BY NICK BOOSE, Editor
Around the globe, temperatures are on a steady increase. Average temperatures in many countries have never been so high.
In the United States, the average temperature in 2012 was 13˚ degrees Fahrenheit. It may seem like a low average, but it was 3.2 degrees higher than the country’s 20th century average temperature.
During the Industrial Revolution, the United States began burning fossil fuels, which release CO2 into the air. With the deforestation that is so common in the United States, CO2 is also released. The releasing of CO2 in the air destroys the earth’s atmosphere, which in turn creates a “greenhouse” effect.
The greenhouse effect traps heat inside the earth’s atmosphere, thus creating higher temperatures.
Earth science teacher James McKnight believes other sources contribute to the rise in temperatures.
“We must also consider other possible causes: natural environmental cycles, solar output, etc. Recent scientific evidence points to humans as primary contributors to global warming,” McKnight said.
Scientists do not expect a higher average temperature every year. Although, they do anticipate each decade to have a warmer average than the last. The next expected rise in temperature is anywhere from 3.6 degrees to 8.1 degrees.
“The number of record highs has far outpaced record lows during this time, at least three to one,” McKnight said.
The rise in temperatures could have greater effects than just the climate. They also cause a rise in sea levels. The glaciers in the poles slowly melt with the rise in temperature creating more water in the oceans.
Heat waves also become a bigger factor creating a less safe environment.
“Heat waves cause stress on the body when there is too much heat being absorbed and not enough heat being lost though the body’s normal cooling processes,” according to ema.gov.
Along with the concern of heat waves comes a greater possibility of droughts having an impact on communities.