Effects of Globalization on the World's Future Existence

Global warming has become a major concern for future life. Its impact reaches not only to a specific region or continent, but the entire world. Natural causes that impact this phenomenon are inevitable, but human-related activities are accelerating global warming at terrifying rates. This paper will analyze the causes of global warming and how each cause is affecting the future of the world.
Whether or not you believe the extent of global warming’s impact onto the world’s future existence, global warming is happening and there are numerous facts to support its occurrence. Global warming is “the increase in Earth’s average surface temperature due to rising levels of greenhouse gases” (Conway). According the United States Environmental Protection Agency, “Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere are called greenhouse gases.” Greenhouse gases are broken down into four categories: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. Each category will be later looked at in further depth along with the three main factors each gas has on climate change.
Changes in sea level, animal species extinction, and weather patterns are just several results that have been noticed in recent years. Change is occurring and the population as whole should pay closer attention to the issue at hand. “Climate change is the most important issue of the 21st century. The global economy—and civilization itself—may collapse unless greenhouse-gas emissions are controlled. Global warming already touches every part of the planet, and people everywhere are affected in their daily lives” (Brown, p.15). The effects of global warming have the potential to eliminate the entire earth’s existence, not just a country or region. While other major issues such as the economy, war in the Middle East, and education, create a need for change, there will be no problems to change if there is no population existing. Paul Brown stated that scientists have painted a weary image of the future. It is believed that there may be as little as 10 years left to stop irreversible climate change. Despite understanding a potential end for the world’s existence, politicians and entrepreneurs continue their activities with little or no change, which is leading to carbon dioxide emissions rising to higher rates. Establishing the problem is only the first step.
As stated previously, increasing levels of greenhouse gases are increasing the Earth’s average surface temperature. There are four greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. As shown in Exhibit 1, The Environmental Protection Agency provided a pie chart displaying the percentage of each greenhouse gas emission. In the United States as of 2010, the largest emission is from carbon dioxide which accounts for 84 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions. Methane is second with 10 percent, followed by nitrous oxide with four percent and fluorinated gases with two percent. As can be seen from the chart, carbon dioxide is the primary culprit of global warming. Carbon dioxide is a product of burning fossil fuels, such as coal, natural gas, and oil, trees, and chemical reactions. Carbon dioxide leaves the atmosphere through absorption by plants and trees. Methane gas enters the atmosphere as a result of livestock and agricultural practices, decay of organic waste, and the production and transportation of fossil fuels. Nitrous oxide is emitted through the process of industrial activities and combustion of fossil fuels and solid waste. Lastly, Fluorinated gases are composed of hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride gases. These gases are emitted through varieties of industrial activities but tend to be very potent and therefore dangerous. Although carbon dioxide is the greatest greenhouse gas emission in the United States, it can be removed through plants and trees during their biological carbon cycle. Deforestation is the process of cutting down trees or forests for other uses (Greenpeace International). Removing this emission removal source has the potential to not only cause harmful effects on society but sharply increase the amounts of carbon dioxide emission. Each cause of global warming will be further analyzed, beginning with carbon dioxide.
Carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere by burning of fossil fuels, natural gas, and chemical reactions. According to the Environmental Protection Agency carbon dioxide exists both naturally and by human-related activities. Naturally, carbon dioxide is present though the cycle of carbon found in the world such as oceans, the soil, animals, and plants. However human activities have increased the amount of carbon dioxide emissions by human influence on natural occurrences. This increase can be dated back to the start of the Industrial revolution. Exhibit 2 displays the United States carbon dioxide gas emission ranging from 1990 to 2010. The amount of emissions is labeled by million metric tons of carbon dioxide. In 1990 carbon dioxide emissions were at approximately 5,000 million metric tons. About 20 years later, the emissions have increased to approximately 5,800 million metric tons. These figures represent an approximate 12 percent increase. Although emissions levels have decreased from that of the mid 2000’s, carbon dioxide emissions appear to be on the rise. There are three sources of human-related activities that increase emissions: electricity, transportation, and industry. Exhibit 3 is another pie chart that displays the percentage of United States carbon dioxide emissions by each source. Electricity and transportation lead the pack with 40% from electricity and 31% from transportation. Industry follows with 14%, then residential and commercial with 10%, and ending with non-fossil fuel combustion concentrating 5%. Electricity provides the population with a source of energy that allows them to power their homes, businesses, and industries. “The combustion of fossil fuels to generate electricity is the largest single source of CO2 emissions in the nation, accounting for about 40% of total U.S. CO2 emissions and 33% total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2009” (EPA). Large amounts of coal are burned in order to produce the necessary electricity needed for the population. However burning coal produces more carbon dioxide emission then oil or natural gas. Transportation through means of cars, buses, railroads, etc., provides the population with the means to perform everyday activities. “The combustion of fossil fuels such as gasoline and diesel to transport people and goods is the second largest source of CO2 emissions, accounting for about 3% of total U.S. CO2 emissions and 26% total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2010” (EPA). Industrial processes such as production of metals and production of chemicals accounts for the third largest source of carbon dioxide emissions. “Various industrial processes account for about 14% of total U.S. CO2 emissions and 20% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2010” (EPA). Increases in carbon dioxide emissions are a main contributor global warming.
