The Threat of Global Warming

Global warming is sometimes refereed to as the greenhouse effect. The

greenhouse effect is the absorption of energy radiated from the Earth’s surface
by carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere, causing the atmosphere to
become warmer. The greenhouse effect is what is causing the temperature on
the Earth to rise, and it is creating many problems that will begin to occur in the
near future. For the last 10,000 years, the Earth’s climate has been
extraordinarily beneficial to mankind. “Humans have prospered tremendously
well under a benign atmosphere,” (Bates 28).

Today, however, many changes are taking place. People are conducting an
inadvertent global experiment by changing the face of the entire planet. The
human race is destroying the ozone layer, which allows life to exist on the Earth’s
surface. All of these activities are unfavorably altering the composition of the
biosphere and the Earth’s heat balance. If the population does not slow down the
use of fossil fuels and stop destroying the forests, the world could become hotter
than it has been in the past million years. Average global temperatures have
risen one degree Fahrenheit over the last century. If carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases continue to spill into the atmosphere, global temperatures
could rise five to ten degrees by the middle of the next century.

The warning will be the greatest at the higher latitudes of the Northern
Hemisphere, with the largest temperature rises occurring in winter. Most areas
will experience summertime highs well above one hundred degrees Fahrenheit.
New temperature record will be set each year.

As a possible prelude to global warming, the decade of the 1980’s has had the
six hottest years of the century (Erandson 18-22). Atmospheric disturbances
brought on by the additional warming will produce more violent storm and larger
death tolls. Some areas, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere, will dry out and
a greater occurrence of lighting strikes will set massive forest fires. The charring
of the Earth by natural and man-made forest fires will dump additional quantities
of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Changes in temperature and rainfall
brought on by global warming will in turn change the composition of the forests.
At the present rate of destruction, most of the rain forests will be gone by the
middle of the next century. This will allow man-made deserts to encroach on
once lush areas (Bassett1-2).

Evaporation rates will also increase and circulation patterns will change.
Decreased rainfall in some areas will result in increased rainfall in others. In
some regions, river flow will be reduced or stopped all together. Other areas will
experience sudden downpours that create huge floods. The central portions of
the continents, which normally experience occasional droughts, might become
permanently dry wastelands. Vast areas of once productive cropland could lose
topsoil and become man-made deserts. Coastal regions, where half the human
population lives, will feel the adverse effects of rising sea levels as the ice caps
melt under rising ocean temperatures.

If the present melting continues, the sea could rise as much as six feet by the
middle of the next century (Bassett 1-2). Large tracks of coastal land would
disappear; as would shallow barrier is lands and coral reefs. Low-lying fertile
deltas that support millions of people would vanish. The sea would reclaim
delicate wetlands, where many species of marine life hatch their young.
Vulnerable coastal cities would have to move further inland or build protective
walls against the angry sea, where a larger number of extremely dangerous
hurricanes would prowl the ocean stretches.

Forests and other wildlife habitats might not have enough time to adjust to the
rapidly changing climate. The warming will rearrange entire biological
communities and cause many species to become extinct. Weeds and pests could
overrun much of the landscape. Since life controls the climate to some extent, it
is uncertain what long-term effects a diminished biosphere will have on the world
as a whole. It is becoming more apparent, however, that as man continues to
squander the Earth’s resources, the climate could change in such a way that it is
no longer benevolent to mankind. The green house effect and global warming
correspond with each other. The greenhouse effect is recalled as incoming solar
radiation that passes through the Earth’s atmosphere but prevents much of the
outgoing infrared radiation from escaping into outer space. The global warming
refers to a long-term rise in the average temperature of the Earth. How do they
correspond with each other? Simply, because without ones, the other doesn’t
exist. The natural greenhouse effect has kept the Earth’s average surface
temperature around 33 degrees Celsius, warmer than it would be if there was no
atmosphere. The natural gases in the greenhouse effect are water vapor, carbon
dioxide, ozone, as well as other trace gases.

