By Candice Travieso

Global Warming

The Effects and Prevention Of

The M aj or A rgum ent

O u r w orl dw i d e d em an d for en erg y rel eases h u g e am ou n ts of

carb on d i oxi d e an d oth er g ases i n to th e atm osp h ere.

Th ese g reen h ou se g ases trap h eat n ear th e Earth i n a

p rocess cal l ed Th e G reen h ou se Effect, w h i ch h eats th e Earth i n a p rocess cal l ed G l ob al W arm i ng.

Gl ob al W arm i ng i si rreversi bl e, d estroys h ab i tats, th reaten s

sp eci es an d ecosystem s, as w el l as i n ten si fi es u n u su al w eath er p attern s.

O rg an i zati on s al so h el p i n th e stru g g l e ag ai n st G l ob al

W arm i n g an d p rovi d e en erg y-effi ci en t p rod u cts an d em p l oym en t for m i l l i on s th rou g h ou t th e w orl d.

W hat i s Gl obalW arm i ng?

I n th e l ast cen tu ry, th e cl i m ates tem p eratu re h as ri sen ab ou t 1. 2 to 1. 4 F.

G reen h ou se g ases are a m i xtu re of w ater vap or , carb on d i oxi d e, m eth an e, n i trou s oxi d e, an d a vari ety of m an u factu red ch em i cal s.

D u ri n g th e 21st cen tu ry, cl i m ate m od el s p roj ect th e g l ob al su rface tem p eratu re i sl i kel y to ri se a fu rth er 2 to 5. 2 F.

Gl ob al W arm i n g cau ses an i n crease i n ai r an d ocean tem p eratu res, fu rth er d ep l eti on of th e A rcti c an d A n tarcti c reg i on s, an d p rod u ce u n u su al w eath er p attern s l i ke severe d rou g h t, fl ood i n g , h u rri can es, an d torn ad oes.

Gl ob al W arm i ng i si rreversi bl e, b u t i fw e m i ni m i ze g as em i ssi on s i n th e atm osp h ere, th en a cu re i s p ossi bl e.

W i ki ,G l ob al W arm i n g , 2009

W hat i s Gl obalW arm i ng?

It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment. -Ansel Adams

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I ndustri alR evol uti on

Th e I n d u stri al R evol u ti on b eg an th e 18th to 19th cen tu ry. Th e i ron an d texti l e i n d u stri es, th e steam en g i n e, m ach i n ery, factori es, p ow er p l an ts, an d even tu al l y cars tran sform ed tran sp ortati on , com m u n i cati on , an d b an ki ng.

I n d u stri al i zati on req u i red b u rn i n g fossi l fu el s an d rel eased h arm fu l g ases i n to th e atm osp h ere w i th ou t restri cti on for d ecad es. G reen h ou se g ases b eg u n to accu m u l ate i n atm osp h ere d u ri n g th i s p eri od of I n d u stri al i zati on . W i ki ,H i story

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O ur I m pact Today
C u rren tl y, th e m ost d etri m en tal cau se of cl i m ate ch an g e i s carb on d i oxi d e em i ssi on s from fossi l fu el b u rn i n g p ow er p l an ts. B u rn i n g g asol i ne i s resp on si bl e for 33% of em i ssi on s i n th e U . S.

O th er m od ern cau ses i n cl u d e m eth an e p rod u cti on from l i vestock an d ag ri cu l tu re, arcti c seab ed s, d eforestati on , an d th e u se of ch em i cal ferti l i zers. N atu ral g as an d en erg y effi ci en t p rod u cts create a m ore su stai n ab l e en vi ron m en t. P l an et S ave

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Gl obalW arm i ng i n Fi l m
Fi l m h as b een a cen tral m ean s to ed u cate soci ety on th e i ssu e of G l ob al W arm i n g , esp eci al l y recen t d ocu m en tari es. Th e scen es from Th e D ay A fter Tom orrow an d th e facts from An I n con ven i en t Tru th are j u st a few rep resen tati on s of th e fri g h ten i n g th reat G l ob al W arm i n g p oses for Earth .

