The Effects of Global Warming, by Chloe & CC

August 23, 2020

BREAKING NEWS: Child is separated from her parents after standing on an adrift ice shelf, parents say that global warming is the culprit but there is a solution.

A Picture Of Two Polar Bears Adrift On A Melting Ice Shelf

Just last Thursday, 7-year-old Kelly Winningstead was exploring on the ice in northern Arctic Sea while her father and mother were there studying the last few polar bears on earth. Her parents have been working in Arctic for three years, and when they announced their trip, people questioned the safety of bringing Kelly along with them. Due to Global Warming, temperatures were up to an average of 28 degrees, so the Winningsteads decided that it was safe enough to continue with their expedition.

The incident happened when Kelly was separated from her parents while standing on an ice shelf that broke free and floated adrift. Her parents responded, "Global warming is making more and more ice break and float away into the sea. This is just as much a danger for humans, as it is for animals!"exclaimed a frantic Whitney. "Kelly was okay, but this cannot happen again. It's too dangerous."

The Winningsteads stood firm in their beliefs that it was more important to go to the Arctic and research the last polar bears. Sam, Whitney, and Kelly are now back here in Portland, Oregon.

One of the biggest issues we're facing today in the year of 2020 is Global Warming. Global Warming has been around for 18,000 years, since the Earth started warming itself in the Pleistocene Age. All of us who burn oil, gas, or coal for fuel are sending carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, therefore causing warmer oceans and melting glaciers. This is happening all over the world, but especially in the north and south poles.

Adeline Penguins Running Across A Snowy Plain

We should be concerned about loss of wildlife. For example, in Antarctica the Adelie penguins are losing their home because of global warming. The amount of Adelie penguins have dropped drastically from 32,000 penguins to only 11,000 in the last 30 years. Because of car exhaust, the carbon dioxide emissions are causing extreme heat on earth, and melting ice, thereby negatively affecting the habitats of wildlife including penguins, polar bears, and foxes. If the animals cannot survive in this environment, they will become extinct.

To get rid of Global Warming, we need to individually make an effort to reduce our own carbon emissions. We can do this by burning less gas, coal, and oil. A good alternative to driving in cars is using bicycles. Also, we must continue to educate people about Global Warming, and how it affects our planet.

Layers of frozen seawater, known as sea ice, cap the Arctic ocean. This ice expands and thaws every winter and summer. In September 2002, the summer minimum amount of sea ice was the smallest it had been since 1979. Last year, in 2019, the September summer minimum was a record-breaking low, and the smallest amount of sea ice there has ever been covering the Arctic ocean. Unless we want the ice to completely disappear forever, we need to take action on this crisis and fix it as soon as possible.