...Causes of global warming For a long time people on our Earth didn't think a lot about greenhouse gases. The situation changed when people started using more and more energy in the form of fossil fuels, like oil, gas and coal. We burn fossil fuels to power factories, run cars, produce electricity and heat houses. As fossil fuels burn they let carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. During the last few decades people have also cut down many forests. Trees use carbon dioxide when they make their own food. Fewer trees mean that less carbon dioxide is taken out of the atmosphere. Possible effects of global warming Scientists have different opinions on how warm the Earth's surface will really get. The increase may be between 1.5° C and 6° C by the year 2100. Warmer weather will make ice caps and glaciers melt. Sea levels could rise dramatically. Plants, animals and people living in coastal areas all could be in danger. The weather may change in many areas of the world. Floods, droughts and damaging storms could be the result. People in colder regions might welcome warmer weather but those who live in regions that are already hot may suffer from new diseases. At the same time some animals may not survive because they cannot adapt to the new environment. They could move to other places in order to live there. Reducing global warming Finding a solution to solve the world's biggest environmental problem is not an easy task. Although we need energy to make our economy grow there are things that...
Words: 1133 - Pages: 5
...The Tragedy of Polar Bears Polar bears in the Arctic are tremendously affected by pollution now. As global warming progresses, wind and water currents carry pollutants, most of which come from industrial sources in different parts of the world, and cause them to travel to the Arctic because of the ‘conveyor belt’ nature of the atmosphere and ocean (Yarim 2013). These chemicals accumulate in the fat of many animals, mainly through the food chain, which are then eaten by top predators such as polar bears. Thus, polar bears inevitably have severe health problems and risk death. When consumed at high levels, the pollutants can have a dramatic and potentially fatal impact, which affects the polar bear population in the Arctic severely. The most prevalent chemicals found in the Arctic are “Persistent Organic pollutants (POPs)”, such as the pesticide DDT, the industrial chemical polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which can biomagnify up the food chain. Other pollutants may include acid rain, heavy metals and radioactive isotopes (Yarim 2013). According to studies, bears with high levels of some POPs have low levels of vitamin A, thyroid hormones, and some antibodies (WWF Global 2009). The pollutants load of polar bears in the Arctic are negatively affecting the immune system, hormone regulation, growth patterns, reproduction, and survival rates of polar bears. The studies have suggested that the immune system is weaker in some polar bears with higher levels of PCBs. A weakened...
Words: 587 - Pages: 3
...The Arctic Tundra Introduction The Arctic Tundra is a really cold and harsh environment, which supports very little life including Arctic Foxes, Polar Bears, Grey Wolves, Caribou, Snow Geese and Musk Oxen. These are very harsh conditions and these animals are hanging on to life. The rainfall in The Arctic Tundra is also very low. Location The Arctic Tundra extends between the edge of the Arctic Ocean and the coniferous forest of the Taiga How they formed Tundras form at high angular distances (Latitude). Tundras form if an area takes more carbon dioxide than it produces. Tundras are one of the three biggest takers in of carbon dioxide. The soils of the tundra are called gelisols, which means that permafrost needs to be 100cm under the soil...
Words: 590 - Pages: 3
...Environment The biggest threat to our environment is global warming and there are many theories as to what causes it. Scientists have concerns that over the past 250 years, man-kind has been artificially raising the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at an ever-increasing rate, mostly by burning fossil fuels. Over the last century the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil has increased the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). This happens because the coal or oil burning process combines carbon with oxygen in the air to make CO2. To a lesser extent, the clearing of land for agriculture, industry, and other human activities have increased concentrations as well. https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=clear+land+&FORM=HDRSC2 https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=clear+land+&FORM=HDRSC2 While many people blame fossil fuels as a cause to global warming, there is also illegal clearing of lands for developing agriculture companies that cause tropical deforestation and global warming. According to Wikipedia, tropical deforestation is clearance or clearing and removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a non-forest use. Developing agriculture companies demand overseas trees and other supplies such as; wood products, beef, palm oil, and soy. The global demand for beef requires large areas of fields to raise cattle. These demands lead to tropical deforestations because companies clear about 35% percent of...
Words: 1957 - Pages: 8
...Only Time Will Tell Global warming is a topic that is affecting our world today at an alarming rate. We are seeing drastic temperature increase, receding polar ice caps, depleting ozone layers and habitat destruction. These things are all major issues that have become increasingly important because of global warming and there are numbers to prove that this is not just a hoax like some people believe. Increasing levels of Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere are raising the average temperatures on earth. Receding polar ice caps and rising water levels are destroying habitats for many creatures like the polar bear and other Arctic animals, and even are going to begin to destroy our own communities and space for living because there will be less land. Deforestation is also crippling animal populations in the tropics and forests are being destroyed at an alarming rate. All of these things are major issues that fit into global warming and these things must change if we wish to not destroy this planet. One of the major causes of global warming is the emission of greenhouse gases. The main gas that is responsible for global warming is Carbon Dioxide (CO2). This gas is emitted from various things, mainly from the burning of fossil fuels, energy production and factories. It is because of the Industrial Revolution, the burning of fossil fuels became central to the drive of economies. Starting in England in the late 18th century, factories began...
Words: 1807 - Pages: 8
...Global Warming General Chemistry I Bret Lynn For millions of years the changes in Earth’s climate have been driven by forces of nature. Although, for the last century and a half, Earth’s average temperature has been rising faster than any time in the past 10 thousand years. “We’re on a track to 700 parts-per-million of carbon dioxide on the planet, we haven’t seen that for 50 million years”(1). The signs are everywhere: droughts in the American southwest, rising seas in Louisiana, tropical diseases spreading north, and extremes of weather from Florida to France. There are people that still say “global warming need not concern us” and “if it is happening at all, it is a natural trend there is not much we can do about it.” However, there is now hard evidence, which shows that the warming is not only real, it’s accelerating. The warming is altering the climate’s most basic chacteristics like rainfall, days of sunshine, and nighttime temperatures. These changes are damaging the environment and agricultural production, threatening wild species into extinction, and putting at risk human lifestyle, health, and cities near the sea. It starts with the warming. In the Artic, reports of heat waves and droughts seem far away. Over the last 100 years, the world has seen a 1 degree Fahrenheit rise in its average temperature (2). However, in Alaska and Canada, winter temperatures have increased by as much as 5-7 degrees Fahrenheit in the past 50 years (2). Global warming is...
Words: 2978 - Pages: 12
...Impacts of Climate Change on Biodiversity 1. Introduction Climate change (also known as global warming) refers to an increase in mean annual surface temperature of the earth’s atmosphere, owing to increases in concentration of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere (Ninan, 2009). Biodiversity, on the other hand, is shorthand for biological diversity, and it is about the living world with which humanity not only co-exist but has evolved as a dependant part. The term biodiversity acknowledges that the natural world is a whole living system, and we are a part of it (Corlett & LaFrankie, 1998). The phase “climate change” and “global warming” are now a part of our lives and rarely does a day goes by without a mention, in the press or on the radio, of the possible causes of climate change and its consequences. This phenomenon has sneaked up on us in a somewhat short period of time and is accelerating at an alarming rate. It is perhaps the most serious problem that is threatening the civilized world today (Ninan, 2009). This paper postulates that climate change poses a serious threat on biodiversity. It will put forward evidence of how biodiversity has been affected worldwide, and will seek a solution to this problem 1.2. Biodiversity and its importance Simply put, biodiversity represents the fabric of life itself. It is comprised not only of numbers of species, but also includes the variety of all life...
