GLOBAL WARMING

List of Contents

List of contents Introduction Causes of Global Warming Green House Effects

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The Advantages and Disadvantages of Green House Effect .. Effects of Global Warming Fighting Global Warming .. ..

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Introduction: What is Global Warming?
Global Warning is serious issue of our futures. Global Warning is the process of earths atmosphere heating up. When the earth heat up, the average of global temperatures oceans surface increases. It happens when greenhouses gases (carbon dioxide, water vapor, nitrous oxide and methane) trap heat and temperature. Over the last 100 year, average temperature of earths has gone up 1 Fahrenheit digreas. By the end the 21st century, global warming is likely to cause an increase in earths temperature of around 2-5 degrees centigrade. This is rise might not sound like much to worry, but can have serious effect on climatic condition and weather changes. This could affect the frequency and severity of storms, hurricanes, tornados, distort seasons duration, increase cloud cover, change precipitation level and wind pattern. Global warning means big trouble. Global warming is primarily a problem of too much carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmospherewhich acts as a blanket, trapping heat and warming the planet. As we burn fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas for energy or cut down and burn forests to create pastures and plantations, carbon accumulates and overloads our atmosphere. Certain waste management and agricultural practices aggravate the problem by releasing other potent global warming gases, such as methane and nitrous oxide. Glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising, cloud forests are drying, and wildlife is scrambling to keep pace. It's becoming clear that humans have caused most of the past century's warming by releasing heat-trapping gases as we power our modern lives. Called greenhouse gases, their levels are higher now than in the last 650,000 years. We call the result global warming, but it is causing a set of changes to the Earth's climate, or long-term weather patterns, that varies from place to place. As the Earth spins each day, the new heat swirls with it, picking up moisture over the oceans, rising here, settling there. It's changing the rhythms of climate that all living things have come to rely upon. What will we do to slow this warming? How will we cope with the changes we've already set into motion? While we struggle to figure it all out, the face of the Earth as we know itcoasts, forests, farms and snow-capped mountainshangs in the balance.
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light from sun in earths atmosphere, which increase the

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Causes of Global Warming
Global warming is caused by many things. Scientist has spent decades figuring out what is causing global warning. They have looked at the natural cycles and events that are known to influence climate. They now believe that global warming is caused by many things. The causes are split into group. Natural causes : natural causes are causes created by nature, mayor five natural cause that cause global warning are 1. Climate change cycle One of natural causes of global warming is regular climate change cycle, which occurs over period of around forty thousand years. Since the earth was first created there have been cycle of cooling and cycles of warming, and this continues today. 2. Methane greenhouse gas Methane greenhouse gas is released from many areas of the globe and from animals like cattle as well. Wetlands and tundra geography contribute to conditions that release this gas into the atmosphere, where it becomes trapped and in its turn contributes to the increased warming of the planet. 3. Volcanoes Volcanoes are one of natural causes of global warming, and these natural formations erupt explosively at times. During every large eruption, the ash and dust from the occurrence may block radiation from the sun and cool depend the earth significantly. 4. Solar cycle and sunspots Solar cycle and sunspots show that the earth warms naturally without humans contributing. During cycle increased sun spots and solar flares, the temperature of the earth does warm up some but this is usually temporary, and when the solar cycle cools off so does the earth.

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5. The rotation of the earth One of the biggest natural causes of global warming is the rotation of the earth. As the planet spins, the rotation is off slightly and this causes a wobble in the spin. As a result certain areas may get more or less radiation from the sun, and affect the temperature. This cycle has gone on for millions of years

Man Made or Anthropogenic causes: man made causes often described as an anthropogenic process, which simply means humans caused it do the most damage. There are many man-made causes. 1. Pollution Pollution is one of the biggest man-made problems. Pollution comes in many shapes and sizes. Burning fossil fuels is one thing that causes pollution. When fossil fuels are burned they give off a greenhouse gas called CO2. Cutting down trees, producing more trash, and polluting the environment are the reasons that the temperature has gone up. 2. Population Population is other major man-made cause of global warming. More people mean more food, and more methods of transportations. That means more methane because there will be more burning of fossils fuels and more agricultural. 3. Deforestation Clearing land for logging, ranching and agricultural indirectly leads to carbon dioxide build-up in the atmosphere. Nearly 34 million acres of trees are cut each year. Trees use Carbone dioxide during photosynthesis and clearing forest removes the earths ability to reduce the emissions. According to NASA, deforestation is responsible for about 15 percent of greenhouses gas emissions, more than all the cars, truck, trains, ships, and planes on the planet.

