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The Effects Of Fossil Fuel Consumption On Earth

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Introduction:
Good afternoon, Citizen of Oregon. It is the year 2062 and your state, the nation, and the entire planet face catastrophe. The analysts and hippies were right – not only is human induced climate change in full effect, it is bringing life on Earth as we know it to an end. Yes, you should have listened to the environmental scientists (and the “hippies”) about the detrimental impacts of fossil fuel consumption, but you did not. Now you are here: the continued use of fossil fuels has released ridiculous amounts of greenhouse gasses into the air. Just as you were warned, the ice caps melt, oceans levels continue to rise, the weather grows more extreme, and changes in all of Earth’s ecosystems persist – water reservoirs deplete, countless animals go extinct, and the mass migration of humans has begun. Worse yet, unannounced positive feedback loops accelerate the process even further. Your once beloved Portland, Oregon is now home to hundreds-of-thousands of refugees – and this is the least of your problems. Now you are back in 2016, relatively safe and sound. The world of 2062 described above may seem improbable and far away; yet, daily individual, institutional, and governmental actions continuously bring this catastrophic world closer and closer. If the human race wishes to avoid or at least lessen the risks associated with climate change, all persons must begin to ask a vital set of questions. First, what are the risks of climate change and how do they affect

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