Global Warming

Global Warming

Global warming is the most pressing challenge facing the world today. After examining what global warming is, I have realized that human activities have a large impact on how the earth’s surface temperature is due to the greenhouse effect. I also have realized the impact that global warming can have on the earth. We as human’s need to do what we can to lower our contributions to the global warming before it is too late. Global warming is the increase of earth’s average surface temperature due to the effect of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels or from deforestation, which traps heat that would otherwise escape from earth. This is a type of greenhouse effect. Upon doing my research I discovered that human activities impact global warming. The effect of human activities on the atmosphere mainly is pollution. Livestock farming is one impact. The livestock let off a large amount of methane during their digestion. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides, chlorflurocarbons (CFCs) and tropospheric ozone. Human activities are increasing the concentrations of these substances, which in increase the greenhouse effect and it causes global warming. Another activity would be the ozone hole. Chlorfluorocarbons and other human generated chemicals were stopping the formation stratospheric ozone. It protects life on earth’s surface for UV radiation. Some of the other ways that humans have an impact on the atmosphere are deforestation, the logging or cutting down of trees releases carbon and reduces carbon sequestration capabilities of the forests. Burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas). These thing’s release carbon dioxide that has been stored underground for hundreds of years. On the subject of impact, I have realized what an impact that global warming can have on the earth. Some of the impacts would be, rising seas, changes in rainfall patterns, increased likelihood of extreme events such as flooding and hurricanes. Other impacts that global warming will have are melting of the icecaps, melting glaciers. Widespread vanishing of animal populations and spread of disease. The bleaching of Coral Reefs due to warming seas and acidification due to carbonic acid formation. One third of coral reefs now appear to have been severely damaged by warming seas. Loss of plankton due to warming seas also seems to be a problem caused by global warming. It is up to all humans to minimize what contributions we can to help slow down the process of global warming. Some of the things that can be done are, reduce, reuse, and recycle. Choose reusable products instead of disposable. Recycle paper, plastic, newspaper, glass and aluminum cans whenever possible. Did you know that you can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide annually by recycling half of your households waste? Another thing would be to use less heat and air conditioning. By doing this you can save 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year. Replace regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs. If every family replaced just one regular bulb with CFL it would eliminate 90 billion pounds of greenhouse gases, the same as taking 7.5 million cars off of the road. Drive less and drive smart, which means walking or biking whenever possible. Did you know that every gallon of gas you save keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere? Use less hot water. Set your water heater at 120 degrees to save energy. Wash your clothes in warm or cold water to reduce your use of hot water and the energy required to produce it. You can save electricity and global warming by turning off light switches when you leave a room. Planting a single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide during its lifetime. Trees and other plants absorb the carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. Finally, encourage others to conserve. Less energy means less dependence on the fossil fuels that create greenhouse gases and contribute to global warming. Global warming is a very serious problem and without the help of everyone to realize what they may be doing to cause the global impact then this problem can and will not stop. One person can’t make a difference, it will take everyone to do what they can to help slow down the process. As you are riding your car or taking that hot shower just remember it is your choice, help save our atmosphere from global warming or let it be destroyed.

REFERENCES

http://greenliving.nationalgeographic.com/top-ways-stop-global-warm http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terccontent/investigat http://www.nmsea.org/Curriculum/Primer/Global_Warming/fossil_fue
http://environment.about.com/od/globalwarming/tp/globalwarmtips.htm

References: http://greenliving.nationalgeographic.com/top-ways-stop-global-warm http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terccontent/investigat http://www.nmsea.org/Curriculum/Primer/Global_Warming/fossil_fue http://environment.about.com/od/globalwarming/tp/globalwarmtips.htm