Life could not exist if there were no greenhouse effect. The reason for the natural
greenhouse effect is so that all the creatures living on Earth can live and breathe.
People, as inhabitants of this Earth, must do their part in preserving it, or there
won’t be much left for future generations to live on. Human activities are causing
some greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide to build up in the atmosphere.
Each time someone burns gasoline, oil, coal or even natural gas, more carbon
dioxide is added to the atmosphere (Erandson34). By cutting down the forest
trees, the human race allows air pollution to set in. This, therefore, causes many
problems in addition to many others. Now that there are no trees to help filter out
pollution, people are allowing more damage to the atmosphere causing global
warming. These certain gases that occur naturally in the atmosphere tend to trap
the sun’s heat which is called global warming. By trapping in the sun’s heat, the
Earth can be warmed up. Many of Earth’s natural disasters, such as volcanic
activity, and other factors, have caused our planet’s atmosphere to become
either colder or warmer (Bates 23). The global average temperature of the
surface has increased by one degree Fahrenheit over the past century. This
indicated that this warming trend is due to human influences.

In conclusion, if there was no greenhouse effect then there would be no global

warming. The greenhouse effect causes the global warming to increase as well
as humans and other creatures’ influence it. There are many ways to help
prevent and protect both. If people try to help out, then it would be a longer
process to keep the ozone layer healthy longer. However, nothing can be done
until the human race starts helping out
Global Warming
(missing works cited)

Global warming is an increase in the earth's temperature due to fossil fuels,

industry, and agricultural processes caused by human, natural, and other gas
emissions. This results in an increased evacuation of greenhouse gases. “Short-
wave solar radiation sinks into the Earth's atmosphere and warms its surface
while long-wave infrared radiation emitted by earth's surface is absorbed, and
then re-emitted by trace gases.” (2)

Climate changes occur in our earth's atmosphere due to a buildup of greenhouse

gases. Greenhouse gases can occur naturally as well as a result of human
activities. The greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous
oxide. “Carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere when solid waste, fossil
fuels, and wood are burned.” (2) The gases help to warm the surface of the
Earth. Each greenhouse gas absorbs heat differently. If natural gases did not
occur, the temperature of the earth would be considerably cooler. “Problems can
occur when higher concentrations of greenhouse gases are present in our
atmosphere because they have enhanced our earth's heat trapping capability.”
(3)

Human activities add to the levels of these gasses, causing more problems.
“Automobiles, heat from homes and businesses, and factories are responsible for
about 80% of today's carbon dioxide emissions, 25% of methane emissions, and
20% of the nitrous oxide emissions.” (3) The increase in agriculture,
deforestation, landfills, industrial production, and mining contribute a significant
share of emissions also. These gases that are released into the atmosphere are
tracked by emission inventories. An emission inventory counts the amount of air
pollutants discharged into the atmosphere. These inventories are important in
studying the affects of global warming on the Earth.
The Centers for Disease Control have been involved in studying global warming's
effect on human health. Its affect on the climate can adversely affect humans.
Plagues have been attributed to global warming. An increase in temperature can
result in a longer life cycle for diseases or the agents spreading them.” Global
warming will lead to more precipitation, which enables infectious diseases to be
more easily contracted and spread.” (2) Effects of global warming on human
health might not be immediately detected.

Birds are a species that will be affected by a change in the climate. Global
warming might result in birds finding a more permanent home in northern areas
of the Northern Hemisphere. The ecosystems of fish will be affected by global
warming in a variety of ways. The chemical composition of water could be
changed. Fish may migrate to different areas. Other animals could be affected
due to the changes in climate and habitat.
Nature will be affected in many ways also. Many acres of forest have burned due
to increasingly warm temperatures. Temperatures are being recorded in many
places that are at an excessive high and length. When temperatures are on the
increase, the tides and waves get higher. Additionally, the temperatures in the
oceans create saltier waters, which erodes beach lines and vegetation along
shores.

