The United States, along with the world, could become a very different place in the 21st century due to the increasing threat of global warming. Global warming is not just a hollow threat from the government, a way of forcing regulations on industry; in fact the average temperature is already rising. Unless measures are taken to reduce or even eliminated greenhouse gases many drastic problems could occur.
Carbon dioxide is the most prominent greenhouse gas. It acts like a blanket in the earth's atmosphere allowing heat to enter but little to escape. The main producers of carbon dioxide are cars, power plants and industries that use fossil fuels (EPA, Emissions). The earth's temperatures change naturally, yet in the past 50 years a measurable amount of warming has occurred. In fact, 2002 was the second warmest year on record, according to NASA (right behind 1998, and just ahead of 2001).
Average temperatures in the U.S. could very well rise another 3 to 9 degrees by this century's end. Sea levels will rise, flooding coastal areas. Heat waves will be more frequent and more intense. Droughts and wildfires will occur more often. Disease-carrying insects will expand their range. And species will be pushed to extinction. (EPA, Impacts).
With warmer temperatures the risk of heat waves will increase. There has been nearly a 4 degree rise in the average U.S. temperature in the last 50 years (Global, Impact). In 2002 none of the lower 48 states have experienced below average temperatures. "The last three 5-year periods (1998-2002, 1997-2001, 1996-2000), have been the warmest in 108 years of national records" (NOAA, Climate). In the second half of the 1990's many places in the United States had their hottest days or even seasons.
Drought is also another consequence of temperatures rising above normal. The 1999 to 2002 drought "peak[ed] in July [of] 2002 [and] when compared to other droughts of the 20th Century, [it] was as extensive as the major droughts of the last 40 years" (NOAA, Drought).
GLOBAL WARMING Introduction Global warming is a topic that is often talked about today. ... What is Global Warming? ... What Causes Global Warming? ... How do we stop Global Warming? ... Global Warming is one of those little tilts. ...
Global Warming The media has been alerting the general public for numerous years on the perception of global warming and the harm it is causing. ... What scientists detect as global warming may really be a natural occurrence in nature. ... The vast majority of people get their information on global warming from the news media. ... Advocates of global warming point to the 1940's and 1950's as the time period that CO2 levels began to trigger global warming (Carlisle). ... Global warming proponents are seemingly oblivious to the fact that global fluctuations in temperature, charac...
The three main reasons people don't understand global warming are just not understanding the definitions of global warming and the greenhouse affect, how global warming affects them, and the cover up the government uses to convince them. ... According to the EPA's web site on global warming, "Global Warming is described as the progressive gradual rise of the earth's surface temperature thought to be caused by the greenhouse effect and responsible for changes in global climate patterns- (EPA Global Warming Site). ... What if we take the overall temperature rise as a test of g...
None of these issues quite compare to the problem of global warming. ... What exactly is global warming? ... The greenhouse effect plays an important role in the issue of global warming, but it is not the reason behind why global warming is occurring. ... Because global warming is a global issue it will effect more than just human beings. ... While global warming is hurting our plants and also our sea life global warming takes a large toll on our weather because of the warmer weather most natural disaster are caused by warm weather... ...
There are many misconceptions about global warming. ... Some believe that global warming means that it will become warmer all over. ... Global warming is a danger to a human's health. ... Plagues have been attributed to global warming. ... Global warming can affect our future ability to obtain food. ...
The Effects of Global Warming Global Warming will perhaps be, in theory, one of the greatest threats to test the capabilities of mankind. ... So what is Global Warming? ... Scientists are also certain that global warming will cause sea levels to rise. ... A major concern is how global warming will affect agriculture. ... Global warming may also increase the risk of some infectious diseases, particularly those diseases that only appear in warm areas. ...
The Effects of Global Warming Global Warming will perhaps be, in theory, one of the greatest threats to test the capabilities of mankind. ... So what is Global Warming? ... Scientists are also certain that global warming will cause sea levels to rise. ... A major concern is how global warming will affect agriculture. ... Global warming may also increase the risk of some infectious diseases, particularly those diseases that only appear in warm areas. ...
Global Warming Climate change is a part of the Earth's history. Global warming is a theory that has been associated with a rise in the global average temperature. ... Scientists argue over the global warming theory. ... (Parsons 5) There are many causes behind global warming. ... Global warming is also in part caused by human activity. ...
Global Warming Climate Changes Int"l Global Warming is shorthand for the climate changes that may result from excessive heat being trapped in the Earth's atmosphere by so called green house gases. ... Over more recent years humans have caused many changes to the Earth which is a major cause for global warming. ... Over the past few decades scientist have been reviewing the changing weather patters due to global warming. ... The issue of global warming is realized to be that of all of the states on Earth and is a huge global common situation. ... There is no immediate solution to ...
My Geography Essay on Global Warming Introduction In this essay I will be talking about the causes, effects and solutions of global warming. Global warming is caused when factories and cars burn fossil fuels and let off carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. ... Another threat linked to global warming is the destruction of the ozone layer. ... Causes Two of the main causes for global warming are cars and factories. ... Global Countries work together to try and crack global warming. ...
