Global warming

LET'S LEARN ABOUT IT

What is
GLOBAL WARMING?
Global warming is the long-term warming of the planet’s
overall temperature. Though this warming trend has been
going on for a long time, its pace has significantly increased in the
last hundred years due to the burning of fossil fuels. As the human
population has increased, so has the volume of fossil fuels burned. SOME REASONS BEHIND
Fossil fuels include coal, oil, and natural gas, and burning them
causes what is known as the “greenhouse effect” GLOBAL WARMING
in Earth’s atmosphere.
Burning fossil fuels, eg coal, gas and oil - these
release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING Deforestation - trees absorb carbon dioxide during
Sea levels are expected to rise between 10 and 32
photosynthesis. If they are cut down, there will be
inches (26 and 82 centimeters) or higher by the end of higher amounts of carbon dioxide in the
the century. atmosphere.
Hurricanes and other storms are likely to become Dumping waste in landfill - when the waste
stronger. Floods and droughts will become more decomposes it produces methane.
common. Large parts of the U.S., for example, face a Agriculture - agricultural practices lead to the
higher risk of decades-long "megadroughts" by 2100. release of nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere.
Less freshwater will be available, since glaciers store
Solar output - there can be fluctuations in the
about three-quarters of the world's freshwater.
amount of radiation from the sun. If there is a high
Some diseases will spread, such as mosquito-borne
malaria (and the 2016 resurgence of the Zika virus).
amount emitted there will be an increase in Earth's
Ecosystems will continue to change: Some species will temperatures.
move farther north or become more successful;
others, such as polar bears, won’t be able to adapt and
could become extinct.
Due to the greenhouse effect, Earth's temperature will
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS to slow down
continue to increase. Resulting to more heat waves, GLOBAL WARMING
heat-related illnesses, and wild fires. switch to renewable sources of energy (such as solar and
wind energy) to power our homes and buildings, thus
emitting far less heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere.
conserve energy by better insulating our homes and
References: buildings, and by replacing old, failing appliances with more
energy-efficient models.
education.nationalgeographic.org "Global
counterbalance our annual carbon dioxide emissions by
Warming"
investing in commercial services that draw down an equal
www.bbc.co.uk "Climate Change"
amount of carbon out of the atmosphere, such as through
www.livescience.com "What is climate change,
planting trees or carbon capture and storage techniques.
and how is it affecting Earth?"
consider placing an upper limit on the amount of carbon
www.nationalgeographic.com "Effects of global
dioxide we will allow ourselves to emit into the atmosphere
warming"
within a given timeframe.
www.un.org "Climate Action"
support more local businesses that use and promote
www.climate.gov "What can we do to slow or
sustainable, climate-smart practices such as those listed
stop global warming?"
above.