Global Warming

By: Francesca Alduncin, Lauren Archer, Noah Silberwasser, Andrew Geraghty, & Nick Cobb

What is it?

Definition:Global warming is when the earth’s average temperature rises. It is caused by

an accelerated increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Greenhouse Effect:

The greenhouse effect is the process in which greenhouse gases absorb radiation emitted by the sun or the earth, and distribute the radiation in different directions. Some of the greenhouse gases, which are an important part of the greenhouse effect, are carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, and nitrous oxide. As humans, we release these gases, along with many others through out our day. The increase of the amount of these greenhouse gases in the air has effectively increased the amount of radiation absorbed and distributed by them. This then causes an increase in the earth’s temperature.

Why are these greenhouse gases in the atmosphere?Most greenhouse gases are emitted into the atmosphere both naturally and

unnaturally. For example, carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere by animals through the process of respiration. This is a natural procedure. But humans add extra carbon dioxide into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels. These fossil fuels include coal, oil, and natural gases. Another example is that of methane. Methane is naturally produced through the decay of vegetation. Humans have added methane into the air throughout the years through cultivation, livestock raising, and most importantly, the use of fossil fuels and decomposition of objects in landfills.

Some History

The Industrial RevolutionMany scientists whom have studied and researched when global warming originated seem

to come to the same conclusion. Their answer is the Industrial Revolution. This historical event occurred in the 18th and 19th centuries. The reason that the Industrial Revolution is the beginning of global warming is quite simple. During this time, new inventions were conceived by great thinkers like James Watt and Cyrus McCormick. These inventions, usually machines, needed something to fuel them.

Coal was the main energy source used to fuel these machines. It was used for everything, from propelling the steam engine to enabling mass production of iron. The burning of coal produces large amounts of carbon dioxide, which is one of the main greenhouse gases. The excess amounts of carbon dioxide and other gases released into the atmosphere during this period of time therefore marked the beginning of global warming.

The Theory and the ProofThe idea that humans could possibly release harmful greenhouse gases into the

atmosphere dates back to 1896 when Swedish chemist, Svante Arrhenius brought this theory to light. He was the first to consider that the additional carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could warm the earth through the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is the course of events in which radiation is trapped by greenhouse gases and distributed in all directions. Svante had many critics regarding his belief and was never taken seriously concerning this topic.

It was not until the 1960’s that the seriousness of the global warming threat was recognized by all people. During this time, a scientist named Charles Davis Keeling, was creating his graph called the Keeling Curve, at Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii. This graph marks the changes in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere since 1958. His measurements are the first noteworthy pieces of evidence of an increase in carbon dioxide ever recorded. His graph brought the world’s attention to the danger of global warming, and how rapidly it is occurring.

From 1880’s to 2000.. Changes

What is the result of global warming worldwide?

Worldwide Effects of Global WarmingAlthough global warming may not affect you directly it has a widespread global impact. As

global warming intensifies, many countries will begin facing various dangers. Among these dangers are large droughts, heavy storms, or different weather patterns like colder winters or blazing hot summers. Global warming doesn’t always affect the world directly but increases the speeds of certain cycles such as the Albedo Effect. Melting ice caps, glaciers, and snow don’t only make the sea level rise but help the globe heat up. This occurs because ice and snow are white and thus reflect about 90% of the light from the sun. The percentage of light that is reflected is called “albedo”. As many places get warmer most of its snow or ice starts to melt revealing darker land or sea, which results in less reflection and faster heating. It heats up faster because darker colors are less reflective and actually end up absorbing some of the sun’s rays. In response, more ice or snow will melt, which expose darker land or sea and this is how the vicious cycle continues.

As stated earlier, melting ice caps and glaciers do make the sea level rise. This will eventually endanger many coastal cities because they could become flooded. With sea levels rising many fresh water rivers and lakes are becoming contaminated with salt water from the ocean. When this fresh water is contaminated with the salt water it cannot be used for drinking or irrigation. The proportion of fresh water available to the amount withdrawn is called water stress. Scientists predict that 60% of the world’s population will live in areas with mid to high water stress by 2025.

Another result of global warming is that due to rising temperatures, soil becomes drier, which then makes it harder for plants to grow and easier for wild fires to start. The wild fires in turn destroy more crops. If the production of crops continues to decline while the human population continues to rise, this could eventually lead to the extinction of the human race.

What are the result in specific locations?

Global warming affects us worldwide but we can also find major evidence in specific locations. Antarctica, which is probably the area that most people are aware of, is taking a big hit. Almost 90% of the world’s ice lies within Antarctica or its coast. As global temperatures continue rise and huge chunks of ice are melting, polar bears struggle to survive. Polar bear lives depend on sea ice to hunt for food. Now as ice is becoming more dispersed they end up swimming longer distances for longer periods of time with an empty stomach. Hunger and swimming these long distances is not a good combination and eventually they get extremely exhausted and drown. Scientists predict that if this warming trend continues, in 100 years there will be no polar pears left. Between march 1998 and November 1999 the Wilkins and Larsen B ice shelves which are thick masses of ice that are permanently attached to land but project out to sea lost a combined total of 1,160 square miles of their area. If all the ice in Antarctica melted the ocean would rise by 200 feet. Many oceans in the Antarctic area experience natural shifts in weather from one decade to the next but this warm spell has continued for longer than usual. This has caused the thinning and melting of sea ice, which means fewer krill, penguins’ main source of food.

Even in remote places like the Arctic Circle, which is meant to stay frozen 365 days out of the year there is melting. In many places up north there is a layer of frozen soil called permafrost, on which both nature and humans depend. For example, many trees in Alaska are anchored into the permafrost and as global temperatures rise the frozen soil is melting causing the trees to lose their grip and sway in all different directions. In addition to that, many small villages and towns are built on the permafrost. As global warming thaws the permafrost it becomes softer, structures can no longer support themselves and collapse.

