Is global warming real?

There are some people who question themselves, is global warming real?  

According to scientist David Keith, the answer to this is yes. "There is no disagreement among really anybody who is scientific in any way that the world is a lot warmer than it was 100 years ago," says David Keith.  However, there are several factors as to why people do not believe that global warming is a real issue.  They do not believe that data shows a measureable upward trend in global temperatures.  This is because we either don’t have enough historical data, or because the data that we have is not clear enough.  Some scientists think that people who are already concerned about the effects of global warming are reading the data incorrectly.  Instead of looking at the data objectively, they are searching for evidence as to why global warming is real.  Some people also believe that any shift in global temperatures is natural.  They believe that it could be due to other factors other than greenhouse gases.  

Works Cited 

"HowStuffWorks "The Global Warming Controversy"" Howstuffworks "Science" Web. 02 Nov. 2010. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/global-warming7.htm>. 

"Is Global Warming Real? : Discovery News." Discovery News: Earth, Space, Tech, Animals, Dinosaurs, History. Web. 02 Nov. 2010. <http://news.discovery.com/earth/is-global-warming-real.html>. 

PLANET PERFORMANCE. Web. 02 Nov. 2010. <http://www.planetperformance.org/>. 

Effects on fun activities

Global warming is an event that seems to be a destroyer of all the fun!  Fun activities are another effect of climate change.  For one, many families find going to pick out their Christmas tree a fun activity to do before the holidays.  The pine bark beetle feeds on and kills pine trees.  This bug is held in control with cold temperatures.  This species is now killing off entire forests throughout British Columbia.  With an increase in temperatures, another activity that will be at a bare minimal due to global warming is ski competitions and ski vacations.  People can also say goodbye to their nice, well put together gardens and lawns.  Poison ivy will also be a lot more common because it grows more due to an increase in CO2 levels.  Global warming may also cause devastation to some fisherman.  Fly-fishing will be nearly impossible because as water temperatures continue to rise, rainbow trout may disappear over the next century.  Snorkeling is another fun activity that will be affected by global warming.  Many coral reefs have been bleached due to global warming.  This is influenced by the increase in water temperatures and bacteria.  Therefore, global warming may have an effect on fun activities sometime in the near future.            

Works Cited 

"» Social Media for a Fly Fishing Instructor | John W. Ellis." John W. Ellis | Search Engine Marketing. Web. 30 Oct. 2010. <http://www.johnwellis.com/2008/04/social-media-for-a-fly-fishing-instructor/>. 

"The Top 100 Effects of Global Warming." Center for American Progress. Web. 30 Oct. 2010. <http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2007/09/climate_100.html>. 

Economic Effects

Obviously, there are many physical effects to global warming.  There are some non-physical effects as well.  These are known as the economic consequences.  One example is crop yields.  Due to the loss of agriculture because of the intense warm weather, there will be a yield in crops.  Lower crop yields can amount to a net economic loss of 5 billion dollars a year!  All of the physical effects that global warming has, calls for clean up.  This costs money as well.  In fact, a lot of money!  Clean up will be needed for the increase in wildfires, hurricanes, and flooding.  Homes from hurricanes will be destroyed and it takes finances to restore them.  The amount of money sent by Homeland Security to states to combat natural disasters was 180 million dollars.  The amount of federal funding received by the Army Corps of Engineers for the Louisiana flood/hurricane protection programs was 40 million dollars.  The number of major disasters declared by the federal government since 1995 was 562.  This number will keep on rising with the help of global warming, leading us down the path to an economic crisis.   

Works Cited 

"Anne Nisperos." University Blog Service. Web. 29 Oct. 2010. <http://blogs.utexas.edu/annenisperos/>. 

Far, By. "Global Warming: The Economic Effects." Global Warming Causes & Global Warming Effects. Web. 29 Oct. 2010. <http://globalwarming.solveyourproblem.com/global-warming-economic-effects.shtml>. 

"Hurricane Katrina Fact Sheet." Scribd. Web. 29 Oct. 2010. <http://www.scribd.com/doc/265292/Hurricane-Katrina-Fact-Sheet>. 

Kid.Ouch, By A. "5 Deadliest Effects of Global Warming." Popular | Environmental Graffiti. Web. 29 Oct. 2010. <http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/sciencetech/5-deadliest-effects-of-global-warming/276>. 

