| Niamh McGroarty
“An average of 21.5 million people have been forcibly displaced since 2008 due to climate changed-related weather hazards,”
– United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees
Hurricane Irma, classed as category five, caused a path of destruction in the Caribbean and Southern America with the affected countries having suffered the second strongest winds recorded in history. A massive 1.2 million people have been affected in some way by this tragedy, with a death toll of 79.
Perhaps those young historians and modern studies fanatics out there may be wondering how there could be a link between this monstrous hurricane and the seemingly never ending issue of global warming.
This link is straightforward.
With the increasing levels of pollution being sent into our atmosphere, the greenhouse effect is worsened.
This is due to the the pollutant gases, namely methane and carbon dioxide, being sent into the atmosphere and acting like a blanket to trap heat. This then raises global temperatures significantly, which, in turn, causes an immense volume of rainfall due to these warmer seas being evaporated at a higher rate. Warmer air has the capacity to hold more water vapour so with these rising temperatures, more vapour is able to be held and dumped more viciously.
With the continual masses of greenhouse gases produced and released into our atmosphere each year, we must ask ourselves the question, are our current ways leading us all to an early grave?
In short, yes.
The consequences of our simple actions are what’s leading us to aforementioned early grave. Even the recent slight temperature increase has caused disasters like storms, floods, heat waves and droughts, responsible for horrific destruction and an abundance of fatalities. With several ice caps melting, sea levels have rose drastically. As a result many costal areas will then become a part of the sea leaving thousands of people to become refugees and many to die, unable to flee this disaster.
For our future generations to be able to live in a world better than that of today, a place ridden of global warming catastrophes, there are simple measures which can be taken to help save our offspring:
1. By changing your regular light bulb to a CFL lightbulb, a massive 70% less energy will be consumed. By making this change, you will be saving 150 pounds of carbon dioxide a year per lightbulb!
2. Use solar energy. Harnessing the natural energy produced by the sun is a successful way to reduce global warming as well as being more cost-effective. It lowers the emission of greenhouse gases.
3. Reduce water waste. By taking a shorter shower each day and turning the tap off whilst you brush your teeth, carbon pollution can be reduced. Although this may not seem like a huge or noticeable issue in terms of global warming, a tap left dripping can waste nearly 100 litres of water a week.
So, this has perhaps left you wondering whether your long, steamy showers are really worth putting the lives of so many innocent people at an even greater risk of another harrowing hurricane.
With a greater effort from everyone, we could successfully halt the detrimental effects that global warming is having on our very own planet.
