How Warming Waters Are Reshaping the Planet

The discussion of global warming is quickly becoming a topic of urgency among scientists, politicians, and the concerned public. The luxuries of living in our society today come at a pricey cost that we can no longer afford. Across our planet, scientists are finding disastrous and alarming proof of damage directly related to warming temperatures. Pollution and carbon emissions continue to deplete the ozone layer, consequently offering us less protection from the sun’s relentless heat. As temperatures increase and our waters warm, natural habitats home to wildlife are becoming endangered. Crucial and sensitive ecosystems are unable to adapt, and in worst case-scenarios, cease entirely. Despite humans being the largest contributors to global warming, we are equally affected by our carelessness. Global warming is rapidly hurting and affecting the life of humans, wildlife, and ecosystems across our planet.

In the United States, hurricane season is determined to officially start in the beginning of June, lasting until the end of November. However, scientists found there has been deviation from this pattern. Based on data from the past 40 years, category 4 and 5 cyclones have begun their expected season consistently up to 4 days earlier each decade. The violent winds, rain, and flooding that follow hurricanes can leave a community in ruins. When we cannot accurately predict the arrival of these storms and the atrocities they bring with them, communities are less prepared and become more vulnerable to damage. Scientists from the University of Hawaii at Manoa studied the details of Hurricane Harvey, along with the waters and coasts where tropical storms are common. They concluded that the warm waters that encouraged Hurricane Harvey were directly caused by global warming. More specifically, greenhouse gas emissions are encouraging global temperature increases. Unfortunately, we can only expect that these hurricanes will continue to make an appearance earlier until we make changes to reverse the damage our pollution has caused.

On top of deforestation and overexploitation, wild animals in all continents are now struggling to adapt to global warming. One unfortunate group of animals under this pressure is the Emperor Penguin Colonies in Antarctica. Researchers under the British Antarctic Survey have observed the penguins' devastating response to climate change. Emperor penguins rely on sea ice for breeding new generations of chicks. Researchers observed that in recent years, sea ice in the Arctic region has been steadily diminishing each year. In fact, one large region of Antarctica has had complete sea ice loss in the later months of 2022. The scale of sea ice loss can be compared to the size of Greenland, or larger. Here, penguins were unsuccessful in breeding, with almost no chicks surviving. While scientists have hopelessly attempted to find signs of a promising future for the animals, the likelihood of this trend improving is slim. It is expected that by the end of this decade, there will be total and lasting sea ice loss, causing up to 90% of Emperor Penguin Colonies to become extinct. There is little that can be done to save the species, as there is not enough change happening to stall the progression of global warming. Dr. Caroline Holmes, a polar climate scientist at BAS says, “recent years of tumbling sea ice records and warming of the subsurface Southern Ocean point strongly to human-induced global warming exacerbating these extremes.” Although Antarctica is the only continent without human inhabitants, life here still faces the repercussions of human pollution. Levels of human induced carbon dioxide emissions are estimated to increase in the future, leaving the penguins’ survival faint hope.

To support the claims that global warming is harming our ecosystems, scientists looked at evidence from the last ice age, comparing it to current trends. Since the last ice age 100,000 years ago, we have gathered that it was driven by rising sea levels. This caused existing coastal habitats to subside. As ocean temperatures climb and become warmer, we can expect results similar to the last ice age. Escalating water temperatures challenge even the toughest ecosystems, such as marshes, mangrove forests, coral reefs, and coral islands. As these ecosystems change, so does the marine life within them. Scientists specifically focused on tidal marshes, predicting what would follow their absence. We rely on tidal marshes to protect our communities from erosion, flooding, and other negative impacts on our land. Without them, both marine and human life will face serious challenges. Tidal marshes essentially “act as a buffer between the ocean and the land”, says Neil Saintilan, a professor at Macquarie University. Mangrove forests and marshes can only adapt to sea levels rising to an extent before succumbing to the overwhelming change. Expected surging sea levels and temperatures may be too extreme for over half of our marshes to overcome. "Every ton of carbon dioxide humankind emits turns up the global thermostat, which in turn increases the pace of global sea level rise," said Robert Kopp, a professor and author in this study. Further research over various collapsing ecosystems provide evidence that proves global warming is the true culprit.

Global warming has affected all forms of life on Earth, including humans, wildlife, and ecosystems. Unfortunately, we cannot expect Emperor Penguins or marine marshes to survive in a climate that is only getting warmer. However, the negative impacts of Global Warming are certainly not limited to the examples given in this essay. The truth is, we have yet to fully understand the extent of climate change’s impact on our planet — past or future. What we do know is how to stop further progression of climate change. This begins with taking accountability for our part in the matter and holding those in power accountable to act. Global warming is a powerful force. While we may not be able to reverse the damage it has caused thus far, we can certainly prevent further suffering and loss in our future.

Works Cited

“Climate Change Brings Earlier Arrival of Intense Hurricanes.” ScienceDaily, 6 Oct. 2023, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/10/231006000813.htm. Accessed 9 Oct. 2023.

“Loss of Antarctic Sea Ice Causes Catastrophic Breeding Failure for Emperor Penguins.” ScienceDaily, 24 Aug. 2023, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/8/230824110830.htm.

“Near End of Hurricane Season, There Are No Active Storms Being Monitored by the NHC.” The News-Press, www.news-press.com/story/weather/hurricane/2023/11/26/national-hurricane-center-atlantic-tropical-storms-no-activity/71709992007/#:~:text=When%20is%20the%20Atlantic%20hurricane. Accessed 27 Nov. 2023.

“Using Evidence from Last Ice Age, Scientists Predict Effects of Rising Seas on Coastal Habitats.” ScienceDaily, 31 Aug. 2023, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/08/230831120640.htm.

“When Were the Ice Ages and Why Are They Called That? - Mammoth Discovery.” Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose, www.cdm.org/mammothdiscovery/wheniceages.html#:~:text=The%20last%20glacial%20period%20began.