The second largest emission of greenhouse gas is methane. During the last century, methane emissions have decreased by approximately one percent (Exhibit 5). Although past trends show improvement, projections estimate an increase by about eight percent from 2005 to 2020. Exhibit 4 displays the breakdown of United States methane emissions by source. Similar to carbon dioxide emissions, methane emissions are caused both naturally and by human-related activities. Naturally, methane emissions exist through sources such as wetlands. Human-related activities that produce methane are raising livestock and waste leakage. As trees are to carbon dioxide, the soil is to methane. The natural processes in soil help to remove methane from the atmosphere. Damaging activities to the land can interrupt this process and therefore, increase the amounts of methane found in the atmosphere. Methane is emitted through industrial processes, agriculture, and waste from homes and business. During industrial processes methane is a primary component of natural gas. “Because gas is often found alongside petroleum, the production, refinement, transportation, and storage of crude oil is also a source of CH4 emissions” (EPA). Methane is emitted through agriculture due to livestock. During the normal digestive process of livestock, methane gas is released. Since livestock is raised for human necessities, this source of methane emission is considered to be human-related. The third source of methane emission comes from human waste in terms of landfills and its decomposition.
The third most prominent greenhouse gas is nitrous oxide, which accounted for four percent of all United States greenhouse gas emissions in 2010. Once again, nitrous oxide is produced through both natural and human-related sources. Approximately 40% percent of nitrous oxide emissions are contributed from human activities. Exhibit 6 shows the percentage of each nitrous oxide emission source as a total of nitrous oxide emissions in the United States. As shown by the diagram, agricultural soil management has the greatest impact on nitrous oxide emissions. The top three sources of nitrous oxide emissions are agriculture, transportation, and industrial processes. Exhibit 7 displays the trend of nitrous oxide emissions, measured in million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, in the United States from 1990 to 2010. Although nitrous oxide emissions have decreased by about three percent from 1990 to 2010, it is estimated that emissions will increase approximately five percent from 2005 to 2020 due to increases of emissions from agricultural activities.
The last and final greenhouse gas is fluorinated gases. Unlike the other greenhouse gases, fluorinated gases have no natural source; it is produced solely through human-related activities. These gases are emitted in the atmosphere by various industrial activities. The gases can only be eliminated through sunlight, which occurs very far in the upper atmosphere. Exhibit 8 displays a chart that indicates the percentage of fluorinated gas emitted by source. Fluorinated gases can be split into three categories; hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. Hydroflurocarbons is found in aerosol, propellants, solvents, and refrigerants. The gases are emitted into the atmosphere through the use of previously mentioned equipment, leaks, and disposals. Perfluorocarbons is the result from such activities associated with aluminum production and manufacturing of semiconductors. Sulfur hexafluoride is found in electrical equipment. Exhibit 9 displays the trend of fluorinated gas emissions in the United States from 1990 to 2010. It is evident from all four trend charts that fluorinated gas emissions has experienced the greatest increase as compared to the three other greenhouse gases. Its estimated increase is about 58%, which is largely due to an increase of hydrofluorocarbon emissions. Looking towards the future, it is estimated that fluorinated gas emissions will continue to grow at substantial growth.
