It is colder in Orlando, Florida than it is in Antarctica. Fact. Now that’s a sentence I thought I would never type. An Argentinian research station recorded a record high for at the northern tip of Antarctica. Scientists are calling this a “nightmare scenario.” The record showed that in Antarctica it was 18.3 degrees Celsius, which converts to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. That day in Orlando the temperature recorded it was 51 degrees. The last record-breaking temperature at the poles was in 2015. It was about 63 degrees Fahrenheit. The most recent recording broke that by 2 degrees. According to NASA, the temperature in the poles has warmed by about 3 degrees in the last few years. NASA saysthe planet’s average surface temperature has risen about 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit. It was also recorded to be colder in the sunny Los Angeles, California than it was in Antarctica.
Global warming is becoming a pressing problem in the world today. To simplify, the planet’s temperature is slowly increasing. As the planet warms, the icebergs are melting. According to NASA, the rate of Antarctic ice melting has tripled in the last decade. This is concerning because as the icebergs melt, this causes sea levels to rise. This can affect ocean habitats and wildlife. Natural disasters, such as hurricanes and typhoons, are more dangerous as sea levels rise because storm surges can be more powerful. Effects have already been seen with the most recent hurricanes, as they are becoming more frequent and causing significantly more damage.
To put this in perspective, according to National Geographic if all the ice on Earth melted, sea levels would rise by 216 feet. This would wipe out entire states and even countries. Imagine the state of Florida is completely underwater. That is not too far off from what could happen.
While all this information might seem depressing, there are things you can do to help. One of the best things you can do is to educate yourself and others on Climate Change. This is a very real issue that is pressing in the world. Another thing you can do is invest in renewable resources. Switching over to solar panels can make a huge difference. Voting for people who care about environmental issues is another thing you can do to help.
To conclude, I will leave you with a quote from David Suzuki. “In a world of more than seven billion people, each of us is a drop in the bucket. But with enough drops, we can fill any bucket.”
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