Blake Hurlburt November 4, 2013 Mr. Newell Anderson, Jr.

Introduction: Global warming has become one of the most controversial topics that todays scientists discuss. Global warming is when heat waves emanated from the earth are reflected back towards earth by the atmospheric boundary of the earth. Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor, are the cause of this reflection. This results in increased global temperatures. Without the greenhouse effect, earth would not be warm enough for live on earth; however, we also dont want to increase global temperatures too much and melt the polar ice caps, increase sea levels, and flood many coastal cities worldwide. I believe that the greenhouse effect began as a natural process, but mankind has contributed greatly to this process, causing global warming. This is because, due to human activities such as burning fossil fuels for power plants, removing trees from the environment, and burning gasoline for transportation (Markham 2009) the amount of carbon dioxide released into earths atmosphere has increased dramatically since the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s.

(Marland, Boden, and Andres 2003) Due to the greenhouse effect and the fact that carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, the average temperature of the earth has risen about 1 Fahrenheit over the past century (Kanellos 2006).

The Facts: Global warming is caused by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These greenhouse gases reflect heat that is radiated from the earth back towards the earth, so that the earth is receiving more heat than it should. Without this greenhouse effect, life on earth could not exist (Brignell 2001); however, too much of the greenhouse effect causes global warming and environmental changes, which may cause life on earth to cease. Global warming began as a natural process with the main greenhouse gases being carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor. However, the increased release of carbon dioxide and methane into the air by human activities has caused an increase in the amount of global warming occurring.

(Reay and Hogan 2010-2011)

Global Warming: Although global warming has been influenced by mankind, there are many natural causes of global warming as well. For example, volcanic eruptions emit carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxide is released into the air which contributes to the amount greenhouse gases in the air. However, since volcanic eruptions are relatively few, the activities of mankind contribute to much more of the global warming problem than volcanic eruptions. Water vapor is also a cause of global warming. There are claims that water vapor is the most However, water vapor is produced as a side-effect of carbon dioxide emissions which come from the use of factories, power plants, and other human activities therefore, we as humans are responsible for that as well. Many human activities that we take for granted are more prominent causes of increases in greenhouse gases. For example: Driving a car Turning on air conditioning or heat Eating food that is not locally in season (it must be shipped in)

All of these activities release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The overabundance of these greenhouse gases can lead to: Melting of the polar ice caps, leading to rising sea levels Changes in weather patterns, including increased severe weather effects Higher rates of evaporation, causing more droughts and less rainfall

(McIntire-Strasburg 2009)

Possible Solutions: There are many possible solutions to the global warming problem. All of them involve reducing the amount of carbon dioxide we emit into the atmosphere. Burning Fossil Fuels

If we stop burning coal, oil, natural gas, and other fossil fuels, we will greatly reduce the amount of carbon dioxide humans release into the atmosphere. This will be an extremely difficult, lengthy task. This is because coal supplies nearly half of the United States with electricity. Upgrade Infrastructure

Investing in thicker insulation in buildings can allow the use of heaters and air conditioners to be reduced. This would, in turn, reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the air from air conditioners and heaters. Investing in better road systems increases the fuel economy of cars, which also reduced the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere. Reduce Powered Transportation

Transportation emits a lot of greenhouse gases in the United States; in fact, it is the secondhighest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. Moving closer to your workplace, using buses or other forms of mass transit, or using a form of transportation that only requires human power can reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere that you are responsible for. Consume Less

The easiest way to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere is to simply consume less. For example, you can use reusable cloth grocery bags rather than paper or plastic. You can also purchase a car that will last a long time and not have much effect on the environment. (Biello 2007) Finally, people can help the environment by doing simple things around their house, such as replacing incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent or LED lights. Also, people can use less air conditioning and heating and instead wear more weather-appropriate clothing in their homes to keep warm or cool. These are just a few of the many possible solutions to global warming.

Socio-Economic Impacts: These possible solutions to global warming will have many effects on the economy of the world. If we stop using fossil fuels, we will have to find a safe alternative fuel source. Also, the economy of many countries in the Middle East depends on the exportation of fossil fuels. Finally, all of our vehicles, heaters, air conditioners, factories, and other machines that use fossil fuels would have to be redesigned to support new fuel sources. Powered transportation accounts for a lot of the greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. However, if we dont use powered transportation, people will no longer be able to go overseas or even more than a few miles away from their homes. A better solution would be to cut down on transportation as much as possible. If you can, use public transportation such as riding a bus or a train. (Burwell 2010)

(Herzog 2006)

Conclusion: In conclusion, the greenhouse effect began as a natural process in our ecosystem. However, mankind has quickly contributed to this effect, creating global warming. Many things we take for granted such as using plastic bags, driving to work, and using a computer contribute to this effect. If we continue the way we are now, the temperature of the earth will rise enough to melt the polar ice caps more. This will cause a rise in sea levels, flooding many coastal cities worldwide. If we all work together to cut down on the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere, we can slow or even halt this process and save our ecosystem. Already today, many habitats worldwide are experiencing droughts and water shortages due to the increased heat. Many animals are going extinct because their habitats have changed so much that they no longer have anywhere to live. If we dont stop global warming, it will lead to the apocalypse not only of humanity, but all life on earth.

Citations: Biello, D. (November 26, 2007). 10 Solutions for Climate Change: Scientific American. Science News, Articles and Information | Scientific American. Retrieved December 21, 2011, from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=10-solutions-for-climate-change Brignell, J. (November, 2001). Ten Facts About Global Warming. Number Watch - the Guide to Wrong Numbers in Science, Media and Politics. Retrieved December 21, 2011, from http://www.numberwatch.co.uk/ten_facts_about_global_warming.htm Burwell, D. (April 15, 2010). TransportationThe Leading Cause of Global Warming. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Retrieved December 21, 2011, from http://carnegieendowment.org/2010/04/15/transportation-leading-cause-of-globalwarming/afa Herzog, T. (October 30, 2006). Greenhouse Gases and Where They Come From | World Resources Institute. World Resources Institute | Global Warming, Climate Change, Ecosystems, Sustainable Markets, Good Governance & the Environment. Retrieved December 21, 2011, from http://www.wri.org/stories/2006/10/greenhouse-gases-andwhere-they-come-from Markham, D. (June 7, 2009). Global Warming Effects and Causes: A Top 10 List. Planetsave Global Warming News. Activism & Politics News. Science News. Retrieved December 21, 2011, from http://planetsave.com/2009/06/07/global-warming-effects-and-causes-a-top-10list/ McIntire-Strasburg, J. (June 18, 2009). Global Warming Causes: Natural or Human? Sustainablog. Retrieved December 21, 2011, from http://blog.sustainablog.org/2009/06/the-top-causes-of-global-warming-natural-or-human Reay, D., & Hogan, M. (May 9, 2010). Greenhouse gas. Encyclopedia of Earth. Retrieved December 21, 2011, from http://www.eoearth.org/article/Greenhouse_gas?topic=60586

Revkin, A. C. (December 12, 2011). Global Warming- Science - The New York Times. Times Topics - The New York Times. Retrieved December 21, 2011, from http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/science/topics/globalwarming/index.html