Climate change is one of the most pressing and controversial issues today in America, as well as all over the world. Recently, the 2001-2011 decade has been recorded to be the hottest decade ever since the thermometer has been invented, almost 300 years ago. Not only does climate change just affect surface temperature, but also climate change influences sea levels and has caused ice caps to deteriorate. While sea levels have risen at an average speed roughly twice of the preceding 80 years, polar ice caps have melted more quickly in the last 2 decades than in the last 10,000 years. While all of these statistics show alarming effects of climate change, another harmful effects of rising surface temperatures is the depletion of Greenhouse Gases in the Earth’s atmosphere.
Currently, the levels of CO2 in our atmosphere are expected to increase 1.5% from now until 2020. The constant emissions produce through the widespread burning of fossil fuels is one of the main factors that has caused this increase. A overabundance of CO2 in our atmosphere is a direct cause to the extreme weather patterns we have encountered by way of climate change. Countries such as the Philippines have taken initiatives to try and stop this toxic process. Presently, the Philippines forest lands cover a vast area of their landscape. Because the forest lands are so evasive, carbon dioxide consumed by these trees, and there is less probably of extreme weather patterns. If more countries would look at the Philippines climate mitigation process, and engage in similar action, climate change would be less of a problem in our world.
Living Dangerously 