WHAT IS GLOBAL WARMING ?

Global Warming is defined as the increase of the average temperature on Earth. As the Earth is getting hotter, disasters like hurricanes, droughts and floods are getting more frequent
Over the last 100 years, the average temperature of the air near the Earth´s surface has risen a little less than 1° Celsius (0.74 ± 0.18°C, or 1.3 ± 0.32° Fahrenheit). Does not seem all that much? It is responsible for the conspicuous increase in storms, floods and raging forest fires we have seen in the last ten years, though, say scientists.



Their data show that an increase of one degree Celsius makes the Earth warmer now than it has been for at least a thousand years. Out of the 20 warmest years on record, 19 have occurred since 1980. The three hottest years ever observed have all occurred in the last eight years, even.

SOURCEhttp://knowledge.allianz.com/en/globalissues/climate_change/global_warming_basics/global_warming_definition.html

What Is The Greenhouse Effect?

The sun is the Earth’s primary energy source, a burning star so hot that we can feel its heat from over 150 million kilometers away. Its rays enter our atmosphere and shower upon on our planet. About one third of this solar energy is reflected back into the universe by shimmering glaciers, water and other bright surfaces. Two thirds, however, are absorbed by the Earth, warming land, oceans, and atmosphere.



Much of this heat radiates back out into space, but some of it is stored in the atmosphere. This process is called the greenhouse effect. Without it, the Earth’s average temperature would be a chilling -18 degrees Celsius, even despite the sun’s constant energy supply.
sourcehttp://knowledge.allianz.com/en/globalissues/climate_change/global_warming_basics/global_warming_greenhouse_effect.html


In a world like this, life on Earth would probably have never emerged from the sea. Thanks to the greenhouse effect, however, heat emitted from the Earth is trapped in the atmosphere, providing us with a comfortable average temperature of 14 degrees.



Sunrays enter the glass roof and walls of a greenhouse. But once they heat up the ground, which, in turn, heats up the air inside the greenhouse, the glass panels trap that warm air and temperatures increase. But our planet has no glass walls; the only thing that comes close to acting as such is our atmosphere. But unfortunately, in here, processes are way more complicated.

Global Warming: The Cold, Hard Facts?

Global Warming, as we think we know it, doesn't exist. And I am not the only one trying to make people open up their eyes and see the truth. But few listen, despite the fact that I was one of the first Canadian Ph.Ds. in Climatology and I have an extensive background in climatology, especially the reconstruction of past climates and the impact of climate change on human history and the human condition. Few listen, even though I have a Ph.D, (Doctor of Science) from the University of London, England and was a climatology professor at the University of Winnipeg. For some reason (actually for many), the World is not listening. Here is why.


What would happen if tomorrow we were told that, after all, the Earth is flat? It would probably be the most important piece of news in the media and would generate a lot of debate. So why is it that when scientists who have studied the Global Warming phenomenon for years say that humans are not the cause nobody listens? Why does no one acknowledge that the Emperor has no clothes on?

Believe it or not, Global Warming is not due to human contribution of Carbon Dioxide (CO2). This in fact is the greatest deception in the history of science. We are wasting time, energy and trillions of dollars while creating unnecessary fear and consternation over an issue with no scientific justification. For example, Environment Canada brags about spending $3.7 billion in the last five years dealing with climate change almost all on propaganda trying to defend an indefensible scientific position while at the same time closing weather stations and failing to meet legislated pollution targets.
sourcehttp://www.causesofglobalwarming.net/cold_hard_facts_article.html

CAUSES OF GLOBAL WARMING

Global warming is caused by several things, which include man-made or anthropogenic causes, and global warming is also caused by natural causes.

Natural Causes
Natural causes are causes that are created by nature. One natural cause is a release of methane gas from arctic tundra and wetlands. Methane is a greenhouse gas and a very dangerous gas to our environment. A greenhouse gas is a gas that traps heat in the earth's atmosphere. Another natural cause is that the earth goes through a cycle of climate change. This climate change usually lasts about 40,000 years.

