Earth’s Climate History
Earth formed 4.6 billion years ago
Originally very hotSun’s energy output only 70% of present
The Earth’s Climate History
For the past 3 million years, the earth has been experiencing 100,000 year long cycles of glaciations followed by 10,000 year long interglacial periods
Global average air temperature near the Earth's surface rose 0.74 ± 0.18 °Celsius (1.3 ± 0.32 °Fahrenheit) in the last century
What is global warming?
Global warming is the unusually rapid increase in Earth’s average surface temperature over the past century primarily due to the greenhouse gases released by people burning fossil fuels.
Greenhouse Effect
The greenhouse effect is the rise in temperature that the Earth experiences because certain gases in the atmosphere (water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane) trap energy from the sun.
Greenhouse Effect
Greenhouse effect is an essential for life on earth because it plays an important role in regulating the Earth's temperature
But human activities accelerate the natural process.
And when the greenhouse effect becomes stronger, it could make the Earth warmer than usual.
How does carbon dioxide cause global warming?
In the past 150 years, burning fossil fuels has caused a 25 % increase in Carbon dioxide emissions.
When the amount of greenhouse gasses increase the amount of carbon dioxide also increases.
There is a direct relationship between the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide and global temperatures.
Fossil fuels such as gasoline, methane and propane contain mostly carbon.
What human activities cause global warming?
Burning Fossil Fuels , such as coal and oil.
Various agricultural and industrial practices
The destruction of forests which use carbon dioxide also contributes to the increase in carbon dioxide.
Future Carbon Dioxide Levels
Increasing CO2 emissions, especially in China and developing countries.
Likely to double within 150 years: Increased coal usage Increased natural gas usage Decreased petroleum usage
(increased cost and decreasing supply)
Currently, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing at the rate of about one part per million per year.
Consequences of Global Warming
Sea level rise Global temperature rise Shrinking ice sheets Warming Oceans
Impact of global warming on plants and animals
Global warming is having a significant impact on hundreds of plant and animal species around the world although the most dramatic effects may not be felt for decades.
some crops and other plants may respond favorably to increased atmospheric CO2, growing more vigorously and using water more efficiently.
Impact of global warming on plants and animals
Global warming can disrupt the migration, hibernation and reproductive cycles of certain types of animals.
Plants and animals will find it hard to escape or adjust to the effects of warming because humans occupy so much land.
Farmland or cities interrupt the movement of species between habitats.
How we can help global warming?
Plant trees Conserve energy and encourage
others to conserve Buy energy efficient products Buy products that have reusable or
recyclable packaging Reduce use of car
What government can do about global warming?
Research, development and demonstration
Appropriate energy infrastructure investments.
Regulations and standards Taxes and charges carbon Effective carbon-price signal
Barack Obama’s new energy for America plan
Create 5 million new green jobs by investing $150 billion over the next 10 years
Ensure 10% of electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012, and 25% by 2025
Get 1 million hybrid cars on the road by 2015
Implement an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050
Cap and Trade System
Cap and Trade is a simple system that has been shown to help environmental pollutions.
Companies which generate less than that cap can simply sell or trade the amount of pollutions allowed to companies which need to produce more, and those companies who produce more pollutions than the allowed can buy their right to pollute, from companies who pollute less than the limit.
Pros
It would help slow greenhouse gas emissions, cut down pollution, and in turn, the intensity of weather related disasters.
Trading carbon credits would create government revenue and then, reduce the burden on low-income families.
If passed, the U.S. would be a leader in cleaning up the environment and other countries like China would follow.
Cons
Those against cap and trade said humans do not cause climate change, and this would wrongly penalize the American energy industry.
Trading carbon credits would be as unstable as oil commodities and drive up prices.
Some people believe when companies are heavily taxed for production they will just go to other countries that don't tax.
My Opinion
I think it will cost consumers thousands each year because if a company wants to pump out tons of CO2, they just buy the credits, and pass the cost along to their customers.
It bankrupts many companies and kills jobs It does not work because the rest of the
world won’t participate. It will shut down every composting facility in
the US because decomposing plant matter emits a tremendous amount of CO2
Bibliography
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National Research Council (NRC), 2006. Surface Temperature Reconstructions For the Last 2,000 Years. National Academy Press, Washington, DC.
"EEK! -Global Warming is Hot Stuff!." Welcome to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources website.... N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2011. <http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/eek/earth/air/global.htm>.
Kashir, Rino. "Trends in Carbon Dioxide." NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory. N.p., 8 Mar. 2009. Web. 11 Jan. 2011. <http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/co2_data_mlo.html>.
Kowalski, Kathiann M.. Global warming . New York: Benchmark Books, 2004. Archer, David. Global warming: understanding the forecast. Malden, MA:
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