The Threat of Global Warming Over the years the Earth has been getting warmer.

There are many causes for global warming. Global warming has several adverse affects on the planet. Global warming will be a real threat if it continues at the rate that it has been. Svante Arrhenious first proposed the idea of global warming in 1896. He knew that burning coal and oil let carbon dioxide into the air. Carbon dioxide traps heat on the earth. He hypothesized that by using coal and oil there would be an increased concentration of carbon dioxide that would make the earth warmer. This is called the greenhouse effect (Environmental). Carbon dioxide is the leading gas from human activity that increases the atmospheres ability to trap heat. Other gases are methane and chlorofluorocarbons (Appenzeller). Research has been done that shows that the cause for the warming is greenhouse gases. The earth is not getting hotter because of the sun getting hotter. Studies have shown that if the temperature was only affected by the sun then the earth would have gotten cooler (Environmental). Changes of the Earths climate are nothing new; the climate has been changing for thousands of years, since the ice age. The problem with global warming now is that the changes dont follow patterns of historical variation. Carbon dioxide levels are higher than they have been in 800,000 years because of human activity. This has made unprecedented levels of greenhouse gases that are altering the earths climate (EcoLogic). There are several reasons for the carbon dioxide emissions. Of the human driven emissions 75 percent come from burning fossil fuels and 33 percent come from transportation. Tropical deforestation is 20 percent of the global carbon dioxide emissions. Power plants that are coal burning release 2.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year. There are ways to reduce

many of the emissions (EcoLogic). The change in climate will affect many things, one of these being agriculture. Food production may increase because of the warmer growing season; however there will be increased risk of droughts, floods, and heat waves that will be challenges for farmers. An average increase in temperature can lengthen the growing season in regions with cool springs and falls, adversely affect crops in regions where summer heat limits production, and increase the chances of severe drought. A change in rainfall patterns can increase soil erosion and soil moisture. Ozone levels are affected by temperature and emissions and will increase. The higher levels of ground level ozone will limit the growth of crops (EPA). Global warming will affect human health. Extreme temperatures can lead directly to loss of life. Climate-related disturbances can impact the occurrences of serious diseases. Climate change may increase the risk of some infectious diseases. The diseases that are in warm climates and spread by parasites, such as mosquitoes, will increase. Some of these are malaria, yellow fever, and encephalitis. Warm temperatures can increase air and water pollutions, which harm human health (EPA). Humanity has a big impact on the environment. Each year about 8.8 billion tons of carbon is deposited into the atmosphere by humans. About 6.5 billion tons are from fossil fuels and 1.5 billion from deforestation. However less than half of that total remains in the air to warm the planet. Forests, grasslands and the waters of the oceans steal back about half of the carbon dioxide we emit (Appenzeller). Scientists are not sure how long this will last. Humanity is on a path to add 200 to 600 parts per million to the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by late in the century. According to Princeton University ecologist, Steve Pacala, all kinds of terrible things could happen, and the

universe of terrible possibilities is so large that some of them will. Some of the things that could happen are that coral reefs could vanish and deserts could spread. If the things in nature that absorb the carbon dioxide ever stop, then we could be facing drastic changes before 2050 (Appenzeller). Photosynthesis is a process that balances out the affects of animals breathing out carbon dioxide. An English minister, Joseph Priestly, put a mouse in a jar and saw that after time the air was no longer breathable and the mouse died. He experimented and found that putting a sprig of mint in a sealed jar with a mouse kept the air in the jar breathable, allowing the mouse to survive. This was the key to the natural carbon cycle. We now know that this was caused because the mouse took in oxygen and let out carbon dioxide. The photosynthesis of the plant reversed this process. The world is just like this jar. The pollution of humans throws off the natural cycle (Appenzeller). Climate is an important part of ecosystems. Climate change has the potential to alter ecosystems and the resources they provide. An ecosystem can be large, like a desert, or small, like a pond. The life forms within each ecosystem need the support of the others to survive. Human societies depend on ecosystems for all the resources that they provide. If the ecosystem is altered it will change the resources that we are able to use. Some ecosystems in different regions have already been affected. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has reviewed studies of biological systems and concluded that 20 percent to 30 percent of species may be at risk of extinction from climate change (EPA). The sea level has been rising and is expected to keep rising. The sea has risen five to six inches in the last century. Higher temperatures will expand the ocean water, melt mountain glaciers and small ice caps, and cause parts of the Antarctic ice sheet to melt. This will cause the

