Lester Brown, author of World on the Edge and creator of "Plan B"" featured on PBS's series Journey to Planet Earth, details alarming statistics of humans' patterns of destruction, plus his solutions of how to put the brakes on what he fears will be the possible end of civilization. Brown delves into many causes of global warming, and the impacts each are having on the Earth are alarming. Excessive carbon emissions, the melting of glaciers and sea ice, and increasing global temperatures are an intertwining, vicious cycle that needs to come to a screeching halt in order to attempt reverse the impending doom we may face. The burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, "is the largest source of emissions of carbon dioxide, which is one of the greenhouse gasses that allows radiative forcing and contributes to global warming, according to Science Daily. (Fossil Fuel) These fuels are the main source of the world's energy. Fossil fuels act as an insulator in the Earth's atmosphere, trapping heat in, thus raising temperatures and causing severe climate patterns. Brown estimates that carbon emissions need to be cut by 80% by 2020 in order to begin reversing the damage these emissions have caused. .
The rising temperatures caused by carbon emissions have made headlines. In 2010, 18 countries saw new record highs. Pakistan set an all-time record not just for itself, but for all of Asia at a searing 128 degrees Fahrenheit. In Los Angeles, California, the official weather thermometer broke once it hit 113 degrees F, but another, local thermometer registered 119 degrees F. Higher temperatures are detrimental to food production, not only causing water evaporation, but can wither and destroy crops. Excessive heat also adversely affects pollination and photosynthesis. In fact, at 104 degrees F, photosynthesis is reported to stop entirely. Grains such as corn and rice depend on pollination for production.