Audrey Kim
AP Bio
17 November 2015
Current Event 8 Review
A study conducted by MIT and Loyola Marymount University found that certain areas of the Middle East could become too hot for survival by 2100. They specifically focused on the Persian Gulf area through running computer models to examine how wet-bulb temperature correlates with increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. The wet-bulb temperature combines air temperature and humidity to yield a value, with drier air resulting in lower wet-bulb temperature values. Present day wet-bulb temperatures only reach 31 celsius on the most extreme summer days in the region, but predictions show that by 2100, they will reach 35 celsius, a temperature considered to be lethal for humans. In drier locations like Kuwait City, actual air temperature is predicted to reach 60 celsius (140 fahrenheit) at this rate. However, another computer model based on cutbacks in carbon emissions show that the temperatures may not reach the lethal levels presented in the prior model. World leaders will meet in Paris for a conference to created an agreement to curb fossil-fuel emissions in December, potentially allowing future citizens to keep living in the Middle Eastern regions impacted.
This article has a direct impact on the future of our society and our ability to sustain ourselves on Earth. If the Middle Eastern regions mentioned do become uninhabitable by 2100, many other places are guaranteed to follow. The article discusses human impact on the future climates of certain areas, reinforcing the argument that humans have a role in the climate change that is currently taking place. To prevent such tragedies from happening, people in our current society must make a significant change in greenhouse gas emissions and environmental policies. Such reasons make it necessary for world leaders to come together and agree on a standard for greenhouse gas emissions so that our society could maximize our ability to sustain ourselves on this planet.
Although this article was well-written in that it was easy to understand and often used common-speech language to relate to its audience, it could have made a stronger impact by incorporating more scientific data. Including more statistics and numbers would have made the article more compelling and credible, especially when discussing predictions for the future. If such information was added to these areas, the article as a whole would have been more specific and clear.
Citation
Miller, Brandon. "Persian Gulf Heat: It May Become Too Hot for Humans to Survive, Study Warns." CNN. N.p., 28 Oct. 2015. Web. 17 Nov. 2015. <http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/27/world/persian-gulf-heat-climate-change/index.html>.
Audrey did a great job of reviewing her article, “Persian Gulf Heat: It May Become Too Hot for Humans to Survive, Study Warns.” Her writing was clear and informative, and helped me to gain a better understanding of the growing problem facing temperatures in the Persian Gulf. I found especially interesting the connection between the impact of rising temperatures in the water and the possibility of human survival. The information on the studies conducted over time in different areas to prove the increase in temperature added to the review and made the results of the experiment conducted more meaningful and clear. The connection made to the possibility of human survival in these regions really put into perspective the implications of rising temperatures in the Middle East.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise a good review, I thought that Audrey could have included ways to increase awareness of the issue of rising temperature, and to therefore help find a solution to this growing problem. This would have helped emphasize the fact that this problem demands attention, and that ignoring it could prove damaging. Including more specific evidence of temperature increase and recent changes in climate or natural events would have been helpful in gaining a more complete understanding of the topic.
Audrey did a great job of bringing to light an issue that is not widely known. Previously, I had no idea that the temperature increases in certain areas of the Middle East were such a huge problem, and that it could even prove damaging to humans. I will be sure to look into more information regarding this topic, and hope that an explanation for and solution to this problem is found soon.
Audrey wrote about a study conducted by MIT and Loyola University around the theory that the Middle East may become too hot for Humans to live in within the next century. This article and Audrey both did a good job explaining the experiments done through computer models to see how temperature and humidity correspond with varied greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. As of now the temperature reaches 31 degrees Celsius on extreme summer days near the Persian Gulf, and it will rise to 35 degrees Celsius which is dangerous to humans. It is astounding to read that at this rate Kuwait City the drier air temperature may reach 60 degrees Celsius: a temperature unfit for most organisms there today. However this data was contradicted by a different study, so the author of the article should have more data from different trials to back up him up. I like how Audrey says that this will directly impact the whole world because it will be a chain reaction where other regions may become unfit for human life as well. I like how Audrey poses a solution being that we have to significantly decrease our greenhouse gas emissions, but she doesn’t mention how. It would have been nice to hear another person’s solutions. My solution would be to create a per capita cap on emissions differing in different countries; the per capita cap should not be too much of a change, but the cap should be lowered every year to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. It also helps that the government subsidies people who have eco-friendly aspects in their houses or cars; this is an incentive to help the environment. Audrey said how this article would have been more credible if the author included more statistics, and I agree.
ReplyDeleteI like how the article had an image of the Persian Gulf, and it had a brief video that spoke about the irony that we need fossil fuels, but those fossil fuels may make it impossible for people to live because of climate change. I thought it was crazy to think that cities in the Middle East like Abu Dhabi and Dubai may not be able to sustain human life because of the intense heat by 2100. However if we reduce the greenhouse gas emissions, those cities won’t reach the lethal threshold of high temperatures and humidity. This is an incentive to cap our emissions and it shows that we still have hope. I chose this review and article because when I clicked on the link to the article the video began to play. I learned a lot about global warming, and more people should read this, especially Donald Trump who believes that global warming doesn’t exist and that the Chinese made it up to reduce competition in production.. It enhanced my perspective on the importance of global warming, and I hope it teaches people to care for the environment, especially leader figures who can initiate a change in fossil fuel consumption. More articles and facts like this should be shared with the world because some people have no care for the environment and just blame God or the environment for issues arising. Audrey addresses how there will be a meeting in Paris to curb fossil-fuel emissions before the year ends for world leaders.
Citation
Miller, Brandon. "Persian Gulf Heat: It May Become Too Hot for Humans to Survive, Study Warns." CNN. N.p., 28 Oct. 2015. Web. 17 Nov. 2015. .