Global Warming Effects and Causes: A Top 10 ListJune 7th, 2009 byDerek Markham

One of the biggest issues facing us right now is global warming. Itseffects on animalsandon agricultureare indeed frightening, and theeffects on the human population are even scarier.Thefacts about global warmingare often debated in politics and the media, but, unfortunately, even if we disagree about thecauses, global warming effects are real, global, and measurable. The causes are mainly from us, the human race, and the effects on us will be severe.> Highly recommended:What is Causing Global Warming?> You may also like:Global Warming Videos (Best, Funniest, & Most Inspiring)Global Warming Effects and Causes: A Top 10 List

1. Global Warming Cause: Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel burning power plantsOur ever increasing addiction to electricity from coal burning power plants releases enormous amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. 40% of U.S. CO2 emissions come from electricity production, and burning coal accounts for 93% of emissions from the electric utility industry [EPA, pg. 10]. Every day, more electric gadgets flood the market, and without widespread alternative energy sources, we are highly dependent on burning coal for our personal and commercial electrical supply.

2. Global Warming Cause: Carbon dioxide emissions from burning gasoline for transportationOur modern car culture and appetite for globally sourced goods is responsible for about 33% of emissions in the U.S. [EPA pg. 8] With our population growing at an alarming rate, the demand for more cars and consumer goods means that we are increasing the use of fossil fuels for transportation and manufacturing. Our consumption is outpacing our discoveries of ways to mitigate the effects, with no end in sight to our massive consumer culture.

3. Global Warming Cause: Methane emissions fromanimals,agriculture such as rice paddies, and from Arctic seabedsMethane is another extremely potent greenhouse gas, ranking right behind CO2. When organic matter is broken down by bacteria under oxygen-starved conditions (anaerobic decomposition) as in rice paddies, methane is produced. The process also takes place in the intestines of herbivorous animals, and with the increase in the amount of concentrated livestock production, the levels of methane released into the atmosphere is increasing. Another source ofmethaneis methane clathrate, a compound containing large amounts of methane trapped in the crystal structure of ice. Asmethane escapes from the Arctic seabed, the rate of global warming will increase significantly.

4. Global Warming Cause:Deforestation, especially tropical forests for wood, pulp, and farmlandThe use of forests for fuel (both wood and for charcoal) is one cause of deforestation, but in the first world, our appetite for wood and paper products, our consumption of livestock grazed on former forest land, and the use of tropical forest lands for commodities like palm oil plantations contributes to the mass deforestation of our world. Forests remove and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and this deforestation releases large amounts of carbon, as well as reducing the amount of carbon capture on the planet.

5. Global Warming Cause: Increase in usage of chemical fertilizers on croplandsIn the last half of the 20th century, the use ofchemical fertilizers(as opposed to the historical use of animal manure) has risen dramatically. The high rate of application of nitrogen-rich fertilizers has effects on the heat storage of cropland (nitrogen oxides have 300 times more heat-trapping capacity per unit of volume than carbon dioxide) and the run-off of excess fertilizerscreates dead-zonesin our oceans. In addition to these effects, high nitrate levels in groundwater due to over-fertilization are cause for concern for human health.

6. Global Warming Effect:Rise in sea levelsworldwideScientists predict an increase in sea levels worldwide due to the melting of two massive ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland, especially on theEast coast of the U.S. However, many nations around the world will experience the effects ofrising sea levels, which could displace millions of people. One nation,the Maldives, is already looking for a new home, thanks to rising sea levels.

7. Global Warming Effect: More killer stormsTheseverity of storms such as hurricanes and cyclones is increasing, and research published inNaturefound:Scientists have come up with the firmest evidence so far thatglobal warming will significantly increase the intensity of the most extreme storms worldwide. The maximum wind speeds of the strongest tropical cyclones have increased significantly since 1981, according to research published in Nature this week. And the upward trend, thought to be driven by rising ocean temperatures, is unlikely to stop at any time soon.

8. Global Warming Effect: Massive crop failuresAccording to recent research, there is a90% chance that 3 billion people worldwide will have to choose between moving their families to milder climes and going hungrydue to climate change within 100 years.Climate change is expected to have the most severe impact on water supplies. Shortages in future are likely to threaten food production, reduce sanitation, hinder economic development and damage ecosystems. It causes more violent swings between floods and droughts. Guardian:Global warming causes 300,000 deaths a year

9. Global Warming Effect: Widespread extinction of speciesAccording to research published inNature, by 2050,rising temperatures could lead to the extinction of more than a million species. And because we cant exist without a diverse population of species on Earth, this is scary news for humans.This6th mass extinctionis really just a continuation of the holocene extinction which began at the end of the last ice age and has resulted in the extinction of nearly all of the Earths megafauna animals, largely as a result of human-expansion.Climate change now represents at least as great a threat to the number of species surviving on Earth as habitat-destruction and modification. Chris Thomas, conservation biologist at the University of LeedsWidespread species loss andlists of endangered speciesjust keep growing. This is a concerning matter on many fronts.

