Climate Change: Dangerous--and Propelled by Humans
Human history spans only a fraction of Earth’s existence. If the time between Earth’s formation and the present day was 24 hours, humans would have only existed for one minute and 17 seconds. Our impact on the planet, however, will last far longer than our species. In the last 100 years, global temperature is on the rise––and although it may not just be a human issue, humans contribute about 99 percent of the problem at hand.
According to NASA, in the past 650,000 years there have been seven glacial advances and retreats. The last ice age ended about 7,000 years ago, and the time period between then and now is known as the modern climate era. The term “climate change” is often considered a taboo term because of the issues that it brings, but in reality climate change is just used to describe any fluctuation in the earth’s climate and its positive and negative effects. It goes without saying that climate change is not a positive thing, but climate reacts to whatever forces it to change. 97% of experts agree that humans are the dominating force in the shifting climate across the world. Since 1950, carbon emissions have skyrocketed due to many factors, such as deforestation, burning of fossil fuels, and even cement production. The atmosphere has reached a dangerous state, and as a result the globe is inevitably warmed. In 2015, global temperatures were the highest ever recorded, and since the 20th century the earth has warmed 2 degrees. Although this scale might seem small, if warming like this continues on a global scale, humanity is headed for an unfortunate fate.
For the most part, climate change involves our Earth’s atmosphere. The atmosphere is composed of a variety of different gases, including nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and ozone. There is a layer of ozone that circles the globe, appropriately named the “ozone layer”. One of the reasons that life is able to exist on Earth is because of this layer in the atmosphere. The planet remains at a survivable temperature because energy that comes from the Sun is reflected off of Earth’s surface and goes back into space. However, some of it is absorbed by greenhouse gases that are trapped under the ozone layer. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and man-made substances. This absorption of energy is called the greenhouse effect.
The issue that the world now faces with climate change is an enhanced greenhouse effect. Rising levels of the aforementioned greenhouse gases are having a harmful effect on the environment. Too much energy from the sun is being absorbed and not enough is being reflected; this causes more heat radiation and therefore a rising global temperature.
Greenhouse gas levels are rising due to the carbon emissions released by various factors of normal human life. Machines such as automobiles are one of the largest contributors to higher carbon levels in the atmosphere. Other man-made factors include deforestation, cement production, industrial processes, intensive livestock farming, and use of synthetic fertilizers. There are natural causes of carbon emissions too, but they hardly impact the environment as negatively as activity that involves the burning of fossil fuels.
Between 2000 and 2009, carbon dioxide emissions from cement and burning fuels increased by 30 percent. Although the term makes it seem as though all of the carbon goes to the atmosphere, this is a common mistake. Scientists have discovered natural “carbon sinks”– environments that can re-absorb carbon dioxide. These environments include forests and oceans, and some sinks can hold carbon for thousands of years. About half of all man-made carbon emissions are naturally absorbed and used by the aforementioned sinks. Forests will use the carbon dioxide to grow, using it up after several decades; carbon dioxide will remain in deep oceans for hundreds of thousands of years.
This seemingly solves the issue of carbon emissions and climate change. However, climate reports dictate that the warming of the earth lowers the capacity of carbon sinks. The pH of the ocean is lowering as a result of taking in more carbon dioxide (the term is coined “ocean acidification”) and this can be harmful to many species in the oceans.
As carbon levels continue to rise, and carbon sink capacities lower, the atmosphere is forced to take on more and more carbon dioxide. In 2013, the global concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere stood at 400 parts per million (ppm), which is the highest that it has ever been in recorded history. This is an increase of about 24 percent since 1958, when carbon dioxide research first began. Scientists have grown increasingly concerned about the state of the atmosphere, and the future of the world due to the lack of places to put the carbon dioxide that is constantly emitted from human activity.
Earth’s climate fluctuates regularly, but the abnormal and problematic portion of climate change that is heavily discussed by scientists largely came about in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. At the time, industrialization was becoming more popular among European countries. Factories with their large machines ran on fossil fuels such as coal and oil. These manufacturing giants turned the areas around them black with soot, especially London; in the early 20th century, it was said that London could never see a clear day because of the factories there. Although this should have been a warning sign, science was limited at the time and people had no way of knowing about the effects of pollution. Because of this, the consistent burning of fossil fuels continued for decades afterwards.