As mentioned previously, each gas’s effect is dependent on three factors. They are the concentration of the gas, how long the gas stays in the atmosphere and how strongly it impacts global temperature. Even though carbon dioxide represents that largest portion of greenhouse gas emission, it has the smallest effect. This effect is measured by the Global Warming Potential or GWP. As stated by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Global Warming Potential for a gas is a measure of the total energy that a gas absorbs over a particular period of time (usually 100 years), compared to carbon dioxide. The larger the potential, the greater the warming affect. Carbon dioxide is used as a baseline, has a GWP of 1, and has an atmospheric lifetime of about 50-200 years. Compared to carbon dioxide, methane has a GWP more than 20 times that of carbon dioxide. In other words, one pound of methane is equivalent to 21 pounds of carbon dioxide. However methane’s lifetime is about only 12 years. Nitrous oxide has a GWP more than 300 times that of carbon dioxide and has a lifetime of approximately 100 years. The last greenhouse gas has the greatest harm. The three fluorinated gases, hydrofluorocarbons, perflurocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride, all have different GWPs and atmospheric lifetimes. Hydrofluorocarbons have a lifetime range of 1 to 270 years and a GWP range of 140-11,700. Perflurocarbons have a lifetime range of 800-50,000 years and a GWP range of 6,500 to 9,200. Sulfur hexafluoride is the most dangerous emission with a lifetime of 3,200 years and a GWP of 23,900. Although fluorinated gases only represent two percent of the total greenhouse gas emissions, it has the potential to have the greatest negative effect on global warming.
Deforestation is the last and final cause of global warming. As stated before, deforestation is the process of cutting down trees or forests for other uses. This process is not only adding to the carbon dioxide emissions but it is also eliminating the process of removing these emissions from the atmosphere. Emitting carbon dioxide to the atmosphere can be thought of as a secondary cause to global warming. The primary cause is through cutting down trees. The forest absorbs the carbon dioxide and produces oxygen. Cutting down trees will reduce the cycle of transferring carbon dioxide into oxygen and therefore, the atmosphere will contain more carbon dioxide and less oxygen, ultimately causing a greater negative effect. The secondary cause is through activities such as burning firewood or forest fires. Burning firewood produces carbon dioxide and decaying plants produce methane. “Thirty percent of the carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere over the past 150 years is thought to come from deforestation” (Greenpeace International). Despite the fact that deforestation has a large or small impact, it is speeding up the effects of global warming
Global warming has the potential to not only impact certain areas of life, but the existence of life itself. Past events and trends are indicating that water levels are rising and weather patterns are changing. Is this a sign of the world ending, the extinction of human species, or a dramatic shift similar those experienced during the Ice Age or the extinction of dinosaurs? It is impossible to know exactly when and what will happen in the future but analyzing various effects can paint a better picture. There are numerous effects of global warming but to emphasize the severity of the phenomenon, three effects have been chosen to discuss in detail. These effects are increasing sea water levels, weather changes, and crop failure.
The first effect of global warming is the rising of water levels with connection to melting of polar ice caps. In his book, “The Flooded Earth”, Peter Ward depicts the future of earth under water. His prediction might be slightly drastic but the premise exposes an actual concern. Ward predicts that by 2050, the sea water will rise about two to three feet, by 2300, the sea water will rise about 65 feet, and by 2500 and on, the sea water will reach its maximum height. During this change, buildings would lose its structure and new structures will be created to fight the rising water. This extreme view predicts that Antarctica melts away causing various icebergs floating through the seas, the world’s geography will drastically change from new bodies of water that have been created, massive migration of humans, wide spread diseases, and the possibility of mass extinction. In a present day study, experts stated that satellite data show sea level rose by approximately .1 inch annually from 1993 to 2011. This rate is 60 percent faster than what was previously predicted (NBC News). It’s suggested that predictions by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change were conservative and is underestimating potential risks. A researcher at Germany’s Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research stated that “Global warming has not slowed down or is lagging behind the projections”. To understand a more global impact, Exhibit 10 displays the world map and the trend of either rise or fall in sea water level, created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The graph displays sea level trends in both milometers per year and feet per century. Most areas experienced a rise in sea level in either one to two feet or zero to one foot rise per century. If global warming continues its gradual growth, future trends of rising sea level could be greater than present day trends, indicating Peter Ward’s prediction may appear to be more realistic that imagined. It is understood through trends that the sea water level is increasing but why? The Climate Institute claims there are three major human-related reasons which explain the rise in sea level. Firstly as temperature increases, water expansion occurs which contributes to a rise in sea level. The Climate Institute states that it is estimated that approximately 2.5 cm of sea