level to rise even more. The IPCC estimates that the global average sea level will rise between six-tenths and two feet in the next century. The IPCC has concluded that the impacts are virtually certain to be overwhelmingly negative. Rising sea levels will flood wetlands, erode beaches, increase flooding, and boost the salinity of rivers, bays, and groundwater tables (EPA). Some effects of global warming are already being seen in the Arctic. The average temperatures in the Arctic have risen at almost twice the rate as temperatures in the rest of the world in the past few decades. There has been widespread melting of glaciers, sea ice, and rising permafrost temperatures (EPA). Arctic changes will have consequences around the world. Migratory species depend on breeding and feeding grounds in the Arctic. The melting of glaciers is a contributing factor to the sea level rising. Many existing buildings, roads, pipelines, airports, and industrial facilities will be destabilized. These are only a few of the affects and other regions will have similar problems (EPA). Even the energy that we use can be affected by global warming. Hydropower will be affected because it depends on precipitation levels. The climate change may produce more weather extremes that can cause the production, transmission, and distribution of energy to have a higher rate of failure. Extreme heat waves affect power plant operations. Intake water that is normally used to cool power plants becomes warm enough during extreme heat waves to compromise the power plants operation. Some sources of renewable energy could be affected by climate change. If the climate change leads to cloudiness then solar energy production would be decreased. If wind speeds are above or below accepted operating ranges then the wind energy production would be reduced. The extent of these possible energy usage changes may make it

necessary to consider changes in energy supply or conservation practices to balance the production and demand of energy (EPA). Making small changes can affect the amount of greenhouse gases emitted. A very simple change is replacing the conventional bulbs in the five most frequently used light fixtures with bulbs that have the ENERGY STAR. This will help the environment and save money on energy bills. If every household in the United States took this simple step we would prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from nearly ten million cars (EPA). Another way to help is to use water efficiently. Saving water can lower greenhouse gas emissions. Water systems need a lot of energy to purify and distribute water to households. There are several actions that can save water. Only watering plants when needed and doing it during the coolest part of the day is one. Another way to save water is to turn the water off while shaving or brushing teeth. Another major use of water is toilets. A leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons of water per day. Products can be bought that are approved by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. These products save water and perform as well or better than traditional ones (EPA). The EPA has produced the Excessive Heat Events Guidebook with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Rising temperatures are predicted to increase the occurrence of heat waves and hot extremes. Chicago is projected to experience 25 percent more frequent heat wave. Los Angeles is predicted to have a four-to-eight-fold increase in heat wave days by the end of the century. The guidebook highlights the best practices that have been used to save lives during heat events in different areas. Certain segments of the population are more vulnerable to the heat such as: those with heart problems, asthma, the

elderly, the very young, and the homeless. These guidelines provide options that officials can use to respond to heat waves and hot extremes in their community (EPA). Failing to restrain the impact of climate change could damage the global economy. It could cause environmental devastation that could cost five to twenty percent of the worlds gross domestic product, according to a report published by the British government. Some economists questioned the studys predictions. They say that the impact on the worlds economies was overestimated. However, these critics did say that the report underestimated the cost to curb climate change (Eilperin). Policymakers are debating and considering options for a national response. The direct costs of not taking on the challenges posed by climate change are often neglected. The indirect effects are considered even less frequently. The economic impact of climate change has several hidden costs. The increased levels of risk that are brought on by climate change complicate the planning process for agriculture and public works projects. The changes anticipated in the United States will impact the natural environment and the human one. The impacts vary across the country and are linked together. When heat waves increase the demand for cooling it also decreases the stream flow. Power generation must be reduced because of the limits on cooling water (Ruth). Global warming is a major threat. There have been climate changes in the past, but the current change does not follow the historical variations. This may not give life forms enough time to adapt. A major part of the current climate change is because of humans. Humans are having a bad affect on the planet. Global warming is a problem that may not have a solution, however there are some things that we can change which will help us use less energy and conserve natural resources to hopefully slow down global warming.

Works Cited Appenzeller, Tim. "The Case of the Missing Carbon." National Geographic. environment.nationalgeographic.com. Web. 09 Apr. 2012. EcoLogic. www.ecologic.org. Web. 09 Apr. 2012. www.ecologic.org. Eilperin, Juliet. "Warming Called Threat To Global Economy." Washington Post. The Washington Post. 31 Oct. 2006. Web. 09 Apr. 2012. www.washingtonpost.com. Environmental Defense Fund. www.edf.org. Web. 09 Apr. 2012. EPA. Environmental Protection Agency. www.epa.gov. 26 Mar. 2012. Web. 09 Apr. 2012. Global Warming & Climate Change." Global Warming- Science. topics.nytimes.com. 27 Mar. 2012. Web. 09 Apr. 2012. Riebeek, Holli. "Global Warming: Feature Articles." NASA Earth Observatory. earthobservatory.nasa.gov. 03 June 2010. Web. 09 Apr. 2012. Ruth, Matthias, Dana Coelho, and Daria Karetnikov. "The US Economic Impacts of Climate Change and the Costs of Inaction." The Center for Integrative Environmental Research. www.cier.umd.edu. Oct. 2007. Web. 09 Apr. 2012.