Global Warming 2020

Global Warming Articles : Carbon Dioxide: A-Z of Global Warming by Simon Rosser

Copyright (c) 2008 Simon Rosser
We are now well into our alphabetic A to Z journey on global warming. C for Carbon dioxide is one of the main players in the global warming problem. Carbon dioxide, chemical symbol co2 is a chemical compound composed of one carbon and two oxygen atoms.

CO2 is present in the Earth’s atmosphere at a low concentration, around 0.038% by volume, and is one of many gases that make up Earth’s atmosphere. CO2 is measured in parts per million by volume of air (PPMV). Atmospheric carbon dioxide comes from many natural sources including volcanic eruptions, the combustion of organic matter, the respiration of living aerobic organisms, and unfortunately from manmade (anthropogenic) sources, which we all know from the news is being linked to global warming and climate change.

Since the industrial revolution particularly the mid nineteenth century, the burning of fossil fuels for energy to provide electricity, power factories, homes and for all our transport needs has released massive amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. Not only the burning of fossil fuels, but changes in the use of the land for agriculture and deforestation has further added to global manmade CO2 levels. According to the World Wildlife fund some 29 gigatons which is 29 billion metric tons of CO2 was added to the atmosphere in 2004 alone from burning coal, oil and gas.

If we go back 250 years or so, to pre- industrial times, usually taken to be around 1750, CO2 levels in the atmosphere stood at around 280 parts per million by volume (ppmv). However levels of the gas have been increasing steadily ever since.

HOW DO WE KNOW THIS?

Well, pioneering scientist Charles Keeling (1928-2005) started taking atmospheric CO2 measurements in 1958 from Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii. Those measurements have been recorded and are now known as The Keeling Curve. Charles Keeling was the professor of oceanography at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography (SIO) which is in San Diego, USA, and he followed the work of another eminent scientist and director of the SIO, Roger Revelle. Dr Revelle was instrumental in creating the Geophysical Year in 1958 and SIO’s first programme looking at atmospheric CO2 back in 1956.

Monthly CO2 measurements were collected from a height of 3397 metres (11,140 feet) at the Mauna Loa Observatory situated on the slopes of Earth’s largest volcano, Mauna Loa in Hawaii which was chosen for its remoteness to populations and vegetation so as not to skewer the readings.

Measurements have been taken over a 50 year period between 1958 and present, which show an increase in CO2 levels of 70 ppmv from around 315 ppmv to around their current level of 385 ppmv. The effects of CO2 in the atmosphere can even be measured on a cyclical basis, and this can be seen in the saw toothed keeling graph. Because there is greater land area, and thus far more plant life in the Northern Hemisphere compared to the Southern Hemisphere, there is an annual fluctuation of about 5 ppmv peaking in May and reaching a minimum in October. This corresponds to the Northern Hemisphere growing season. The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere drops towards spring when uptake by the plants and trees by photosynthesis is greatest. The opposite occurs in winter when the plants die off and CO2 levels rise again.

Continuous readings in this way have only been taken since 1958, however scientists have discovered that prior to the industrial era, circa 1750, CO2 levels stood at around 280 ppmv and this data has been revealed from air trapped in ice core records, taken from both the Antarctic and Arctic. Perhaps the most startling is the fact that CO2 levels are now around 85 ppmv higher than at any time during the last 650,000 years. Data from ice core records go back that far and have shown atmospheric CO2 levels to range from 180-300 ppmv during that period. The level of CO2 in our atmosphere now stands at 385 ppmv, and is increasing steadily.

The Keeling curve has become one of the most recognisable images in modern science as it shows with no uncertainty the effects of humankind’s fossil fuel pollution of Earth’s atmosphere.

CO2 levels have increased by 37% since pre-industrial times and have been increasing by an average of almost 1.4 ppmv a year since measurements began in 1958, although some months the figure has been higher, sometimes lower. In the last ten years however, the average increase appears to be around 1.9 ppmv each year, which indicates the rate of increase is increasing.

Whilst CO2 is a natural greenhouse gas, and important in natural concentrations to maintain Earth’s climate, anthropogenic CO2 is now pushing up Earth’s temperature. Earth’s natural sinks, like the Amazon rainforest and the oceans struggle to absorb the additional CO2 now being added to the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels. It is a know scientific fact that higher levels of greenhouse gases, of which CO2 is a component cause a warming of Earth’s atmosphere. If CO2 is not kept in check and continues to rise at current levels it will eventually cause Earth’s temperature to increase to levels which maybe critical to life on Earth.

