It's Not That Bad

There are many arguments that global warming skeptics use to try and defend their stance, but the third most popular one at the moment is that global climate change is “not that bad” (Gpwayne 2010). While there are a few positive outcomes from climate change, the negative far outweigh them (Gpwayne 2010). These positive and negative aspects can be seen in areas such as agriculture, health, polar melting, ocean acidification, melting glaciers, sea level rise, the environment, and economics (Gpwayne 2010).

CO2 is one of the main causes of climate change but is very good for plant life. Unfortunately, because of climate change, there will be an increase in floods and droughts which is not good for plants, as they need an undisrupted, steady water supply (Gpwayne 2010). Higher latitudes will become more productive because of global warming but the soil in those regions isn’t ideal, as well as the amount of sunlight that reaches the ground during the summer (Gpwayne 2010). Agriculture will also be affected by wildfires (which will increase because of higher temperatures) and changes in seasonal periodicity (Gpwayne 2010). Domestic livestock will be impacted from changes in grasslands and water supplies (Gpwayne 2010).

Having warmer winters because of climate change will reduce the death toll of people such as the elderly who cannot withstand very harsh winters (Gpwayne 2010). But, with a warmer world, not only will winter warm but so will summer. The amount of deaths because of heat waves is predicted to be five times greater than the winter deaths prevented (Gpwayne 2010). Warmer weather will also cause the migration of disease-bearing insects like mosquitoes; malaria is already emerging in places that is has never been seen before (Gpwayne 2010).

Polar melting will leave more room in the oceans for commercial use but will harm animals like polar bears that depend on ice to survive (Gpwayne 2010). It will also increase the hazard of mobile ice to...