Just wanted to add: HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!! YEAR 2008!!! ^_^
Global Warming
Global Warming refers to the rise in the Earth's temperature resulting from an increase in heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere. In recent days, the Earth has been having strange weathers happenings such as hurricanes, wildfires, and floods. It is a fact that global warming is caused by us humans by burning fossile fuels such as coal, oil, greenhouse gas, natual gas, and cutting down forests. The global warming we are experiencing is not a natural condition.
“Global warming is tipping other regions of the world into drought in different ways. Higher temperatures bake moisture out of soil faster, causing dry regions that live at the margins to cross the line into full-blown crisis. Meanwhile, El Niño events--the warm pooling of Pacific waters that periodically drives worldwide climate patterns and has been occurring more frequently in global-warming years--further inhibit precipitation in dry areas of Africa and East Asia.”Global Warming Heats Up Sunday, Mar. 26, 2006 By Jeffrey Kluger.
Global warming is heating up our planet because hurricanes from warm waters, which gain wind speeds of at least 74 miles per hour. For a hurricane to occur, the ocean surface must be at least 80 degrees F. Higher temperatures cause water to evaporate faster, causing watershortages, which puts crops and livestock at risk. Also, warmer climets will have more heavier rainfalls and more flooding. Ocean waters are heating up, which puts stress on marine ecosystems and sea life, also melting the iceburgs in the north poles, from pollution, overfishing and habitat destruction.
Wildfires come from hot, dry conditions, which can easily spark a small flame that turns into huge wildfiles. Recent warmer seasons and milder winters fuels the fires literally. This will also raise more tree-eating beetles who dries out tress making dry wood that help fuel forest fires. Because milder winters allows the beetles to survive in regions where they could not before. Fires also destory our nation's most treatured resources, the forests.
Because of these wildfires, abnormal warmer conditions, and water shortages in certain parts of the world, put lives of popullation, livestock and crops at risk. “Summer droughts could hit important grain-producing and grazing regions especially hard. Losses in grain production mean higher food prices here in the U.S. and less food going to impoverished nations overseas.” Bloomfield, Janine Ph.D. Environmental Defense. "A Time to Reap," 1999. U.S. Geological Society. Definitions of Drought. Water shortages could also increase temperature and longer warmer seasons which will likely reduce water supplies in arid places like Colorado, Nevada and California because in chemical action, snow would fall as rain. Meaning, reducing snowpack and earlier, quicker melts in the spring make for lower stream flows in the summer, when water can be in short supply.
There still a chance where we can step in and do our best to lessen the fuel of global warming, such as saving energy, reduce emissions of heat-trapping gases, which Governments, individuals, and businesses can all help out. For example, governments can adopt a range of options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including, increasing energy efficiency standards, encouraging the use of renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power. Also, eliminating subsidies that encourage the use of coal and oil by making them artificially cheap. Protecting and restoring forests, which serve as important storehouses of carbon.
Individuals can help out by reducing the need for fossil fuels and often save money by driving less and driving more fuel-efficient and less-polluting cars. Using energy-efficient appliances at home, insulating homes to keep from using too much air conditions or heaters. Also use less electricity in general. Businesses such as Wal-mart, Google, and etc. can increase efficiency and save substantial sums by doing the same things on a lager scale. And utilities can avoid building expensive new power plants by encouraging and helping customers to adopt efficiency measures.
With one small step, we all can contribute to our environment and save our Earth for the better future. Our environment is both important to us, and the animals that struggle to survive on the same planet, and sky.
