For some people, global warming is a myth. For people familiar with the facts, it is no myth; it is hard truth that demands hard answers. Over the past 50 years or so, automobiles, factories, and power plants have poured many thousands of tons of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is what’s called a “greenhouse gas.” It traps the Sun’s radiation and increases the global temperature. During the past two decades, we have seen the hottest summers ever recorded. Also, the hottest summers have happened in the past five years. Unusual weather patterns have soaked some parts of the United States with rain. Meanwhile, the western states are fighting over water as lakes and rivers are drying up. Most shocking of all is the steady melting of the Arctic ice cap. Ice depths that were 300 feet are now closer to 100 feet. Ice has retreated northward into the Arctic Sea for hundreds of miles.
What can we conclude from all this? The answer seems to depend on your point of view. Senator Mike Blevins was quoted as saying, “Global warming is an unproved theory. We can’t afford environmental regulations that hurt the economy.” Expressing a different opinion, Senator Morton Giles commented, “We’ve made a bargain with Satan; we’re trading short-term profits for the misery of future generations.”
As arguments rage over the reality of global warming, most scientists agree on the following: Global temperatures are rising, ocean temperatures are increasing, and climate patterns have been altered. Many scientists also feel there’s a real threat of sea levels rising as the polar ice caps melt. What can we do to control global warming? Proposals include the following: improve automobile mileage, develop alternative energy sources, and reduce American dependence on foreign oil.
