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Global Warming & Pollution
Two of the biggest problems that oceans face today are global warming and pollution. Did you know that there are almost 5 trillion pieces of plastic in the ocean and that global warming could make endangered species extinct? Let's learn more about global warming and pollution and the effects they have on our world.
Global warming is an increase in temperature in the Earth's atmosphere. This is mostly caused because of greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor. The most common greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide. These gases have the ability to trap heat from the sun's rays. When there is an excess amount of greenhouse gases in the air, our planet becomes hotter, because more heat is trapped.
But, you might be wondering how there is an excess amount of greenhouse gases in the air? Well, here's your answer: humans. Greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide, are usually created when burning things, like smoke from factories' wastes. Some other examples are burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas. Deforestation(cutting trees) also increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the air.
As you probably know by now, global warming increases the temperature of Earth's atmosphere. This makes oceans and other continents hotter. Places like Antarctica and Greenland are affected the most because they are both mostly made up of ice. When the ice in these places melts, water levels rise. Water levels rising has two major problems. The first one is that rising water levels can cause major flooding to low-coastal areas. The second problem is that animals, like polar bears, which depend on the ice to live don't have any ice left.
Now you know more about global warming and how it affects the world. So, why don't we learn more about marine pollution and its effects on Earth?
Marine pollution is a combination of trash, chemicals, and waste that are dumped or blown into the ocean. But where do all of these trash and chemicals come from? They come from us. Sometimes, people who live near coastal areas throw away plastic and other trash in the ocean. Even if you are not living near the ocean, your litter could get blown into the ocean by the wind. Sometimes the pollution even comes from factories. They release their waste into the ocean.
All of this littering and pollution really hurts animals, like fish and birds. They mistake the plastic in oceans for food. When they eat plastic, they don't survive. So, remember to not litter, because it hurts critters.