Areport on coral reefs from WWFsays that in a worst case scenario, coral populations will collapse by 2100 due to increased temperatures andocean acidification. Thebleaching of coralsfrom small but prolonged rises in sea temperature is a severe danger for ocean ecosystems, and many other species in the oceans rely on coral reefs for their survival.Despite the oceanss immensity 71 per cent of the Earths surface with an average depth of almost 4km (2m) there are indications that it is approaching its tipping point. For reefs, warming waters and acidification are closing in like a pair of jaws that threaten to make them the first global ecosystem to disappear. Times Online:21st-century Noahs Ark needed to save coral reefs from extinction

Ice is melting worldwide, especially at the Earths poles. This includes mountain glaciers, ice sheets covering West Antarctica and Greenland, and Arctic sea ice. Researcher Bill Fraser has tracked the decline of the Adlie penguins on Antarctica, where their numbers have fallen from 32,000 breeding pairs to 11,000 in 30 years. Sea level rise became faster over the last century. Some butterflies, foxes, and alpine plants have moved farther north or to higher, cooler areas. Precipitation (rain and snowfall) has increased across the globe, on average. Spruce bark beetles have boomed in Alaska thanks to 20 years of warm summers. The insects have chewed up 4 million acres of spruce trees.Other effects could happen later this century, if warming continues. Sea levels are expected to rise between 7 and 23 inches (18 and 59 centimeters) by the end of the century, and continued melting at the poles could add between 4 and 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters). Hurricanes and other storms are likely to become stronger. Species that depend on one another may become out of sync. For example, plants could bloom earlier than their pollinating insects become active. Floods and droughts will become more common. Rainfall in Ethiopia, where droughts are already common, could decline by 10 percent over the next 50 years. Less fresh water will be available. If the Quelccaya ice cap in Peru continues to melt at its current rate, it will be gone by 2100, leaving thousands of people who rely on it for drinking water and electricity without a source of either. Some diseases will spread, such as malaria carried by mosquitoes. Ecosystems will changesome species will move farther north or become more successful; others wont be able to move and could become extinct. Wildlife research scientist Martyn Obbard has found that since the mid-1980s, with less ice on which to live and fish for food, polar bears have gotten considerably skinnier. Polar bear biologist Ian Stirling has found a similar pattern in Hudson Bay. He fears that if sea ice disappears, the polar bears will as well.Use Compact Fluorescent BulbsReplace light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. By using three CFBs, you will save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide and $60 a year.Fill the DishwasherYou dont have to run your dishwasher every time you eat. By filling it completely, you can save $40 and 100 lbs. of CO2 emission a year.Use Recycled PaperBy using 100% post-consumer recycled printer paper, you can save 5 lbs. of carbon dioxide per ream of paper. Dont forget to invest in recycled paper towels and napkins as well!Adjust Your ThermostatIf you move your thermostat down two degrees in the winter and two degrees up in the summer, you can save up to $98 and 2000 lbs. of CO2 per year. Think of the warm sweater or cool bathing suit you can buy with that money.Take Shorter ShowersDid you know that showers account for 2/3 of all water heating costs? We knowits shocking. Cut your showers short and save $99 and 350 lbs. of CO2 per year.Carpool When You CanWith gas prices burning a hole in everyones wallet, save some cash while saving 790 lbs. of CO2 by carpooling. If your car is too small to fit all of your BFFs then commute or ride your bike.Reduce GarbageRecycle paper, plastic and glass, and buy products with less packaging. This can save 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide a year.Plant a TreeShow off your gardening skills and start planting. A single tree will absorb a ton (that's 2000+ lbs.) of CO2 over its lifetime.Conserve EnergyDid you know that you are using a super huge amount of energy by keeping your electronics (phone charger, blow dryer, etc.) plugged in? Save over 1,000 lbs. of CO2 and $256 a year by unplugging everything.Wash your Clothes on the Cold Water Cycle and Air DryBecause the water isnt being heated, youll save energy. Air-drying your clothes will save 700 lbs. of CO2 and up to $75 a year.Ditch the PlasticPlastic bottles are biodegradable and can sit in landfills for over 200 years! With 2.5 million plastic water bottles thrown away every hour in the U.S., it is best to start using a reusable water bottle.