Sayera Bhuiyan, Class IV
Photo Credit: Yuliia
Students step over and into puddles as the rain pelts their umbrella and for the unfortunate, their bodies. The next day, they shove their hands into the pockets of their jackets in an effort to hide them from the bitter cold, only to leave those very same jackets at home the following day. The clock seems to move back and then suddenly jump forward. The weather seems to be fighting with itself, unable to decide which season it is. But the weather does not need to ask why, nor do we. The cause is quite clear. Global warming.
There is a misconception that climate change and global warming are the same thing. Though they are closely related, this is not true. As stated by NASA, “Global warming is the long-term heating of Earth’s climate system observed since the pre-industrial period (between 1850 and 1900) due to human activities.” Climate change, however, is “a long-term change in the average weather patterns that have come to define Earth’s local, regional and global climates.” Climate change is what people experience when they face heat waves, increased precipitation, drought etc. Global warming is the cause behind that.
What Causes Global Warming?
Human activities are a driving factor for global warming. Humans emit heat-trapping gasses such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. These gasses can be emitted from commonplace activities such as driving a car, heating up your home, cooking, etc. They are also largely emitted due to deforestation and using fossil fuels.
Rain
Warmer weather and shorter winters result in more rain falling during the winter-spring transition. Warmer weather causes an increase in evaporation which causes there to be more water within our atmosphere. This increase in water allows for more rain as temperatures increase.
Colder Temperatures
Despite its name, global warming also causes colder temperatures. The earth is getting warmer overall, but at the same time, a small portion of the planet experiences extreme winters. A reason for this colder is arctic warming. As the Arctic warms up, the movement of the counterclockwise winds circulating the arctic at around 55 degrees north latitude (arctic oscillation) enters a “negative phase”. When a negative phase occurs, the polar jet stream and polar vortex (low-pressure area of frigid swirling air) become more unstable, causing a disturbance in a way. This disturbance causes air to blow southward meaning more areas of the U.S are affected by harsher winters. Another reason is that the warmer temperature allows for more water vapor to be captured in the atmosphere, and when temperatures suitable for snow arrive this increased precipitation, it causes bounteous snowfall.
Student Opinions
Of course, everyone views the situation differently and it impacts everyone differently. Some people view this as something very serious and are upset that more is not being done. One person who has this view is Akosua, a class IV discipula, who believes that “Environmental change is a major issue nowadays and I feel like individuals don't take the theme sufficiently in a genuine way. What I, in all actuality, do accept for some reasons is that over utilization of the earth's assets is beginning to significantly affect our current circumstances.” Others, such as Aarmeen, a class IV discipula, also believe that “the effects of climate change are very damaging to earth than people think because we might not see the changes now, but it's happening every second and not being able to see is evidently scary.” While many are angry and upset, some don't feel anything because this is a situation that has been happening for so long that it comes to a point “where I kind of normalized it," Nure, a class IV discipula, said.
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