Global Warming Articles News and Facts

The earth has certainly been hot these days. It was really observed as such since there was fire and dust which made the skies of Indonesia turn orange because of drought. It was really so as different hurricanes and tsunami hit the different part of USA and even on the other part of Asia. Also, there are real observations on the size of the ice in the Arctic and Antarctic has been recorded and this has supported the real effect of earth's warming. Natural disasters have truly been a part of the problems in most countries. Nowadays, this has become more common and evident in international news as before. This is truly the result of global warming.

Melting ice caps, species extinction, irregular weather patterns, scorching heat waves, violent storms, these are few of the many effects that we are presently experiencing from the occurrence of global warming. Global warming is a term addressed to a specific case of the more general term "climate change." Changes in the Earth's climate are not something new and historically, natural factors such as volcanic eruptions, Earth's orbital changes, and the amount of released solar energy were recorded to have contributed to these climate changes. Since the onset of these climate changes, the introduction of human activities starting late in the 18th century has dramatically changed the composition of the Earth's atmosphere. This Industrial Revolution has overwhelmingly contributed to the rapid change in Global climate in an unprecedented scale. That changed with the introduction of the Industrial Revolution late in the 18th century, when human activities began to alter the global climate and environment.

Arctic sea ice has now surpassed all previous records for the lowest absolute minimum summer extent. The "stunning record low" of 4.13 million square kilometers was recorded by satellite images on September 16, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center. The previous record, 5.32 million square kilometers, was measured on September 20-21, 2005.

The minimum for 2007 is smaller by 1.19 million square kilometers (460,000 square miles) than the previous low, roughly the size of Texas and California combined, or nearly five United Kingdoms. This year also saw the extended opening of the Northwest Passage through islands north of Canada for the first time.
See http://nsidc.org

Greenhouse gases and global warming

Greenhouse gases regulate our climate by trapping heat and holding it in a kind of warm-air blanket that surrounds the planet. They are necessary for keeping the Earth's temperature warm enough to support life. This occurrence is scientifically called the "greenhouse effect." The problems related to global warming which we have encountered for decades started when human activities added more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere which disrupt and speeds up the natural process thereby warming the planet to more than the right temperature. Scientists revealed that as the concentrations of these gases continue to increase in the atmosphere, the Earth's temperature will also continue to climb above past levels eventually making the Earth become less habitable for humans, plants and animals. Burning fossil fuels by driving cars, using electricity from coal-fired power plants, or heating our homes with oil or natural gas are just some of the human activities that emit this carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in overwhelming proportion.

The Industrial Revolution

The onset of the industrial revolution has paved way for the advancement of human technology. As more people relied on technology, numerous tools and devices were invented to make life easier for men. However, the emergence of these inventions has also resulted in the dependence of man to energy. The influx of energy usage from fossil fuels, coal, oil or gas has also resulted in the inception of human-induced rapid climate change. The demand for energy around the world is currently at more than 80% of the world-wide energy demand. Most of this is from fossil fuels such as gas, oil, and coal. Since the energy demand is too high, there hasn't any other alternative source yet with this magnitude which could replace fossil fuels in the short or medium term. Thus the drastic increase in the emission of CO2 (carbon dioxide) within the last 30 years caused by burning fossil fuels has been identified as the major reason for the change of temperature in the atmosphere.

Global warming and its consequences

For decades, the rapid pace at which the temperature has risen had already resulted in many negative impacts to humans and the environment and this has created a world-wide concern. Most scientists believe that the warming of the climate will lead to more extreme weather patterns which may accelerate species extinction, influence the length of seasons, results in poor yield of crops, trigger flooding in costal lines, sets off abrupt climate changes and results to more frequent and violent storms.

Scientific researches have already revealed that the effects of global warming in the 21st century and beyond are expected to be disastrous. Many of these changes are already under way. Recent studies conducted by Working Group II of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), states that the increased greenhouse gas concentrations are very likely to increase the Earth's average temperature, influence precipitation, and some storm patterns as well as raise sea levels. Moreover, the United States National Academy of Sciences has warned that "greenhouse" warming and other human alterations of the earth system may increase the possibility of large, abrupt, and unwelcome regional or global climatic events.

