might cause. According to the PSU yearbooks collection,
people did not start to take actions in the environmental issues such as
pollutions and climate changes until 1980s; however, the environmental issues
had appeared long time ago. The article “Scientists Warn of Global Warming
'smoking gun'” clarify that
some scientists noticed some negative and fast changes in the climate in 1980.
They also noticed an expansion in the ozone hole. In addition, they warned that
people in the earth would experience a serious and a huge increase in the heat
for the up coming years (Charles Hanley, 1997).
Nowadays, more and more people are
focusing on eliminating the environmental issues; many people are trying to
help in reducing the chemical plants releases in order to tackle the global
warming problems. In addition, the Internet plays an important role in
spreading the awareness of the problem. For example, environmentalists create
websites that elucidate the negative effects of global warming on the earth
with some effective solutions. For instance, the website Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) that presents articles
about the global warming and how to tackle this problem. This website is a
result of a group effort; Members of this group devote their efforts in the
environmental defense. NRDC group is one of many groups that are established
recently in order to spread more environmental awareness.
In
conclusion, the global warming issue had started in 1940s. However, people in
that time did not notice it until 1980s. While scientists in that time were
trying to clarify the problem and the causes of it, environmentalists now are
trying to eliminate the problem by providing possible solutions.
About
Natural Resources Defense Council NRDC (n.d.). In www.nrdc.org.
Retrieved April 26, 2014, from http://www.nrdc.org/about/
Hanley,
C. J. (1997, December 8). Scientists warn of global warming 'smoking gun'. The
Daily Collegian, p. 9. Retrieved April 26, 2014, from http://digitalnewspapers.libraries.psu.edu/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=RENHLzE5OTcvMTIvMDgjQXIwMDkwMA==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom