Pakalani Latu

GEOG-1000
April 14, 2016
Climate Change
I believe that climate change is real and it is affecting the earth's atmosphere and
while some would say that climate change isnt a real threat and even that it isnt real
and does not exist there is a lot of evidence that back up and prove that climate change
is happening and that the atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have risen and having wide
range impact on the earth such as rising sea level, melting snow and ice, heat events,
fires, droughts, and other extreme weather. And also these changes in climate will have
effects on human health as well as our forests, water, and agriculture.
In a report by the Department of Ecology State of Washington titled Preparing
for a Changing Climate: Washington States Integrated Climate Change Response
Strategy that the rise in carbon dioxide and other heat trapping gases are cause the
planet to warm and how the effects can already be seen in earth's weather and how it
can also affect humans through poor air quality and severe heat waves. It also mentions
ocean acidity and how it could affect their shellfish industry as well as the entire marine
food web as well as the effects on the other habitats as well and the creatures in them,
they also did a projection of costs that climate change could have on Washington and it
came to $10 billion per year by 2020 through increased health care, storm damage,
wildfires, coastal destruction, and other things. At the end of the document they go
through some simple steps to help against the climate change and how to prepare for it
such as improving water management, reducing the risk to the ocean and coastal areas,
and supporting and helping local community movements and efforts.
One of the main causes of climate change is the burning of fossil fuel this
includes things such as coal, oil, and other natural gases when these items are burnt
they release CO2 into the air which then becomes part of the greenhouse effect. When

sunlight reaches the earths surface two things can happen it can be reflected back into
space or be absorbed by the planet and then releases energy in the form of heat and
that heat is trapped by the greenhouse effect like a blanket traps the heat coming from
your body and while that is a good thing the problem lies that our burning of fossil fuel
has increased exponentially over the past years and is making our blanket thicker and
thicker therefore hotter and hotter and as a result climate change and with this rise in
temperature the effect of it can be seen around the world the melting of snow and ice in
the polar regions, extreme heat waves, stronger hurricanes.
Some have brought up the opinion that Climate change and the heating of the
planet could be a good thing for example longer seasons to grow crops for farmers,
better agriculture in the higher latitude areas as well as vegetation activity. and with
warmer winter there would be fewer deaths among the young and old. And when the ice
caps melt there could be ice free northwest passage providing a shipping shortcut
between the Pacific and the Atlantic. But with all these positive outlooks towards climate
change there is a negative to counter it for example while the seasons to grow crops will
be longer the water supply we use to grow them would be greatly diminished, and with
less deaths from freezing during winter there would be a rise in deaths from extreme
heat stroke.
While the effects of climate change being positive or negative on our planet and
those who live in it is still being debated among scientists and myself the fact that
climate change is happening now and is having an affect on our planet is a sure thing
and we have the proof and science to back it up and support our opinion.