Coral reefs such as the Great Barrier Reef are very important to us; they house about 5,000 species of fish and feed an estimated 1 billion people. But coral reefs can only grow in water than is between 68 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit. If water temperature continues to rise at its current pace scientists predict that there will be no more coral reefs by 2050.

Top Contributors to Global Warming

Many countries contribute to global warming, but some of them contribute more than others. The countries that contribute the most tend to be large ones that produce goods on a large scale. Here are a few.

The United States produces the most carbon dioxide per capita. It also produces the most carbon dioxide. Electrical pollution is a cause of global warming. An example of this is the use of fossil fuels which are made from dead plants and animals. When fossil fuels are burned, greenhouse gases are released into the air which is a cause of pollution. The United States uses a lot of fossil fuels when making goods.

Many of the things we do everyday create pollution. Some of these things can be using light, playing a video game, or using the dishwasher. These every day activities cause many greenhouse gases to be released into the air.

Another one of the main contributors to global warming is China. China is one of the main carbon dioxide producing countries too. China contains many people and that is one reason so much carbon dioxide is produced. The other reason is that China produces many goods for other nations which results in the use of many more fossil fuels than usual. Many of the products we use in the United States come from China.

Another two of the contributors are Russia and Japan. Russia is one of the main producers of carbon dioxide. It emits the third largest amount of artificially produced gases in the world. It is also the number one exporter of natural gas. Japan is a large contributor as well. It produces the fourth largest amount of greenhouse gases in the world.

The United States’ Programs & Policies

The Clean Air Act:Unnatural gases which are being emitted into the atmosphere could cause illnesses and

even death. The United States has passed a law called The Clean Air Act. This act controls the amount of pollution that is being produced in the United States. The Clean Air Act regulates industrially emitted chemicals and products (such as aerosols). The Clean Air Act prevents CFC’s (chlorofluorocarbons) and volatile organic compounds to be emitted into the atmosphere. These gases destroy the ozone layer.

By 2015, all the products that contain CFC’s or any other harmful gases or chemicals will be required, by law, to inform consumers of the potential threat to people’s health and the environment. This information would be printed on a label on the product. Environmentally conscious buyers and any other person would be warned of the problem. Therefore, the person may not buy the product for that reason and the harmful gases would not be in the atmosphere.

Energy Star:The U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set up many programs to reduce the

greenhouse gases. The most recognized of the programs is called Energy Star. Energy Star promotes energy efficient products. More than 1,400 producers use the Energy Star. This program provides information to the consumers so they may buy the most energy efficient product possible. In 2004, organizations, businesses, and buyers all over the country saved about 10 billion dollars in energy usage. Energy Star has partnerships all over the world.

Waste Wise:Another voluntary program set up by the EPA is Waste Wise. This program reduces wastes,

such as industrial and costly public solid waste. Waste Wise’s goal is to eliminate these wastes, so there is less garbage sent to landfills. Many people do not know it, but landfills also release harmful gases during the decomposition of man-made products. It also helps partners design their own waste reduction programs. This could save companies money because there is less disposal costs.

The future….

IntroductionGlobal warming has the potential to create many dangers towards the earth and its inhabitants

in the future. Many scientists seem to believe that many disasters can come from global warming. For example, they think that a lot more natural disasters will be caused by global warming. Three of the biggest problems occurring because of global warming are ocean levels rising, habitat and animal dangers, and various ones threatening humans.

Ocean Level Rising One of the worst problems caused by Global Warming is rising sea level. Scientists have

concluded that sea levels will rise one and six-tenths of a foot in the next twenty years. This will most likely occur because of the rising temperature and continuous melting of ice. Ocean levels getting higher will affect countries and cities all over the world. Scientists believe that a rise of only seven degrees could melt all of Antarctica. The rising of ocean levels will contribute to more floods and will ruin habitats. This rising is one of the biggest issues caused by global warming.Habitat and Animal Dangers

Another one of the main issues caused by global warming is the threats towards animals and their habitats. The problem is that if global warming keeps going at this pace many plants, animals, and their habitats will be destroyed. There will be more food and water shortages caused by droughts and desertification. The polar bear is one animal that is in danger because of global warming. Polar bears live in Antarctica and as it was stated earlier, Antarctica is currently in a melting crisis could kill almost all of the polar bears.

Future Natural DisastersA huge problem that is being caused by global warming is one regarding natural disasters.

There will be a lot more flooding throughout the world because of global warming. More hurricanes may arise because of the warmer waters that global warming is creating. All these disasters could cause problems across the globe.

Predicted Temperature Rises

Solutions

What Can You Do?Global warming has affected the world for a while and there are many ways to

end it. The first thing you can do is change your light bulbs to energy efficient ones. If every household in the U.S. did this it would be equal to saving as much greenhouse gases as the emission of ten million cars. You can also use Energy Star products. Another thing you can do is use your heating and cooling systems only when you need them and not when you can simply enjoy the fresh air outside. Green power is also something you can put into consideration. It is environmentally friendly electricity that you can use at home.

You have probably heard about this before; reduce, reuse, recycle. These are the “Three R’s.” You can recycle all of your cans, bottles, or newspapers in your neighborhood. This helps because the things you recycle can be made into other things that people can use all over again. This is one thing that can help our environment in a big way.

Composting helps reduce the garbage that goes to landfills. You can make one at your house and all you need is your leftover food and yard wastes. Finally you need to use water efficiently. You can turn off your sink while brushing your teeth, make sure your sink is not dripping for a long time, take shorter showers, and only use your sprinklers when you need them. These are just a few of the ways you can help our environment to stop global warming as much as possible.