Global warming can affect our future ability to obtain food. As climates change,
plants and animals will change, leading to a change in the eating patterns of
humans. An increase in precipitation is one result of global warming that could
have devastating effects. First, the quality of crops would be affected by an
increase in precipitation. Second, increasing rain could lead to an increase in soil
erosion.

There are many ways that people can help prevent global warming. Carpooling,
auditing the energy in homes, buying fuel-efficient cars, and reducing the
electricity used in home are ways to help prevent global warming. The
government can play a very big role in preventing global warming. Government
authorities can help by passing laws to reduce emissions from factories. They
can also form a treaty with other countries to legally bind limits on emissions of
heat trapping gases.

The future of emissions damage depends on several factors including but not
limited to demographics, economics, technology, policies and institutional
developments. Future predictions do not look good for this planet if nothing is
done. “Without the help of emissions control policies, carbon dioxide levels are
projected to be 30-150% higher than today's levels in 2100.” (3) Our renewable
resources will be very limited. With cooperation from citizens, further science
developments, and the government, mankind can slow the effect of global
warming.

Global warming is an event that will affect many people and animals all over the
world. Humans will be affected the most due to global warming due to things like
temperature increase. Many people believe that global warming began since the
industrial revolution during the 18th century. During this time heat-trapping gases
began to load in the atmosphere, gases such as carbon dioxide and methane.
Global warming will have many negative consequences to humans, animals, and
even plants.

In the article Life in the Greenhouse by Micheal D. Lemonick, Lemonick shows

that’s if we don’t stop treating our planet like trash it will have many
consequences. Global warming will cause worldwide temperatures to increase
more than 1°F. This may not seem like a lot but considering that only 9°F end
the last ice age, so just a 1 degree increase can have an effect on humans and
the threat of global warming. Glaciers from mountain tops are disappearing.
Coral reefs are dying off, and droughts are becoming common in Asia and Africa.
The artic permafrost is starting to melt. Plants and animals are even beginning to
be affected. They are shifting their range pole ward and to high altitudes.
Migration patterns for animals like polar bears, and butterflies are being
disrupted. Climate zones are shifting dramatically; central Canada is feeling more
like Illinois, and Georgia more like Guatemala. “Some scientists believe that the
climate will reach a “tipping point” (Which is a point at which even a tiny
additional increase would throw the system into violent change)”. This increase
will have many affects on humans.

The effects of global warming will throw human lifestyles. Agriculture would be
thrown into turmoil. Public heath could suffer. Rising seas could contaminate
water supplies with salt. Stronger sunlight and warmer temperature could cause
respiratory illness. Hot spells would be come more frequent leading to heat
related deaths. Warmer temperatures would widen the range of disease carrying
rodents and mosquitoes. This increase of temperatures is happening at a pace
that outstrips anything the earth has seen in the past 100 million years. Human
will have a hard time adjusting to the increase.

In the map Consequences of Global Warming it shows the different affects that
global warming will have. In North America many diseases have begin to appear
in area such as the Midwest, and the eastern border. On the U.S east coast; the
West Nile virus has already spread from New Hampshire to North Carolina.
Crops are being destroyed in the U.S and Mexico especially because of rising
temperatures could cut maize crops by 20% to 60%. Crops have also being
affected in South America; In Brazil model project that populate Brazil could
suffer from severe crop setbacks because of droughts. In Africa, there was a 3
foot rise in sea level that could banish 4 million people. River flow along the
Zambezi could fall steeply, disrupting crop production and possibly producing
refugees. Many more Consequences have occurred in the world.

We may not be able to stop the process entirely, but we can try to keep the
climate from reaching a point that we can’t stop it. If everyone in the world stop
polluting and begin keeping their environment clean it would help. Global
warming many not be stopped but it can be reduced.