In 1885, the first-ever automobile was manufactured in Germany. It was the world’s first car powered by an internal combustion engine. Although it only had three wheels, it was the ancestor of the millions of cars that people drive today across the world. Almost all of today’s cars run on gasoline. The vapors given off when gasoline is burned, such as carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide, contribute to air pollution. Gasoline also produces carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that can become dangerous if its atmospheric levels become too high.
The new developments in technology were beneficial to Europe’s growing economy at the time, and beneficial to global culture. However, in the long run, this would lead to environmental problems that still grow in the present day. Although technological development is never bad, reversing its negative effects is one of the most productive things humans can do to protect the planet.
Industrialization is an important part of our economy, and why we live the way we live. However, it can also have a negative impact on the environment.
Industry is a major cause of air pollution, according to sviva.gov. The operation of factories results in the emission of pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide. These gases are major contributors to global phenomena such as the ozone hole and desertification.
Another negative effect of industry is land pollution. Land pollution occurs when foreign substances leak into the ground. A main scapegoat for land pollution is natural gas extraction and pipelines transporting gas. Long after incidents of leakages that result in land pollution, the pollutants will remain in the ground, and this has a terrible effect on animals and plants. They can also get into the groundwater. Untreated wastewater is one of the most common leakage substances.
The problem of untreated wastewater comes from many sources. Several examples of these sources include sewers and treatment plants. When untreated wastewater leaks into the ground, groundwater reservoirs can be polluted, and damage of environmental treatment systems. At the same time, the environment will suffer from coastal pollution. Marine species can greatly suffer from untreated wastewater and could even die from exposure to it.
As the world is plunged deeper into climate crisis, the ultimate question is how further damage to the environment can be prevented. There are many different answers to this; the issue of climate change is far more complex than the eye can see. The David Suzuki Foundation, an organization that specializes in taking action against environmental issues, offers several easy ways that one can make a difference in their own home.
“What you eat has a climate impact”, the Foundation says, citing organic and locally-grown foods as the best for the environment. Local sustainable foods that come from small farms are the best to eat from. Environmentally, organic plants reduce carbon emissions and return oxygen back to the air. Nutritionally, organic plants have amazing effects on health and the body compared to processed foods. 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions come from dairy and livestock production, which takes up much of the world’s land and resources. It’s also as simple as not buying too much food at the supermarket: “...half of all food produced worldwide is wasted after production, discarded in processing, transport, supermarkets and kitchens”.
It’s also important to turn off lights when you leave a room or switch to renewable power sources, such as wind or solar. If there is a small difference made, there could be a big change. Small things like refraining from using plastic bags, eating one meat-free meal a day, or biking instead of driving could improve the environment in one’s own community, and create a ripple effect across the world.
Needless to say, climate change will never be reversed and can’t be stopped anytime soon. However, slowing it down is one of the keys to giving the earth another chance.
Climate change is certainly a global problem, but there are many ways that one can change the negative effects of it on a local scale.
For starters, the use of natural gas and association with companies involved with fracking should both be avoided. Ask your power provider how to switch to a more efficient method, such as wind or solar. Recycling, although it may seem obsolete, is very important towards making a positive impact on the environment. Plastic bags and bottles, according to many sources, is one of the largest issues that should be easy to fix. Ecowatch.com says that just in the Los Angeles area, 10 metric tons of plastic fragments are dumped into the ocean every day, and plastic accounts for about 10 percent of the total waste that humans generate.
As aforementioned, healthy eating habits are also important towards helping the state of the environment. According to food writer Michael Pollan, eating local sustainable foods (or food that comes from small organic farms in your area) is essential to improving the health of the world. When more organic plants are growing, they release more oxygen into the environment and absorbe more carbon dioxide. And once these plants are eaten, they improve the health of the people eating them.
Many people across the US and the globe believe that climate change is a nonexistent hoax. Some believe that it is perpetrated by the government, others believe that there is not enough scientific evidence to back it up. However, these beliefs are generally uninformed and hardly verifiable by science.
Out of one hundred scientists in a study done several years ago, ninety-seven of them believe that climate change is a genuine and consistent issue. Although the world may seem like it isn’t warming up, global warming happens on a very small scale. However, small is monumental in the world of climate. Since the average global temperature rose by a degree, there have been a variety of negative effects. They may not be visible to the average person, but global warming is a valid scapegoat in the scientific community for many different issues.
