In the ever changing and fast-paced world we live in today, our planet, and its wellbeing, are often forgotten. People go on with their chaotic lives, never stopping once to think about the affects their personal actions as well as the technological advancements being made may be having on the place the planet they call home - until disaster strikes. For years, storms and other natural disasters have been slowly increasing in both magnitude and devastation due to the warming of planet earth caused by pollution, yet nothing has been done to stop global warming and to prevent these disastrous and deadly forces from continuing, or getting stronger. However, scientists are now conducting constant research to come up with solutions, and are taking a stand against global warming and the continuing pollution of Earth. As the Earth continues to rise in both temperature and damage from pollution, it is important to understand the science behind global warming and how it happens, how it effects the development of storms, how the Earth will continue to be affected if nothing is done about it, and possible solutions that could be life-saving.

Even with global warming being a constant and increasing aspect of the environment and atmosphere around us, still many people do not know or understand what global warming is and how it is affecting everyday life and the development of storms. Global warming and climate change are primarily words used to describe the idea that “greenhouse gases”, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, are collecting in the atmosphere and absorbing, and trapping, solar radiation and heat. According to an article from Scientific American, “The atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide remained roughly stable for nearly ten thousand years, before the abrupt and rapidly accelerating increases of the last two hundred years. Growth rates for concentration of carbon dioxide have been faster in the past ten years than over any ten-year period since continuous atmospheric monitoring began in the 1950’s…” (Collins et al). This is rapid growth in levels of gasses as well as the trapping of these gases is known as the “greenhouse effect” because it traps heat inside the earth and earth’s atmosphere the same way that a greenhouse traps heat for plants to grow. This trapping of gasses in the atmosphere is said to be causing a gradual increase of temperature all across the globe. Although slow, and sometimes unnoticeable, this gradual increase in temperature is one of the primary causes for an increase in storms of a great intensity and magnitude. Although climate change does not directly cause storms, it does provide storms with a warmer environment to develop and higher ocean levels to feed off, giving hurricanes the perfect environment to form in (Vance).  Hurricanes, in particular, have seen large increases in magnitude throughout recent years. “The short version is, climate change makes these very bad storms worse, it is not the proximate cause of the storm, but it makes these bad storms worse. And in the case of a really bad storm, climate change can make it totally disastrous or catastrophic” (Drash). As the earth has increased in temperature, ice caps in the arctic are beginning to melt and this is leading to a rise in ocean levels and the ocean as a whole is beginning to warm as air temperature rises. Over the past century, the oceans have risen around seven inches and have warmed between one and three degrees (Drash). This may not seem like a large increase when put into words, but the environment requires a very delicate balance to function normally, and when altered even slightly it can cause catastrophic changes and damages to all forms of life on earth. With warm water being the primary factor in assisting in the development of hurricanes, storms like record-breaking category five Hurricane Irma are developing far more often than ever before, and are causing more damage than most storms in the past. Another major factor in the development of powerful storms is humidity. As the air temperature rises, rates of evaporation also begin to rise, leading to higher humidity levels in the air. This creates an even better and even more ideal breeding ground for hurricanes of large intensity to form and continue to grow (Vance). Hurricanes, like Hurricane Patricia for example, often increase in intensity so quickly mainly due to things like hitting a warm patch of water as they are beginning to develop. If the ocean as a whole is warmer and there are not just patches of warm water, every hurricane will have the potential to be much more intense and develop quicker than ever before (Joyce). “This may be a preview of what could happen if you increase, summarily, sea surface temperatures on the order of a degree or so” (Vance).  Although scientists cannot say for sure that in the next few years storms will continue to worsen, climate models do all agree on an overall continuation in the increase of temperature everywhere on earth (Collins et al). By association, this can allow for the assumption that storms will also continue to develop at a higher magnitude than ever before. As the temperature of the atmosphere continues to rise, so will ocean temperatures and levels, which will often lead to a rise in the occurrence and prevalence of storms of great intensity which has been proven by Hurricanes Irma, Harvey, and Patricia. 

Global warming not only affects the magnitude of storms, but also the amount of destruction caused, and the aftermath and recovery faced by those affected by these powerful storms. As storms grow in magnitude and intensity, unfortunately, so does the damage caused by them. Although they cannot say for sure that climate change causes storms of great intensity, “…the consensus among scientists is that the effects of climate change, rising sea level, and warmer oceans made these storms far more destructive than they would have been in previous decades” (Drash). Devastating category three Hurricane Harvey, for example, caused massive amounts of destruction spanning across two hundred miles across Texas (Simon). Destruction from Hurricanes typically consists of the total annihilation of mobile homes as well as varying levels of destruction of homes, businesses, and various other types of properties. Texas was faced with such extreme amounts of rain from Hurricane Harvey that even after the storm passed, the rivers and lakes continued to flood at the highest rates since 1913 (Simon). As a result of this flooding, the water continued to cause damage to homes and other properties days after the hurricane passed. Hurricanes typically result in such great physical damages that it is estimated that recovery usually costs on average 1.8 billion dollars and takes countless years for the city affected to fully recover (Muller). Although the physical damages caused by powerful storms are the most prominent types of damages portrayed in the media, the psychological damages can often times be much worse, but are often less apparent to people (Scutti). While walls and homes can be replaced, the personally significant items such as scrapbooks or family heirlooms lost in a hurricane cannot be replaced so easily and can leave families devastated and “unlike the physical damage which is all too obvious, the physiological toll will have effects that cascade over time” (Scutti).  The aftermath of hurricanes often brings along with it anxiety, difficulty sleeping, and depression. Left untreated, these things can lead to distress behaviors such as feelings of marginalization, or social exclusion, an increase in the abuse of addictive substances like alcohol and tobacco, and chronic irritability. Post-Hurricane Katrina led to an increase in post-traumatic stress disorder from fifteen percent right after the storm, to twenty-one percent only one year later. The hurricane also led to a rise of suicidal thoughts from around three percent to around six and half percent (Scutti). Hurricanes and natural disasters are often only seen as the actual event itself, however as storms increase in magnitude and damages, it is important that people become more aware of the fact that the aftermath of natural disasters both in a physical and emotional way can be worse than the storm its self. 

