Natasa Kovacevic
Mountain Lakes High School
Class of 2006
Mountain Lakes, New Jersey

Natasa is a 2005 Claes Nobel Academic Scholarship recipient, who last spring scored a perfect 2400 on the new version of the SAT, and has been offered early admission to Harvard University. She shares her concerns with our members about a "hot" issue:

If you've ever seen the film "The Day After Tomorrow," you will probably agree that it is a dramatic failure. Pathetic acting, cheesy dialogue ("I'll use my body temperature to warm you."), and Dennis Quaid trekking from Washington, D.C. to New York in the midst of an apocalypse combine for a few raised eyebrows, a chuckle here and there, and not much else. The main storyline is this: due to global warming, ocean currents are changed, temperatures abruptly plummet, and parts of globe are suddenly plunged into a new Ice Age. Insert some good old Hollywood dazzle, some snazzy special effects, and a sickeningly sweet teenage love affair, and we have our typical science fiction thriller.

Except for one thing: there's science behind this fiction. What if I told you that the outrageous storyline actually holds scientific merit? Now, granted, New York will not freeze over in a matter of hours, Canada will not become an ice cube within a day, and if you're trapped in a snowfall in a large public library, Dennis Quaid probably won't save you. But the effects of global warming are real and menacing. And over time, if we don't do something to slow global warming, it will wreak havoc on our planet.

So what is global warming, and why should we care? Global warming, as the name implies, refers to a steady rise in Earth's atmospheric temperatures. It is a fact, and if anyone tells you otherwise, politely inform him that the debate is over. The Earth is getting warmer. Over the last century, average temperatures have climbed 1.1 degree F, and if action is not taken, may skyrocket by as much as 6.3 F by 2100.. Scientists agree that higher temperatures can be attributed to a dramatic increase in human-made greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide. Human activities, including the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, intensify the greenhouse effect and contribute to rising temperatures. The burning of fossil fuels increases the production of the gases while deforestation decreases the Earth's ability to deal with the gases.  What produces the gases? Look in your garage and you'll find one major culprit: the automobile.

So what's the big deal? - MORE -


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