Hello everyone. My name is Meena, and I am in ninth grade.

Today I am going to speak about

global warming.
We know that global warming is a long term rise in the planet’s overall temperature. However,
there are many theories that caused this world-wide issue.
The first cause would be burning fossil fuels. Even though there are many causes, this would be
the leading purpose of the increasing speed of global warming for the last hundred years.
Burning coal, oil, and natural gas, result in what is known as the “greenhouse effect” in Earth’s
atmosphere. More specifically, human enhanced greenhouse effect is the main problem. Since
we burn these fossil fuels, the discharged chemical from it is released into Earth’s atmosphere.
Therefore, the layer of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere has enlarged, causing it to absorb
most of the Sun’s radiation and let less heat escape into space. Hence, because of burning fossil
fuels, the atmosphere is absorbing heat that is more than necessary for surviving.
The ozone depletion, or the ozone layer that is gradually getting thinner, is also one of the
major impacts from burning fossil fuels, which caused global warming. Due to human activity
and industrial jobs, gaseous chemical compounds are released into the upper atmosphere that
caused the ozone layer to get thinner. This is a major problem because it increases the amount
of ultraviolet (UV) radiation that reaches Earth’s surface.
The second cause would be littering. Plastic waste can emit greenhouse gas emissions that is
also a contribution to global warming as I said before. Since littering can cause pollution, and
pollution leads to climate change, more specifically the increase in global temperature, we must
think twice before throwing trash away carelessly.
Now, since I have explained the causes of global warming, I am going to explain about the
effects.
Global warming has had several major effects on Earth. The first would obviously be hotter
temperatures. 2020 was recorded to be the hottest years on record. Elevated temperatures can
cause wildfires, heat related illnesses, and droughts, which leads us to our next effect, water
scarcity.
Global warming has increased our drought conditions in the world. Droughts can make sand
that is disastrous and result in many dust storms that can have deserts expand and reduce land
for growing food. People now have to suffer from the lack of water and food on a daily basis in
so many countries. Extreme weather can cause livestock and crops to be damaged or less
productive. Hence, global warming is also one of the reasons behind the rise of the world
hunger.
Warmer temperatures can cause changes in climate and severe and persistent storms. It also
causes melting of ice sheets and the rise of sea levels. The sea absorbs carbon dioxide, keeping
it from the atmosphere. However, more carbon dioxide can make the ocean acidic which is an
endangerment to marine life. The endangerment of living species is also one of the effects from
global warming. The severe climate has risked the survival of species on land and water.
Furthermore, health risks are an effect too. According to the ozone depletion, the UV radiation
can cause skin cancer, immune system damage, and several other things. The extreme weather
can also cause certain diseases like malaria, or even death. Or, as I had mention before,
increased hunger and poor nutrition is a health risk for people who cannot grow or find
sufficient food.
In conclusion, we, as all the people who are living in this Earth, have responsibility for this major
complication that has impacted our world like this. Therefore, it is also our responsibility to
make sure global warming does not get worse in the future. We could save energy. We could
use less cars and use healthier ways of transportation. Starting to recycle properly can reduce
carbon emissions and protect our climate. Also, we can throw away less food, because when
food rots in landfills, methane, and powerful greenhouse gas can be emitted.
There are so many other ways we can all do to prevent this world-wide issue, and I hope I will
live to see a better future. Thank you for listening to my speech.