Argumentative Essay: The Last Ice Age

The last Ice Age is dated to have occurred about 1.8 million years ago and it is stated that it approximately lasted for 11,700 years; concluding the last Ice Age our planet has seen a huge shift in the glaciers that once had covered large parts of earth. Over the last 800,000 years, in a period that is called the Pleistocene, we see a long-standing pattern in ice sheet growth and decline across glacial (cold) and interglacial (warmer) periods.1 Global warming should no longer be a topic of debate, here within the United State, about whether global warming is really happening, or if humans are the reason behind global warming. Instead we need to discuss and educate ourselves of the scientific evidences that have shown the effects of Global

This cycle is needed and is important with helping Earth to maintain its temperature range, but consequently too much accumulation of CO2 and greenhouse gases; leads to the Earth retraining more infrared radiation than needed. Human activities have contributed to the increased concentration of greenhouse gases.2 At the start of the Industrial Age, records have shown that the rate at which the Earth is warming up has been increasing steadily. This is due to the high demand of burning fossil fuels in order to provided us with electricity, to be able to power our vehicles, along with other important features to make everyday life simpler; but it has come at a cost. The level at which CO2 is currently at, is the highest it has ever been in the last 650,000 years.3 The level is currently recorded at 380ppm; making it the highest it has been since the modern human as a species has been around. Most of the population tend to ignore or do not recognize the actions that we humans do that contribute to Global Warming, or they simply do not want to accept responsibly that we contribute to Global

Most of the machines were powered with fossil fuel, as its main energy source. Burning fossil fuel, releases CO2 into the atmosphere. This is a cause of Global Warming indirectly, leading to effects on our glaciers from around the world. The increase of temperature, causes for the glaciers to melt at faster rates, when compared to previous years. Pictures have been taken over the years, and scientist have also observed the effects of Global Warming has had on the glaciers around the global. The Arctic is warming faster than other parts of the globe, and more than 100 native Inuit and Aleut villages have had to be relocated away from the coast to escape the increased erosion of the Arctic shoreline. Glacier National Park in Montana has lost almost all of its ice, and there probably won't be any glaciers left there at all after the next 10-15 years. The main glacier in the world's largest extent of tropical ice, in the Andes Mountains, could disappear completely by 2012.4 In many places around the global, like in India, during their dry season the melting of glaciers is needed in order for them to be able to harvest food. Not only for their needs, but the United States as well.