GlobalWarming_TurningUpTheHeat


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=**__ Global Warming – Turning up the Heat __**=

Global Warming – What is it?
The earth is expediting what many consider to be the world’s most serious threats to the natural environment, the heating of the environment. The earth’s atmosphere provides us with oxygen and nitrogen, both essential to life (Global Warming). The natural //Green House Effect// is the balance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing, long-wave radiation of the earth. It also traps most of the energy we receive from the sun. The atmosphere also acts as a protective shield; ozone absorbs the majority of the sun’s dangerous ultra violet rays (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).

Without the Green House Effect, all living things on earth would perish due to freezing temperatures. However, too much of it would dramatically increase the earth’s temperature (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). The earth already has a balance in terms of temperatures; however increased levels of Carbon Dioxide, Methane and Nitrous Oxides compound the Green House Effect into Global Warming (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). When we burn down forests, use coal or oil to power fuels, power stations, or drive cars, we are adding to the existing amount of Green House (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).

Carbon Dioxide and Methane
Carbon Dioxide is by far the greatest contributor to Global Warming. Oceans and plants act as sponges, absorbing about half of all carbon dioxide emissions that humans produce (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). Experts know that the amount of carbon dioxide releases into the atmosphere is increasing. Carbon dioxide is responsible for 55% of the earth’s green house gasses. Levels have risen from 200ppm in 1850, to 370ppm currently. There is a specific way that carbon in the atmosphere gets measured. We know that the increasing carbon dioxide levels are anthropogenic, caused by humans, and are not naturally occurring. We know this because, ice core records from Greenland and Antarctica reveal that when global temperatures were the highest, so to was the level of carbon and methane found in these cores (The Gazette).

Similarly, methane is an extremely powerful greenhouse gas, has had a very rapid increase in recent years. Methane comes from a variety of sources such as agriculture practices (rice production), cattle and sheep manure, animal belching, coal mining and drilling for oil and gas; all these produce 2/3rd of all methane produced. Since methane is an extremely powerful greenhouse gas, more than carbon dioxide, it warms the earth twenty three times as much as the same mass of carbon dioxide and takes a decade or so to dispute (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).

Affects of Global Warming
Some of the adverse affects of Global warming is that it is going to cause serious consequences for all species on the planet; plants and animals included and a large amount of deaths will occur, due to climate change and dangerous weather (The Gazette). Developing countries will also face great deal of problems as a result of this. For example, millions of people will be dislocated and will be forced to find homes in overcrowded areas, and more than 300million people will be displaced due to major climate change (Global Warming and Developing Nations).

Other consequences of global warming will be that there will be incresed evaporation due to heat, which will lead to more precipitation, causing intense storms(The Effects and Consequences of Global Warming). An example of this is that the warming of ocean waters greater than 27degrees causes cyclones. Floods are one of the most common and widespread hazards caused by heavy rainfall, rapid snow melt and storm surges (The Impact of Global Warming in North America). In the past 100 years sea levels have risen by 20meteres, studies and research show that this level will only become higher due to global warming (Global Warming Facts). Also, there will be a significant reduction of freshwater supplies, if mountain glaciers begin to melt. Another important fact to consider is that the Arctic warms faster than lower latitudes and “temperatures have increased at almost twice the rate as that of the rest of the world” (ACIA).



Koyoto Protocol
Koyoto Protocol is an international agreement to address climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, cause primarily by burning oil, gas and coal. Canada has an important role in this; on December 10th, 2002, Prime Minister Jean Chretien ratified the Koyoto protocol. The cuts would have to be accomplished by the target period of 2008 to 2012. Canada has agreed to reduce its greenhouse gags emissions by 6% (Envrionment-Climate Change-The Kyoto Protocol).

The plan for how Canada will try to meet its Koyoto commitment is that it will try to update standards for more energy efficient buildings, vehicles and appliances, financial support will be given for public transit and alternative fuels and also financial incentives for smaller businesses will be given to cut their emissions. Also, in April 2007, the government of Canada unveiled its proposal to address smog and climate change. The plan included three more years of consultations with industry on climate change action and used an intensity-based approach to setting targets that ensures that global warming pollution will continue to rise. The government's target of having emissions at 3% below 1990 levels by 2020 is very far from the science-based targets for avoiding dangerous levels of climate change: at least 25% below 1990 levels by 2020 (David Suzuki Foundation).

Criticisms of the Global Warming Theory
Although all these problems exist, and are clearly evident for everyone to see, there are many people that will still argue and feel that humans are not the cause of this problem. The following are some questions that critics are asked, and what their answers are.

> //Data has mostly been collected near growing towns and cities and urban heart islands (asphalt, roads and buildings absorb more heat than surrounding country side).// > //Temperatures that rise this century may fall again in the next century, similar to patterns of ice ages.// > //Sea levels may rise, however melting ice will be recovered through new and increased snowfall// > //The Warming trend we are experiencing may be perfectly normal. Usually before an ice age, the global temperate of the earth rises from 4-8 degrees. > (//Montanari).
 * 1) What do temperature stats really show?
 * 1) What do upward trends on graphs indicate?
 * 1) What happens to extra carbon dioxide that we produce?
 * 1) What happens if the ice melts?



What we DON'T get to see about Global Warming
Banned Documentary about Global Warming (Part 1 of 3) ................ Banned Documentary about Global Warming (Part 3 of 3) media type="youtube" key="j6XB6WTwTNU" height="244" width="325" ................ media type="youtube" key="CCUnMduflrg" height="244" width="325" The scene in this clip (on the left) shows the situation of the seals when they have to give birth on land (due to the lack of ice). It also shows how baby seals are in great danger to get sick, die and get eaten, just in a first few days of their lives (Youtube, OivaLavio, 2007).
 * I encourage people to see the rest of the two clips available on youtube, and read what it says under the information, as it shows what the reality is, due to Global warming, which gets censored by the media.

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