Global warming has been one of the leading environmental issues for the past
several years. Global warming is when an excess of certain gasses are produced
and trap the sun’s heat in the atmosphere. One of the most abundant of these
gasses is carbon dioxide. It is released when fossil fuels and other things are
burned for their energy. The average American family of 2 will produce 41,500
pounds of carbon dioxide per year. The Earth is able to cope with a certain
amount of these gasses otherwise known as greenhouse gasses. With all of this
the earth is heating up faster than most of it inhabitants can adapt. Some just
can’t cope with the new conditions and some are having their habitat destroyed
by it. Other gasses are destroying the ozone and letting in harmful UV rays and
heating the earth even more. The earth has been doing fine but now many
countries are in the industrial age and are manufacturing things and releasing
more greenhouse gasses. The earth is essentially being thrown out of its natural
balance. We started doing harmful things and only now do we realize what we
have done and what we are doing. At this current rate by the middle of next
century the earth’s temperature may rise a predicted 10 degrees Fahrenheit. This
may not seem as much but with the earths delicate balance we will have lost
several species and habitats. We all say that we are working to help the earth
and yet we have only done a very small percent of what we need to do.
Scientists are worried that soon the effects of what we have done may be
irreversible. We have the technology to do it, but countries are concerned they
will lose too much money. They are already wasting it on other unnecessary
things and if they were to reduce funding to them we could have enough money
to do these changes and probably still have some left to help fund other countries
efforts. We are cutting down thousands of earth’s natural air filters as we speak.
Trees and plants take some of the carbon dioxide and turn it into oxygen helping
us and the environment. One scientist had the theory that if they dump iron into
the ocean that it would cause a spike in the population of phytoplankton. They
could take tons of carbon dioxide and turn it into oxygen. In some small scale
tests it worked fine. It has yet to happen because the effects on other animals
have yet to be tested. Without human participation in stopping global warming
the earth will continue to spiral into death.
Climate

