I need 2 or 3 paragraphs on the below topic and replies to two peer posts. Peer post replies should be directed at the peer.
There is no question that the Earth is warmer than it was just a few decades ago. Most scientists believe that it is human induced, and some politicians believe that it is all natural. Whether it is the result of our actions, or is exclusively natural, we are seeing numerous consequences as a result of this warming. Discuss a change that has resulted already from climate change. Be sure to mention the impact of the consequence and what we can do to counteract it. Alternatively, you may choose a change that is predicted to occur in the future and what we can do to prevent it. You must choose general events, such as increased storms or sea level rise, but specific consequences.
Peer Post 1:
The increased level of severe weather events in recent years are a terrifying indicator of what global warming is doing to our planet. Though hurricanes, tornados, and tsunamis are not new occurrences they are certainly happening in greater numbers than we have seen in previous years. From 2001 to 2010 the world has warmed up at a faster pace than in any decade prior to now (Johnson, 2013). Deaths from overheating alone jumped by over 20000% from the previous decade (Johnson, 2013). In the last decade alone nearly 170,000 people were killed in a total of 511 hurricane or tropical storm related incidents, making it the most active decade since 1855 (Johnson, 2013). Additionally, an average of 15 storms occurred each year from 2001 to 2010 which is an increase from the previous long-term average of 12 storms per year (Johnson, 2013).
The sheer number of deaths that have resulted from this rise in tropical related storms and weather changes should be reason enough for humanity as a whole to reconsider how we are treating the earth and try to make changes. Though research seems to indicate that we may have reached a point where many of the actions we have taken cant be undone, there are always actions that can be taken to minimize the continued strain on the earth. Making changes such as powering a home with renewable energy, weatherizing the home, investing in energy-efficient appliances, and driving a fuel efficient vehicle are all changes that can be made at the individual level (Denchak, 2016). Recently I have taken the plunge to switch to a hybrid vehicle and I must say I absolutely love it. I have gone from spending nearly $100/month in gas to spending roughly $50/month or less while still driving the same number of miles on average. With the same size gas tank I have gone from approximately 250 miles to a tank to approximately 400 miles to the tank. I also make it a point to recycle as much as possible in my own home, and in the past two years I have begun to craft all of my own blankets. My next goal is to crochet my own sweaters in an effort to spend less money on manufactured goods.
Denchak, M. (2016, March 11). How you can stop global warming. Retrieved October 10, 2016, from Nrdc.org: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/how-you-can-stop-global-warming
Johnson, T. (2013, July 4). “Unprecedented” climate extremes in last decade: WMO. Retrieved October 10, 2016, from Weather.com: https://weather.com/science/environment/news/climate-extremes-unprecedented-wmo-report-20130703
Peer Post 2:
This is an area that I have taken a lot of interest in; the Earth warming up has been contributed to numerous things and one of them is the heat trapping gases that are released in to the air. It seems as though there is always a new idea or hypothesis put out there to rationalize the climate change and lately it has been the coal industry. My husband is a manager for the leading RR in North America so this has taken its toll on the men and women he has working for them, so this is particularly interesting to me right now. One of the main things that have been affected is rainfall or precipitation. I know here in the midwest we have been experiencing, over the last decade, increased rainfall in seasons where precipitation is normally low and the southwestern states have been experiencing drought like seasons and then it seems to switch as the seasons change. Places that are wet and receive plentiful precipitation are just going to continue to get wet and the areas that are dry and in drought are going to continue to experience those problems. It is going to be a joint effort in order to prevent this problem from becoming any worse; recycling, car pooling, minimalization of use of pesticides or other things that are harming the environment, use of wind turbins and solar panels, etc.