SOURCEhttp://www.causesofglobalwarming.net/the_causes.html

MAN MADE CAUSES OF GLOBAL WARMING

Man-made causes probably do the most damage to our planet. There are many man-made causes of global warming. Pollution is one of the biggest man-made problems. Pollution comes in many shapes and sizes. Burning fossil fuels is one thing that causes pollution. Fossil fuels are fuels made of organic matter such as coal, or oil. When fossil fuels are burned they give off a green house gas called CO2. Also, mining coal and oil allows methane to escape. How does it escape? Methane is naturally in the ground. When coal or oil is mined you have to dig up the earth a little bit. When you dig up the fossil fuels you dig up the methane as well letting it escape into the atmosphere.

Another major man-made cause of Global Warming is population. More people means more food, and more methods of transportation. That means more methane because there will be more burning of fossil fuels (if you're into gas burning cars like our planet is), and more agriculture. If you've been in a barn filled with animals and you smelled something terrible, you were smelling methane. Another source of methane is manure. Because more food is needed to feed the population we have to raise food. Animals like cows are a source of food which means more manure and hence more methane. Another problem with the increasing population is transportation. More people means more cars, and more cars means more pollution. Also, many people have more than one car. There are definitely ways of raising animals and farming that use no manure and no methane. Once we realized the problem we should have stopped immediately using manure. Instead we choose to continue killing the planet. We are a very stubborn race.

Since CO2 contributes to global warming, the increase in population makes the problem worse because we breathe out CO2. Also, the trees that convert our CO2 to oxygen are being cut down because we're using the land that we cut the trees down from as property for our homes and buildings. We are not replacing the trees (trees are a very important part of our eco-system), so we are constantly taking advantage of our natural resources and giving nothing back in return.
SOURCEMan-made causes probably do the most damage to our planet. There are many man-made causes of global warming. Pollution is one of the biggest man-made problems. Pollution comes in many shapes and sizes. Burning fossil fuels is one thing that causes pollution. Fossil fuels are fuels made of organic matter such as coal, or oil. When fossil fuels are burned they give off a green house gas called CO2. Also, mining coal and oil allows methane to escape. How does it escape? Methane is naturally in the ground. When coal or oil is mined you have to dig up the earth a little bit. When you dig up the fossil fuels you dig up the methane as well letting it escape into the atmosphere.

Another major man-made cause of Global Warming is population. More people means more food, and more methods of transportation. That means more methane because there will be more burning of fossil fuels (if you're into gas burning cars like our planet is), and more agriculture. If you've been in a barn filled with animals and you smelled something terrible, you were smelling methane. Another source of methane is manure. Because more food is needed to feed the population we have to raise food. Animals like cows are a source of food which means more manure and hence more methane. Another problem with the increasing population is transportation. More people means more cars, and more cars means more pollution. Also, many people have more than one car. There are definitely ways of raising animals and farming that use no manure and no methane. Once we realized the problem we should have stopped immediately using manure. Instead we choose to continue killing the planet. We are a very stubborn race.

Since CO2 contributes to global warming, the increase in population makes the problem worse because we breathe out CO2. Also, the trees that convert our CO2 to oxygen are being cut down because we're using the land that we cut the trees down from as property for our homes and buildings. We are not replacing the trees (trees are a very important part of our eco-system), so we are constantly taking advantage of our natural resources and giving nothing back in return.
SOURCE


http://www.causesofglobalwarming.net/

EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING

Green house gases stay can stay in the atmosphere for an amount of years ranging from decades to hundreds and thousands of years. No matter what we do, global warming is going to have some effect on Earth. Here are the 5 deadliest effects of global warming.

5. Spread of disease
As northern countries warm, disease carrying insects migrate north, bringing plague and disease with them. Indeed some scientists believe that in some countries thanks to global warming, malaria has not been fully eradicated.



4. Warmer waters and more hurricanes
As the temperature of oceans rises, so will the probability of more frequent and stronger hurricanes. We saw in this in 2004 and 2005.




3. Increased probability and intensity of droughts and heat waves
Although some areas of Earth will become wetter due to global warming, other areas will suffer serious droughts and heat waves. Africa will receive the worst of it, with more severe droughts also expected in Europe. Water is already a dangerously rare commodity in Africa, and according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, global warming will exacerbate the conditions and could lead to conflicts and war.



2. Economic consequences
Most of the effects of anthropogenic global warming won’t be good. And these effects spell one thing for the countries of the world: economic consequences. Hurricanes cause do billions of dollars in damage, diseases cost money to treat and control and conflicts exacerbate all of these.




