The world's condition today is one of distortion, though everything may seem to be fine it is not that way. There are extreme health problems in the both the third and first world. We have environmental issues that are basically international, meaning that not one country can solve the problem. So, therefore, one must say in everyday American life that although we do not see these problems they do lurk and do indeed need to be addressed. .
In this particular paper I choose to look at the phenomena of global warming, a process by which certain "greenhouse" gases escape up into the earth's atmosphere and do not allow heat to escape, warming the overall climate of the planet. I decided to look at how the United States plans to handle this problem, being the world's largest economy with the most influence on worldly matters.
When looking at the planet Earth one must understand that it is natural for greenhouse gases to appear in the atmosphere, for without them we would have no life. Gases such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, trap heat that would normally just go right off into space. This phenomena is called the greenhouse effect, because like the glass panels on a greenhouse they allow solar energy and heat in, but retain it and not let all of it out. These gases that act as the glass panels are labeled as the greenhouse gases. With these gases naturally in place the planet stays at an average of a very comfortable sixty degrees Fahrenheit, which allows life to exist. Without these gases the planet would be extremely cold and not permit life. .
The problem arises when the amounts of these gases increase in the atmosphere, causing more heat and energy to be trapped. Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution this has been what is occurring. According to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) "Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide have increased nearly 30%, methane concentrations have more than doubled, and nitrous oxide concentrations have risen by about 15%.