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The G reenhouse G as Effect

Th e col l ecti on of g reen h ou se g ases i n th e atm osp h ere trap

h eat n ear th e su rface of th e Earth i n a p rocess cal l ed Th e G reen h ou se Effect.

S ci en ti st p red i ct th i s p rocess w i l l cau se a fu rth er i n crease i n

th e averag e g l ob al tem p eratu re.

I n 2009, total g reen h ou se g as em i ssi on s w ere 6, 575. 5

m i l l i on m etri c ton s carb on eq u i val en t i n th e U . S.

EI A (2009) p roj ects th at en erg y-rel ated carb on em i ssi on s

wi l l con ti n u e to ri se at an an n u al rate of . 2% to reach 6, 320 m i l l i on m etri c ton s i n 2035.

Gl ob al carb on em i ssi on s are exp ected to i n crease at an

averag e an n u al rate of 1. 7% from 2007 th rou g h 2035, reach i n g 42. 38 b i l l i on m etri c ton s. source

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The Effects of G l obalW arm i ng

S ci en ti sts b el i eve th at G l ob al W arm i ng w i l l resu l ti n:
Ri se i n sea l evel s Ri se i n ai r an d ocean tem p eratu res A ci di c ocean s an d rai n S evere w eath er p attern s M assi ve crop fai l u res W i d esp read exti n cti on of sp eci es an d ecosystem s W orl dw i d e fam i n e an d d i sease

CAP

Ri si ng Sea Level s
A ccord i n g to th e N ati on al G eog rap h i c, sci en ti sts b el i eve sea l evel swi l l

b e th ree feet h i g h er b y th e en d of th e cen tu ry th an th ey are n ow .

S ci en ti sts p red i ct an i n crease i n sea l evel s w orl dw i d e d u e to th e m el ti ng

of tw o m assi ve i ce sh eets i n A n tarcti ca an d G reen l an d , esp eci al l y on th e East coast of th e U . S.

Th e rai si ng gl ob al sea l evel s cou l d even tu al l y su b m erg e i sl an d n ati on s,

fl ood ci ti es, an d exp ose m i l l i on s of coastal resi d en ts to d estru cti ve storm su rg es. C oral reefs an d m an g roves are al so at ri sk.

N ati on al G eog rap h i c, sou rce

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Rising Air Temperatures

For 2. 5 m i l l i on years th e cl i m ate h as fl u xated from i ce to w arm er p eri od s. I n th e l ast cen tu ry, th e cl i m ates tem p eratu re h as ri sen ab ou t 1. 2 to 1. 4F. source Tem p eratu res w i l li n crease ab ou t 2 to 10F b y th e en d of th e cen tu ry. Th e h arm fu l effects of H eat W aves i n cl u d e h eat cram p s, h eat ed em a (sw el l i n g ), h eat syn cop e (fai n ti n g ), h eat exh au sti on , an d l i feth reaten i n g h eat stroke. source N RD C

Rising Ocean Temperatures

Th e ocean h as ab sorb ed 20 ti m es m ore h eat th en th e atm osp h ere an d w i l l w arm an oth er 2F b y th e en d of th e cen tu ry. Th e ocean absorbs, stores, and releases huge quantities of heat. Th e ocean i s th e earth s l arg est carb on reservoi r , con tai ni n g m ore th an 50 ti m es as m u ch C O 2 as th e atm osp h ere. S p eci es an d ecosystem s are th reaten ed . S ea l evel swi l l ri se an d storm s w i l l b ecom e catastrop h i c d u e th e ri si ng tem p eratu res.