level rise is contributed to thermal expansion during the second half of the 20th century. The IPCC estimated that during the 21st century, thermal expansion will directly result in a sea level rise of about 17-28 cm. Secondly, the melting of glaciers and ice caps contributes to the rise of water level. Projections by the IPCC’s Fourth Assessment stated that approximately 2.5 cm rise in sea level during the second half of the 20th century was a result of melting glaciers and ice caps. The National Snow and Ice Data Center provided trends of sea ice extent over the last 20 years. Exhibit 11 displays a graph of Artic sea ice extent from August to December in terms of millions of square kilometers. Three lines are showed; the 1979-2000 average, 2007, and 2012 data. From August to October, Artic sea ice extent continues to decrease by approximately 50 percent from the average. Exhibit 12 displays the average monthly artic sea ice extent, specifically in October, from 1979-2012. The average monthly artic sea ice extent continues to decrease despite minimal increases. Specifically in 2006, ice extent plummeted down to about 6.7 million square kilometers. Looking to the future, it is estimated that the continuation of this process will result in approximately 10-12 cm of water rise during the 21st century. The third explanation for the rise in sea level is the loss of ice mass from Greenland and Antarctica. Greenland is said to hold an estimated seven meters of sea level if all ice were to melt and Antarctica to hold five meters. As shown in Exhibit 13, sea level rise is a constant trend of growth from 1880 to 2000 with a sea level change of approximately 20 cm (TimeforChange.org). Sea level appears to be continually rising with no indication of slowing down. All noted factors and causes act in a cyclic motion that does not promote hope or future positivity. The melting of ice caps results in a reduction of surface reflectivity which, in turn, causes greater absorption of solar radiation. As the amount of solar radiation absorbed increases, so does the acceleration of warming, thus, melting of ice caps increase. This process seems to create the notion that Peter Ward may not be so crazy in his predictions of a world underwater.
The second effect of global warming is the change of weather patterns. Recent events such as Hurricane Katrina and Sandy have resurfaced the concern of global warming. Heidi Cullen’s “The Weather of the Future” provides convincing evidence to show that global warming isn’t just a future concern but its occurring as we speak. Hurricanes are destroying cities such as Katrina in New Orleans and Sandy in New York City, California droughts can possibly jeopardize water supply, and Tsunamis and earthquakes are creating pandemonium in Japan. Cullen provides a pessimistic future outlook, “The Earth is going to be fine. As the history of climate change in this chapter shows, the Earth has gone through periods of warming and cooling in the past, and still it remains here. Unfortunately, you can’t say the same for the species that occupy—including us” (Cullen, p.12). Humans will attempt to adapt to climatic changes but what happens when there is no water to drink or the weather is too volatile to produce eatable resources. Cullen provides an example of Africa, specifically the region of Sahel. When this region is mentioned, this first word that comes to mind is drought. Over the past 100 years, the Sahel region experienced three devastating droughts. The first from 1910 to 1916; the second from 1941 to 1945; ending with the worst drought during the late 1960s. “Climatologists estimate that from the 1950s through the 1980s, the Sahel saw rainfall decrease by about 40 percent” (Cullen, p.66). Not only is there a trend of worsening drought periods but the area is also getting warming. The IPCC estimated a temperature rise of about 6°F to 10°F by the end of the 21st century. On the opposite end of the spectrum is flooding. Cullen provides the example of Bangladesh and its monsoon period. “Most of the climate models estimate that precipitation will increase during the summer monsoon […] as the temperature increases, air over land will warm more than air oceans in the summer. This will deepen the low-pressure system over land, which happens anyway in the summer, and will enhance the monsoon” (Cullen, p. 210). Rainfall is estimated to increase by approximately 10 percent by 2030. As the weather becomes hotter and flooding intensifies, migration of large populations can possibly cause rationing of resources, conflict, disease, and other life altering affects. Disastrous storms such as Hurricane Katrina and Sandy indicate that storms are worsening. The IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007 shows recent studies and experiments that support the idea that “future tropical cyclones, or hurricanes, are likely to become more severe with greater wind speeds and more intense precipitation”. Not only are hurricanes becoming more severe but there are also occurring more frequently. The National Hurricane Center provides a chart displaying average number of storms during a 150 year period, which is shown in Exhibit 14. The chart is broken into five periods ranging from 1851 to 2010. Each period displays the number of years in that specific period, the average number of tropical storms, the average number of hurricanes, and the average number of major hurricanes. The first period is from 1851 to 2010, which represents 160 years. The fifth period is from 1995 to 2010, which represents 16 years. Although there is a drastic difference between the years in each period, an increasing trend becomes obvious. Across the board; the average number of storms, hurricanes, and major hurricanes, are gradually increasing in its frequency. Extrapolation of this trend creates much concern for the future safety of coastline population and its cities. The world may not be under water yet but human life will need to find adaptations to severe climatic change in order to survive.