In the winter of 2018, the Northeastern United States was slammed by many snowstorms and very cold temperatures all the way into March. Many climate change deniers say that if it’s cold, there can’t possibly be any change. However, this is untrue. The Arctic holds in an immense amount of cold air and water in the ice caps. Since the ice caps are melting, there is a massive shift of cold air and water towards the Northern hemisphere. The warm air from the South combined with the cold air from the north makes shocking cold fronts and devastating storms. The city of Albany received 60.8 inches of snow in the 2016-17 season. Comparatively, in the 2015-16 season, it received only 16.9.
On a semi-local scale, it’s evident that this movement of air across the globe has greatly affected snowfall. But what happens when that cold air is gone, and warm air only remains? The effects on a global scale will likely be massive. By 2030, children may have never seen snow.
For the most part, climate change is not a single experience for the entire world. It will be different for the different parts of it. In America, there is a possibility that coastal cities could be underwater. In Europe, countries are preparing for more intense rain and higher temperatures. The world is expected to continue warming for decades to come; scientists debate how soon climate change will be a health hazard for humans, but since it is already having an impact on other species, there is no question that it will be soon.
NASA cites several possible climate shifts that will occur in the next hundred years. Average US precipitation has been at a general increase, and experts speculate that this will likely continue. Irregular patterns of rain have been more common in the past few years; some areas see decreases in precip, some see a vast increase. Irregularity is a staple of climate change; the only thing that truly remains consistent is the rise of global temperature.
By 2100, sea level is expected to rise one to four feet due to melting land ice (glaciers), the ice caps, and the expansion of sea water as it warms. This would diminish the beaches of coastal towns, push the borders of Manhattan Island in New York City inward, and possibly even cover up coastal towns also. Sea level rise will continue past 2100 because the oceans take a very long time to keep up with conditions at the surface of the earth. Sea water will thus continue to warm either at or higher than the current rate.
There may be more water in some places, but there won’t be enough in others. In the Southwestern United States, where it is already very dry, there will be increased risk of drought and heat waves. Abnormally hot weather could continue on for weeks and far more frequently in the future, as oppose to the very hot several days we have every decade. Reduction of soil moisture contributes to the problem immensely; by the end of the century record-breaking days will occur every two to three years.
These issues are only exacerbated by the lack of information and understanding about them. The world is changing very slowly, but the science before people’s eyes does not seem to register. The danger of climate change is ever-threatening, and cannot be allowed to continue.
Through the years, human contributions to climate change are almost too numerous to name. The emission of carbon dioxide and other harmful gases into the atmosphere is one of the biggest issues that is faced today on the world stage. Still, even though the warming earth is widely proven to be warming (and almost obviously changing in areas like California, which recently pulled out of a devastating drought that brought widespread forest fires), there are still people that deny any of this is happening because they simply can’t see it. However, in the coming decades, they will be forced to.
In order to make a difference, it is imperative that we take action now. Climate change is a huge problem and is ever-growing, but starting small will make an even bigger ripple effect. Sustainable living is easy, affordable, and healthy, and requires minimal effort to make a big difference. Habits like recycling and eating locally-grown food are good for you and for the environment. They are seemingly small, meaningless things, but they will bring the world towards a better future. While the issue of climate change may seem invisible now, it is up to us to keep it that way and make sure that the next generations will not suffer from the actions of the past’s.
Works Cited
Human history spans only a fraction of Earth’s existence. If the time between Earth’s formation and the present day was 24 hours, humans would have only existed for one minute and 17 seconds. Our impact on the planet, however, will last far longer than our species. In the last 100 years, global temperature is on the rise––and although it may not just be a human issue, humans contribute about 99 percent of the problem at hand.
According to NASA, in the past 650,000 years there have been seven glacial advances and retreats. The last ice age ended about 7,000 years ago, and the time period between then and now is known as the modern climate era. The term “climate change” is often considered a taboo term because of the issues that it brings, but in reality climate change is just used to describe any fluctuation in the earth’s climate and its positive and negative effects. It goes without saying that climate change is not a positive thing, but climate reacts to whatever forces it to change. 97% of experts agree that humans are the dominating force in the shifting climate across the world. Since 1950, carbon emissions have skyrocketed due to many factors, such as deforestation, burning of fossil fuels, and even cement production. The atmosphere has reached a dangerous state, and as a result the globe is inevitably warmed. In 2015, global temperatures were the highest ever recorded, and since the 20th century the earth has warmed 2 degrees. Although this scale might seem small, if warming like this continues on a global scale, humanity is headed for an unfortunate fate.
