Global Warming Real Threat

Grab your snorkels and scuba gear because at the rate we're polluting the earth, we'll soon be living underwater and swimming to school.

With pollution skyrocketing, global warming is speeding up the melting of glaciers and arctic ice sheets, causing sea levels to rise in what will lead to dangerous flooding.

According to Al Gore's documentary "An Inconvenient Truth," the melting glaciers may cause sea levels to ascend as much as 20 feet higher than they are now, swallowing coastal cities across the world.

The unrestrained waters would do more than just take our cities.

"The World Trade Center Memorial would be underwater," said Gore.

The melting glaciers aren't the only factor causing the threat of floods. As the earth's temperature increases due to elevated amounts of carbon dioxide from cars and other pollutants, water begins to expand.

If an average drop of only 5 degrees Celsius over thousands of years can cause an ice age, imagine what could happen if the temperature increases a few degrees?

"An Inconvenient Truth" depicts spectacular images of our planet with physical proof that global warming is occurring. Gore is clear and accurate throughout the film, making it easy to learn about the imminent threat.

Despite the obvious truths shown in the appropriately titled film, many people still foolishly refuse to believe that global warming is occurring.

This isn't because information isn't available or is unclear, but rather because people are simply in denial and unwilling to sacrifice their luxuries for the earth's benefit.

That mentality is one many Americans have adopted straight from President Bush, who chose saving money over environmental stability when he pulled the United States out of the Kyoto Protocol in 2001.

Adopted in December 1997, the Protocol went into effect on February 16, 2005. It is the first international agreement to fight global warming by reducing greenhouse emissions to about 5 percent below 1990 levels, according to the Energy Information Administration.

Despite the fact that our country releases more greenhouse gases than any other nation, Bush dismissed the Protocol as too costly and "an unrealistic and ever-tightening straitjacket."

Rightfully so, Gore accused Bush of showing the world "a stunning display of moral cowardice."

Once upon a 1492, Christopher Columbus believed that the earth was round, along with Greek philosopher Aristotle, who first theorized that the earth was spherical because of the circular shadow it cast on the moon.

Even though their evidence proved that the earth was round, popular belief was that it was flat, and the majority of the population thought they were crazy.

Now, people that believe the earth is flat are the crazy ones.

Apparently history repeats itself. You can slap someone with hard evidence proving global warming is occuring, but ignorance paired with stubbornness is like a horse with blinders.

While the greenhouse effect, which keeps the earth warm enough for survival, is often deemed one of the biggest factors in global warming, it isn't entirely to blame. What are to blame are our reckless activities that add to the warming trend.

Something as simple as buying more organic foods could remove 580 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Another thing that contributes to the greenhouse effect is methane, the main component of natural gas.

Methane is produced by the decomposition of trash in landfills and the digestive gases from living organisms including cattle, termites, and yes, humans.

So the next time you hear someone in the grocery store pass gas, don't hesitate to inform them that methane is a huge contributor to global warming as you direct them to the Gas-X aisle.

As weather patterns change and the risk of natural disasters heightens, health problems are also becoming a fear for many.

"[With] what we have to breathe now, you can't even see a few miles down the valley," said Kinesiology major Bryan Katz, who believes that global warming is affecting our health.

The evidence is staring us in the face and people still refuse to believe it. Unfortunately most of them won't take any actions to stop it until we're up a creek without a paddle.