The Biden Promise – Science, Not Fiction
“Humans have released an increasing amount of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere through burning fossil fuels, and to a lesser extent, deforestation and land-use change. […] This change has intensified the natural greenhouse effect, driving an increase in surface temperatures and other widespread changes in Earth’s climate that are unprecedented in the history of modern civilization.” – Fourth National Climate Assessment
Humans’ contribution to the greenhouse effect is indisputable. Top climate experts, including the authors of the Fourth National Climate Assessment and the Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change Special Report, have all concluded that human activities are estimated to have caused an approximate 1.0°C rise in the Earth’s global temperature to date. Excessive CO2 emissions caused by human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels, have contributed to a severe exacerbation of a natural phenomenon known as the greenhouse effect. This natural occurrence takes place when solar radiation directed toward earth reaches the atmosphere. The atmosphere reflects some of the radiation, but approximately 70% of the radiation is absorbed by the land and water thereby heating the earth. Due to the additional greenhouse gases emitted by humans – such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons – more heat than normal is being trapped, contributing to an overall rise in global temperature.
If the global temperature continues to increase at the current rate and surpasses 1.5°C, the existential threat to life will not be limited to just ecological systems, but will extend to human life as well. We have already begun to witness the impacts on biodiversity and the ecosystem, as species loss and extinction have disturbingly accelerated as a result of increasing ocean temperature, shrinking ice sheets, rising sea levels, and much more. As the effects of global warming worsen, human health, livelihood, food security, water supply, and economic growth will be jeopardized. It is incumbent on us to implement a plan in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and begin to combat the consequential long-term and short-term effects of global warming on both the environment and on humans.
Impacts of Climate Change According to NASA:
“Warming Oceans: The oceans have absorbed much of this increased heat, with the top 700 meters (about 2,300 feet) of ocean showing warming of more than 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit since 1969.
“Shrinking Ice Sheets: The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have decreased in mass. Data from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment show Greenland lost an average of 286 billion tons of ice per year between 1993 and 2016, while Antarctica lost about 127 billion tons of ice per year during the same time period. The rate of Antarctica ice mass loss has tripled in the last decade.
“Glacier Retreat: Glaciers are retreating almost everywhere around the world – including in the Alps, Himalayas, Andes, Rockies, Alaska, and Africa.
“Sea Level Rise: Global sea level rose about 8 inches in the last century. The rate in the last two decades, however, is nearly double that of the last century and is accelerating slightly every year.
“Extreme Events: The number of record high temperature events in the United States has been increasing, while the number of record low temperature events has been decreasing, since 1950. The U.S. has also witnessed increasing numbers of intense rainfall events.”