With each day people hear more and more about global warming. We are being flooded with different claims and opinions, some of which are controversial. There are people who tend to believe everything that cross their path, but there are also those who refuse to acknowledge different arguments and claim that global warming is a lie made up by scientists. However, global warming is a reality. This process is literary defined as “the rise in the average temperature of Earth’s atmosphere and oceans”. It’s been carefully observed by leading scientific institutions all around the world. So how does it happen? Basically, the Earth’s atmosphere consists of a number of gases, which are meant to capture a certain amount of heat inside the atmosphere to keep the planet warm. The problem is that we keep adding to the atmosphere more gases such as Carbon dioxide. So the excess of Carbon dioxide goes up to the atmosphere and traps the heat inside instead of letting it seep through and leave the atmosphere.

Global warming is affecting the Earth in many ways. Let’s just take a look at some of them and start with the effect on the environment. Based on observations, it is now known that glaciers have shrunk significantly. This means that sea level is also rising accordingly. It affects the environment in the most drastic way, leading to increased flooding, like in Europe and Asia, for example. Extremely high temperatures and lack of precipitation in tropical areas will lead to thousands of acres of tropical forest to turn in to lifeless deserts. Many species will be lost forever and many on the verge of extinction.

Another area that is being influenced by global warming is agriculture. Increase of inland and coastal floods and extreme precipitation in some areas leads to soil erosion. This leaves less and less land useful for farming, and farmers with a hard task, which gets even harder with each year, to grow crops efficiently on the land that is available. Global worming also takes its toll on growing fruits. The trees start to bloom earlier than usual, but sudden changes in temperature cause the bloom to freeze or be useless because it was too cold for insects to pollinate it. Eventually, all of these events will result in shortage of food, leaving millions hungry.

Although there is much more to discuss, the last area to be pointed out is human health and how it is affected by global warming. Scientists from IPCC state that warmer climate will create perfect conditions for malaria-carrying mosquitos. This will increase the chances of getting infected for 65% of world’s population. Also, global warming can become a reason for multiple heat strokes as well as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Especially vulnerable for the latter are people with ailing hearts, due to some extra work that the heart should perform in extremely hot weather.

From all of the stated above, it is obvious that humans are the main reason for global warming. As humanity tries to make life easier by advancing in technology, it actually complicates it many areas. But simple things such as switching the light off whenever leaving a room or recycling are steps to prevent further global warming. And if people unite in this goal, we will make a difference.