Global Warming

Dear Future President, In your first term as president I feel like you should work to try to improve our countries environment. There has been a large increase in the amount of violent thunderstorms and wild fires and a decrease in the amount if snowfall each year, which affects the overall climate, crop yield, and the well being of mankind in America. Since 1895 the temperature has increased between 1.3 and 1.9 degrees Fahrenheit with 80% of the increase in the past 44 years. If global warming is not stopped the Chesapeake Bay region could end up uninhabitable or underwater and the northeast could see the addition of an extra 60 days where the temperature surpasses 90 degrees Fahrenheit (1). Barely 2 degrees higher does not sound like a major problem but it is. Just two degrees can cause massive melting of the polar ice caps and extreme droughts, which can take major tolls in our weather patterns, food availability, and economy. If we lose the polar ice caps because the ocean temperature has gotten too hot the sea level will rise drastically and cause an increase in flooding in coastal areas and the higher temperatures will make fishing harder since marine animals are the most sensitive to climate change. Extreme droughts and wild weather patterns will make it much harder for farmers to grow enough food to feed the ever-increasing population of the planet unless something is done to slow the rapid warming of the earth. Some things that can be done on a national level to try to slow global warming are creating more renewable energy sources, making vehicles more fuel efficient, and build a clean energy economy (2). By using renewable energy resources such as wind power or solar power our country can diversify its energy supply reducing the dependency on fossil fuels and cut our national green house gas emissions and air pollution. By improving America’s fuel efficiency in our vehicles we could cut our oil consumption in half, which would not only save the environment but it would save money. If America can make the switch into a clean energy economy it will not only create thousands of new jobs but it will make America a leader in renewable energy economies and give us an advantage over other world powers (2). Global warming can no longer be ignored especially since there are so many solutions that the next president to take office must address it. 1. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/us-climate-report-says-global-warming-impact-already-severe/2014/05/06/0e82cd3c-d49c-11e3-aae8-c2d44bd79778_story.html 2.http://www.ucsusa.org/our-work/global-warming/solutions/global-warming-solutions-reduce-emissions#.WCKXaHe-Icg