8

By Ol ivia Bu on aspin a with in for m ation fr om

per son al in ter view. Br en t Soh n gen . M ar ch 8 2017

arisingthreat
A th r eat th at h as existed for gen er ation s an d is r apidl y in cr easin g its advan ce towar ds
dam agin g th e Ear th is k n own as gl obal war m in g. Effects ar ou n d th e wor l d h ave al r eady
began to tak e pl ace, begin n in g with th e r isin g tem per atu r e an d pr ecipitation l evel s. In th e
state of Oh io, th e aver age tem per atu r e in cr eases by appr oxim atel y 1.5 degr ees Fah r en h eit
ever y year ! Pr ecipitation l evel s h ave al so in cr eased in th e past 100 year s by appr oxim atel y
fou r in ch es!! Th e in cr eases in tem per atu r e ar e occu r r in g al l acr oss th e wor l d , in cl u din g th e
Ar ctic. Th e war m er cl im ate again st th ese pol ar r egion s is cau sin g som e of Ear th 's fin est
n atu r al r esou r ces to sl owl y disappear. On e exam pl e of th is is th e m el tin g of th e pol ar ice caps.
Not on l y does th e m el tin g of th e ice caps effect th e cl im ate an d n atu r al weath er patter n of
th ese ar eas, bu t it is al so cau sin g sea l evel s to r ise. Th e r isin g sea l evel s th r eaten h abitats th at
ar e cl ose to th e sh or el in e an d vir tu al l y al l l ow-l yin g l an d, pr ovidin g even m or e r eason to
begin ou r attem pt at h el pin g th e pl an et. If ever y per son m ak es an effor t to attem pt an
eco-fr ien dl y appr oach in th eir l ifestyl e, th e qu al ity of ou r Ear th wou l d in cr ease gr eatl y.