The Earth is heating up! Climate models show that atmospheric temperatures will
increase by between 1.5 and 4.5 C by the year 2100 if a "wait and see and do
nothing" approach is adopted. The global temperature increase since the last ice
age (10,000 years ago) has been about 5 C. Temperature and precipitation
patterns in the high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, which appear to be
becoming "more tropical." There is less of a difference between daytime and
nighttime temperatures, and rainfall tends to more often come in intense bursts.
Oceans & sea level Their first concern of global warming is causing the rise of
sea levels. The greenhouse effect and sea level rise threaten the very heatof our
existence - B.Paeniu, PM of Tuvalu at the World Climate Conference, Nov.
1990[IMAGE] Since oceans absorb more heat than land areas. The best-guess
forecast of the IPCC for sea level rise is a global average of 3-10 millimeters per
year. As more than 70 per cent of the world's population live on coastal plains,
the potential for massive personal, economic and physical dislocation becomes
clear.. Part of this comes from the expansion of water, as it was getting warm.
Apart from the widespread melting of mountain glaciers. About 17 percent of the
rise remains unexplained. With a large number of the world's cities in coastal
areas, this is a significant problem. There are two major causes of rising sea
levels. Firstly, extra water is produced when ice melts causing by warmer
weather. Secondly, the natural expansion of Ocean water as it becomes warmer.
The range of sea ice around both poles continues to shrink and melts. Even with
the level of greenhouse gases present today, by the
scientist around the world estimated that the earth may warm enough in the next
50 years or so to completely melt the sea ice located on the poles. Lands As
warmer oceans cause more intense storms. Damage from rising seas is very
diverse. Buildings and roads close to the water could be flooded and they could
suffer damage from hurricanes and tropical storms. There are also effects on
agricultural production and water resource. A slight increase of that would also
be enough to make deserts hotter and drier or increased frequency of forest fires,
or would melt a
third or more of the world's mountain glaciers. Since the mid 1980s an
unprecedented number of intense fires have destroyed forests and homes across
most continents For example: Sydney
is ringed by fire as unusually prolonged hot, dry and windy conditions fuel more
than 150 firestorms across the state of New South Wales. Trees whose seeds
are spread by birds may be able to spread at that rate. But other trees and plants
whose seeds are carried by the wind,
nor such nut-bearing trees such as oaks, are likely to spread by more than a few
hundred feet per year. Poor soils may also limit the rate at which tree species
can spread north. Thus, the range over which a particular species is found may
tend to be squeezed as southern areas become inhospitably hot. The net result
is that some forests may tend to have a less diverse mix of
tree species. Water Global warming also changes in rainfall, temperature,
humidity and
wind. They are all likely "side effects" of global warming. are just a few of the
elements that can effect the quality of water used for drinking, recreational and
commercial purposes. In addition, seafood from contaminated water, or fresh
produce irrigated with contaminated
water, can carry disease. In Australia, in the summer, rainfall increases of up to
5% per degree
of global warming are predicted in southeast Australia and of up to 10% per
degree of global warming elsewhere. In the winter, three separate regions are
identified: the models agree
on an increase (of up to 5% per degree warming) in Tasmania, agree on a
decrease (of up to 5%) in central and south Australia, or fail to agree (-5% to
+5%) in eastern and southwest Australia.
The average global warming falls in the range of 0.6 K to 1.7 K by 2030. For
example, the maximum increase of summer precipitation on the northeast coast
will then range from 6% (0.6x10) to 17% (1.7x10). So lack of drinking water is
becoming a problem.
Impacts on health Weather has a profound effect on human health and well
being. As
average temperatures slowly rising up in coming decades. The effects of a
warmer climate may begin to take a toll. Particularly those who cannot afford air
conditioning, or are already physically weaker (elderly) are going to have a harsh
life. During the hot summer of 1995, the frightening effects of high temperatures
were felt in Chicago, when 700 people died as a result of heat-related problems.
Weather has a profound effect on human health and well-being. It has
been demonstrated that weather is associated with changes in birth rates, and
sperm counts, with outbreaks of pneumonia, influenza and bronchitis, and is
related to other morbid dirty effects linked to pollen concentrations and high
pollution levels. Global warming is also expected to result in more extreme
weather events, just like heavy storms and floods. Beyond a rise in weather
related injuries and fatalities powerful storms. The secondary health impacts of
extreme weather, such as bacterial illnesses resulting from damaged public
facilities like having lack of clean drinking water and psychological problems from
the mental stress of experiencing a natural disaster. Health problems will vary
dramatically around the world. Pest & disease ...climate change may benefit
ecological conditions for insect growth and abundance which is likely to have a
negative effect on crop, livestock and forest production in some areas. - IPCC,
1992
Major health impacts are possible, especially in large urban areas, owing to
changes in availability of water and food and increased health problems due to
heat stress and spreading of infections. - IPCC 1990 Moths, beetles and spiders
might seem like innocuous household pests,
but in a global warming world they have the potential to wreak havoc on crops,
forests and human health. We are already seeing signs of pest population
explosions: According to the World Health Organization (WHO) there are already
110 million cases of malaria and up to 2 million deaths from it worldwide each
year. Increases in temperatures are creating ideal mosquito-breeding conditions
