The Effects Of Fossil Fuel Consumption On Earth

“Scientists’ overwhelming conclusion is that climate change is happening and human activity is the primary culprit,” (“Climate Change”). The world we live in is falling apart more and more every day. Pollution; Global Warming; Climate Change; These are all problems that caused by people who have come forward in recent years, one of the biggest issues is climate change. The United States government needs to take aggressive steps to combat climate change because scientist have warned that if the climate changing progresses at its current rate, it could have disastrous consequences for life on Earth. Data shows that climate change is linked to rising sea levels, droughts, an increase in the risk of extinction of many species, and the increase in severe storms. With all the issues that are connected to climate change we are not doing enough to try to counteract the lasting effects it has on our environment.

Climate change is known as one of the greatest threats to the planet. It is not only a threat to the planet environmentally, but it is a threat socially and economically. As we all could feel, see, and know, the weather patterns globally and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have been increasing over an extended period of time. Although it may seem like it’s not a dramatic change since it is data from over a large amount of time, it is considering the fact that the large amount of time is not that large as it should be. Climate change is nothing new to us. It’s happened many years ago in the past because a variety of reasons but as the years go on, the rate on charts are just getting higher. As much as I would like to blame this predicament on nature, humans has a fault as well. We release thousands of greenhouse gases into the air through many procedures, but there are things that we cannot entirely control. However, whoever’s fault it is to blame I believe that if we work together and think we will more likely be able to find effective solutions for this problem.

Climate change is the most serious issue humankind is facing in the 21th century. Future generations depend on our ability to make the necessary social changes, before reaching the tipping point of irreversibility, which will lead the planet into a catastrophe incompatible with life.

The scientific consensus on global warming is sobering: Its real, it’s happening now and carbon dioxide emissions caused by the burning of fossil fuels are almost certainly responsible. Predicting what the exact effects will be on humanity and the planet’s living resources is trickier, but a growing body of evidence suggests they will be profound…, and most wealthy industrial nations have adopted mandatory limits on carbon emissions under the 2005 Kyoto Protocol. (Woodard, 2007, p.27).

From the shores of Easter Island all the way to the catastrophic world environmental events like Hurricane Katrina and extreme drought, the world and the environment has been facing unparalleled effects from climate change that have only continued to reach further extences. Climate change is rising up to be one of the key security threats in the 21st century for not only America but also all across the globe. Climate change threatens to go against

Climate change is something that affects us all as a human race, and we need to do something about it immediately. Ultimately, climate change is dangerous and upon us more than we realize. While there are some individuals who don't believe it exists at all, there are some who simply believe it is not caused by humans on this planet. My goal for this paper is to make aware the dangers that climate change poses to our planet and the human race. While doing this, I hope to provide fact-based evidence that supports the claim that we, as humans, cause the dangerous phenomena that is climate change and that we need to change our course of action before it is too late.

Climate change is a threat that has been in existences for years, but appears to be a greater threat to the world currently. According to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, there is more than 90 percent certainty that emissions of heat-trapping gases from human activities have caused “most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century” (IPCC, 2007).

The world right now is facing a major disaster if our habits don’t change. Fossil fuels dominate our energy demand and at our current rate this will remain true for quite some time. The World Energy outlook claims that by 2030 84% of our energy demands will be fulfilled by fossil fuels (Shafiee et al, 181). It is believed that we possess the reserves to meet our demands until 2030 (Shafiee et al, 181) but the cost will increase as time goes on. Fossil fuels are a non-renewable resource, meaning that once we run out of what’s currently available, we cannot replenish it. Our future energy needs are heavily dependent on a non-renewable and quickly depleting energy source.

Former President of the United States, Barack Obama, once said that “No challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change.” In fact, scientific evidence for climate change is undeniable and the effects of climate change are beginning to be felt all around the world (“Global Climate Change”). Furthermore, evidence to support these claims for climate change can be found anywhere from the tops of mountains to ice cores drawn from the bottom of the earth. For these reasons, the causes, effects, and solutions of climate change need to be understood, so that all people of the next generation still have a suitable habitat to live in.

Fossil fuels are a major source of energy in America and throughout the world. The three major fossil fuels are oil, natural gas, and coal. While these three fossil fuels account for most of the energy used in most countries and they are able to provide energy for places around the world at a cheap price, they also account for things like pollution and the climate changes. Each of the fossil fuels has a long process to be prepared for consumer use that causes many environmental problems. The major draw to using fossil fuels is the money that they generate for the economy. Fossil fuels have made people’s lives easier and more dependent on technology.

The United States uses fossil fuels for 67.5% of its energy consumption. Fossil fuels have more negative impacts than positive ones. The only positive that comes from fossil fuels is that it can create energy. Most of the negative effects have to deal with the environment, like the most popular, burning coal for electricity. “Coal is used for about 43% of electricity generation in the U.S” (Coal and the Environment - Energy Explained, Your Guide To Understanding Energy - Energy Information Administration, no date). Burning coal releases many different toxic and deadly emissions. Some of which include sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, and particulates. Sulfur dioxide is the cause of acid rain. Nitrogen oxides contribute to smog. Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas which is causing global warming. The particles also contribute to smog and can cause lung disease. From the emissions created from created electricity, 77% of it was from coal alone. For the next 50 years, the main goal of the United States should be to reduce the amount of energy created from coal. The most efficient and clean way to replace coal is to use solar panels at as many households as possible.

America is at risk with the climate change going on. Climate change is a serious problem, it’s effecting all the regions in America and more. As individuals we need to make a change, not today, not tomorrow, now. The first step is to to inform everyone on the risks of climate change and how it has affected the world since the 1800’s.

Global warming, along with all of its negative impacts, harms the populations living on the Earth. Whether it is direct harm to an individual or harm caused to something which then impacts an individual, the effects of global warming do not go unnoticed. Due to its level of impact, “[c]limate change is … the greatest threat facing humanity. It will lead to small island states disappearing from the face of the earth, serious global threats to our food and water supplies, and ultimately the death of hundreds of millions of the poorest people in the world over the course of this century” (Doebbler). The list of consequences associated with climate change is infinite. This list will only continue to grow if society does not make an effort to do anything about it. If people were to realize that they themselves are the ones posing a threat to humanity, the situation would be different. However, most humans fail to recognize that global warming even exists, let alone the environmental, social, and economic toll it takes on the world. Instead, society concerns itself with other conflicts which it views as more important, leaving no room to worry about climate change. Many controversial issues exist in today’s society. They all have their own degree of importance and numerous consequences associated with them, and most of these issues will in some way, shape, or form impact

We are all well aware of climate change and the consequences that follow it, aren't we? Melting polar ice caps, disappearance of bees, greenhouse gases, extinction of animals - the list goes on. The world’s top scientists, including Stephen Hawking, all agree that climate change is one of the biggest threats facing our world and if we don’t act now to try to prevent it, things could spiral out of control.

What will happen to the future of humanity if climate change is allowed to have its way with the human race? What disasters will climate change force upon civilization? Will the human race slowly be extinguished? What will happen to individual people as the Earth’s climate gets more and more violent? Climate change will affect the general public’s health; the only question is “How much?”