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   Global warming is a subject i feel stongly about. Before my school informed me of this tragedy i was completly blind to it. After watching "An Inconvient Truth" i was inspired(as always) and i wanted to learn more. So for my school project i decided to do it on Global warming. So from extensive reseaching and interviews this is what i got! Im only 15 so dont expect it to be some sort of  incomprehensable(as they always are) work of brillance!

Global warming: the Basics

The year 1988 was the first of many suspicions about climate change. This year was unexpectedly hot in a majority of the US and parts of Europe. This year was the first year the greenhouse effect came into focus as a cause of climate change. This was the first year climate change came into focus as Global Warming. This new crisis brought up a lot of speculation and questions. People wanted to know what global warming was, why it was happening and what could be the effect of it? (Green)

What is global warming?

The term global warming literally means a rise is the average global temperature (Valentine). And global warming is happening. Some people think its some thing that you have to believe in., but the facts show that this is real. But it can be prevented. Once the facts are out there to the public, it will be clear how global warming can be stopped before it leaves perilous and possibly permanent impact to our only home.

Global warming is occurring today because of the greenhouse effect. But there are two different kinds of global warming. One is what should be happening, prior to global warming. The other is what's happening. The first step of the greenhouse effect is when sunrays come down to our to heat our earth. Then these sunrays bounce back out into space in the form of infrared rays. The "natural warming"(Shaw) effect is when a very small amount of those infrared rays get trapped in the earth surface. This happens because of the low concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the earth's atmosphere. So this "natural warming" effect, heats the earth in a healthy and natural way. (Shaw)

In contrast "amplified warming"(Shaw) is when the greenhouse effect is increased, to extremely high levels. The amount of carbon dioxide and other gases are significantly higher. Causing more and more infrared rays to be trapped in the atmosphere, evidently increasing the temperature. The "amplified warming" is what is happening right now.

Global warming has many different causes. They vary from the obvious to hidden factors. Some even come from everyday life. One obvious factor of global warming is the real reason it's happening. "The finger of blame should be pointed squarely and humanity"(Green), because human activity is what causes global warming. The things we as humans do, are what is slowly killing our earth (Green).

            One of the largest contributors to global warming is carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide comes from many different places. Cars are the largest supplier of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is the largest pollutant to the atmosphere. Everyday around the world people drive their cars. New cars are being created, cars that can hold a lot more gas than any other cars. These gas-guzzlers are producing more carbon dioxide than ever before.

            The earth has a carbon cycle that maintains the natural carbon balance. This process works slowly. So evidently the rate at which the all the carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere is slower than the rate at which the humans produce carbon dioxide, causing higher levels concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (Shaw).

            Another extreme pollutant to the earth's atmosphere is a factory. In urban areas factories produce lots of very harmful black soot. This smog gets into the atmosphere and can cause lung disease and harm to people with asthma (Shaw).

Despite cars and factories there's another huge provider to global warming. Every single day you use electricity in your house. So every single day you are burning fossil fuels. The reason this is, is because the US's electricity comes from coal and natural gas. Coal and gas are huge contributors to global warming; so all the energy you use in your house is an enormous cause of global warming (Kellet). Though you would think it's one of the more obvious elements causing global warming from studies I've done, its more a hidden factor. I was surprised to find when surveyed only 5% of 20 freshmen high school students knew that a single house was more of a contributor than a single car, and a single factory, and a single cow. I was even more surprised to find that 15% believed a cow was the largest contributor to global warming (see "Extras").

When you cut and burn down trees and rainforests, it has more of an effect than just limiting our oxygen resources. Burning trees and the occurrence of wildfires pollutes the atmosphere and heats up the earth. When rainforest are burned or cut down along with it plants are killed. The problem there is that plants have the capability of changing carbon dioxide into breath able oxygen. When they are destroyed that can't happen. The government believes that the rainforest serve no value to they should be removed. As a result 80 to 150 acres of rain forest are destroyed every single minute (Cater).

In addition to the major causes there are small causes that some people may not take the time to think about. One of those things is the methane. Methane comes form cows and is a gas that is twenty times more able to absorb heat than carbon dioxide. Which means methane is actually a very significant contribution to global warming (Kellet). Another important cause is volcanic eruptions. Though the occurrence of volcanoes erupting isn't too common when they do it sends ash and sulfate gas into the atmosphere (Shaw). The last culprit contribution to global warming is cement production. Cement production "actually accounts for three percent of greenhouse gas emissions, worldwide"(Kellet).

The Effects

            The effects of global warming are vast and perilous. These impacts effect everyone around the world weather they know it or not. All the major impact surround around the one most important effect of global warming. Global warming as stated above means the rise in temperature, and that is what's happening. The temperature is rising and has in the last century. The average over the entire worlds temperature have risen 1 degree Fahrenheit. The rise in temperature has lead and will lead to many horrible and appalling outcomes (Kellet).

One of those outcomes is the melting of glaciers. Though this doesn't sound so bad, but in reality in could have one of the largest impacts on our earth in all of history. If the glaciers all melt the water levels could rise leaving shocking impact the costal cities. In the city of Bangladesh if the sea levels were to raise forty inches, tens of thousands of people would lose their homes have to be relocated. Islands could just disappear altogether (Shaw). In fifty years a good portion of San Francisco could be underwater (Truth).  The sea levels have already risen. Its been theorized that the sea levels are rising at the speed of 1/10 of and inch per year.

Not only does the melting of glacier effect humanity, but animals too. Polar bears live in the Artic and are the brink of extinction. They depend on the ice to survive. When the ice melts within 100 years they will just drown. Why do these poor animals have to suffer from our wrong doings (Garrido)?

No only are the polar bears undergoing hardships but other animal and even plant are enduring adjustment. Some plants or animal have adapted to certain environment and climates. As the earth begins to heat up those certain environments for the plants and animals will no longer have the right kind of climate for them (Garrido).

As the earth heats up it causes changes in the ocean. When the ocean current change its drastically affecting the hydrological cycle. That can cause alteration such as rain in places where it doesn't rain as much and visa versa. All kinds of extreme weather can be a result of higher temperatures (Kellet). Not only that but it can cause tsunamis and hurricane just from a few degrees up (Truth).  

What can be done?

Global warming is crisis indeed, but it is not inescapable. Crises in the world today such as genocide in Africa and the war in Iraq aren't controllable. We, as individuals, can't do anything about them, but share our views. With Global warming you can do something. The world as whole or merely in an individual in a small town is capable of helping prevent the world from our dreadful future. 

People can do small things such as ride your bike every now and then, or carpool.  You can do larger things such as buy a hybrid car or make an educational movie. Someone can even start an organization fighting global warming. From planting a tree to doing a research report to learn all you know about global warming, you can be one step closer to saving the earth.

As Al Gore says, " this is our only earth"(Truth), and as I say, we cant turn our back on it just when it needs our help.