Melting of Polar Ice Caps

The melting of polar ice caps I believe is another severe effect of global warming.  Sea levels are predicted to drastically rise.  The sea is estimated to rise 230 feet!  Within the next five to seven years, the ice caps could be completely melted. The global ecosystem will be completely thrown off balance because of the melting of these polar ice caps.  Polar ice caps are our fresh water resource.  As they melt, the fresh water will diminish into the ocean water.  The fresh water will make the ocean less salty.  Less salty water will mess up ocean currents, which regulate temperatures.  As temperatures rise, the changing landscapes in the Arctic Circle will endanger several species of animals.  The most adaptable animals are the only ones that will be able to survive!! With the polar ice caps gone, I believe global warming will escalate.  The ice caps are white and reflect sunlight.  The sunlight is mostly reflected back into space.  This helps to keep the Earth cool.  With the ice caps melting, the sunlight will no longer reflect into space as much.  The ocean will become darker.  Dark colors absorb sunlight.  This will cause the ocean to heat up, furthermore contribute to global warming. 

Works Cited 

=, By. "Are the Polar Ice Caps Melting?" The New American. Web. 28 Oct. 2010. <http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/tech-mainmenu-30/environment/2871-are-the-ice-caps-melting>. 

Kid.Ouch, By A. "5 Deadliest Effects of Global Warming." Popular | Environmental Graffiti. Web. 27 Oct. 2010. <http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/sciencetech/5-deadliest-effects-of-global-warming/276>. 

"NOVA | Mystery of the Megavolcano | Why Toba Matters Image 6 | PBS." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. Web. 28 Oct. 2010. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/megavolcano/shin-06.html>. 

Drought

I believe another serious consequence of global warming is the increase probability of droughts and heat waves.  The 10 warmest years in the past century have all occurred since 1985.  1998 was the warmest year on record and 2001 was the second warmest.  Droughts will continue to increase as more and more greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere, causing the Earth’s temperature to rise.  This warming process of the atmosphere will cause intensification in the hydrologic cycle.  There will be an increase of evaporation over both land AND water.  During the warm season, this drought will deeply affect Earth’s soils and vegetation.  Wildfires are also predicted to be more common.  The timing and amount of rainfall is also being predicted to change because of global warming.  The combination of increase in evaporation and decrease in rainfall is the perfect recipe for severe, long-lasting droughts.  This severe drought is predicted to occur in the next 100 years and take over half the land surface on the planet, threatening the life’s of millions!!!  Some climate researchers even see these predictions as being an underestimation.  Africa is expected to see the worst effects of droughts.  Conditions of droughts can become dangerous very quickly and the consequences can include any of the following.  The destruction of food sources such as crops leads to hunger and famine.  A decrease amount of water leads to thirst.  The lack of water also increases probability of disease because there is less clean water to drink and use for public sanitation.  Therefore, drought is seen as a very hazardous effect of global warming. 

Works Cited 

"An American Drought? | Keetsa Mattress Store – Keetsa! Blog – Eco-Friendly and Green News." Keetsa Mattress Store- Eco-friendly and Green Memory Foam/Latex Mattresses | Home. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. <http://keetsa.com/blog/world-map/north-america/an-american-drought/>. 

"Global Warming to Cause Massive Drought over next 100 Years, Say Climatologists." Independent News on Natural Health, Nutrition and More. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. <http://www.naturalnews.com/020649.html>. 

Google. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. <http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&q=effects of global warming droughts&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&pbx=1&fp=499faa430ac3503f>. 

West, By Larry. "Drought - What Are the Effects of Drought?" Environmental Issues - News and Information about the Environment. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. <http://environment.about.com/od/environmentalevents/a/droughteffects.htm>. 

Tropical Storms

Global warming’s contribution to warmer waters and Earth’s atmosphere brings the following idea to our attention.  Intense hurricanes!!!  Hurricanes rely on warm, tropical water as their main energy source.  Trying to identify hurricane behavior is an extremely difficult process, but researchers are just beginning to feel like they are capable of determining it.  Due to Earth’s increasing temperatures and levels of greenhouse gases, the strongest hurricanes in the present climate may be upstaged by even more intense hurricanes over the next century.  Most hurricanes are unable to reach their maximum potential intensity because they weaken over cooler ocean regions, as well as over land.  Due to warmer climate and an increase in sea surface temperatures, hurricanes are expected to be stronger.  Both sea surface temperatures and atmospheric temperatures in surrounding areas of the storm are among the most important factors of how intense the hurricane will be.  Global warming will significantly affect these two factors.  What we do not know is if we will see more storms because of extra energy, or will the storms become more intense but fewer in numbers.  There are approximately an average number of 90 tropical storms a year, but there is no clear trend in the annual numbers.  The graph below illustrates the annual frequency of North Atlantic tropical storms documented from approximately the 1930’s to 2007.     

