Global Warming

Impact of Global Warming

Potential Effects on the World

One problem is melting of ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland where would increase world’s sea level. This would cause people to live in distant low-lying coastal regions. Would affect countries with a lot of people

Precipitation total of world would increase because evaporation of oceans. Amount of precipitation might increase more in wet areas and decrease more in drier areas. Places such as Southern Canada would suffer from too dry

World’s forests would suffer from change in precipitation. Die if regions became too dry and trees are needed to help prevent large amounts of carbon dioxide. Also trees would start growing in different places so logging factories would have to move

Glaciers would shrink and some even completely disappear

Some agricultural regions become more productive (arctic areas can now be farmed in). Some become less productive because too warm.

A lot of people would abandon their homes because of bad weather conditions or increased sea levels. These are “climate change refugees”

The Dilemma of Global Warming

We do not know if global warming is for sure or if it is just abnormally warm for a while. Global warming is dilemma with conflicting issues that make it difficult to know what actions to take to stop it

How Can We Reduce Global Warming

We must reduce amount of carbon dioxide that we release into atmosphere

We must find way to remove some of carbon dioxide that already exists

In order to accomplish this, we must minimize activities that release fixed carbon into air and must protect and expand carbon sinks

Minimizing the Release of Fixed Carbon

• burning of fossil fuels is cause of releasing fixed carbon
• way to cut back is to expand on new types of fuel and alternative energy technologies that aren’t carbon-based (alternative energy sources like wind, solar and hydroelectric)
• also use energy-efficient devices like hybrid cars

Protect and Expand Carbon Sinks

• forests are most obvious carbon sinks we must protect
• people cut down forests because: need wood for lumber or paper-making, clear land for farming, or to obtain wood for fuel for cooking and heating
• must do three things in future to protect and expand forests
• first must make sure absolutely need to cut down tree before we do
• second, must use wood from each tree as efficiently as possible
• last, must plant trees in as many places as possible, including recently cut areas
• some schools plant trees and bushes to absorb carbon dioxide in the air

OCEANS AS CARBON SINKS

This is very important because their plant life (phytoplankton) are most important carbon sinks of all. We must protect carbon sinks by preventing ocean pollution that damages the phytoplankton. Global warming warms the water and this causes the water to release more carbon dioxide than cool water would

International Efforts to Limit Global Warming

People can together and made treaty in 1980s and agreed to limit production of greenhouse gases and promote the increase of carbon sinks (1992, 16+ countries) By signing this treaty, they agree to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in atmosphere at safe level. Some developed countries agreed to target reducing Greendhouse Gases emissions to 1990 levels by 2000 and developing countries agreed to pursue sustainable development. On per-person basis, developed countries produce a lot more greenhouse gases than developing countries.

In 1997, 38 countries, including Canada, agreed to reduce emissions between 2008-12 to levels 5.2% below 1990 levels.

What You Can Do To Limit Global Warming

Each of us creates an ecological footprint on Earth and we must make right choices to reduce global warming.

Now that you understand, maybe you can step up and do something to help; I hope you took this article seriously.