A Crisis Ready to Strike; Global Warming

A Crisis Ready to Strike: Global Warming

Al Gore is known as an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist. Gore served in the United States House of Representatives and as the United States Senate representing Tennessee. From 1993 to 2001, he was the forty-fifth Vice President of the United States, under Bill Clinton. Then there is Jason Lee Steorts. Steorts isn't known for anything like Al Gore. Steorts is just a writer, who publishes mostly articles in newspapers and magazines. So what do these two people from different worlds have in common? More than you would think.

Both Al Gore and Jason Lee Steorts believe global warming is becoming a concern in today's society. Gore feels global warming shouldn't be taken lightly while Steorts feels global warming is weighing heavily on societies mind.

There has been rumor that global warming is here and causing major concern. Well, this isn't so much a rumor anymore. Climate is changing right before our eyes and Jason Lee Steorts tells it all in his article "Scare of the Century". One climate change taking place is the melting of polar ice caps. With the ice melting, the rising of sea levels is growing every day. "The journal Sience published a study suggesting that by the end of the century, the world could be locked in to an eventual rise in sea levels of as much as 20ft." (Steorts, Pg. 35) The climate is also changing temperature wise. Take Antarctica for instance, two-thirds of the continent has gotten colder over a period of time. The cold has caused more snow which accumulates to the amount of water. The more water causes the ice sheets to grow.

It's not just in other countries where global warming seems to be taking place, it is happening here in the United States too. Over the past few years "Mother Nature has kicked up more extreme weather..." (Corn, Pg. 5) Hurricanes have become stronger and if you look back at temperature records you will see how the temperatures are rising every year.

Carbon dioxide and humans are both being blamed for the cause of global warming. Steorts feels that the warmer temperatures may be caused by the raised atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. (Steorts, Pg. 37) Steorts states that the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide will increase about one percent every year. Al Gore on the other hand believes it is the human-produced emissions causing the problem with global warming.

So what exactly is being done to stop global warming? Studies are being made and documents are being put out to inform the public. The studies show that global warming may become an issue in the future, but as of now there are no proven facts that it is a problem. In 1992 Al Gore published a book called 'Earth in the Balance", a best-seller on the dangers of global warming. "We must make the rescue of the environment the central organizing principle for civilization." (Corn, Pg. 4)

Now, tell me how much is too much. Al Gore feels that Americans are not informed enough on global warming. Gore believes humans are the problem and this 'crisis' of global warming should be addressed by humans. Steorts on the other hand