Global Warming and How We Are Trying to Change by Devin Cooney

Hey kids! Do you remember our first blog post about the debate concerning free will? It was about how sometimes we do not always control what we do as human beings. Some things are completely out of our control. In this blog post, we will talk about how, sometimes, the things that we do have control over affect our planet in a bad way.

One of the things that are negatively affected by the way we treat our environment is our climate. Climate is the weather patterns of a place. For example, a cold place like Michigan can have a warm and sunny day in the winter every once in a while. However, the climate for Michigan during the winter is cold and snowy.

However, a process called global warming is leading to climate change. Global warming is a process our planet is going through right now. It is when our average temperature increases. This climate change can lead to really bad things, such as a change in rainfall patterns or glaciers melting. A gas called carbon monoxide is one of the things leading to this global warming. When carbon monoxide is released into the air, it leads to something called the Greenhouse Effect. Imagine a car with all of the windows rolled up. When the sun’s rays hit the car, it heats it up. However, instead of getting rid of this heat, the car traps it and makes the car really hot. Greenhouse gasses, like carbon monoxide, trap the sun’s rays and make our planet hotter than it should be.

One group that is responsible for releasing carbon monoxide into the air is the United Arab Emirates. The United Arab Emirates is an area that has a lot of oil and natural gas. Because of this, they release more carbon monoxide into the atmosphere than most other countries. Their levels are one of the highest in the world!

However, free will, which you guys learned is the ability to make decisions on your own, is making this region feel guilty about how much carbon they are putting into our air. The United Arab Emirates are trying really hard to find different types of energy sources that do not release harmful gases. They see that their actions are affecting the planet in a bad way. They are researching sources of energy that are safe. These include solar power, which comes from the sun, and wind power.

Another way the United Arab Emirates are helping is by educating the youth about how important it is to find other energy sources. They know how important the youth is to our future. Isn’t that cool?? Some of these students were so motivated that they decided to take action. Some students are getting jobs that are trying to find answers to the energy problem. Others are making presentations to companies on how they can lower their carbon output.

The way the environment is changing is bad for our planet. We have to make better choices in how we use energy so that Global Warming does not continue. We have the freedom to change our behavior and improve our environment. If we can do this, we would be able to save our planet. Even though these other sources of energy are expensive, it is worth it because it will help our planet. The United Arab Emirates should be proud about what they are doing. Educating our youth is the first step in changing our ways. Children are our future. It is up to kids like you to help make this planet a better place. You guys can change the world!!!

Fun Links:

Nourishing green minds in the land of oil by Lana El Charr and Lisa A. Lamont. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V4S-4X541J1-1&_user=130907&_coverDate=03%2F31%2F2010&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000004198&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=130907&md5=bb7f745604eee4accac3074ac3cb79e3. February 1 2010.

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/ . February 8 2010.