英语作文 what should we do when the earth happens

英语作文 what should we do when the earth happens

What's Happening?
Earth,like any planet,has gone through changes in its long history as it has cooled from a molten ball,developed a crust and atmosphere,thrown up mountains and formed the lands and seas as we know them.Throughout this process,the climate has warmed and cooled,with only a few degrees variation in average temperature making the difference between vast tropical areas and periods of marching glaciers.In the last three centuries,however,these cycles have been disrupted.The cool periods known as “little ice ages” that separate warm periods have been eliminated,and average temperatures have steadily increased.
Scientists disagree on the causes,but the statistics kept over the last 100 years show a general increase in the earth’s temperature that corresponds with human population growth,industrialization and use of fossil fuels.The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that the probability that global warming is due to natural climate change alone is less than five percent.Whether or not human-related (anthropogenic) factors are causative factors,the reality is that the average temperatures continue to rise and global warming is taking place.The results of continued warming have been projected by the IPCC in a series of reports to the World Meteorological Organization and the UN Environmental Programme.
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Changes We Can See
We can already see the results of warmer temperatures in Africa,along tropical coasts and in the great Wheat Belt of the American Midwest.The desert is encroaching on the fertile African veldt,displacing the Masai,who have kept cattle there for centuries.Catastrophic hurricanes occur with less and less time between them.Severe storms,tornadoes and straight-line winds have been more numerous.The sea ice and glaciers are retreating,threatening wildlife habitat and water supplies.Certain species are disappearing,and some (like the polar bear) are endangered because of diminished habitat.
Changes Over Time
Over time,major climate shifts have spelled the end of species.Climate shift is thought to have played a part in the demise of the dinosaurs.The rise of 2 to 11 degrees Fahrenheit projected over the next century would result in continued melting of the polar caps,freeing methane locked in prehistoric ice.Increased sea levels would flood low-lying areas of Europe and the United States.The IPCC foresees extreme heat waves and droughts in middle-latitude continental areas as heat creates new deserts,heavy rainfall in temperate areas and high tides and heavy storms on the edges of the continents.Atmospheric conditions that have changed over the last 300 years with industrialization will continue to decline.Carbon dioxide,methane and nitrous oxide are only a few of the compounds that could make the air too toxic to sustain life as we know it.If history is any guide,species will die off as the climate and chemistry of the earth change,from the most fragile (birds and butterflies) until the most resilient and adaptable (humanity) is threatened.