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A rcti c R egi ons A ffected

Cl i m ate ch an g e i n th e P ol ar reg i on i s exp ected to b e th e l arg est, m ost rap i d , p h ysi cal , ecol og i cal , soci ol og i cal , an d econ om i c ch an g e d u e to G l ob al W arm i ng. A rcti c an i m al s face h ab i tat l oss, l i ke th e p ol ar b ear , an d exti n cti on d u e to m el ti n g sn ow , i ce cap s, an d g l aci ers. From 1978 to 2000 A rcti c sea i ce d ecl i n ed b y 11. 5% each d ecad e. I f tren d s con ti n u e, l ate su m m er sea i ce cou l d di sap p ear b y 2030. N EA Q , W i ki

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A ntarcti c Regions Affected

A n tarcti ca i s covered b y tw o i ce sh eets. Tog eth er , th ey con tai n ab ou t 90 p ercen t of Earth si ce an d con tai n en ou g h w ater to rai se sea l evel b y arou n d 200 feet i f th ey w ere to m el t com p l etel y. A n tarcti cwi l dl i fe, l i ke p en g u i n s, an d th ei r ecosystem s face exti n cti on as th e cl i m ate w arm s at an averag e of 0. 2 F p er d ecad e, or 1 F i n th e l ast 50 years. A n tarcti ca

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The W eather and G l obalW arm i ng

Drought
S ci en ti sts p red i ct sever e d ry p eri od s w i l l occu r w orl dw i d e, b u t esp eci al l y th rou g h ou t th e S ou th east of th e U . S . D rou g h t cou l d severel y affect l i vestock an d ag ri cu l tu re g l ob al l y. sou rce

Flood
Gl ob al W arm i ng w i l l b ri n g d rou g h t, as w el l as h eavy rai n . Th e extrem es w i l l cau se fl ood i n g an d p ossi bl y con tam i n ate u n d erg rou n d fresh w ater p reserves. R i si ng sea l evel s , d u e to m el ti ng i ce cap s , wi l l al so cau se d evastati n g coastal fl ood i ng arou n d th e w orl d . sou rce

Hurricanes
h u rri can es w i l li n ten si fy an d su rp ass p revi ou s h u rri can es l i ke K atri n a an d S an d y. S ci en ti sts p red i ct storm s cou l d m i m i c S u p er Typ h oon Ti p i n 19 79, w i nds reach ed u p to 19 0 m p h w i th a d i am eter of 13 50 m i l es, h al f th e con ti n en tal U . S. sou rce

Tornadoes
Trop i cal cycl on es occu r w h en th ere i s a sea su rface tem p eratu re of at l east 83 F. M axi m um w i n d sp eed s h ave i n creased d rasti cal l y d u e to ri si n g tem p eratu res si n ce 19 81 . N A S A p red i cts th at th e w arm er th e Earth b ecom es th e stron g er th e cycl on es w i l l b ecom e. sou rce

The W eather and G l obalW arm i ng

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W hat Can W e D o?
Top 10 Th i n g s You C an D o to R ed u ce G l ob al W arm i ng
1. R ed u ce, R eu se, an d R ecycl e. 2. U se l ess h eat an d ai r con d i ti on i ng. 3. S w i tch to fl u orescen t l i ght bul b s. 4. D ri ve l ess to m i ni m i ze em i ssi on s. 5. B u y G reen an d O rg an i c p rod u cts. 6. U se l ess h ot w ater . 7. U se of O ff sw i tch . 8. P l an t a tree. 9. G et a h om e en erg y au d i t. 10. En cou rag e oth ers to con serve.

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O rgani zati ons and Com pani es M aki ng a D i fference

Concl usi on
I ti s ou r m oral ob l i g ati on to p rotect an d p reserve ou r en vi ron m en t b y con servi n g en erg y to p reven t fu rth er en vi ron m en tal d am ag e, as a resu l t of G l ob al W arm i ng. W e m u st m i ni m i ze carb on em i ssi on s to p rotect th e ocean , ai r ,l an d , an d m i l l i on s of sp eci es an d ecosystem s from faci n g exti n cti on . A l i ttl e p reven ti on n ow , can create a b i g cu re tom orrow .

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