For the most part, climate change involves our Earth’s atmosphere. The atmosphere is composed of a variety of different gases, including nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and ozone. There is a layer of ozone that circles the globe, appropriately named the “ozone layer”. One of the reasons that life is able to exist on Earth is because of this layer in the atmosphere. The planet remains at a survivable temperature because energy that comes from the Sun is reflected off of Earth’s surface and goes back into space. However, some of it is absorbed by greenhouse gases that are trapped under the ozone layer. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and man-made substances. This absorption of energy is called the greenhouse effect.
The issue that the world now faces with climate change is an enhanced greenhouse effect. Rising levels of the aforementioned greenhouse gases are having a harmful effect on the environment. Too much energy from the sun is being absorbed and not enough is being reflected; this causes more heat radiation and therefore a rising global temperature.
Greenhouse gas levels are rising due to the carbon emissions released by various factors of normal human life. Machines such as automobiles are one of the largest contributors to higher carbon levels in the atmosphere. Other man-made factors include deforestation, cement production, industrial processes, intensive livestock farming, and use of synthetic fertilizers. There are natural causes of carbon emissions too, but they hardly impact the environment as negatively as activity that involves the burning of fossil fuels.
Between 2000 and 2009, carbon dioxide emissions from cement and burning fuels increased by 30 percent. Although the term makes it seem as though all of the carbon goes to the atmosphere, this is a common mistake. Scientists have discovered natural “carbon sinks”– environments that can re-absorb carbon dioxide. These environments include forests and oceans, and some sinks can hold carbon for thousands of years. About half of all man-made carbon emissions are naturally absorbed and used by the aforementioned sinks. Forests will use the carbon dioxide to grow, using it up after several decades; carbon dioxide will remain in deep oceans for hundreds of thousands of years.
This seemingly solves the issue of carbon emissions and climate change. However, climate reports dictate that the warming of the earth lowers the capacity of carbon sinks. The pH of the ocean is lowering as a result of taking in more carbon dioxide (the term is coined “ocean acidification”) and this can be harmful to many species in the oceans.
As carbon levels continue to rise, and carbon sink capacities lower, the atmosphere is forced to take on more and more carbon dioxide. In 2013, the global concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere stood at 400 parts per million (ppm), which is the highest that it has ever been in recorded history. This is an increase of about 24 percent since 1958, when carbon dioxide research first began. Scientists have grown increasingly concerned about the state of the atmosphere, and the future of the world due to the lack of places to put the carbon dioxide that is constantly emitted from human activity.
Earth’s climate fluctuates regularly, but the abnormal and problematic portion of climate change that is heavily discussed by scientists largely came about in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. At the time, industrialization was becoming more popular among European countries. Factories with their large machines ran on fossil fuels such as coal and oil. These manufacturing giants turned the areas around them black with soot, especially London; in the early 20th century, it was said that London could never see a clear day because of the factories there. Although this should have been a warning sign, science was limited at the time and people had no way of knowing about the effects of pollution. Because of this, the consistent burning of fossil fuels continued for decades afterwards.
In 1885, the first-ever automobile was manufactured in Germany. It was the world’s first car powered by an internal combustion engine. Although it only had three wheels, it was the ancestor of the millions of cars that people drive today across the world. Almost all of today’s cars run on gasoline. The vapors given off when gasoline is burned, such as carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide, contribute to air pollution. Gasoline also produces carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that can become dangerous if its atmospheric levels become too high.
The new developments in technology were beneficial to Europe’s growing economy at the time, and beneficial to global culture. However, in the long run, this would lead to environmental problems that still grow in the present day. Although technological development is never bad, reversing its negative effects is one of the most productive things humans can do to protect the planet.
Industrialization is an important part of our economy, and why we live the way we live. However, it can also have a negative impact on the environment.
Industry is a major cause of air pollution, according to sviva.gov. The operation of factories results in the emission of pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide. These gases are major contributors to global phenomena such as the ozone hole and desertification.
