There are many issues in the world today. One of them, global warming is, I think, one of the most predominating of all. Global Warming is the effect of industrialization and urbanization. The subject itself is but the most controversial and debatable of all issues. Some people believe that there is no such thing as global warming. This information is utterly false and unconceivable. Global warming is in every aspect of your daily life, even though you may not know it.
            Global warming is increasing the Earth’s temperatures. The increasing global temperatures affect just about everything. There have been a record numbers of tornados this year, 2008, and hurricane Katrina, one of the most devastating natural disasters of the twenty-first century has almost entirely destroyed New Orleans. According to the USGS, our activities now emit more than 130 times that of the world's volcanoes. In Greenland, the place known to be icy and barren it is becoming greener every year. With global warming, the ground at the edges of this frozen wasteland have now seen daylight for the first time in 110,000 years, when the last warm period, the Eeman took place. This extra water increases the amount of water in the oceans and may flood low-lying areas.
           The ocean’s temperatures are very important. Just a small change can result in disaster and that disaster has already started. By 2050, the ocean’s temperatures and carbon dioxide and pollution in the ocean's waters will have killed all coral reefs, which are home to many diverse and different sea creatures, some which can be found no-where else. If the amount of pollution released into the air continues, or even is reduced by a small amount, the coral reefs will disappear from our planet. Many of the underwater animals that call the oceans and reefs their homes may disappear.
           Cars, buses, factories, and half of the United State's power plants run on fossil fuels which were left in the ground the last time the dinosaurs roamed. Their bodies decomposed over millions of years creating oil in the process, and we use this for couple very important things: transportation, power, and heat. Just about everyone on earth use these things every day on Earth. Without these things, society would fall apart.
           This brings us to another critical issue, WHAT WILL WE USE INSTEAD?! There are many alternatives. Wind power, solar power, Uranium power, vegetable oil, water power, and fusion energy just to list a few. The only problem, Will these cost more? Solar panels can be expensive and when it's cloudy, they cannot collect much power. Windmills can also be useful but when there's no wind, there won't be much power. Uranium power is the best option for power plants, although there is the chance of a meltdown. Vegetable oil is an excellent solution for vehicles.
           Today, the only options to help stop global warming for most people is to wait for science to find an answer or feebly attempt to rectify this issue themselves. Because the pollution in the air continues to climb, we may be the destroyer of our planet. For if we continue our current lifestyle, the polar icecaps will slowly melt, and the water level of the world's oceans will rise, flooding low areas such as New York and New Orleans. Global warming may also make the world's climate unstable and create more severe storms. These include more hurricanes like Katrina, more deadly tornados, and more severe thunderstorms. 2008 has already seen a record number of tornados (about 1000 by June) and the South is terribly dry. The North is receiving more rain than it needs (rain the South needs terribly more than what the North is getting).
           In order to help with the Global Warming crisis there are a couple things YOU can do without spending hundreds of dollars on solar panels or a windmill for your backyard. Spiral, fluorescent bulbs can be bought to replace the regular incandescent ones. Power adapters use power when not in use and they can be unplugged. These include cell phone chargers, laptop chargers and a couple others. Instead of driving your car, take public transportation or even walk or ride your bike. These are only a few of what you can do to help save our planet. Remember, it is mostly human activities like transportation and factories that have been and are contributing to the rising of the temperatures on Earth. The only people who can make a difference are the people who are contributing to the rising of greenhouse gases in the air.
           Global Warming is a most critical issue and if it is not stopped, our planet may be destroyed. Think about this issue carefully and decide for yourself: do nothing and destroy 90% of the animals on earth, destroying the food cycle, or buy a hybrid, conserve energy, or even donate to science to find other alternatives to stop global warming.