Archive for the 'Global Warming Facts' Category
Global Warming - How Can We Educate The Children About It At Home And School
Saturday, March 8th, 2008 by Global WarmerMankind is becoming more aware of the need to take immediate action to alter how we use the Earth’s energy resources. In doing so we are seeing to the future with the hope that we can save what is a wonderful and unique place to live - with all the varied animal and plant life that add to our enjoyment as well.
The evidence that science and our own common sense gives us lets us understand we can no more take for granted all of the resources available to us. What will it entail for the future if these warning signs are dismissed? Doing so would drastically affect the quality of their future.
Besides altering how we handle matters currently, it’s vital to teach each generation the valuable lessons we’re learning so that these mistakes won’t be repeated.
Educators and parents can cooperate in providing a fine example -
- Make it a game or challenge to discover different ways to reduce energy usage.
- It can help to visit a local landfill to highlight to all how much waste there is.
- Take trips that encourage appreciation for the wonder that exists in nature and develop a desire to save it.
- It may be possible all together to go to local seminars and events that promote a ‘greener’ way to live.
- At home parents can start by talking about the changes they’ll need to make as a family to reduce their consumption of energy, and then act on it.
Teachers can likewise focus on the science that will help young ones understand the long-term effects of greenhouse gases -
- Students can see how human industry and the use of fossil fuels have gradually affected the weather of the world.
- Students can investigate how their school impacts on the environment, and can challenge themselves to see if that impact can be reduced.
- Recycling programs can be started that take care of beverage bottles and cans, electronic equipment, discarded classroom papers, and similar garbage.
- Environmentalists can be invited to speak at a question and answer forum to engage and encourage class initiative.
As it has taken years to arrive at this time, it will take more time to halt the trend of Global Warming. Nonetheless, it is vital to train youths to see and take up the challenge as soon as possible.
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High Profile Aid And Global Warming
Sunday, February 10th, 2008 by Global WarmerIn April of 1970 the US observed the original Earth Day. Today it’s now observed by many nations all over the planet.
As we learn more about how human activity is impacting the environment, more people are changing how they live and use energy resources.
Individual causes have been started that focus on one areas of concern. At the forefront of these causes are various high profile celebrities. To name just a few -
- Ed Begley Junior - Activist and actor involved in numerous environmental programs. He is known for using clean transportation and owning a self-sufficient solar powered home.
- Bill Clinton - Former President of the US. Promoter of the Clinton Initiative that is meant to bring world leaders together to work on alternatives for issues that affect our world, including the problem of climate change.
- Daryl Hannah - Environmentalist and actor. She lives green and generates her own electricity in a solar powered home. She has traveled to recommend biodiesel as a fuel alternative. Also a vegetarian, she encourages people to go organic.
- Barenaked Ladies - Rock band that has followed others in fueling their bus on biodiesel.
- Leonardo DiCaprio - Actor. Organized a foundation that deals with environmental issues. He’s also producing a program on Global Warming.
- Al Gore - Author of the movie “Inconvenient Truth” which has been hugely popular. The film focuses on climate change and Global Warming. His book with the same title provides supplementary details.
- Richard Branson - Famous billionaire who is using 3 billion in income from his rail and airline businesses to research energy sources that don’t result in Global Warming.
- Sting - Singer and activist. Founded the Rainforest Foundation which for nearly twenty years has striven to protect rainforests.
- Robert Redford - Actor and director. He has over three decades promoted and supported programs for conservation. He has recently began a program on his Sundance Channel focusing on ‘green’ issues.
- Matt Damon - Actor. On Board of Green Dimes which works to eliminate junkmail and also to plant trees.
The roster of well-known individuals who are actively involved in effecting a change to improve and preserve our Earth’s environment is growing. With these big names involved, one advantage is that it draws attention to issues like Global Warming that would be otherwise dismissed by many people.
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Global Warming And Thawing At The Polar Regions
Monday, December 24th, 2007 by Global WarmerA dramatic result of Global Warming is the serious changes occurring in the poles of our Earth. As our air is slowly heating from increasing hothouse gases the vast fields of ice are slowly melting. What does this mean for our lifestyle?
There are 2 regions. The Northern Arctic, a frozen ocean that has a population of about 4,000,000. And the Antarctica to the south, an ice-covered land mass encircled by ocean, and has very few residents.