Another negative effect of industry is land pollution. Land pollution occurs when foreign substances leak into the ground. A main scapegoat for land pollution is natural gas extraction and pipelines transporting gas. Long after incidents of leakages that result in land pollution, the pollutants will remain in the ground, and this has a terrible effect on animals and plants. They can also get into the groundwater. Untreated wastewater is one of the most common leakage substances.
The problem of untreated wastewater comes from many sources. Several examples of these sources include sewers and treatment plants. When untreated wastewater leaks into the ground, groundwater reservoirs can be polluted, and damage of environmental treatment systems. At the same time, the environment will suffer from coastal pollution. Marine species can greatly suffer from untreated wastewater and could even die from exposure to it.
As the world is plunged deeper into climate crisis, the ultimate question is how further damage to the environment can be prevented. There are many different answers to this; the issue of climate change is far more complex than the eye can see. The David Suzuki Foundation, an organization that specializes in taking action against environmental issues, offers several easy ways that one can make a difference in their own home.
“What you eat has a climate impact”, the Foundation says, citing organic and locally-grown foods as the best for the environment. Local sustainable foods that come from small farms are the best to eat from. Environmentally, organic plants reduce carbon emissions and return oxygen back to the air. Nutritionally, organic plants have amazing effects on health and the body compared to processed foods. 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions come from dairy and livestock production, which takes up much of the world’s land and resources. It’s also as simple as not buying too much food at the supermarket: “...half of all food produced worldwide is wasted after production, discarded in processing, transport, supermarkets and kitchens”.
It’s also important to turn off lights when you leave a room or switch to renewable power sources, such as wind or solar. If there is a small difference made, there could be a big change. Small things like refraining from using plastic bags, eating one meat-free meal a day, or biking instead of driving could improve the environment in one’s own community, and create a ripple effect across the world.
Needless to say, climate change will never be reversed and can’t be stopped anytime soon. However, slowing it down is one of the keys to giving the earth another chance.
Climate change is certainly a global problem, but there are many ways that one can change the negative effects of it on a local scale.
For starters, the use of natural gas and association with companies involved with fracking should both be avoided. Ask your power provider how to switch to a more efficient method, such as wind or solar. Recycling, although it may seem obsolete, is very important towards making a positive impact on the environment. Plastic bags and bottles, according to many sources, is one of the largest issues that should be easy to fix. Ecowatch.com says that just in the Los Angeles area, 10 metric tons of plastic fragments are dumped into the ocean every day, and plastic accounts for about 10 percent of the total waste that humans generate.
As aforementioned, healthy eating habits are also important towards helping the state of the environment. According to food writer Michael Pollan, eating local sustainable foods (or food that comes from small organic farms in your area) is essential to improving the health of the world. When more organic plants are growing, they release more oxygen into the environment and absorbe more carbon dioxide. And once these plants are eaten, they improve the health of the people eating them.
Many people across the US and the globe believe that climate change is a nonexistent hoax. Some believe that it is perpetrated by the government, others believe that there is not enough scientific evidence to back it up. However, these beliefs are generally uninformed and hardly verifiable by science.
Out of one hundred scientists in a study done several years ago, ninety-seven of them believe that climate change is a genuine and consistent issue. Although the world may seem like it isn’t warming up, global warming happens on a very small scale. However, small is monumental in the world of climate. Since the average global temperature rose by a degree, there have been a variety of negative effects. They may not be visible to the average person, but global warming is a valid scapegoat in the scientific community for many different issues.
In the winter of 2018, the Northeastern United States was slammed by many snowstorms and very cold temperatures all the way into March. Many climate change deniers say that if it’s cold, there can’t possibly be any change. However, this is untrue. The Arctic holds in an immense amount of cold air and water in the ice caps. Since the ice caps are melting, there is a massive shift of cold air and water towards the Northern hemisphere. The warm air from the South combined with the cold air from the north makes shocking cold fronts and devastating storms. The city of Albany received 60.8 inches of snow in the 2016-17 season. Comparatively, in the 2015-16 season, it received only 16.9.
On a semi-local scale, it’s evident that this movement of air across the globe has greatly affected snowfall. But what happens when that cold air is gone, and warm air only remains? The effects on a global scale will likely be massive. By 2030, children may have never seen snow.
