Homeless Polar Bear, click on images for sources.
Familiar face?
Well it should be. The polar bear represents the first victim of global warming -he is the embodiment of global warming awareness efforts. Increased anthropogenic greenhouse gases in our atmosphere are warming the planet (Gregory and Oerlemans 1997) and as a result melting the ice caps which are home to polar bears. The following picture further describes how global warming results from increased greenhouse gas emissions.
Recently there has been significant efforts in raising environmental concern; Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth, is a perfect example. Despite these movements, the amount of people who contribute to an environmentally unfriendly world is still a majority. What I’m trying to come to terms with is this: if humanity is gullible enough to believe in nonsense such as the Mayan Apocalypse I find it curious that we don’t worry about something more legitimate – like global warming. The proof is there, isn’t it? Is that adorable, homeless polar bear not enough evidence that global warming is by far the most life threatening issue we have faced yet? Or are we going to wait until this happens before we take action?
New York in The Near Future: A Result of Global Warming induced sea-level rise. (Gregory and Oerlemans 1997)
By then… it will be too late.
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No More Excuses!
Global warming is only an issue if we let it be. We know it exists, we know the consequences of it’s existence we know how to prevent it and yet we do nothing. Several socially reinforced attitudes may explain why:
- It’s not my problem. People aren’t concerned for themselves because they don’t think they’ll be alive when the effects of global warming become dangerous or fatal. Basically, it’s future humanity’s problem.
- There’s nothing I can do. One person alone cannot prevent global warming. If one person sacrifices luxuries for the sake of the environment, their efforts will be in vein and insignificant. This attitude is contagious and doesn’t allow for the global cooperation required to make the difference that may save humanity as we know it – or at least delay our inevitable despise.
For your information, it is your problem (1) and there is something you can do(2)!
- Low-lying areas (like New York) are likely to be underwater by 2100. Also, we should do all we can now before it’s too late – although global warming is happening very slowly it doesn’t mean it’s not deadly and shouldn’t be taken seriously. Furthermore, global warming isn’t directly killing humans yet, but many species, that we potentially rely on as a food source, are already suffering.
- Alone, one can only do so much. United we can change the world. Being the first put in a conscious effort every day to reduce your economic footprint is a way to influence others to do the same. Not helping, on the other hand, only reinforces the lack of united commitment that is the underlying problem of global warming. There are so many effortless ways to decrease your ecological footprint and, in turn, prevent global warming.
Still not convinced? Here, one of my personal heros, Sir David Attenborough explains the reasoning behind recent warming being a result of human activities and not natural causes.
Grattin Cox
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