Global warming has been a raised topic of concern in recent times. But what is it really, what does it affect and how does any of this affect humans? In recent years, ecosystems and many wildlife within our oceans have been destroyed by the brutal effects of global warming. Increasing temperatures affect coral reefs, plankton, seals, and polar bears. All of these animals are essential to survival in the wild. This raises the question. Why are these different types of wildlife important? The answer to the question is simple, they keep our ecosystem alive and thriving. Bees are a large population of wildlife that is affected. Fruit and flowers all exist because of bees. Without them, the world would be a very barren, colorless place. With raised talk of increasing CO2 levels in the atmosphere, global warming is not only affecting ecosystems themselves but the things that keep these ecosystems alive and thriving. Global warming is a very large and broad topic and many things are related to this topic. We are experiencing things in the world that haven’t happened before and global warming is to blame. You may be wondering, how do bees and other animals fit in? Well, these animals are being directly affected by increasing temperature causing them to decrease in population. There is a lot that goes into trying to prevent global warming and if we all stand together we definitely can make a difference. Global warming is directly human inflicted and finding ways to help reduce your carbon footprint can not only help the planet but it can also help save these animals that are vital to the growth and success of our ecosystems.
To begin with, global warming is a huge problem and is defined as the overall warming of the planet. Humans are partially to blame for this occurrence and greenhouse gases that are released into the atmosphere hold a large part of global warming as a whole. The presence of climate change comes from global warming. Climate change refers to changes in weather patterns the expansion of warmer seas and the melting of ice sheets and glaciers (NASA). Global warming causes climate change and it poses a serious threat to our lives in the forms of increased occurrences of natural disasters and extreme weather. Many organizations provide solid information regarding climate change. NASA and many organizations provide the public with diagrams showing the long-term effects of the increase in CO2 and how this concentration has occurred over the years. Greenhouse gases are a large part of global warming as they trap heat on the surface of the earth and cause more heat. In some ways these greenhouse gases are useful but in the long run, they have a disastrous effect on our environment.
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Bees are essential insects for our environment. Pollination occurs when pollen is transferred from the female parts of a flower to the male parts. The result of pollination is the formation of a fruit or seed. We are able to enjoy apples, watermelons, cucumbers, and other fruits because of bee pollination (Charlotte). They pollinate flowers and different plants to make different fruits and allow plants to flourish. Without them in the environment, plants would suffer tremendously and flowers would no longer blossom. With an increase in CO2 levels and global warming, bee populations could begin to die off at faster rates, which will heavily disrupt ecosystems worldwide. There is clear evidence of recent declines in most pollinators. It is crazy to think that such a small insect can make such a difference in the success of an ecosystem. It is estimated that close to 90 percent of all flowering plants benefit from animal pollination (Spear). Which equals up to around more than 300,000 plant species worldwide. So if the bees begin to die from an increase in temperatures, those plants that require the bee’s pollination will eventually die off. A research study that was done, compared to how bees will survive in different conditions. If the bees were in a cooler and normal environment they thrived, but when placed in a hotter environment, the bees died. This small insect has the power to keep plants and ecosystems alive all over the world and they deserve to be protected to maintain a good ecosystem. Especially if it human-caused.
Even though it is proven through science that global warming is human-caused and is actually happening, people still believe that it is natural for the earth to be warming at these rates. As people avoid the fact that global warming is happening and wildlife and ecosystems are dying, they are ignoring facts instead of doing something about it. Even educated, high-up officials don’t believe that global warming exists but in all reality, it is happening as we speak, and some actions can take place to help prevent climate change. Specifically, President Trump’s administration is notorious for denying that global warming exists. In addition to this, most of the officials in his administration have no experience on the topic and are only in power because they oppose global warming. This isn't how this topic should be approached. If the American people's high officials are taking action to prevent global warming and climate change, they will be more likely to take a stand to help prevent it. Action and policies need to be put into place to help save the environment. To make a real difference in the world it is going to take time and money to fund programs to help the effort, but if this action takes place, it is more than possible to reduce global warming. Congressional action is one of the first steps to help limit climate change from CO2 emissions on a large scale. Reducing emissions from power and industrial facilities, and advancing nuclear energy, which is the largest source of zero-carbon energy in the United States, will play a role in any long-term change. Improving energy efficiency not only helps reduce carbon emissions, but it also reduces emissions from power plants, improves the energy grid during periods of high electricity demand, saves consumers money, and creates jobs. Continued and improved federal action can produce stronger and better environmental benefits. These are just a few ways the government can help prevent the continuation of climate change.