Although scientists are unable to pin point one single thing that has been caused exclusively by global warming and climate change, it can however be proven that in the last fifty years there has been a significant increase in heat waves, droughts, and intense rains (Riebeek). As the weather patterns and climates across the globe change, so do the ecosystems in which plants and animals live in and depend on. Plants and animals have specific ecosystems and environments that they depend on for survival and with rising temperatures the delicate balance is being interfered with. As it continuously gets warmer sooner in the year, plants begin to bloom too early which causes a shortage of food for animals later on in the warmer seasons. Also, since it gets warm earlier this tricks animals into thinking that it is time to migrate earlier than they are supposed to, which also contributes to a shortage of food and thus the slow extinction of both plants and animals (Riebeek). While these changes may seem small enough to ignore, any change on an ecosystem can cause a much larger amount of damage than it may seem. Climate change can also have a very large effect on the lives of the people as well. People who live in low-lying coastal areas are in danger of flooding as ocean levels rise and rainfall increases. However, the people who live in very poor third-world countries will the people who are affected the most. These countries often do not have the funds or resources to adapt to these types of changes, so as intense rains and hurricanes increase, so will damages that will be unrepairable for such a poor nation, leaving countless countries in shambles (Riebeek). An increase in the overall temperature of earth can also be deadly. As temperatures rise, so will the number of breeding grounds for deadly infectious diseases like malaria. Mountain glaciers will also begin to melt at much higher rates, significantly cutting down on the amount of drinking water available leading to higher levels of dehydration, heat strokes, and deaths (Riebeek). Climate change can and will affect the lives of people on earth more than they realize. From changes in ecosystems that will eventually also affect humans, to rises in diseases and death, lives will be impacted and, more importantly, lost if there are no changes made to stop the continuation of global warming. 

As both scientists and citizens become more aware of the effects that global warming and climate change have on both the magnitudes of storms and daily life, people begin to wonder what the ways to slow the greenhouse effect may be. While there are countless solutions proposed by scientists, some of the most effective and most “user friendly” solutions are to help in reducing the rate at which fossil fuels are consumed, helping to be more efficient, slowing the rate of deforestation, and cutting down on the amount electronics consumed in daily life. Cutting down on fossil fuels may be difficult, but it is definitely possible. Since some of the world’s wealthiest nations thrive on the use of fossil fuels, many smaller and poor countries feel as though they should not have to miss out on such a luxury, however there are many alternatives. Rather than continuing to use oil and other fossil fuels, it would be wise to begin converting to alternative types of energy such as plant-based plastics, biodiesel, wind power, and solar power (Biello). The use of these energy alternatives will deliver the same results as oil but will help with reducing the amount of greenhouse gasses released. One other major way to stop the major oil companies is to slow the rate at which investments are made into the industry. Even though the oil industry does make up a large part of the global economy, it is more important to keep the planet functioning rather than making money (Biello). 

Being energy efficient in everyday life is another way to cut down on the emissions of dangerous gasses. Not only will the purchase and use of efficient devices, appliances, cars, and better home and building insulation help save the environment, but in the long run it will also save consumers money. Also, a reduction in the amount of daily use of electronics can make a major impact on energy saving. Even when not using devices and chargers most people leave them plugged in unknowing that they are still using very large amounts of energy, raising the prices paid on energy bills as well as raising the amount of oil used to power them (Biello). Also, switching from incandescent light bulbs to energy efficient bulbs in homes and buildings can save very large amounts of energy. If every home in America switched out just one incandescent with an energy efficient bulb, the amount of energy saved would be enough to power three million American homes (Biello). 

One final solution to drastically reducing the amount of greenhouse gasses released into the atmosphere, is to reduce the amount of deforestation. Each year over thirty-three million acres of forest are cutdown and not replaced (Biello). Not only does this destroy ecosystems and contributes to the extinction of countless plants and animals, but it all releases, in the tropics alone, 1.5 billion metric tons of carbon into the atmosphere. This massive amount of carbon makes up twenty percent of the overall man-made greenhouse gasses released per year (Biello). A reduction in deforestation, and a rise in recycling could not only cut down greatly on the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere each year, but it will also save both plants and animals. As forests are destroyed, so are the homes of many living things, and as their homes as destroyed they slowly become extinct. The extinction of plants and animals may not seem like an aspect that will affect humans, but as they go extinct, so will food sources and things that keep our environment in balance. A reduction in the use of technology and a reduction in the dependence of industries that release millions of toxic gasses into the environment each day can lead to a great deal of change for the better when it comes to global warming and keeping climate change under control (Biello). 

In a world that seems as indestructible as our magnificent planet earth, it is easy for its inhabitants to forget that their actions and wastes can have countless major effects on not only their lives, but also on weather patterns and the lives and well-being of countless other living plants and animals. As the temperature of earth rises, so does the likely hood of storms of extreme magnitude, and along with them comes extreme and devastating destruction. If these patterns of waste and a rise in global warming continue, not only will storms increase, but so will other, sometimes deadly, effects. However, if people across the globe make simple changes to reduce their carbon foot print and help to cut down on the rate of warming of the planet, horrible outcomes and storms can be avoided, and our planet can return to its natural functions the way that it should. 
