This paper examines global warming and climate change, exploring their definitions, natural history, and the accelerated pace of warming driven by human industrial activity over the past two centuries. Drawing on EPA data, IPCC projections, and scholarly sources, the paper reviews observed consequences including polar ice cap melting, rising sea levels, intensifying weather events, and ecosystem disruption. It also considers economic impacts such as agricultural decline and rising insurance costs, and outlines individual and policy-level responses — from personal energy conservation to international emissions leadership — needed to slow or reverse the trend before irreversible damage occurs.
The paper demonstrates effective use of synthesis — weaving together government agency data, scientific literature, and journalistic sources to build a cumulative, multi-dimensional case. Rather than relying on a single type of evidence, the writer triangulates across different source types to reinforce each claim, a technique common in persuasive research essays at the undergraduate level.
The paper opens with dual definitions (global warming vs. climate change), then establishes historical context before surveying observed and projected harms. A dedicated section addresses economic costs, followed by escalating recommendations from individual behavior change to international policy leadership. The conclusion reframes climate change as a survival — not political — issue, returning to the urgency established in the introduction.
Global warming is a situation that could affect the entire planet within a few decades. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), global warming can be defined as "an average increase in the temperature of the atmosphere near the Earth's surface and in the troposphere, which can contribute to changes in global climate patterns" (Editors). Today, many researchers and scientists prefer to use the term "climate change," because it refers to the broader set of changes taking place on Earth, whereas global warming technically refers only to the rise in temperatures. The EPA defines climate change as "any significant change in measures of climate (such as temperature, precipitation, or wind) lasting for an extended period (decades or longer)" (Editors).
Many scientists cannot agree on whether the Earth is warming more rapidly than ever before, or whether human activity is the primary cause of this accelerated rise. However, there is one point of consensus: the climate is changing, and that change could have devastating effects on the planet and its people if it is not addressed soon.
Climate change has been a natural occurrence on Earth since its formation. Well-known cooling and warming trends have gradually produced ice ages and subsequent warmings, and scientists have recognized these cycles for many years. Because climate change has always happened so gradually, the Earth — which is extremely resilient — has consistently weathered these shifts. In the past, climate change resulted from very gradual changes in the sun's intensity, the Earth's orbit around the sun, and even shifts in ocean circulation (Editors).
However, over the past 200 years, humanity's continued reliance on industry and fossil fuels has accelerated this process dramatically. Burning fossil fuels creates greenhouse gases which, while essential to life on Earth, have been increasing — especially over the last 100 years. These gases trap heat on Earth, causing warming at a rate unprecedented in recorded history. They are building up so rapidly that they are producing observable problems: melting polar ice caps, shifting climate patterns across the globe, and warming ocean temperatures. Heavy deforestation and urbanization compound the problem by removing green vegetation that emits oxygen and helps maintain a healthier balance of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Studies show that carbon dioxide can persist in the atmosphere for anywhere between 50 and 200 years (Editors), making simple passive reduction an insufficient response.
What worries scientists most is the speed of change during the twentieth century. Before, climate change happened gradually, and the Earth could slowly adapt. Today, the climate is changing much more rapidly due to humanity's continued development of technologies reliant on fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and their by-products. Weather records clearly show the planet is warming. The EPA notes, "According to NOAA and NASA data, the Earth's average surface temperature has increased by about 1.2 to 1.4°F in the last 100 years. Eleven of the last twelve years rank among the 12 warmest years on record (since 1850), with the warmest two years being 1998 and 2005" (Editors). Other scientists note this is especially alarming because, for the past 10,000 years, the climate had remained relatively stable, with natural systems able to balance CO₂ emissions and keep the planet's climate swings in check (Johansen 33). The recent temperature spike has occurred so rapidly that the Earth does not have time to recover, and this is already affecting many ecosystems.
There are numerous climate changes already occurring, and many more are forecast for the future. Projections indicate that "[g]lobal warming will increase the probability of more severe droughts and floods in many parts of the world. Several climate models utilized by the IPCC indicate an increase in precipitation intensity, suggesting a possibility for flooding rains in one season and withering drought in another in the same locations" (Johansen 232). These predictions have already proven accurate in the American Midwest, which has experienced torrential rains and severe drought within the same season.
Another change already underway is the melting of the polar ice caps at both poles. Significant ice loss is affecting wildlife, some species of which may disappear if the melt continues. Polar bears and seals are especially endangered as sea ice diminishes, and communities near the poles — such as those in Alaska — are experiencing warming trends far more pronounced than in other regions. For example, in Point Barrow, Alaska, the growing cycle has lengthened by 15 days in just 20 years, and the surrounding ice is melting far more quickly, disrupting the traditional seal hunting on which many Native residents depend (Johansen 233). Polar ice melt is also contributing to rising sea levels worldwide. The EPA notes, "In the last century, sea level rose 5 to 6 inches more than the global average along the Mid-Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, because coastal lands there are subsiding" (Editors). Ocean temperatures are also increasing, threatening marine life unable to survive in warmer waters.
There is mounting evidence that recent extreme weather events are at least partly attributable to global warming. Studies suggest that climate change will produce more high-intensity tornadoes and hurricanes, and that their seasons will grow longer. As one journalist notes, "The conclusion would seem to be that, with global warming, hurricanes are becoming not only more severe but also more frequent. And the mainstream media is paying attention" (Jordan). The EPA further states that "greenhouse warming and other human alterations of the Earth system may increase the possibility of large, abrupt, and unwelcome regional or global climatic events" (Editors). Many of the worldwide heat waves that have claimed large numbers of lives are also widely attributed to global warming.
Ecosystems can adapt to climate change if given sufficient time. In the past, gradual change posed no serious threat to planetary systems. Today, however, the pace of change is so rapid that ecosystems — coral reefs, tropical rainforests, and agricultural lands among them — are being lost faster than the Earth can replenish them naturally.
Global warming and climate change are a reality. Scientists have demonstrated this through rigorous data, and many people are already experiencing its effects in their daily lives. There are those who maintain that global warming does not exist, poses no real threat, or is not caused by human activity. If such views continue to impede action, the planet and its people could suffer great, irreparable harm.
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