The third effect of global warming is crop failure in terms of agriculture and aquaculture. Crop failure can be thought of as a “snow ball” effect. The increase of the average Earth’s temperature results in the rise of sea levels and dramatic change in weather patterns. The climatic shift to volatile weather patterns can either create optimal agriculture conditions or damaging results. Studies are leading to believe the later of the two. It is evident that certain crops flourish in certain climate conditions. The proper sunlight, rainfall, and soil composition make for productive growth. Recent findings are indicating that the current climate change is affecting crops as a whole, and not in a positive result. According to the World Wildlife Fund, 38 percent of the world’s total land area is used for farming and livestock. Aquaculture accounts for approximately 47% of the world’s fish food supply. Present day concern by the World Wildlife Fund states, “an estimated 50% more food than is currently produced will be needed in order to feed the global population by 2050”. The Inter Press Service produces disheartening facts. The current United States drought is affecting approximately 60% of the country, specifically 78% percent of the corn-growing regions. The National Drought Summary states, “In the 18 primary corn-growing states, 30 percent of the crop is now in poor or very poor condition. In addition, about half of the nation’s pastures and ranges are in poor or very poor condition”. Exhibit 15 displays a graph of the United States Drought Monitor in 2012. Mid-America is experiencing exceptional and extreme levels of drought during an estimated six month period. Farmers in Illinois say if it does not rain in fall, they may not be able to harvest corn or soybean. With cattle being fed primarily corn and soybean, reduced harvest in these two crops has enormous effects on agriculture as a whole. An Illinois milk producer said, “cows that were producing ninety pounds a day are now only producing sixty or seventy pounds daily” (Tripier). Extreme levels of drought, in specific areas such as South American and Central Asia, is partially related to the reliance of melting glaciers water runoff. Less water runoff cannot only threaten agriculture but also water quality and supply for drinking purposes, in which this cause could be a life threatening result to humans. Agriculture is essential to human existence. If climate change were to eliminate or reduce sources of agriculture and aquaculture, the potential of starvation greatly increases. “Changes in mean temperatures can shorten the time to maturity of a crop, thus reducing yield” (Challinor, pg. 2). Reduction of crop yield threatens the supply of human’s basic need of food. As noted above, crop failure is addressed in both agriculture and aquaculture. Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic species. Damage to the ocean also affects aquaculture. This damage is in the terms of ocean pH. According to the Climate Institute, the ocean absorbs approximately one third of human emissions of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is transferred to the deep ocean where it is dissolved. This process creates carbonic acid, which reduces the pH level of the ocean, making it more acidic. Historically, the ocean’s pH level was estimated around 8.17. Present day pH level is approximately 8.09, transferring the waters from lightly basic to almost neutral. Over the past 300 years, evidence implies that the average pH of the ocean has not varied by more than 0.6 from its present value, thus indicating that the marine ecosystems transformed into a stable pH environment. Increasing rates of change to a more acidic ocean has the potential to wipe out certain species of aquatic life and have a detrimental effect on food supply. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, approximately 80 percent of the world’s fish production is used for human consumption. Although present day concern for marine life is slim, this trend could have drastic change on ocean life and survival of a necessary food source.