in new regions, including the USA, Australia, UK, Bangladesh, China and Egypt
and continue spreading all around the world. Our health is threatened by climate
change. Malaria, asthma, encephalitis, tuberculosis, leprosy, dengue fever and
measles are all
expected to become more common through the world due to global warming. Air
Air quality in many parts of the country is already considered unhealthy. With
global warming adding to it, it's only going to get worse and worse. No element of
the natural world is more essential to life than air, and no environmental task
more critical than keeping it cleans. Because electric power plants and motor
vehicles are by far the biggest sources of air pollution, from lung damage to acid
rain to global warming Air pollution and heat advisory warnings should
specifically target children and the elderly. For example, as air gets hotter, it
mixes with sunlight and produces ozone smog, which damages human lungs, as
well as trees and vegetation. A related problem is an inevitable
increase in air-conditioning use. Power plant emissions will also increase if
additional controls are not established. Economic Global warming would reduce
global food production, increase prices
and cause new uncertainties about food supplies. That means the demand for
food will be higher than the demand of supply of food in the future caused by
global warming. Significant declines in grain yields are forecast for Africa, tropical
Latin America and much of India and
Southeast Asia. Reduced yields are also projected for the USA, Canada, the
Middle East, and southern Europe. Global warming is big business. Some
economists argue that a warmer
climate could benefit certain crops and the farming communities. However,
property insurers are predicting that worsening storms caused by global warming
could eventually bankrupt the insurance industry. Insurance companies are now
trying to form strategic alliances, and
pool resources, which could cover severe economic loss from climatic changes.
The potential costs of cutting greenhouse gas emissions might sacrifice
economic growth or our standard of living in challenging of climate change. By
doing this we might need to change in behavior and
investments in technology In the short term, changes in economic activity that
could impose
costs on society. The costs of climate change reflect the magnitude of the
emissions reduction, the timing of these reductions, and the means of
implementation. Solution Government rule to protect the environment Today,
action is occurring at every level to reduce, to avoid, and to
better understand the risks brought by climate change and their harmful affects.
Many cities and states around the world have prepared greenhouse gas
inventories; and many are actively pursuing programs, education, advertisement
and policies that will result in greenhouse
gas emission reductions. Encouraging people in recycle program and planting
trees There are countries like America introduced The Pew Center’s policy
program produces timely, independent, non-partisan analyses of climate change
policy alternatives both in the United States and internationally. The Center
seeks to advance the climate change debate by educating key decision-makers
about policy options and encouraging the domestic and international community
to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. To accomplish these objectives, the
Pew Center publishes a number of analyses, including: * A series of reports,
focusing on effective and equitable policy alternatives both in the United States
and abroad; * A series of policy briefs, covering topics such as the key elements
of a prospective U.S. climate change program and
designing a climate-friendly energy policy; * Working papers on topics such as
linking U.S. and international climate change strategies; and * Analyses of
legislative and Administration proposals, such as President Bush’s climate
change plan. New technology and products to minimize the affect Human’s
activities to avoid the problem. The world is undoubtedly warming. This warming
is largely the result of emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases
from human activities including industrial processes, fossil fuel combustion, and
changes in land use, such as deforestation. Addressing climate change is no
simple task. To protect ourselves,
our economy, and our land from the adverse effects of climate change, we must
reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. To achieve this
we must fundamentally transform the way we power our global economy, shifting
away from a century’s legacy of
unrestrained fossil fuel use and its associated emissions in pursuit of more
efficient and renewable sources of energy. Such a transformation will require
society to engage in a concerted effort, over the near and long-term, to seek out
opportunities and design actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In
preventing these there are heaps of things that we can do, but the
first and the most effective on is to purchase a fuel-efficient car (rated at 32 mpg
or more) to replace your most frequently used automobile or leave your car at
home (walk, bike instead). Insulate your home, clean your air conditioning filters
and install energy efficient showerheads. Also install a solar heated system to
provide your hot water. And that will protect the environment a lot. Recycle your
home's waste newsprint, cardboard, glass and metal, then replace your current
washing machine with a low-energy, low-water-use machine as it can save
power and water and your cash. Buy food and other products with reusable or
recyclable packaging instead of those in non-recyclable packaging. Replace your
home's refrigerator with a high-efficiency model. Use an electric or push mower
instead of a gasoline-powered mower to cut your lawn. Plant native, drought-
resistant trees and shrubs around your home and outdoor air conditioning unit. In
further preventing global warming We can buy energy efficient products and
conserve energy at home and at work. Plant more trees and reduce, reuse and
recycle. And make wise
transportations choices 1992 - before planting and protecting to allow the forest
to regenerate - click for larger image 2002 - after planting and allowing the forest
to begin to regenerate