November 4, 2016

Dear Future Pres,

Even though people refuse to accept global warming as an issue and instead choose to remain unaware about its effects in the biosphere which are and will continue to have critical consequences. Even a small increases of average global temperature of even 1°C has the potential to completely ruin ecosystems by causing species to migrate themselves to colder habitats, such as the mountain pygmy possum. This will also increase land and ocean temperatures along with weather patterns. Lastly, the Earth's average temperature will drastically increase by the end of the 20th century.

According to Nova the mountain pygmy possum will potentially become an endangered species if global warming proceeds as it has been. “Strange though it may seem, it is the snow that’s keeping the possum warm; fluffed up by countless pockets of air, the uncompacted snow insulates the ground and prevents the warmth from escaping into the night.”. As a result from a rise in temperature, the pygmy possum will lose its habitat because all of the snow will melt away leaving it unprotected. The only choice the pygmy possum has is to move to another habitat or else it will die off from a changing environment.

The mountain pygmy possum is only one species but biodiversity as a whole will be affected just like the pygmy possum. Global warming can increase the intensity, frequency, and quantity of not only weather but also in catastrophic weather events. Nova claims, “The biodiversity that underpins Australia’s unique ecosystems is under threat from increasing land and ocean temperatures and changing weather patterns.”. The rising land and ocean temperatures will result in the great loss of biodiversity and changing weather patterns will cause extreme weather events to rise up posing an immense threat to civilization.

It is believed that the average global temperature will rise by a great amount and Nova makes this claim as well, “The average temperature of the Earth's surface increased by an estimated 0.7°C since the beginning of the 20th century and, according to the most recent projections of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, could rise by 1.6–4.3°C compared to a 1850–1900 baseline by 2100.”. The main causation of this rise is due to industrialization, the burning of fossil fuels, and agriculture. If the average global temperature does rise to its maximum potential at 4.3°C as predicted then it will cause hot environments to rise to even greater extremes.

Global warming has the ability to destroy economies and I have been severely affected because I used to own corporate space in Bangladesh but because of an immense land slide, my business along with many other homes and businesses were destroyed.We can no longer wait around and continue to let the effects of global warming to stack up. We need to do both long term and short term changes such as nature reserves to preserve habitat for biodiversity and reduction of greenhouse gases into the biosphere.

Sincerely, 

Ruben V.

Foster High School

Tukwila, WA