Ice covered areas are highly reflective. As the air heats up and ice melts larger areas of dark ocean are revealed. This dark ocean area absorbs the sun’s heat more readily and so accelerates the thawing process. Changes in the size and shape of ice sheets have been uncovered by satellite images. And typical temperatures in the Arctic polar region have risen at almost twice the rate of typical temperatures over the world. This melting has resulted in the general increase in ocean levels everywhere on the planet. The I.P.C.C. or the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has calculated that ocean levels could rise from 0.3 to 2.9 feet in the next hundred years.
A few of these effects on our environment include -
- Increase in the saltiness of our rivers, bays, and ground water tables.
- The disappearance of the food supply and means of living for the inhabitants.
- Endangerment of sea life that may affect local economies and result in the loss of larger sea life depending on these ecosystems for food.
- Flooding of lower areas such as swamps and coastal regions.
- Thawing of permafrost destabilizing pipelines, buildings, roads, and more.
- The disappearance of l to 4 feet of shoreline each year along the ocean and gulf coasts. These have many resorts that will be vulnerable to economic losses.
- Increased danger from bad weather due to the erosion of natural and man made levees.
- The endangerment of seals, polar bears, and other creatures that inhabit the poles.
- Eroding of beaches.
A few of the measures that are being taken to counteract these issues are:
- Raising existing buildings.
- Replacing sand on the beaches to reverse any erosion.
- Building up coastlines with thoughtful placement of stone, sand, rocks, plants, and other materials.
- Limiting new construction in low lying areas.
For most people the poles seem too distant to matter. The fact remains, however, that the planet’s biosphere is a very complex environment that will react as a whole to any imbalance. The changes in the polar regions of the world provide yet again a warning sign that Global Warming is serious.
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Global Warming-A Brief Primer
Sunday, December 16th, 2007 by Global WarmerThere is little debate that the earth is undoubtedly warming. It has been the subject of intense debate for decades now. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and industrial gases from fossil fuels play a huge role in why our environment is changing so rapidly.
With projections of an increase between 2.5 and 10.5 degrees by the year 2100, it is really nothing to take lightly. According to some scientific studies, the main gas causing Global Warming, CO2, or carbon dioxide, has increased in our atmosphere by as much as 30 percent over the last 100 years. That is a significant increase to say the least.
Causes of Global Warming
The number two source of pollution to our atmosphere is undoubtedly transportation. In fact, cars and other vehicles represent at least 20 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.
Power plants also play a huge role in polluting the atmosphere. Nearly 600 of the United States power plants do not have to play by new emission standards, what they like to call are “grandfathered” in. This means there is no cap on smog and acid rain producing pollutants that can be emitted from these plants. Power plants actually account for 36 percent of carbon dioxide emissions and 32 percent of mercury emissions.
Consequences of Global Warming
- Sea level rise, which will eventually increase beach erosion and flooding from coastal storms.
- Precipitation changes are inevitable which will increase or decrease the risk of droughts and floods all over the world. Significant storms are already on the rise.
- Deadly heat waves will continue. The summer of 1995 when 669 people died from heat exposure, and the 250 in the summer of 1999 was just a sign of things to come.
- There are obvious threats to biodiversity and to public health as well.
Evidence that Global Warming has Begun
- Shifting ranges of infectious diseases-Diseases that were not known to be a problem in areas such as the United States have shown their ugly head. Malaria has been reported as far north as New York, New Jersey and Michigan.
- Sea levels have risen between 4 and 10 inches in the last century. The destruction of beaches and wetlands are also taking place around the world.
- Glaciers and significant snow melt has been taking place on 5 continents since 1995, 5,400 square miles to be exact.
- Summer droughts and winter floods are becoming the norm.
- Storms are becoming more frequent and more brutal, hence Hurricane Katrina.
What if the recent rise in infectious disease was caused by the increase in temperature? Scientists believe it definitely plays a role in this and in the plant and animal shifts throughout different parts of the world. Living things are simply trying to adapt to the changing environment and they will ultimately kill humans through sickness and disease. For example, as the climate changes, disease carrying mosquitoes and other rodents move to new areas and in turn infect a population of people. Diseases such as malaria, encephalitis, West Nile virus and dengue fever will continue to be on the rise in all areas of the world, including the United States.
The only way to reverse the affects of Global Warming, and prevent further damage is to change how we power our economy. Most importantly, fossil fuels will have to be replaced with organic, non-toxic materials for our world’s vehicles. This of course, is already in the works in several areas of the world. The semi-recent release of hybrid electric and gas vehicles is just one example.
