Cause and Effects of Global Warming

English 102 LC#3

Mr.Sylvester

16 Feb 2011 The Causes and Effects of Global Warming

If you’re accustomed to thinking of global warming as something happening out there--say, in the Artic or the Antarctic or high in the atmosphere--you may be in for a shock.(Silvestro.) Global warming is the observed and projected increases in the average temperature of Earth’s atmosphere and oceans (wijkman). Today, this is one of our most damaging problems (Global). Global warming is caused by the buildup of atmospheric gases and affects us in many ways such as, the rising of long term global temperatures and the economic damages it causes. Among our world leaders, global warming has become a major issue. A main cause of global warming is the buildup of atmospheric gases increasingly emitted by human activities, mostly the burning of fossil fuels. Moreover, Carbon-dioxide is considered to be the most eminent of the gases (Silvestro.) It is used by plants in photosynthesis, the process by which they turn sunlight into vegetable energy. The gases are built up by a series of things such as the green house effect. In fact, “the green house gases trap some of the energy that would have otherwise escaped.(Bishop) “Coal-burning power plants are the largest U.S. source of carbon dioxide pollution -- they produce 2.5 billion tons every year. Automobiles, the second largest source, create nearly 1.5 billion tons of CO2 annually”(Global).Therefore, if our countries follow the path of our industrialized nation and invest in fossil fuel generation technologies, our world carbon dioxide emissions could soar(wiljkman). Negotiations have gone on about the reduction, and an agreement has been made. It was expected to be signed in Kyoto, Japan. Because of this, the rising of long term global temperatures has increased. Not only is global warming affecting everything around us, soon we will be able to feel the heat at our dinner table. (Silvestro.) For example, in the first half of the year, it was said to be the hottest since records began more than a century ago. This evidence has been found by scientists. According to Juliette Jowit, Scientists have also released what they described as the best evidence yet of rising long term temperatures. The report is the first to collate 11 different indicators -from air and sea temperature to melting ice - each based on between three and seven data sets, dating back to between 1950 and the 1970’s. It shows the dramatic changes the earth has gone through. In another finding, Average temperatures have climbed 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.8 degree Celsius) around the world since 1880, much of this in recent decades, according to NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. Two sentences!!!! At the same time, we are facing the consequences of large economic damages. At the rate global warming is going at now, the cost of fixing the damages that occur will be extremely high. In 1985 a hole was discovered that was believed to be the size of the U.S. in the ozone layer over Antarctica (wijkman). Energy demand as well as our economy is increasing rapidly.Also, warmer waters means more hurricanes that cause billions of dollars in damage, diseases cost money to treat and control and conflicts exacerbate all of these. (Simmons). In addition to this, many plants and crops will be affected. U.S. corn crop yields could drop by as much as 42 percent, according to figures from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).Also, biologist at Duke University and North Carolina recently did a study on poison-ivy plants. They used pipes to pump carbon dioxide into circular areas of forest, each about 100 feet in diameter .The Biologist then raised the level of carbon-dioxide to what it would be in 2050. It was said to be about 372 parts per million, the highest concentration in at least 420,000 years. Five years of studying led them to the findings that a woody-vine-poison-ivy with increased CO2 produced a more powerful version of urshiol. Urushiol is the chemical that causes a rash in the 80 percent of people who come in contact with the plant. This will cause a rapid increase in the need of medication for people. An increase amount of pollen will be in our backyards soon. This will lead to increased asthma attacks and hayfever(silvestro) There is no way to tell how much money will be spent on trying to maintain our economy.