Global Warming timed synthesis essay

The earth. 70% water, 30% land. Host to all of the humans in the world. The earth is the only place that humans have to live. Over the years there has been much controversy over the issue of global warming and how people treat the earth, especially in the political arena. In all, I believe that there are three main things that politicians should focus on when making legislation pertaining to global warming. The rising ocean temperature, the fact that humans have contributed to global warming and that many places inside and out of the U.S are already making more comprehensive global warming legislation.

Global warming has affected many things that humans and therefore politicians should be focused on when making legislation, one of them being the rising ocean temperature. As the earth has heated up, so have the oceans. Over the past 150 years, the ocean temperature has risen by about .20 degrees (source b) . That might not seem like a lot, but for the way nature works, that is a large amount in a relatively short span of time. Politicians should be concerned about this because rising ocean temperatures mean that the ocean is expected to rise by around a meter (source e). Rising ocean levels and such could wreak havoc on some seaside communities and affect us all, which is why politicians should have this in mind when making global warming legislation.

Although there are still some skeptics, it is widely accepted that humans have contributed to global warming. Shockingly, the United States and Australia together account for one-quarter of the world's greenhouse-gas emissions (Source A). To think that the U.S plays such a large part in global warming and yet we are a relatively small portion of the world.  Even more, our carbon emission level had risen 12% above the 1990 level in 2004 and was predicted to rise by 30% in 2012 (source e). Since we as humans and more specifically as a nation have contributed so much to global warming, we now have to take steps to protect the environment and keep if from getting any worse. Politicians need remember this when deciding on how comprehensive legislation should be or if we should have any at all because… global warming is to a certain extent our fault.

Finally, when making global warming legislation, politicians need to consider that other states in the U.S and countries across the world are already making comprehensive global warming legislation.  For example, with the Kyoto Protocol, which is meant to reduce global warming, “One hundred forty one countries ratified the treaty.” (source a) The U.S, which is one of the biggest contributors to global warming, did not ratify it. Right there, there are one hundred and forty one nations that are progressing past the U.S at least in terms of environmental reform. More over, starting in 2005, “eighteen states, including power hogs California and Texas, have set requirements or goals for renewable energy” (Source C). Even individual states in the U.S are choosing to get one step ahead of global warming. As a nation we are supposed to try to be progressive in every sense of the word and we are not. So much so that states within the nation have realized it and are changing. Again, this is something politicians need to keep in mind when making global warming legislation.

It is time that politicians get up,  shake the dust off of their shoes and get going when it comes to global warming. The environment depends on it. Hopefully these reasons will light a fire under them to get moving.