GLOBAL WARMING/CLIMATE CHANGE - SUMMARY

Causes CO2: It is produced naturally by the decomposition of organic materials, growing plants, and weathering of rocks. It is also produced by the burning of fossil fuels - coal, oil and natural gas. Fossil fuels are essentially stored carbon, left over from the bodies of plants and animals that died millions of years ago and were trapped underground i.e.use of furnaces and coal fires, aircrafts and cars, industrial plants,etc Methane, CH4, from paddy fields- produced by the bacterial decomposition of vegetation under water in flooded rice fields, from cattle or "ruminants" (because they "ruminate") have four stomachs complicated process of digesting the grass the food is fermented, producing a large quantity of CH4 gas as a by-product which the cow expels. Landfills ( population and trash) Fossil fuels, deforestation, natural gas pipes N2O: nitrous oxide is produced by bacterial decomposition of organic matter and by humans in soil management, manure management, fertilizers, industrial processes and sewage treatment. H2O: water vapor is always present in the atmosphere. CFC: Small quantities of these in existence in atmosphere since Montreal Protocol stopped new production but by far the "best" or worst greenhouse gases. Increased global population, industrialization, technology, consumption and transportation have all lead to a greater demand for energy resources usually in the form of fossil fuels. Oceans will absorb more heat energy, making hurricanes and typhoons more common. Changes in ocean current patterns - the world's weather patterns will be altered significantly flooding in some areas/droughts in others Areas like USA and Canada will become warmer and drier and the agricultural plains might become too dry to support dry-land farming but some areas will have longer growing seasons. Increased human migration due to all kinds of disasters. Increase in weather related deaths due to more extreme weather Changes in seasons early spring, increase in distribution of disease organisms e.g. pathogens (malaria, meningitis, West Nile virus, Dengue fever, etc) Melting of polar ice caps and glaciers which would raise the sea level, flooding up to 20% of the world's land mass. (bye-bye Florida and especially Holland, which is already half-inside the sea-they just retrieved it by building canals, dykes and flood barriers) Melting of permafrost leading to subsistence of trees and buildings. Habitat destruction from many of the above effects. E.g. polar bears Ocean acidity increases bleaching of coral reefs loss of important productive ecosystem The construction of climate models is difficult because of feedback processes: : Polar ice caps melt - ice reflects back sunlight instead of absorbing - when ice decreases, warming speeds up. : The Earth warms - more water evaporates - more clouds form - clouds reduce the amount of heat reaching Earth - the warming trend will slow down. Particulate (from soot/smoke/smog) pollution cools down (reverses effect) as sunlight cannot penetrate the atmosphere (global dimming) Global treaties: Rio (92), Kyoto (97) to reduce emissions (Copenhagen (09)) Transport: Car pool, use more efficient, cleaner fuels (ethanol/gasoline mix), hybrid vehicles, use public transport, impose carbon (commuter) tax Energy: use alternative/renewable sources of energy Forests (carbon sink): plant trees, don't clear cut existing forest for development, agriculture or biofuels Home: more efficient light bulbs, reduce heating, hot water use, install insulation, heat reflecting roof tiles, switch to renewable power Carbon Sequestration (storage): plant trees, store underground or in the ocean, practice sustainable agriculture Carbon trading: CAP and TRADE policies

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Solutions