Global warming is not only a future concern but it’s happening now. Both the causes and effects of global warming have been examined. A broad conclusion can be made; the world’s future existence is at stake, but to what extent will we be impacted. Both Peter Ward and Heidi Cullen painted a picture of the future. Ward predicts that by 2500, sea level would reach its maximum height and geography of the present day would be completely shattered. If human life still existed, its form would be incomparable to present day. Cullen however takes a different approach. She too understands the climatic change that is occurring and future life will be drastically different. However she focuses more on weather of the future. Areas of warmer climates will become warmer, transforming those areas into unlivable regions. Mass migration away from these areas will occur, resulting in arising conflicts between populations, wide-spread diseases, and scarcity. Although different, both predictions on based on valid concerns. A primary concern is survival of human life. An important second concern, but yet less conservative, is change in economy, geography, and demography. The extinction of human life will most likely not be an underlying worry in the next century but looking forward, it is a long term concern. If the dinosaurs experienced extinction, what differentiates that from the possibility of human extinction during a climatic change? Extinction has happened before and it could happen again. In this dreary outlook, global warming could possibly lead to the extinction of human existence. In a second outlook, human life will still exist but in a completely different form then what exists today. Since the impact of Hurricane Sandy is so fresh in everyone’s mind, it will be used to demonstrate this outlook. Hurricane Sandy only reached a category two storm but its impact was experienced by so many residing on the Eastern Coast of the United States and Caribbean. This great impact is a direct cause of global warming. “Global climate change has contributed to the higher sea surface and ocean temperatures, and a warmer and moister atmosphere […] natural variability and weather has provided the perhaps optimal conditions of hurricane running into extra-tropical conditions to make for a huge intense storm, enhanced by global warming influences” (Trenberth). Climate change is creating conditions for bigger storms with a greater impact. Hurricane Katrina of 2005 destroyed parts of Louisiana and Hurricane Sandy of 2012 destroyed parts of New Jersey, New York City, and Long Island. Future storms could possibly destroy the whole Eastern Coast of the United States. Could you imagine an economy without New York City? Mass migration of people towards mid-America, loss of jobs, economic slump, and a decreasing population are just some possible outcomes. Now remember what is occurring in mid-America. This region is experiencing extreme seasons of drought. Agriculture is trying to stay afloat. So coastline populations are migrating inward to due unstable living environments, the east with hurricanes and the west with earthquakes, and mid-American populations are struggling to survive the harsh environmental conditions. How can a population of that size all survive when scarcity of resources play into effect? Survival of the fittest will then occur where those who have the resources to survive with adapt to changing conditions, and the poor will die off. This prediction is very extreme but present day trends and predictions indicate global warming is worsening, and its extent is to be feared.
Global warming is affecting the world, not just the United States. Disregarding the extent of its impact, the future of human kind will go through a drastic change due to rising sea levels, change in weather patterns, and crop failure. Using the United States as a prediction and applying it to the rest of the world, the future of human life will need serious adaptations to survive a changing climate. If human life has any hope of survival, the world as a whole must attempt to slow down global warming’s acceleration.

Works Cited

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< http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/climate_by_any_other_name.html>
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Cullen, Heidi. The Weather of the Future. New York: HarperCollins Publishers 2010 “Deforestation.” Greenpeace International . March 13, 2006. <http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate- change/science/deforestation> “Fisheries and Aquaculture”. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. < http://www.fao.org> “Greenhouse Gas Emissions.” United States Environmental Protection Agency. < http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/> “Oceans & Sea Level Rise”. Climate Institute. <http://www.climate.org/topics/sea- level/index.html> “Sea level rose 60 percent fast than UN projections, study finds.” NBC News. November 28, 2012. <http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/28/15512957-sea-level-rose-60- percent-faster-than-un-projections-study-finds?lite> “Time for Change”. Time for Change Organization. <http://timeforchange.org/definition-for global-warming-what-is-global-warming> Trenberth, Kevin. “Hurricane Sandy mixes super-storm conditions with climate change”. The Conversation. October 29, 2012. <http://theconversation.edu.au/hurricane-sandy-mixes super-storm-conditions-with-climate-change-10388>
Tripier, Coralie. “Crops Failing as U.S. Simmers in Record Heat Wave.” Inter Press Service. New York. July 20, 2012. < http://www.ipsnews.net/2012/07/crops-failing-as-u-s- simmers-in-record-heat-wave> Ward, Peter. The Flooded Earth. New York: Basic Books 2010 “What is Climate Change.” World Wildlife Fund. <http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/aboutcc/problems/>

Exhibits Exhibit 1 Exhibit 2 Exhibit 3 Exhibit 4 Exhibit 5 Exhibit 6 Exhibit 7 Exhibit 8 Exhibit 9 Exhibit 10 Exhibit 11

Exhibit 12 Exhibit 13 Exhibit 14 Exhibit 15

Cited: New York. July 20, 2012. &lt; http://www.ipsnews.net/2012/07/crops-failing-as-u-s- simmers-in-record-heat-wave&gt;