1. Polar ice caps melting
The ice caps melting is a four-pronged danger.

First, it will raise sea levels. There are 5,773,000 cubic miles of water in ice caps, glaciers, and permanent snow. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, if all glaciers melted today the seas would rise about 230 feet. Luckily, that’s not going to happen all in one go! But sea levels will rise.

Second, melting ice caps will throw the global ecosystem out of balance. The ice caps are fresh water, and when they melt they will desalinate the ocean, or in plain English - make it less salty. The desalinization of the gulf current will “screw up” ocean currents, which regulate temperatures. The stream shutdown or irregularity would cool the area around north-east America and Western Europe. Luckily, that will slow some of the other effects of global warming in that area!

Third, temperature rises and changing landscapes in the artic circle will endanger several species of animals. Only the most adaptable will survive.

Fourth, global warming could snowball with the ice caps gone. Ice caps are white, and reflect sunlight, much of which is relected back into space, further cooling Earth. If the ice caps melt, the only reflector is the ocean. Darker colors absorb sunlight, further warming the Earth.



So what is the solution? Are we just being negative? Are there any positive effects of global warming? What about all the stupid global warming solutions. We welcome your thoughts.

Simmons blogs at Thoughts on Global Warming.


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sourcehttp://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/sciencetech/5-deadliest-effects-of-global-warming/276

HOW CAN WE PREVENT GLOBAL WARMING???

Why do we need to prevent global warming? Before proceeding, let’s scan the post on 10 effects of Global Warming here. Now, we know why we need to prevent runaway global warming, our survival as a species depends on it. We might be alive, kicking, and reading Treasure Nature now, but we can never be sure if our descendants would have the same privilege a century hence.
Our prevention efforts should therefore cover the reduction or greenhouse gas emission, particularly carbon dioxide, and increase the number of air scrubbers, plants that utilize the gas to make food.
We’ve been having a foreboding discussion on the runaway increase in global temperature and its effects, let’s get ready for some fun with these five (5) global warming prevention tips:
1. Get acquainted with the Personal Five (P5).
A previous article in Treasure Nature enlightened us on the five (5) Rs that we try to implement in our daily living: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repair, and Refuse. Click here to read the article. Basically, the least raw materials turned into new stuff, the less energy used in the heavy and manufacturing industries, and the less emission generated in power production.
2. Conserve electricity
Unless we live “off the grid,” there’s always a chance we are using electricity generated with carbon dioxide emitting fossil fuels. Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) have been around for more than 10 years yet it’s surprising that it’s only getting much-deserved attention only recently, when next generation Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamps are right around the corner.
Aside from using CFL where applicable, we can institute other energy-saving measures such as unplugging all unused electronics and the PC. It’s actually fun to make a list of possible ways we can reduce energy wastage right within our own homes. Do it now!
3. Reduce gas or petrol consumption.
Eliminating gas or petrol altogether in our lives is difficult to do, considering how we live in car cultures. What we CAN do is reduce our consumption of these fossil fuels, especially since they are non-renewable too. We can ride in groups, bike around town (also great for burning-off extra insulation), walk, and take public transportation.
For those contemplating buying new cars for city transport, consider high-mileage low-emission types like the Tata Nano, the Air Car, or the more stylish and expensive Smart ForTwo. If one family with a car doesn’t burn a gallon of gas per week, how much would that add up to in reducing carbon dioxide and conserving fuel?
4. Grow plants.
Plant trees to help the environment, that’s what we always hear. Fine if we are fortunate enough to have a farm or homestead. How about for those living in an urban environment?
All green plants use carbon dioxide to produce food and oxygen and nobody stops us from having a few indoor plants, miniature sunflowers on the window sill, or a pot (we’re not referring to that five-fingered species) garden in an apartment rooftop. Indoor plants also scrub the carbon dioxide laden air of rooms.
5. Get involved
We don’t necessarily have to go out there in the open ocean and face down whaling ships or live in ancient trees so they won’t be cut down to get involved. Doing any one of the Personal 5 on a daily basis already shows that we care and are doing something. We can also support the local recycling drive or vote for candidates who have been known to be involved with environmental concerns (not necessarily running on an environmental platform).
Why five when it is more common to have a top 10 list? Because environmental issues and global warming are really not that complicated. Armed with this short list, we can already make a difference