Global Warming... Some people say global warming is terrible and we have to help now. Some people say it is not such a big deal and it is not very important to do much, and some people do not even believe in it. If you think it is terrible and everyone has to do something about it, good for you! Through time, humans have evolved and built bigger and more complex inventions. We need petroleum to fuel our creations, and petroleum is limited on our planet. Just think of all this yucky goop rising into our atmosphere. That is what we are breathing, and that is what we are living in. I know we have learned that trees make oxygen and suck up the CO2, keeping us healthy. Unfortunately, there are too many cars and planes and such for the trees to take in. Fortunately, there are sources for renewable energy, and there are alternatives to fuels. This will not happen in a hundred years. This is happening in your lifetime. This is global warming. What is, and what is affected by global warming? Global Warming is the process in which the atmosphere traps the heat keeping the earth at a livable temperature. Although this trapping of heat is important to our survival, it has started to rise to possibly dangerous levels. Scientists have paid attention this to the burning of fossil fuels, chemicals, and other pollutants that wind up in our atmosphere. In the last century, the levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere have increased by 30%. The effects of global warming are very serious, and extreme changes in weather have become more common then ever. Some areas of the world have already become as much as 5 degrees Fahrenheit warmer. Many scientists and physicians believe global warming may be to blame for the increased infectious diseases, skin cancer and heat related deaths.Many things are affected by global warming. Polar bears in the arctic are dependent on the ice, but the warming temperatures are melting the rapidly. Polar bears are an endangered species. Birds and other species are changing their migration paths, and the seas are rising. When the sea rises, the water covers many low lands. Hurricanes and other severe weathers are likely to be more common as an outcome of global warming. Who is, and who will be affected by global warming? If temperatures increase just two to three degrees by the end of the century, about thirty percent of the species in our world will face extinction. Populations in low-lying lands will be evacuated due to the rising sea level and frequent floods. In locations such as Los Angeles, we will face severe droughts and have to preserve our water preciously. This will result in crop difficulties, more diseases, and starvation. Where will you see the most dramatic changes? You will definitely notice changes in the earth’s most extreme locations, especially the polar areas. In the Northwest Passage in Canada, early explorers weren’t able to cross it. Now, it is possible to cross it. At the North Pole, a fifth of the ice has melted. Antarctica has been losing big parts of ice packs. In Greenland, whole islands that were hidden underneath the ice are now showing for the first time. When is global warming going to happen? Global Warming is happening now. You might not see it, but it is a gradual process. If we don’t stop conserving energy in the next ten years, global warming will be almost irreversible. The next ten years are critical. If we keep at the same pace of energy consumption as we do today, by the end of the century, there will be catastrophic effects. Why does global warming occur? Americans pollute more than any other country per person. Have you ever noticed when you see something you like like an I-Pod? It is wrapped in plastic, or uses electricity, or is composed of metal. Plastic and electricity is the biggest problem. Plastic is made from petroleum and most power plants burn tons of fossil fuels. People are driving a lot every year, and air traffic is so congested that many airports can’t take any more airplanes. How does global warming occur? The primary contributors to the greenhouse effect are greenhouse gasses. Natural greenhouse gases are necessary because without them, the temperature of earth would be fifteen degrees Celsius (60°F) colder. The problem of global warming occurs when there are too many greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. When heat from the sun enters the atmosphere, it comes in as short wave radiation. Short waves pass easily through our clear atmosphere. As the short waves warm the earth’s surface, it is reflected back out from the earth’s surface, but now they have become long wave radiation. The long waves are much less penetrating and are trapped inside our atmosphere. These waves create heat and when they don’t escape our atmosphere, they heat up the climate on earth. This is global warming. Global warming is not one kind of severe weather. It is the cause of several severe weather patterns. It is created by humans. Only a change in how we live can keep it at a halt. Protect your future, and protect others’. The population of the world must follow the basic guidelines: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.