What is Global Warming?
It is an increase in the average temperature of the Earths atmosphere(especially a sustained increase that causes climate changes)
Caused primarily by increases in "greenhouse gases" such as Carbon Dioxide.
What is the Greenhouse effect?
The greenhouse effect is the rise in temperature on Earth as certain gases in the atmosphere trap energy. There are six main greenhouse gases, including:
Carbon Dioxide(CO2)
Methane(CH4)which is 20 times as potent to the greenhouse effect as Carbon
Nitrous Oxide(N2O)
Hydroflurocarbons(HFCs)
Perfluorocarbons(PFCs)
Sulphur hexafluoride(SF6)
The last three are fluorinated industrial gases.
water vapor is also considered a greenhouse gas.
Why is it called the "Greenhouse effect"?
Energy from the sun drives the earths weather and climate, and hears the earths surface. In turn , the Earth radiates energy back into space. Some atmospheric gases(water vapor, carbon dioxide)trap some of the outgoing energy, returning heat somewhat like the glass panels of a greenhouse(hence the name "greenhouse effect"
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration explained that there are 7 indicators that would be expected to increase in a warming world, and they are:
Sea surface temperature
Ocean heat content
Sea level
Temperature over oceans
Humidity
Tropospheric temperatures
Temperature over land
and 3 indicators would be expected to decrease, and they are:
Snow covers
Glaciers
Sea ice
and on July 28,2010 the N.O.A.A. stated that this past decade was the warmest in recorded history according to scientists in 48 countries.
It is pretty obvious that the climate is changing. It is much warmer and there is overwhelming evidence that this is happening and it is human-induced and it is one of the greatest threats facing OUR planet.
How is this OUR faults?
The Earth Observatory, NASA sums it up best.
The Human Role
In addition to the natural fluxes of carbon dioxide through the Earth systme, anthropogenic(human) activities, particularly fossil fuel burning and deforestation, are also releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. When we mine coal and extract oil from the Earths crust, and then burn these fossil fuels for transportation, heating, cooking, electricity, and manufacturing, we are effectively moving carbon more rapidly into the atmosphere than is being removed naturally through the sedimentation of carbon, ultimately causing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations to increase. Also, by clearing forests to support agriculture, we are transferring carbon from living biomass into the atmosphere(dry wood is about 50% carbon dioxide)
The result is that humans are adding ever increasing amounts of extra carbon into the Earths atmosphere. Because of this the concentration of Carbon is higher than it is has ever been in the last half-million years or longer.
What does this all mean for US and OUR children?
Some of the negative effects from a warmer climate include:
More hurricanes and drought
Superstorms
Weather record are being set all the time.
Massive extinciton of species will aggravate the environmental crisis.
Rising sea levels will impact many coastlines(many people live in the cape,etc)
Increase in pests and disease
World hunger caused by agriculture issues and drought
and I could go on and on.
If you havent noticed I capitalized US and OUR..Because this is EVERYONES problem and this is going to affect ALL of OUR children!
Stop and ask yourself a few questions.
Would you starve your children?
Would you force your children to have to try to survive a massive hurricane?
Would you force your children to fight through pests and disease?
Then why arent you doing anything to prevent it?
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange
It is an increase in the average temperature of the Earths atmosphere(especially a sustained increase that causes climate changes)
Caused primarily by increases in "greenhouse gases" such as Carbon Dioxide.
What is the Greenhouse effect?
The greenhouse effect is the rise in temperature on Earth as certain gases in the atmosphere trap energy. There are six main greenhouse gases, including:
Carbon Dioxide(CO2)
Methane(CH4)which is 20 times as potent to the greenhouse effect as Carbon
Nitrous Oxide(N2O)
Hydroflurocarbons(HFCs)
Perfluorocarbons(PFCs)
Sulphur hexafluoride(SF6)
The last three are fluorinated industrial gases.
water vapor is also considered a greenhouse gas.
Why is it called the "Greenhouse effect"?
Energy from the sun drives the earths weather and climate, and hears the earths surface. In turn , the Earth radiates energy back into space. Some atmospheric gases(water vapor, carbon dioxide)trap some of the outgoing energy, returning heat somewhat like the glass panels of a greenhouse(hence the name "greenhouse effect"
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration explained that there are 7 indicators that would be expected to increase in a warming world, and they are:
Sea surface temperature
Ocean heat content
Sea level
Temperature over oceans
Humidity
Tropospheric temperatures
Temperature over land
and 3 indicators would be expected to decrease, and they are:
Snow covers
Glaciers
Sea ice
and on July 28,2010 the N.O.A.A. stated that this past decade was the warmest in recorded history according to scientists in 48 countries.
It is pretty obvious that the climate is changing. It is much warmer and there is overwhelming evidence that this is happening and it is human-induced and it is one of the greatest threats facing OUR planet.
How is this OUR faults?
The Earth Observatory, NASA sums it up best.
The Human Role
In addition to the natural fluxes of carbon dioxide through the Earth systme, anthropogenic(human) activities, particularly fossil fuel burning and deforestation, are also releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. When we mine coal and extract oil from the Earths crust, and then burn these fossil fuels for transportation, heating, cooking, electricity, and manufacturing, we are effectively moving carbon more rapidly into the atmosphere than is being removed naturally through the sedimentation of carbon, ultimately causing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations to increase. Also, by clearing forests to support agriculture, we are transferring carbon from living biomass into the atmosphere(dry wood is about 50% carbon dioxide)
The result is that humans are adding ever increasing amounts of extra carbon into the Earths atmosphere. Because of this the concentration of Carbon is higher than it is has ever been in the last half-million years or longer.
What does this all mean for US and OUR children?
Some of the negative effects from a warmer climate include:
More hurricanes and drought
Superstorms
Weather record are being set all the time.
Massive extinciton of species will aggravate the environmental crisis.
Rising sea levels will impact many coastlines(many people live in the cape,etc)
Increase in pests and disease
World hunger caused by agriculture issues and drought
and I could go on and on.
If you havent noticed I capitalized US and OUR..Because this is EVERYONES problem and this is going to affect ALL of OUR children!
Stop and ask yourself a few questions.
Would you starve your children?
Would you force your children to have to try to survive a massive hurricane?
Would you force your children to fight through pests and disease?
Then why arent you doing anything to prevent it?
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange
Hey krystal... This is a really cool blog. It is nice to see how you related this just not to the globe itself but also related it to the future of your children. I dont have any kids yet but I know that its something I always think about. Like if we dont take care of the earth now where are my kids going to live? GREAT JOB!!
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