A board organized by the U.S National Research Council in June 2006 expressed a "high level of confidence" that Earth as we know it today has experienced the hottest climate for the last 400 years, and possibly even the last 2,000 years. Studies have shown that, for the last century, there has been an increase in the average global surface temperature of roughly 0.3-0.6 degree Celsius (0.5-1 degree Fahrenheit). This global warming will potentially lead to future large-scale and possibly permanent effects at continental as well as global scales. The likelihood, magnitude, and timing is uncertain and contentious but some examples of projected impacts that will occur are more frequent and more intense heat waves, severe storms, droughts, degraded water quality, more floods, and increased spread of infectious diseases. If for the past 100 years such overwhelming effects were observed while the globe warmed up by an estimated average of merely 0.6 degree Celsius (1 degree Fahrenheit), this phenomenon will likely get worse by the year 2100. By that time, temperatures could increase by 6 degree Celsius (11 degree Fahrenheit).

The effects of global warming will be felt in every region worldwide and at all levels of society. Reports from the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) confirmed with 90 percent certainty that global warming is now inevitable and humans are primarily accountable for a significant portion of the heat-trapping greenhouse gases that have caused global temperatures to rise significantly since the middle of the 20th century. It also made clear that while poor people worldwide will suffer most from the effects of global warming, no person on Earth will escape its consequences.

In general global temperatures have risen since the 19th century industrial revolution. There is little scientific question the reason is a steep increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide — CO2 — from human use of fossil fuels. Methane, ozone, other gases and dusts have also increased greatly. The mechanism of our atmosphere is that gases like CO2 and methane trap some of the sun's radiation and hold it in the lower atmosphere, heating it. The natural greenhouse effect made the earth warm enough for life, but the effect is much higher now. Ice core records show that whenever CO2 has increased in the earth's past, so has temperature. The recent increase in atmospheric CO2 is 200 times as great as any previous change seen in the ice cores. The current level is 380 parts per million, the highest in more than 650,000 years. It shows no signs of decreasing.

This increase caused earth's average atmospheric temperature to go up about 1. degree F in the 20th century. Now, according to NOAA, the global warming rate in the last 25 years has risen to 3.6 degrees F per century. This tends to confirm the predictions of temperature increases made by international panels of climate scientists (IPCC). The ocean has actually absorbed most of the added CO2 and heat — becoming warmer and very slightly more acidic. These increases, seemingly small, have a giant effect on weather, climate zones, plants and animals, sea life, glaciers and river flow — and thus human life. My project and this Web site seek to document these changes. For more on past climate and today's weather, see especially the Paleoclimate and Weather sections.

Solutions such as fuel efficient vehicles may be invented and supported by the government. Another solution is by protecting the forest which absorbs the heat. Forest conservation is also a notable solution that every sector in the community can be involved. For personal solution, global warming could be resolved by taking actions personally by conserving energy and fuel like using energy efficient appliances, saving electricity by unplugging unused home devices and use vehicles that are energy efficient or uses no or less gas. You can also be involved in community activities that encourage global warming awareness and reduction such as energy efficiency, waste management, tree planting and promotion vehicles that use less gas.

Global issues, especially which concerns the environment will never go unnoticed by interested faculties of the society. Debates whether climate or temperature changes are either caused by natural phenomenon or the increasing human industrial activities or both has taken much more of the time than the advocacy of environmental cleanliness itself.

To what degree has global warming become a dreadful threat nowadays? Has it increased since the very first day it has been detected? If it is affected by natural occurrences does man have the power to overcome it? If it is man himself who are directly responsible, will it be an accepted fact that it has become a price to pay for technological and industrial success? If it is both, then will it remain to be an educational discussion or interesting research for the learned, or matters should immediately be brought even to the least sector of the society?

Existing debates should ideally stir up curiosity and alarm to human individuals if global warming has been a global matter. It should go beyond local and national problems since the Erath is the only planet available for us to live in. If the manner would become political of who's the villain and who's the main cast of the show may encourage a cold shoulder from those who should be really concerned.