Climate Change Is A Real Threat - 1105 Words

Climate Change is a Real Threat â€Å"Climate change is happening, humans are causing it, and I think it is perhaps the most serious environmental issue facing us.† This quote from Bill Nye illustrates the serious nature of climate change. Climate change is the most serious issue that is plaguing the world. Global temperatures have been increasing in recent years and it is clear that our climate is changing. Climate change is the change of temperature of our environment. A majority of scientists suspect that humans are causing climate change by emitting CO2 into the atmosphere which creates a greenhouse effect and warms the planet. The effects of climate change are far-reaching, impacting ocean life and plant life across the globe. It also†¦show more content†¦This could be disastrous for cities that are near the water. Business Insider states, â€Å"Scientists have identified 414 towns and cities in the United States that are guaranteed to eventually be underwaterâ €  (Sherlock). Climate change will not only be disastrous for people who live above ground, but also sea life that lives in the ocean. As CO2 concentrations increase in the atmosphere, larger quantities of CO2 becomes dissolved into the oceans. This creates carbonic acid in the oceans and makes the ocean more acidic. The increased acidity of the oceans is known as ocean acidification. According to the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, â€Å"the pH of surface ocean waters has fallen by 0.1 pH units. Since the pH scale is logarithmic, this change represents approximately a 30 percent increase in acidity† (Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory). Shellfish and coral cannot withstand a large increase in acidity and this causes coral reefs to become bleached. Coral dies when the acidity becomes too high and this causes the rest of the reef to die along with it. Scientific American states, â€Å"growth and calcification of massive Porites in the Great Barrier Reef are a lready declining and are doing so at a rate unprecedented in coral records reaching back 400 years† (Biello). Coral bleaching continues to happen in coral reefs and will