Words: 1968 - Pages: 8
...Global Warming, A Battle to Be Won Rebecca O’Connell SCI 207 Dependence of Man on The Environment Prof. Houtan Noushmehr May 28, 2012 Global Warming, Who is to Blame? The choices we make on a daily on basis not only affect ourselves but the planet we live on. Global warming has become more serious every day, more and more pullulates are put into the air killing the ozone layer causing the Earths temperatures to rise in places that are not normal. Humans play a role in rapid speed that global warming is taking place, not all of this is Mother Nature alone. With the increase of deforestation, more factories, chemicals used the list goes on and on of the pullulates we all use on a daily basis. The rapid changes in climate affect the species that live in the area, causing species to die or migrate, intense storms destroying land and taking lives. We will face several intense affects if global warming is not brought under control. Are the choices humans have made to blame for global warming, is there time to heal the damage that has been done. Is global warming a battle that can be won? Global warming has taken place for many years it has not been until just recently that it has become more known to scientist of just how severe things really are. Scientist is discovering from the temperature changes of the Earth that this not a natural change, the “greenhouse effect” is real “the global warming of our atmosphere caused by the presence of carbon dioxide and other...
Words: 1447 - Pages: 6
... Global Warming Global warming is a grave issue that is affecting not only the United States, but the whole world as well. Various international strategies need to be implemented so that these issues can be tackled. If taken seriously, the issue of global warming can not only be overcome, it can be prevented as well. Poll conducted in my community- family members, friends, and coworkers- asking if they felt whether or not global warming was a problem or not or undecided: Two examples of how global warming if affecting the life of our communities: * Global warming is already leading to more violent storms and less predictable weather patterns. According to the Pew Center on Global Warming, since 1995, only two years have not had above average hurricane activity. The overall number of tropical storms has not increased, but there are more storms strong enough to be called hurricanes. We will probably continue to get bigger storms, which will do more damage to coastal areas. * Global warming will have drastic effects on local ecosystems. Most plants and animals are adapted for a certain environment. Generally, each species does well when the temperature is in a certain range, and the seasons work in a regular way. As things like temperature and seasonal precipitation shift, less robust plants and animals are not going to be able to adapt quickly enough. This will result in widespread extinction. Three facts that are relevant to global warming: * Arctic...
Words: 596 - Pages: 3
...Global Warming: Fact or Fiction Margaret A. Brown AIU Online Global warming, also known as the green house effect is a topic that has received much attention in recent years. There are many who believe the global warming is real and will cause the destruction of earth as we know it. There are also many who believe that although global warming is happening, it will not lead to the destruction of the earth, but may in fact help it. For centuries, the earth gases were in balance. Humans and animals produce these gases by burning food in our bodies with the oxygen we breathe. Trees and other plants reverse the process with photosynthesis, turning carbon dioxide back into oxygen and vegetation which is food for us and the animals (Global Warming: background, 2009 ). With the growth of the human population and activities, there is no way that plants and oceans can absorb the billions of tons of greenhouse gases produced by the earth each year.. Yes the earth is already showing many signs of worldwide climate change. The average temperatures have climbed 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.8 degree Celsius) since 1880, with much of this in recent decades. The rate of warming is increasing. These last two decades of the 20th century is reported as the hottest in 400 years. The average temperatures in Alaska, western Canada, and eastern Russia have risen at twice the global average. Arctic ice is rapidly disappearing...
Words: 1311 - Pages: 6
...Global Warming and Health Jessica Parks APA Format PSY/460 There are many current events plaguing environmental psychologist, possibly more now than ever before. This is one of the ideals that are causing environmental psychology to become such a demanding field of study. This essay will tackle one small corner of the problem, global warming and the affects it will have on the health of the human race. Global warming is a phenomenon that is causing the general temperature of the earth to rise. This is affecting the earth’s atmosphere and oceans. Scientists have noted significant changes developing more rapidly in the last thirty years. These changes are a counteraction to global warming that is affecting life on the entire planet. No one or nothing is safe from the impact of global warming, plants animals, humans we are all subject to server changes of evolutionary proportion. One might ponder how global warming affects the average man; some say they see no difference. The changes are not apparent in ones day to day routine unless you become aware of the signs or symptoms of a changing planet (Time, 2006). Time magazine recently did a story called Global Warming: How It Affects Your Health. This article puts the affects of global warming on humans very plainly. According to this article the death toll that is related to climate change is going to double by the year 2030. The climate change is going to cause the population to encounter more frequent...
