Why Global Warming is Bad

My grandmother recently sent me an article she clipped form her local paper (do all Grandmas do this or is it just mine?) stating that Global Warming and Climate Change were certainly bad, but that we currently have more pressing problems to worry about. She asked me to explain to her why I thought differently. I have decided to share my response with the rest of our community - hopefully some of you can even expand my own feelings on the matter! Here follows my response:

As George Carlin once brilliantly said, “saving the earth” isn't actually about saving the planet, it’s about saving us. The earth was here long before us, and barring a nuclear explosion large enough to actually obliterate it, it will be here long after we are gone.The question is what what changes global warming will have on us as a species.

For one, Global Warming will have a devastating effect on our geopolitical map. The mistaken assumption is that if the temperature of the world increased 5 degrees, that means everywhere will be 5 degrees hotter. It doesn’t work that way. A 5% increase creates a chain reaction all over the globe, completely changing local weather patterns that can vary from huge increases in temperature to huge decreases The impact this will have on local economies, from food production to infrastructure to travel and tourism will be enormous.

As the world gets warmer, local climates change, and plants and animals that used to thrive in one place no longer do. Additionally, water sources change, and places where you used to have abundant water supplies all of a sudden dry up, or the water becomes saltier because it gets polluted by ocean water that has spread farther upstream. The potential problems here are most obvious when you look at Africa - almost all of the recent conflicts there have been over food or water. We are about to witness this problem on a global scale. We are already seeing water issues throughout the southeastern US - these are areas that just 10 years ago could never have envisioned water being an issue. In my opinion, it is these quite literal "bread and butter" issues that will be the greatest problem associated with global warming.

The most drastic example of possible localized climate change form Global Warming is the British Isles . In terms of latitude, the British Isles are actually as far north as Alaska . However, there is a warm ocean/wind current called the gulf stream which runs from the gulf of Mexico all the way to the Great Britain. This has the effect of creating a localized climate there which is actually much warmer than it should be. Currents like these are EXTREMELY sensitive to water temperature. There has been much speculation that if the ocean temperature increases just a few degrees, the gulf stream and it’s current could move or even completely stop. This would have the almost immediate effect of giving the British Isles the same climate as Alaska . Can you imagine London functioning under 15 feet of snow? Even more, can you imagine them having to deal with this drastic climate change in the space of only a few years? As London is one of the centers of the world economy, the ramifications of this would be extraordinary. And this is only one example – current’s like this run all over the world, and it is very difficult to predict exactly how they will change with Global Warming.

You can then take this one step farther – London is not only an economic center, but a huge tourist center as well. What happens to the local economy when people decide they don’t want to spend their vacation in sub-zero temperatures? What happens when the Globe theatre ceases to draw tourists because no one wants to watch a play under 15 layers of blankets. What happens when the ceiling of the British Museum collapses under the weight of that 15 feet of snow it was never designed to support? What happens when the British ports are rendered useless because of ice floes? We can expect to see this same thing happen in localities all over the world. We’re talking mass migration as the centers of commerce and tourism shift drastically all in the space of a few years!

Then of course, there are the increased ferocity of hurricanes, typhoons, and other natural disasters, as well as loss of huge swaths of plant and animal species. These are extremely important issues, and I could go into much detail on them as well. However, for your current purpose, and especially when it comes to convincing your friends that this is a problem, I would suggest you focus on those issues which will directly affect them and their grandchildren – ie. the issues discussed above"

Remember - "Save the Planet" really means "Save the Humans!"