Works Cited 

"Does Global Warming Cause Hurricanes? : Discovery News." Discovery News: Earth, Space, Tech, Animals, Dinosaurs, History. Web. 25 Oct. 2010. <http://news.discovery.com/earth/does-global-warming-cause-hurricanes.html>. 

"Global Warming and Hurricanes." NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. Web. 25 Oct. 2010. <http://www.research.noaa.gov/spotlite/archive/spot_gfdl.html>. 

"Google Image Result for Http://www.lizasreef.com/HOPE FOR THE OCEANS/Images HFTO/Hurricane.jpg." Google. Web. 25 Oct. 2010. <http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.lizasreef.com/HOPE%20FOR%20THE%20OCEANS/Images%20HFTO/Hurricane.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.lizasreef.com/HOPE%20FOR%20THE%20OCEANS/oceans_global_warming.htm&usg=__8Xvc20cZnhK-pvN3-x3q4oHDXFI=&h=353&w=471&sz=34&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=GaWU_YWRYWFoqM:&tbnh=152&tbnw=211&prev=/images?q=global+warming+hurricanes&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&gbv=2&biw=1255&bih=609&tbs=isch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=152&vpy=257&dur=418&hovh=160&hovw=213&tx=176&ty=37&ei=gEvFTI75K4L6lwfQ44gD&oei=gEvFTI75K4L6lwfQ44gD&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0>. 

"What Is the Link between Hurricanes and Global Warming?" Skeptical Science: Examining Global Warming Skepticism. Web. 25 Oct. 2010. <http://www.skepticalscience.com/hurricanes-global-warming.htm>. 

Spread of Disease

One traumatic effect of global warming, I believe, is the spread of disease.  As northern countries become warmer, disease-carrying insects are migrating north.  These insects travel bearing disease, plague, bacteria and viruses. Diseases carried by rodents and other mammals may also be impacted by climate change.  This will significantly cause harm to a wide variety of species, such as humans and animals.  The thousands of birds wiped out in Hawaii, has seemed to be caused by climate change, which contributed to this epidemic of avian malaria. Researchers state that humans are also in danger of malaria, as well as dengue and yellow fever.  As milder winters permit the survival of more and more mosquitoes, cases of malaria and yellow fever will become more and more common.  As the Earth warms up, bird flu is another example of a disease that is likely to spread.  Global warming has contributed to a dramatic loss of wetlands throughout the world.  This trend is causing birds to migrate north.  Instead of using wetlands as their stopping points, they land on animal farms where they interact with domestic poultry.  This is risking the spread of disease via animal-to-human and human-to-human contact.  The spread of insect-borne disease has also been a cause of the distemper in African lions.  Coral reefs have been bleached from the attack of diseases, which continue to spread from the warming seas. 

Works Cited 

"Diseases Spread as Climate Changes." Fight Global Warming - Environmental Defense Fund. Web. 22 Oct. 2010. <http://www.fightglobalwarming.com/page.cfm?tagID=243>. 

"Global Warming May Spread Diseases - CBS News." Breaking News Headlines: Business, Entertainment & World News - CBS News. Web. 22 Oct. 2010. <http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/06/20/tech/main512920.shtml>. 

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What is Global Warming?

Earth as we know it is already showing many signs of a worldwide climate change, known as Global Warming.  

Global Warming is when the Earths temperature rises.  This occurs when Greenhouse gases trap light and heat from the sun within the Earth’s atmosphere.  Average temperatures have climbed 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880.  The 20^th century’s last two decades were the hottest in 400 years!  There are many things that are leading causes of global warming.  Are humans causing it?  Is it our environment?  Is it a natural cycle?  This is an ongoing debate.  Based on the work of 2,500 scientists in over 130 different countries, is has been concluded that humans have caused almost all or most of Earth’s climate change.  Human-caused global warming is often referred to as anthropogenic climate change.  Pollution, deforestation, and industrialization are large factors that have contributed to global warming.  Humans are adding more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than oceans and plants can absorb.  Electrical pollution, such as turning on a light, watching T.V, washing your clothes, listening to the stereo, blow drying your hair, driving your car, heating a meal in the microwave and many more, all contribute to global warming!!! Fossil fuels are burned during these activities to create electricity.  Many pollutants are sent into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned.  Some of these chemicals are in fact greenhouse gases.  These are what trap heat into our atmosphere, causing temperatures to rise.  Some scientists say that natural cycles in the Earth’s orbit can alter the Earth’s exposure to the sun.  Global warming is causing many significant effects throughout the world.   

Works Cited 

"Global Warming Fast Facts." Daily Nature and Science News and Headlines | National Geographic News. Web. 21 Oct. 2010. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1206_041206_global_warming.html>. 

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