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Hanna Farra

Ms. Levesque

Communications

01 February 2016

Climate Change

Can you imagine a world where the temperature hits a low of -150 F? One completely

covered in ice and snow? Anyone who has watched Day After Tomorrow knows how scary and

impossible this outlook is. However, science shows that this is not entirely impossible. Our Earth

could actually be plunged into another ice age. Climate change is the most dangerous issue that

we, as a planet, have ever encountered, and the path we are currently on could send us straight

into the storyline of a science fiction movie. However, if we convert entirely to clean energy,

climate change can be mitigated.

First of all, what is climate change? Climate change is the process of the Earths climate

and weather patterns changing drastically due to the greenhouse effect; the development of heat

becoming trapped in our atmosphere. It begins when visible light from the sun hits the surface of

the Earth and turns into infrared light, or heat. 10% of this heat escapes back into space,

however, the rest is trapped. This process is amplified by the greenhouse gasses we emit,

predominantly carbon dioxide. These gasses create a blanket around the atmosphere causing

more heat to be trapped and the overall temperature of our Earth to increase. (Friedman)

However, the temperature increase is not the only effect we will encounter. Before the

end of this century, we can expect major changes, such as more violent weather patterns, melting

glaciers, increase in sea level by 1 to 4 feet, extinction of various species, drastically different

rainfall patterns, constant floods and droughts, and an increase in disease carrying organisms.
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However, as we look further into the future, scientists have discovered that we could actually

experience something much worse; another ice age. ("The Consequences")

Climate changes caused the first ice age, and there is reason to believe it may happen

again. This concept is imagined in the Day After Tomorrow, giving us a startling visualization of

what another ice age would look like as we witness New York Citys transformation into an ice-

covered wasteland. This disaster movie, starring Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal, is about the

world experiencing the second ice age. The plot is about sudden climate changes causing ocean

currents to stop completely. Because of this change, three hurricane-like superstorms arise,

spanning across the entire northern hemisphere. In the eyes of the storms, the temperature is -150

F, low enough to instantly freeze everything in their paths. This plunges half of the world into

the second ice age. However impossible this may seem, scientists declare that it could actually

become a reality. ("The Day After Tomorrow")

Climate models by scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanology show ocean

circulations collapsing in the distant future. Scientists were convinced that most climate models

drastically underestimated the possibility of the ocean circulation collapsing, so they conducted

their own test using a simple climate change situation. They started by doubling the amount of

carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It revealed that 300 years after the carbon dioxide levels were

doubled, ocean circulation would completely collapse. The increase in temperature would cause

ice in the Arctic to melt, increasing the amount of freshwater in the ocean. This would disrupt the

Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a pattern that carries salty water of the

Atlantic northward, and freshwater of the Atlantic southward. Because the AMOC relies on a

balance between freshwater and saltwater, the increase in freshwater would collapse the system.

The northern half of the Atlantic Ocean would then dramatically cool and ice over. In the North
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Atlantic Ocean, surface temperatures would drop to 4.3 F and the air temperature over

northwest Europe could drop by 12.6 F. To put it simply, our Earth could experience its second

ice age. (Monroe)

However, if we convert to clean energy now, we can ensure a brighter future for all.

Currently, the majority of the Earths power is produced by fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and

natural gas. Each of these energy systems produces large amounts of carbon dioxide,

contributing greatly to climate change. The Paris agreement is a world-wide agreement created to

push us in the direction of reducing greenhouse gas emissions ("Paris Agreement"). The United

States has already set a target of reducing its emissions by 26% to 28% by 2025, and the only

way to accomplish this is to convert to clean energy. Our current clean energy options are solar,

wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, and nuclear power. Each of these energy options are completely

clean, utilize free sources, are relatively inexpensive, and are perfect energy options to push us

towards mitigating climate change (Friedman).

Climate change is the worst problem this planet has faced. Overtime, the effects will

continue to exacerbate, and if carbon dioxide levels double, we may experience another ice age.

Using clean energy like solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, and nuclear power, will help

decrease the levels of greenhouse gasses emitted into our atmosphere. Climate change can be

mitigated, if we convert entirely to clean energy.

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Work Cited

Ap. "Carbon Dioxide Emissions Rise to 2.4 Million Pounds per Second." CBS News. CBS

Interactive, 02 Dec. 2012. Web. 05 Jan. 2017.

Farra, Hanna, and Bridget McAree. "About." Hydroelectric Power. Weebly, n.d. Web. 05 Jan.

2017.

Friedman, Charlotte. "Renewable Energy Sources." Personal interview. Dec. 2016.

Monroe, Robert. "Climate Model Suggests Collapse of Atlantic Circulation Is Possible."Climate

Model Suggests Collapse of Atlantic Circulation Is Possible | Scripps Institution of

Oceanography, UC San Diego. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 04 Jan. 2017. Web.

18 Jan. 2017.

"Paris Agreement." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2017.

"The Consequences of Climate Change." NASA. NASA, n.d. Web. 06 Jan. 2017.

"The Day After Tomorrow." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 06 Jan. 2017.