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4. Industries Nitrous oxide is produced by a variety of agricultural and industrial practices. Human activities have increased the concentration of nitrous oxide in the atmosphere by 15 percent above what would be normally present in nature. Nitrous oxide is a colorless, non flammable gas with a slightly sweet odor and is naturally produced by oceans and rain forest. Nitrous oxide is also broken down in that atmosphere by chemical reaction in the presence of sunlight to form smog. Many scientists believe that the biggest causes of global warming are new human technologies that release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

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Green House Effect
Many greenhouse gases occur naturally, such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. Others such as hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs), per fluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) result exclusively from human industrial processes. Human activities also add significantly to the level of naturally occurring greenhouse gases:

Carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere by the burning of solid waste, wood and wood products, and fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal).

Nitrous oxide emissions occur during various agricultural and industrial processes, and when solid waste or fossil fuels are burned.

Methane is emitted when organic waste decomposes, whether in landfills or in connection with livestock farming. Methane emissions also occur during the production and transport of fossil fuels.

The greenhouse effect refers to circumstances where the short wavelengths of visible light from the sun pass through a transparent medium and are absorbed, but the longer wavelengths of the infrared re-radiation from the heated objects are unable to pass through that medium. The trapping of the long wavelength radiation leads to more heating and a higher resultant temperature. Besides the heating of an automobile by sunlight through the windshield and the namesake example of heating the greenhouse by sunlight passing through sealed, transparent windows, the greenhouse effect has been widely used to describe the trapping of excess heat by the rising concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The carbon dioxide strongly absorbs infrared and does not allow as much of it to escape into space.

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A major part of the efficiency of the heating of an actual greenhouse is the trapping of the air so that the energy is not lost by convection. Keeping the hot air from escaping out the top is part of the practical "greenhouse effect", but it is common usage to refer to the infrared trapping as the "greenhouse effect" in atmospheric applications where the air trapping is not applicable.

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The Advantages and Disadvantages of Green House Effect
The green house effect keeps Earth warm enough for us to live and grow food. But too much would be bad. Some gases (Green Houses Gases) let sunlight in, which warms the Earth, and then block that heat from leaving. Its a natural thing, mostly caused by water vapor. Man is making excessive amounts of greenhouse gases, mostly by burning fossil fuels. That causes the delicate natural balance to go out whack and the Earth warms. A. Advantages : 1. Can grow flowers and vegetables in winter 2. Protection against animals eating the plants 3. Can start vegetable plants earlier in the season 4. For all who love plants and flowers, nothing is more exciting, more simulating than growing them in a garden under glass. When the north wind whistles and the snowflakes cling, when panes go opaque as temperate climate confronts zero, your green house is a place of utter delight, fun to work in, a joy to contemplate, with a wealth of beauty and fragrance to share. B. Disadvantages : 1. May not have the proper type of insects for pollination 2. Traps the sunlight without allowing it to get back to the air 3. Must be watered manually 4. Can become too hot in summer if not ventilated

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Effects of Global Warming
Global Warming causes many negative situations to occur. Below are a few direct consequences that might result in the future if Global Warming. However, some of these situations are already taking place NOW. But since they are still not very severe, we do not really feel the impact they have on us. However, we have to stop them as soon as possible before it's too late. For when the time comes, and all these effects come to show in a form of chainreactions, we will not be able to stop them in time. And that will be THE time when we will REALLY be suffering from the ill-effects of Global Warming. Some impacts from increasing temperatures are already happening:

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. Changes in rainfall patterns. Droughts and fires in some areas, flooding in other areas. The plant life would then die and there would be fewer plants to take carbon dioxide out of the air.

