Air temperatures have risen 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit in
the last one hundred and nine years; this is very good
inference for the idea that spring may be coming earlier.
In this essay, I will present facts and opinions to
prove that spring is coming earlier. This is an awful
thing to think about because this means that winter
will be cut short, and I love being involved with winter
activities. But, it is something that our country, and
world, has to come to face with.
By glancing quickly at the air temperatures and the
lake ice-out data, you can easily gather that spring
is coming earlier. Over a century, ice-out dates are
coming, on average, nine days earlier. I noticed that
Rangeley Lake and Moosehead Lake do not have a big difference
in their ice-out dates coming earlier. I believe that
Rangeley and Moosehead Lake are not having spring come
earlier as much as Damariscotta and Auburn Lake because
they are in a colder region of Maine. Damariscotta and
Auburn Lake are located in a warmer section of Maine,
therefore, their ice-out dates are coming earlier. I
have also observed that Damariscotta Lake has the biggest
change in the last century with its ice-out dates; its
ice-out dates are coming fourteen days earlier.
One indicator of spring coming earlier could be the
amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere.
By emitting more greenhouse gases into the air, it would
warm up temperatures, causing spring to come sooner.
A second indicator would be that some of our hibernating
animals are coming out earlier. There is no need to
stay in a den when you can forage for food, and it is
warm enough to be out and about.
A question that you could study year after year could
be: Are hibernating animals coming out earlier each
year? To study this question you could choose one specie
that hibernates, as your control, and choose animals
from all different parts of Maine, for your variable.
This way you can get data from different parts of Maine,
and can see what the difference is between a colder
and warmer region.
I believe that spring is coming earlier each and every
year because of temperature rising, and because of animals
coming out of hibernation in early March, instead of
early April. Air temperatures will continue to rise
if we do not find more efficient ways for fuel. Eventually,
if we continue upon the same path, we will not have
four seasons, only one. We need to step up and take
action, whether it is riding a bike to school or buying
efficient cars, we all need to participate to help our
planet. Let`s see if we can stop spring from coming
earlier.
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