Words: 875 - Pages: 4
...Environmental Problem | How it is caused | Problems it creates | Global Warming | Global warming is caused when greenhouse gases get released from animals and our everyday needs and jobs (like car emissions and hair spray). Some of the gases get trapped in the atmosphere and act as a blanket, trapping heat and warmth in the planet. The rest of the gases get through the ozone layer which then won’t cause any more damage to the ozone layer and cause won’t global warming to get even worse. When we burn fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas all of the carbon dioxide produced gets released into the atmosphere and makes the ozone layer thicker and the planet warmer. | Global warming creates lots of problems and changes to the way that we live. Some of the problems are drought so in lots of areas the water in lakes and rivers will get lower and in small streams dry out. Another problem is increased number of storms because the warmer the water in the oceans the more energy that is going into the tropical storms making them stronger causing flooding, erosion and higher sea levels resulting in islands disappearing under the water like it was never there. Another problem is that the ice caps are melting because the temperature is rising and that resulting in some arctic animals becoming extinct already or in the near future. | Photochemical Smog | Photochemical smog is caused by nitrogen oxide and other organic compounds produced from traffic, high temperatures, sunshine and calm...
Words: 388 - Pages: 2
...Polar Bears I did my favorite organism on Polar Bears. I chose this animal because it is very interesting on how they live and how they survive. The temperatures in the Arctic tundra vary from 50 degrees fahrenheit to -37 degrees fahrenheit. The diet of a Polar bear is a variety of different organism that live in the arctic tundra. But one thing the Polar bear likes the most is seals and bearded seals. I think that they eat this as their main source of food because they spend a lot of time in the water and the Polar bear is considered a marine animal. They are also known to eat walrus,beluga, and whale. I find it very interesting that they eat a whale considering how big whales can be. But when they cannot find any of the organism to eat they will go and eat some of the very few species of plants that grow in the arctic Tundra. The population of a polar bear is around 20,000-25,000 polar bears in the world. But one issue that is affecting the population is global warming and that is making the ice break up and warming the ocean and if there is no ice that means that there is no Polar bear....
Words: 695 - Pages: 3
...Global Warming Nowadays the human life is developing continuously in every field like technology, science, education, art, society and so on. Besides that, these developments have generated many negative effects. One of these biggest problems currently is global warming, that the whole world is facing with. According to Theodore C. Sorensen, an American presidential adviser, “Global warming is for real. Every scientist knows that now, and we are on our way to the destruction of every species on earth, if we don't pay attention and reverse our course”. In fact, global warming is happing and humans are causing it. Global warming will largely affect human in the future, so it is worldwide concern. However, none all of us know exactly the definition, the reasons, the impacts of global warming, and the solutions for global warming. What is the global warming? Global warming is a gradual increase in temperature of Earth’s surface, oceans and atmosphere. Scientists have documented and accepted the global warming as fact since 1800s. According to the lasted (January 2014) analysis from NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), Earth’s average temperature has risen by 0.8 degrees Celsius (1.4 degrees Fahrenheit) since 1980. Temperatures are predicted to rise another 1.133 to 6.42 degrees Celsius (2 to 11.5 degrees Fahrenheit) over the next 100 years. These statistics of temperature change are based on many independent scientific analyses from observations of the climate system...
Words: 1966 - Pages: 8
...result of an increase in the atmospheric temperature. There are many factors that contribute to the cause of climate change, some of them being natural causes, others however, are caused by humans. The greenhouse effect takes major consideration to how climate change begins. This is because the...
Words: 1021 - Pages: 5