Extreme weather. A change in temperature would mean a significant change in weather. Global Warming can intensify winds, rains and storms.

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.

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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. This change in global climate will result in a world very different from todays!

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Fighting Global Warming
Burning fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal, oil and gasoline raises the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and carbon dioxide is a major contributor to the greenhouse effect and global warming. You can help to reduce the demand for fossil fuels, which in turn reduces global warming, by using energy more wisely. Here are 10 simple actions you can take to help reduce global warming: 1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Do your part to reduce waste by choosing reusable products instead of disposables. Buying products with minimal packaging (including the economy size when that makes sense for you) will help to reduce waste. And whenever you can, recycle paper, plastic, newspaper, glass and aluminum cans. If there isn't a recycling program at your workplace, school, or in your community, ask about starting one. By recycling half of your household waste, you can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide annually. 2. Use Less Heat and Air Conditioning Adding insulation to your walls and attic, and installing weather stripping or caulking around doors and windows can lower your heating costs more than 25 percent, by reducing the amount of energy you need to heat and cool your home. Turn down the heat while you're sleeping at night or away during the day, and keep temperatures moderate at all times. Setting your thermostat just 2 degrees lower in winter and higher in summer could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year. 3. Change a Light Bulb Wherever practical, replace regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. Replacing just one 60-watt incandescent light bulb with a CFL will save you $30 over the life of the bulb. CFLs also last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, use two-thirds less energy, and give off 70 percent less heat. If every U.S. family replaced one regular light bulb with a CFL, it would eliminate 90 billion pounds of greenhouse gases, the same as taking 7.5 million cars off the road.

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4. Drive Less and Drive Smart Less driving means fewer emissions. Besides saving gasoline, walking and biking are great forms of exercise. Explore your community mass transit system, and check out options for carpooling to work or school. When you do drive, make sure your car is running efficiently. For example, keeping your tires properly inflated can improve your gas mileage by more than 3 percent. Every gallon of gas you save not only helps your budget; it also keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. 5. Buy Energy-Efficient Products When it's time to buy a new car, choose one that offers good gas mileage. Home appliances now come in a range of energy-efficient models, and compact florescent bulbs are designed to provide more natural-looking light while using far less energy than standard light bulbs. Avoid products that come with excess packaging, especially molded plastic and other packaging that can't be recycled. If you reduce your household garbage by 10 percent, you can save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide annually. 6. Use Less Hot Water Set your water heater at 120 degrees to save energy, and wrap it in an insulating blanket if it is more than 5 years old. Buy low-flow showerheads to save hot water and about 350 pounds of carbon dioxide yearly. Wash your clothes in warm or cold water to reduce your use of hot water and the energy required to produce it. That change alone can save at least 500 pounds of carbon dioxide annually in most households. Use the energy-saving settings on your dishwasher and let the dishes air-dry. 7. Use the "Off" Switch Save electricity and reduce global warming by turning off lights when you leave a room, and using only as much as light as you need. And remember to turn off your television, video player, stereo and computer when you're not using them.
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It's also a good idea to turn off the water when you're not using it. While brushing your teeth, shampooing the dog or washing your car, turn off the water until you actually need it for rinsing. You'll reduce your water bill and help to conserve a vital resource. 8. Plant a Tree If you have the means to plant a tree, start digging. During photosynthesis, trees and other plants absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. They are an integral part of the natural atmospheric exchange cycle here on Earth, but there are too few of them to fully counter the increases in carbon dioxide caused by automobile traffic, manufacturing and other human activities. A single tree will absorb approximately one ton of carbon dioxide during its lifetime. 9. Get a Report Card from Your Utility Company Many utility companies provide free home energy audits to help consumers identify areas in their homes that may not be energy efficient. In addition, many utility companies offer rebate programs to help pay for the cost of energy-efficient upgrades. 10. Encourage Others to Conserve Share information about recycling and energy conservation with your friends, neighbors and co-workers, and take opportunities to encourage public officials to establish programs and policies that are good for the environment. These 10 steps will take you a long way toward reducing your energy use and your monthly budget. And less energy use means less dependence on the fossil fuels that create greenhouse gases and contribute to global warming.

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