![Flames of the Simi Valley Fire ravage a mountain side in Southern California. - [Image courtesy - Dennis W. Goff / Wikimedia Commons]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2018/6/24/660x290/b_502x220x82/flames-of-the-simi-valley-fire-ravage-a-mountain-side-in-southern-california-image-courtesy-dennis-w-goff-wikimedia-commons_2039001.jpg "Flames of the Simi Valley Fire ravage a mountain side in Southern California. - [Image courtesy - Dennis W. Goff / Wikimedia Commons]")
Those who believe that global warming is something related to modern day lifestyle need to realize that a scientist of NASA had warned 30 years ago about the phenomenon and said it was not approaching but had already arrived. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that it was on June 23, 1988, when scientist James Hansen told Congress and the world about global warming. That, according to Rice University historian Douglas Brinkley, was “the opening salvo of the age of climate change.” In the course of the past three decades, changes due to this single factor have affected all walks of life.
Some of the changes are obvious, others are not readily visible.
Threats of global warming
It is difficult to ignore the phenomenon of global warming. As Kathie Dello, a climate scientist at Oregon State University in Corvallis, said, “climate change is here, it’s now and it’s hitting us hard from all sides.” An analysis of data on various elements of climate has revealed that there has been an increase in surrounding temperatures, which, in turn, has led to irregular weather patterns. It is necessary to pay heed to the caution sounded by James Hansen and change our lifestyle.
Consequences of rising temperatures include the wildfires that keep growing in size and destroy vast expanses of greenery.
In a rough estimate, the loss due to wildfires in the United States today is more than twice what it was three decades earlier. The reason for the rise in temperatures is attributed to a release of certain gases that have the ability to trap heat from the sun. This gas is usually carbon dioxide that is generated by humans when they burn fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gasoline.
Global warming must be checked
The sudden rainfalls, flash floods, and hurricanes witnessed in the United States in recent times are results of global warming. These have nearly doubled in 30 years, according to a federal index. News AU adds that more than a dozen hurricanes have hit America since 1988 leading to loss of lives and property.
More hurricanes could be coming. The rise in sea level due to the melting of ice from the Arctic adds to the problem and images from NASA satellites have shown three inches of sea level rise in the past quarter of a century. It is a fact that the Earth has become hotter, wildfires have become more frequent, the Arctic has lost large volumes of ice, and that sea level rise is real. Therefore, it is important to recognize the signs and change our lifestyle in order to save the planet.
