Global Warming
Mitigation Strategies and Solutions
David Zavala
University of Phoenix/Axia College

Our atmosphere took billions of years to develop into what we know today but technological advances have given today’s society the power to change the atmosphere in less than a century. The revolution that began in the late eighteenth century made it possible for inventors to create many energy-saving machines. The only energy these machines save is human energy and time because these machines use energy in the form of fossil fuels, which is made from large amounts of carbon. They were created when the organic remains of plants and animals were buried millions of years ago. Over time, heat and pressure changed the remains into coal, oil, and natural gas. When people burn fossil fuels, huge amounts of carbon dioxide and other gases are released into the atmosphere; which result in several changes to the make-up of the atmosphere. The most significant environmental problem this paper will focus on is Global Warming. People who grow flowers year-round often use a special building that has walls and a roof made of glass. The transparent glass allows insolation to enter but prevents heat loss by radiation; so when the insolation enters the green house, the sun’s energy is trapped and warms the house. This keeps the greenhouse warmer than its surroundings; carbon dioxide and water vapor are like the glass in a greenhouse. They allow insolation to reach Earth’s surface but they cut down on the escape of energy, this is known as the greenhouse effect. Without the greenhouse effect, too much energy would escape from Earth, making it too cold to sustain life. However, some scientists fear that carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere by the burning of fossil fuels could upset the energy balance of Earth by trapping more heat; this would warm Earth more than natural