Life as we know it could be changed in a matter of 30 years if action is not taken place to try to fix this climate change. Ice caps are melting, oceans are rising, polar bears are decreasing in population and the coral reefs are dying as we speak. We can't avoid the facts. The ocean provides quite a bit of wildlife in our entire world. There are millions of species that live in the ocean that are crucial for the food system to survive. If one species is affected and dies off, it affects the animal that eats that in the food chain. Everything has a chain reaction. Just a few examples of the effects of climate change on the ocean environment deal with plankton. Plankton may seem to be a small thing in a massive ocean, but they play a major role in the success of the food chain. Plankton are the beginning of the marine food chain, and if anything happens to them, the rest of the food chain will be severely affected. Many whales rely on plankton as a constant source of food, if the plankton begin to die, then this will affect the lives of whales which are crucial to the marine ecosystem. You then may wonder how whales really affect us. This can affect us because if these whales die off or any animal dies off in an ecosystem, the species that are eaten by these predators will thrive. Thriving of a species may seem good for the environment, but it is actually worse. If a species thrives it can lead to overpopulation which may cause species to destroy the population of animals it feeds on. This is only one reason why whales and many other animals are affected if global warming continues.
Similarly to how bees provide pollination to let nature thrive, coral reefs give the ocean its natural beautiful quality. When we think of coral reefs, we think of colorful species thriving with life and diversity. But because of the recent temperature increase, the coral reefs are slowly dying off. The coral reefs are severely affected by increased temperatures. Coral reefs are home to hundreds of species and if just a few of these species die, there will be an instant change to the ecosystem. Coral bleaching is the result of increased ocean temperature. The bleaching is a stress response. “When water is too warm, corals will expel the algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues causing the coral to turn completely white. This is called coral bleaching. When a coral bleaches, it is not dead. Corals can survive a bleaching event, but they are under more stress and are subject to mortality” (National Ocean Service). Corals are turning from colorful thriving areas to bare and white, stressed environments. Also if the coral begins to die, so will species that rely on the coral to survive.
Reducing your carbon footprint is taking different actions to try to limit the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere which is associated with climate change. There are many ways that we can limit our carbon footprint. These ways truly make a difference if enough people work to find a solution. Some of the ways include: limiting greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural businesses. These emissions are an even bigger problem than fossil fuels. Red meat is mostly to blame because the animals consume 11 times more water and produce 5 times more emissions than their poultry counterparts (Holth). The second way we can limit CO2 emissions includes reducing the use of our technology. The article suggests keeping tech unplugged at all times unless it is being used. Another way we can contribute is by driving less. Using public transportation or using a bike or walking will limit the emissions released. A different way we can contribute is by planting a garden that can produce plants that can absorb some CO2 in the atmosphere. A final way we can contribute is by eating local and organic. This can help to limit the shipping of foods around the country by keeping them local. These small changes may seem like they won’t make a difference but in the long run, when even more people contribute, this will definitely make a difference. Action needs to be taken to help the entire world and all the ecosystems within it.
In conclusion, with the increased talk of global warming, action needs to be taken to help prevent the release of carbon emissions, which is the leading human-caused effect on the environment. The environment is dying because of humans. There are ways to prevent this from happening. Bees are essential to our environment, without them, we wouldn't have the fruits and flowers that make our environment colorful and thriving. Plankton provides the first level of the food chain and if they die off, the food chain will be severely affected. And finally, if coral reefs die so do the many species that rely on it. Everything in life causes a chain reaction. One thing always affects another in one way or another. Congressional action needs to be taken to help protect the suffering environment. People who have no experience in these topics should be allowed to create bills on topics they have no knowledge of. Carbon emissions are being released at an all-time high by humans and are directly correlated to global warming. This is a fact and action needs to be taken to protect our only planet. Little things like driving less, and limiting the use of technology will help in the long run but action right now in a time when it is most needed in our lives will help change the environment for the better to make sure our world is thriving at its full potential. Those are the reasons why we need to help to save our environment.
Cited Sources:
- “Carbon Dioxide Concentration | NASA Global Climate Change.” NASA, NASA, 15 May 2019, https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/carbon-dioxide/.
- Holth, Jesse. “7 Instant Ways To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 6 June 2017, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/7-instant-ways-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint_b_59321992e4b00573ab57a383.
- “Honey Bees Are Pollinators.” Pollination Facts - American Beekeeping Federation, https://www.abfnet.org/page/PollinatorFacts.
- Honey Bees Are Pollinators.” Pollination Facts - American Beekeeping Federation, https://www.abfnet.org/page/PollinatorFacts.
- “Marine Problems: Climate Change.” WWF, https://wwf.panda.org/our_work/oceans/problems/climate_change/.
- National Geographic Society. “Global Warming.” National Geographic Society, 27 Mar. 2019, https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/global-warming/.
- Spear, Lisa. “Could Climate Change Lead to the Extinction of Bees?” Newsweek, Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2018, https://www.newsweek.com/bee-populations-dying-climate-change-global-warming-lead-extinction-1000183.
- US Department of Commerce, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “What Is Coral Bleaching?” NOAA's National Ocean Service, 15 Mar. 2010, https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/coral_bleach.html.
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