Outline

I.

What it is A. Definition B. Length of time it has existed

II.

Natural Causes A. Release of methane gas B. Carbon Dioxide

III.

Effects on enviroment A. Ice caps B. Changes in weather

IV.

Human Causes A. Deforestation B. Electricity production

V.

What one could do A. Less release of Co2 B. Clean Energy

Garcia 1

Rodrigo Garcia Mr. West Freshman English February 26, 2014 Global Warming

Over the past 50 years the average global temperature has increased at the fastest rate in recorded history-Natural Resource Defense Council. Global warming is something we hear many times. But what is so bad about, and why does it affect us? The public usually does not know much of global warming. This can lead to some confusion. Global warming is a gradual increase in overall temperature of earths atmosphere. This means that over hundreds of years, the temperature of earths atmosphere has increased. In fact, scientists state that by the end of the century, the temperature would have risen about 3-9 degrees higher. If this continues, there could be major changes throughout the world. Global warming has always been around. This can be shown through the ice age and other large changes in weather. The way it changed from the freezing cold temperatures to the temperatures now could be an example. Although it is an extreme example. But one must wonder, what has caused global warming? Humans are not always the case. Nature itself can affect the atmospheres over all temperature. One natural cause would include the natural release of methane gas. Methane is a greenhouse gas released by livestock, such as cattle, goats, etc., which is part of their normal digestive process. A greenhouse gas is a gas that becomes stuck in the earths atmosphere, which traps sunlight, increasing Garcia 2

the temperature of the earth. Carbon dioxide or, Co2, also can affect the weather. Co2 is naturally released by the oceans and is already present in large amounts in the atmosphere. Co2 is also a greenhouse gas just like methane, and increases the overall temperature of the atmosphere. Not only does the temperature of the earth rise, but it also affects other parts of the earth. Snow caps/arctic ice can be easily affected by these temperature changes. The north pole arctic ice boundary shrunk by 20% since 1979. This is because of the rising temperatures. It makes sense because if the temperature increases enough, things like ice caps will start to slowly melt away. There could also be some great changes in the weather. It can make extreme, intensified the weather. It can cause wind speeds to go up, intensifying hurricanes. More rainfall would be happening causing more devastating floods. The temperatures can increase the likelihood of a wild fire. Overall, if the temperature of the earth increases and changes, it can have major effects on our weather. Humans play a big role in the warming of the atmosphere. We can cause an increase the process of global warming. One major way we affect global warming is by deforestation. There is over 700 billion tons of Co2 in the atmosphere. Plants need Co2 to live and release oxygen into the air. If we take away the forests and trees, there will be much more Co2 in the atmosphere because there would not be as many plants to consume the carbon dioxide. More Co2 means more greenhouse gas which would increase the temperature once again. Our use of electricity is also a big factor. In total, all of U.S. electricity production factories produce 2,039 million metric tons of Carbon dioxide. Humans are one of the main factors because of such high productions of these greenhouse gases. There is ways to slow down the process of global warming. We can lower the production

of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. One can achieve this by carpooling. Less cars being used Garcia 3 means less gas being produced. Also, one could use less electricity which would decrease the amount of Co2 being released to create the power. If everyone tried to decrease the amount we used, the effects can be great. Factories could also use clean energy. Clean energy does not require the burning of fossil fuels. Instead, it use natural ways to get energy. These sources of clean energy include wind energy, water energy (as in using streams to power buildings), and solar energy. There are many more, but these are some of the best. Nuclear power plants can also be used. They produce a large amount of energy and only release steam. The only bad outcome of nuclear energy is the nuclear waste and remains afterwards. Global warming is becoming more of a problem as time goes on. It affects weather and can change the geography of the world. Although it does happen naturally, humans play a big role. We add millions of metric tons each year into the atmosphere. If it does not change soon, it could change the world greatly.

Works Cited

"Climate Science Glossary." Skeptical Science. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014. http://skepticalscience.com/. "Environmental Defense Fund." Environmental Defense Fund. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2014. http://www.edf.org/. "Home - National Wildlife Federation." Home - National Wildlife Federation. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014. http://www.nwf.org/. NASA. NASA, n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2014. http://www.nasa.gov/. "National Geographic - Inspiring People to Care About the Planet Since 1888." National Geographic - Inspiring People to Care About the Planet Since 1888. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2014. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/. "Natural Resources Defense Council The Earth's Best Defense | NRDC." Natural Resources Defense Council The Earth's Best Defense | NRDC. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2014. http://www.nrdc.org/. "U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis." U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014. http://www.eia.gov/. "US Environmental Protection Agency." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014. http://www.epa.gov/.