For the most part, climate change is not a single experience for the entire world. It will be different for the different parts of it. In America, there is a possibility that coastal cities could be underwater. In Europe, countries are preparing for more intense rain and higher temperatures. The world is expected to continue warming for decades to come; scientists debate how soon climate change will be a health hazard for humans, but since it is already having an impact on other species, there is no question that it will be soon.
NASA cites several possible climate shifts that will occur in the next hundred years. Average US precipitation has been at a general increase, and experts speculate that this will likely continue. Irregular patterns of rain have been more common in the past few years; some areas see decreases in precip, some see a vast increase. Irregularity is a staple of climate change; the only thing that truly remains consistent is the rise of global temperature.
By 2100, sea level is expected to rise one to four feet due to melting land ice (glaciers), the ice caps, and the expansion of sea water as it warms. This would diminish the beaches of coastal towns, push the borders of Manhattan Island in New York City inward, and possibly even cover up coastal towns also. Sea level rise will continue past 2100 because the oceans take a very long time to keep up with conditions at the surface of the earth. Sea water will thus continue to warm either at or higher than the current rate.
There may be more water in some places, but there won’t be enough in others. In the Southwestern United States, where it is already very dry, there will be increased risk of drought and heat waves. Abnormally hot weather could continue on for weeks and far more frequently in the future, as oppose to the very hot several days we have every decade. Reduction of soil moisture contributes to the problem immensely; by the end of the century record-breaking days will occur every two to three years.
These issues are only exacerbated by the lack of information and understanding about them. The world is changing very slowly, but the science before people’s eyes does not seem to register. The danger of climate change is ever-threatening, and cannot be allowed to continue.
Through the years, human contributions to climate change are almost too numerous to name. The emission of carbon dioxide and other harmful gases into the atmosphere is one of the biggest issues that is faced today on the world stage. Still, even though the warming earth is widely proven to be warming (and almost obviously changing in areas like California, which recently pulled out of a devastating drought that brought widespread forest fires), there are still people that deny any of this is happening because they simply can’t see it. However, in the coming decades, they will be forced to.
In order to make a difference, it is imperative that we take action now. Climate change is a huge problem and is ever-growing, but starting small will make an even bigger ripple effect. Sustainable living is easy, affordable, and healthy, and requires minimal effort to make a big difference. Habits like recycling and eating locally-grown food are good for you and for the environment. They are seemingly small, meaningless things, but they will bring the world towards a better future. While the issue of climate change may seem invisible now, it is up to us to keep it that way and make sure that the next generations will not suffer from the actions of the past’s.
Works Cited
- “Greenhouse Gas Emissions - Main Sources.” What's Your Impact, 8 July 2017, whatsyourimpact.org/greenhouse-gas-emissions.
- Dunbar, Brian. “What Are Climate and Climate Change?” NASA, NASA, 9 June 2015, www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/nasa-knows/what-is-climate-change-58.html.
- “Greenhouse Effect.” Department of the Environment and Energy, 5 May 2012, www.environment.gov.au/climate-change/climate-science-data/climate-science/greenhouse-effect.
- “Carbon Uptake Has Doubled over Last 50 Years - but Where Is It Going?” Carbon Brief, 2 Aug. 2012, www.carbonbrief.org/carbon-uptake-has-doubled-over-last-50-years-but-where-is-it-going.
- “Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet: NASA Scientists React to 400 Ppm Carbon Milestone.” NASA, NASA, 14 June 2016, climate.nasa.gov/400ppmquotes/.
- “Environmental Impact of Business.” SVIVA, 24 Jan. 2010, www.sviva.gov.il/English/env_topics/IndustryAndBusinessLicensing/Pages/EnvironmentalImpactOfBusiness.aspx+.
- Suzuki, David. “Home.” David Suzuki Foundation, davidsuzuki.org/.
- “EcoWatch.” EcoWatch, www.ecowatch.com/.
- Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore's Dilemma: a Natural History of Four Meals. Penguin Books, 2016.
- US Department of Commerce, and NOAA. “National Weather Service.” National Weather Service, NOAA's National Weather Service, www.weather.gov/.
- “Global Climate Change: Effects.” NASA, NASA, 27 Feb. 2018, climate.nasa.gov/effects/.