Global warming is no longer considered a theory—it is now a full blown crisis, one that is evidenced by the annual increasing carbon dioxide levels. As earth continues to get warmer, more people are being affected.

Global warming is the observed increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans, which results in the creation of the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is the rise in temperature that the Earth experiences because certain gases in the atmosphere trap energy from the sun.

Unfortunately, the earth’s temperature has continued to increase over the decades because of the human abuse of fossil fuels.

People around the world drive cars that run on oil, a fossil fuel. Every time a person drives a car with high emissions, the earth ends up affected.

Power plants also release high emissions of carbon dioxide which come from coal they use. Power plants have accumulated enough carbon dioxide to have the highest emissions of the gas in the nation. The results of this abuse range from changes in weather to specific disasters which take place all over the world.

The effect from this abuse, most commonly known, is the increasing earth temperatures that lead to extreme weather. Many scientists say that hurricanes that have occurred in the past few years have been the result of climatic change. A recent example of this effect is the Hurricane Katrina disaster in New Orleans, La.

These circumstances make global warming an economic crisis. Inadequate government resources are now needed to rebuild destroyed villages and towns.

The increasing temperature levels around the world also cause the water in oceans to increase. The additional water from melting glaciers eventually comes into contact with oceans. The result from these waters coming together causing a tremendous rise in sea level.

In the United States, people have started to worry about the effects of global warming. Scientists have proposed plans to stop these effects.

One proposed idea is for people to start driving electric cars. Most major automobile dealers in America provide hybrid cars that require less gas because of their electronic power. By using hybrids, carbon dioxide emissions are predicted to reduce radically.

Another proposed idea is to use alternative sources of energy. Both solar and wind power, unlike oil, are renewable energy sources, meaning that they will never run out. These types of energy are already being used and do not have as many damaging effects as oil.

Government is held back by the fear of what will happen to the economy. Oil brings in a lot of money each year. Some politicians fear that the economy will immediately shift if there is a switch in energy sources. However, many scientists agree that this will have to be done sooner or later.

Fear continues to grow as global warming affects the world in different ways everyday. Thankfully, some students at GHS are becoming more open to alternative energy sources. Junior Austin Litz says he plans to fight global warming, “I want to drive a hybrid car because I want to feel like I am doing my part to aid the earth.”