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Ashley Anderson
Prof. B. Nielsen
MET 1010
ePortfolio Assign
May 8, 2014


What is the root cause of your chosen environmental issue?
Global warming is a major environmental issue that will continue to affect the world even
going into the future. The climate is changing. The earth is warming up, and there is now
overwhelming scientific consensus that it is happening, and human-induced. With global
warming on the increase and species and their habitats on the decrease, chances for ecosystems
to adapt naturally are diminishing. Many are agreed that climate change may be one of the
greatest threats facing the planet. Recent years show increasing temperatures in various regions
and increasing extremities in weather patterns (Davis, 2014).
Research has shown that air pollutants from fossil fuel use make clouds reflect more of
the suns rays back into space (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2011). This leads to an effect
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known as global dimming whereby less heat and energy reaches the earth. At first, it sounds like
an ironic savior to climate change problems. Global dimming is hiding the true power of global
warming. By cleaning up global dimming-causing pollutants without tackling greenhouse gas
emissions, rapid warming has been observed, and various human health and ecological disasters
have resulted (Natural Resources Defense Council, 2005).
Where is it occurring?
Global warming is occurring all throughout the world. Since the mid 1920's the world has
been going through global warming which increases the earth's temperature in bodies of water.
Global warming is most intense in the Polar Regions. You can see this in the overall loss of ice
from both poles. The temperature over land has gone up more than the temperature over water.
And nighttime is warming faster than daytime, reducing the temperature differential between day
and night. Heat waves are lasting longer and are more intense, and night brings less and less
relief. The atmosphere, being warmer overall, holds more water vapor. This results in stronger
storms, as there is both more energy and more water to play with. This leads to an interesting
difference in what happens at the 2 poles, as one pole is in the middle of a continent and the
other, an ocean. This affects the dynamics of ice balance (United States Environmental
Protection Agency, 2013).
The Arctic icecap is shrinking rapidly, becoming smaller and thinner. Winds push the ice
around, leaving vast open areas. This leaves the Arctic Ocean open to exploitation. Ships are
starting to use the Northwest Passage, and Exxon has worked out a deal with Russia to drill in
the Russian Arctic. The Antarctic icecap is different, as it's anchored on a continent, and cannot
be pushed around by wind. We see 2 competing effects of global warming here. The first is that
the edges are crumbling, the ice shelves are breaking up and floating away. Warmer circumpolar
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waters are primarily responsible for this. The second thing we see is that the middle of Antarctica
is gaining ice. The additional water vapor in the atmosphere is responsible for this. That warm,
humid air gets over Antarctica, it cools and loses its vapor load, which falls as rain, snow, hail,
whatever. And there is more of it over the middle of the continent because there is more H2O in
the air. So the middle of the continent, whose temp has gone up but is still way below freezing,
accumulates more ice (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2013).
Why is this occurring?
The heat entering Earth comes from the Sun. Sunlight enters our atmosphere and heats
the land surface and the oceans. The Earth then releases heat back into the atmosphere which
radiates into outer space. The amount of heat trapped in the Earths atmosphere can fluctuate,
possibly due to small changes in Earths orbit around the Sun that occur over thousands of years
or by changes in the Suns intensity. Without the earth's atmosphere, the air temperature on the
earth's surface would be far below zero. The carbon dioxide we discharge in the process of
living our lives also becomes a constituent in the atmosphere (Union of Concerned Scientists,
2011).
When we release carbon dioxide it increases temperatures in the air. Carbon dioxide is
causing all the fuss now, but there are many other gases that also cause warming. Other gases
discharged through human activities such as methane gas, and chlorofluorocarbons, made
famous by the ozone hole, are not thought to have as big an impact on global warming as carbon
dioxide, but in the same amounts they cause more temperature rise than carbon dioxide, so
concerns about them are rising (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2011).
What is being done or can be done to handle this environmental problem?
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Driving a car, using electricity to light and heat your home, and throwing away garbage
all lead to greenhouse gas emissions. You can reduce emissions through simple actions like
changing a light bulb, powering down electronics, using less water, and recycling. Making a few
small changes in your home and yard reduces greenhouse gas emissions and saves you money.
Simple steps like changing air filters regularly, properly using a programmable thermostat, and
having your heating and cooling equipment maintained annually by a licensed contractor can
save energy and increase comfort, while helping to protect the environment (United States
Environmental Protection Agency, 2013).
Business and home offices use a significant amount of electricity for heating and cooling,
lighting, and operating equipment. Save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions at work by
setting your computer, monitor and other office equipment to power down when not in use.
Switching to public transportation, carpooling, biking, or telecommuting, can save energy and
reduce greenhouse gas emissions on your way to and from work. Encourage your employer to
offer commuter benefits that address limited or expensive parking, reduce traffic congestion,
improve employee recruiting and retention and minimize the environmental impacts associated
with drive-alone commuting (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2013).
Reflection: What did you learn after completing this assignment and how has it impacted you?
I have learned a lot from this assignment. I always knew that global warming was
becoming a major problem for the world but I was not aware of how much of a problem it was.
Although more than likely I will not personally be affected by global warming it is very possible
that my future generations will be affected. Global warming is causing smog and air pollutants.
I did not realize how many health issues were caused by global warming.
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After doing this assignment I learned there are many ways we can help stop global
warming. I will in the future try to car pool with my fellow classmates to try to limit the amount
of emissions my vehicle causes. I have also learned that the amount of electricity I use
contributes to the power plants emissions. The tips I read about have given me some good
pointers on how to reduce the amount of electricity I use. I am looking into replacing my light
bulbs with more energy efficient ones. I understand that as a single person I may not be able to
stop global warming on my own however if more people started trying to change it can greatly
reduce the change in the atmosphere.
Reference
Davis, C. (2014, April 1). Global Warming a Threat to United States and World Agriculture.
Retrieved from Liberty Voice: http://guardianlv.com/2014/04/global-warming-a-threat-
to-united-states-and-world-agriculture/
Natural Resources Defense Council. (2005, October 18). Global Warming Basics. Retrieved
from Natural Resources Defense Council: http://www.nrdc.org/globalwarming/f101.asp
Union of Concerned Scientists. (2011). Health. Retrieved from Climate Hot Map:
http://www.climatehotmap.org/global-warming-effects/health.html
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2013, September 9). Agriculture and Food
Supply. Retrieved from EPA: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-
adaptation/agriculture.html
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2013, September 9). Human Health. Retrieved
from EPA: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation/health.html
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