Opinion: Let's work on making our planet a better place

Transcription

1 Opinion: Let's work on making our planet a better place By Kevin Quinn, adapted by Newsela staff on Word Count 676 Level 830L A polar bear dries off after taking a swim in the Chukchi Sea in Alaska, June 15, Brian Battaile/U.S. Geological Survey via AP, File Have you ever wondered why a father polar bear is so protective of his young? Or the reason why an orangutan cleans its child's hair? How about the way a mother seabird spits out her own food to feed her babies? All these animals have a few things in common. For one, they are families, and groups of them make up communities, just like groups of humans in a city do. They are a key part of what makes our earth so beautiful and special. Unfortunately, all three kinds of animals have another thing in common. They are all in danger of disappearing forever, of becoming extinct. Unique Needs All three have very special needs. They need special living conditions to do well. Unfortunately, those living conditions are disappearing quickly. This article is available at 5 reading levels at 1

2 Take polar bears, for example. To live well, they need the ice caps and frozen temperatures found in Antarctica. Those conditions are fast vanishing from the planet. They are disappearing due to the steady rise in temperature known as global warming, or climate change. We humans are responsible for global warming, which is mostly caused by two things. Gases In The Atmosphere One cause is the buildup of certain gases in the Earth's atmosphere. The atmosphere is a thin sheet of gases that naturally surrounds our planet, and protects us. We have been adding gases that do not belong in the atmosphere. Such gases are known as greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are released when fuels like coal and gas are burned. We burn these fuels to power our cars and run our factories. The other main cause of global warming is that we are cutting down too many trees. The quick clearing of trees is known as deforestation. We humans have a duty to protect our fellow animal friends. We must stop climate change before it is too late. When we burn gas in our cars and coal in our trains, carbon dioxide (CO2) is released. It rises and ends up in the earth s atmosphere, where it traps heat from the sun. Today s levels of CO2 are almost twice as high as they have been over the last 800,000 years. As a result, temperatures around the world are rising quickly. Deforestation increases global warming, too, because trees naturally take in CO2. When a tree is removed, a little less CO2 is taken out of the air. More heat ends up being trapped in the atmosphere. Affecting The Animals What does all this have to do with our animal friends? Animals need to have certain average temperatures in the places where they live. Unfortunately, global warming is causing big shifts. Animals' surroundings are changing very quickly. Take the polar bear we were talking about earlier. Many of the bears live on ice that is now melting away. Their homes are disappearing. Many of the animals they hunt are also disappearing, leaving the bears without enough food. Fish are affected by global warming, too. For example, fish such as salmon and trout need water temperatures to be freezing. Now, rising water temperatures are causing them to die off. Climate change is leading to many other kinds of problems besides hotter weather. This article is available at 5 reading levels at 2

3 Melting ice caps are causing ocean levels to rise. In turn, this is leading to flooding and disappearing shorelines. At the same time, hotter weather is drying out lakes and rivers. Many parts of the world are starting to run out of water. It may become increasingly difficult to grow the crops we all need to live. These are huge problems, and it can seem impossible for any one person to make a difference. Yet, there are many small things we can all do to help. For example, we can be careful not to waste water. We can share cars, use buses more often, and ride our bikes or walk whenever possible. If we all pull together, we can save our planet, for us and for our animal friends. Kevin Quinn is an American actor known for his starring role in the Disney Channel original series, "Bunk'd." This article is available at 5 reading levels at 3

4 Quiz 1 Which of the following are TWO MAIN ideas from the article? Polar bears are an endangered species. One cause of global warming is the buildup of gases in the earth's atmosphere. Climate change is a real event that is harming our wildlife and earth. Humans are the only ones who can stop it. Greenhouse gases are released with fuels like coal and gas are burned. Deforestation increases global warming, too. Too much CO2 is being released into the earth's atmosphere because of humans. Humans should not waste water. 2 Which section of the article focuses MAINLY on the idea that humans can make a difference in stopping global warming? Introduction [paragraphs 1-3] "Unique Needs" "Gases In The Atmosphere" "Affecting The Animals" 3 What is the MAIN purpose of this article? to make the reader feel bad for the way animals are suffering to make the reader aware of how their actions affect climate change to make the reader aware that there is too much CO2 in the atmosphere to inform the reader about the effects of rising sea levels on our earth 4 The author is MOSTLY concerned about how global warming affects: trees and humans animals and rivers animals and humans humans and trees This article is available at 5 reading levels at 4

5 Answer Key 1 Which of the following are TWO MAIN ideas from the article? Polar bears are an endangered species. One cause of global warming is the buildup of gases in the earth's atmosphere. Climate change is a real event that is harming our wildlife and earth. Humans are the only ones who can stop it. Greenhouse gases are released with fuels like coal and gas are burned. Deforestation increases global warming, too. Too much CO2 is being released into the earth's atmosphere because of humans. Humans should not waste water. 2 Which section of the article focuses MAINLY on the idea that humans can make a difference in stopping global warming? Introduction [paragraphs 1-3] "Unique Needs" "Gases In The Atmosphere" "Affecting The Animals" 3 What is the MAIN purpose of this article? to make the reader feel bad for the way animals are suffering to make the reader aware of how their actions affect climate change to make the reader aware that there is too much CO2 in the atmosphere to inform the reader about the effects of rising sea levels on our earth 4 The author is MOSTLY concerned about how global warming affects: trees and humans animals and rivers animals and humans humans and trees This article is available at 5 reading levels at 5