Earth’s temperature has already increased by 0.74 degrees Celsius (1.33 Fahrenheit ) over the last 100 years……

About the Author
A lawyer by profession,I felt inspired to write The A-Z of Global Warming, published in June 2008, after viewing Al Gore’s documentary, An Inconvenient Truth in Nov 2006. Based on the most upto date scientific information, this Carbon Dioxide extract gives a flavour of the books content. To pre-order the book from Amazon goto http://www.amazon.co.uk/Z-Global-Warming-Simon-Rosser/dp/0955809207/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206442671&sr=1-9

Source: Global Warming News, Climate Change, Greenhouse Gas Effect information at goarticles.com

Global Warming Articles : Global Warming Costing Man a Fortune! by Henry Richardson

Global warming can easily be counted among the burning topics of the modern times. Threatening to bring about acute and devastating climatic changes in the only known living planet, various efforts have been made in order to churn out methods that could negate the effects of this dangerous phenomenon. Global warming is causing and has already caused immense harm to planet earth and its inhabitants. Along with global warming the ever expanding spot in the ozone layer that is the protective layer above the earth protecting us from the ultraviolet rays is another matter of concern for the scientists and also for the common man. The widening of the spot of the ozone layer has caused a large portion of the Antarctic to melt down. We already are aware of the fact that 75% of the earth comprises of water. Melting down of the Antarctic and the arctic zones can eventually end up making our beautiful planet into a huge ocean!
The damage has already been done to a big extent. Global warming is increasing and the spot in the ozone layer is expanding, over and above that we have widespread pollution. The efforts that are being made have not been able to match up with the damage though the rate of damage has kind of stagnated. We are still not in a position to sit and relax. The harms of global warming can be killing for the earth. The acts of the human beings are the primary culprit for the destructive effects of global warming. The acts can be minimized but cannot be stopped. Stopping these acts might put a halt to the growth and development of human beings and industrialization. In such a scenario substitute methods must be found and adopted in order to restore the original health of the earth.

Apart from the tiring work and labor another resource that would be consumed in the fight against global warming is that of finance. A whopping amount of finance would be required in the corrective measures of global warming. In fact according to the estimates global warming is the highest finance consuming environmental disaster. The adverse effects that this phenomenon is having on the greenery of the earth and on the agricultural field can only be amended at an overwhelming price.

The urge to save is in the instinct of human beings. Global warming will cost a fortune is indeed a bad news. But then in the bargain to survive and get extinct, the former will be preferred hands down, no matter for whichever price.

Saving of both finance and labor is one thing that is attracting people towards ecommerce. Even the online merchants try and save by entrusting the task of an ecommerce web site development to an offshore software development company. Be it readymade ecommerce package or custom software development a trader can get the one he likes that too at an affordable rate. This is because there are a number of ecommerce solution providers in the market; it’s up to the trader to take the right call!

About the Author
The writer is an expert on technical topics mainly linked with outsourcing software development. He has penned a number of articles covering development methods, processes, advantages and disadvantages of different software languages as well as use of a good software development company. To knowmore visit the site http://www.infysolutions.com.

Source: Global Warming news, Climate Change, Greenhouse Gas effect information at goarticles.com

Global Warming Articles : Climate Change: Forecasting the Future of Global Warming by Mike Hirn

Most people agree that the long-term effects of global warming will be disastrous for the planet and its inhabitants. But predicting the exact future impact it will have is a very complex task. Those who make predictions about its long-term effects are not likely to do so with one hundred percent accuracy.

Some of the difficulties inherent in forecasting future effects of global warming have to do with those same factors that make it hard for meteorologists to predict the weather correctly on a day-to-day basis. Winds can cool the air or warm it depending on the direction they take. Cloud cover can cool a hot day. Air masses move and cause storms as cool fronts and warm fronts collide. Ocean currents can change the temperature of the land on which they strike. The earth’s atmosphere is constantly in a cycle of evaporation and precipitation. As ice melts in the Polar Regions due to global warming, the ocean temperatures are affected. Evaporation rates are in flux. The courses and speeds of ocean currents cannot be predicted with accuracy. This hard-to predict web of weather and global warming are a series of interrelated events, many of them difficult to forsee.

The task of predicting the future impact of global warming is made more difficult since the actions of people to prevent or expediate it are unknown. Currently there is a strong trend of underdeveloped nations striving for modernization. In the past this has meant using the cheapest industrial equipment available and hence causing a great deal of pollution. However, it is possible that these countries will decide to put an emphasis on preventing global warming and embrace greener technologies.

Increases in world population increase the likelihood of global warming. Statisticians can make educated guesses as to how much the world population will increase, but a number of factors play a part in population growth dynamics. These factors include biological ones, governmental policies, and global economics.

Cars make a huge contribution to greenhoue gases at the present time. Cars with greater fuel efficiency could cut those emissions, and they have already been developed. Research continues to improve their performance. There is a question, though, as to whether the people of the world will embrace these vehicles. A high initial cost will probably prevent poor people from having a hybrid or other fuel efficient vehicles. The extent to which this technology is made available to people from lower income brackets will affect how much greenhouse gas emissions can be cut by their use.

While it is nearly impossible to predict the future of global warming with complete accuracy, it is a subject worthy of consideration. By being able to accurately estimate the damage it will cause, there is more motivation to try to stop it.

About the Author
Knowledge is the key to solving problems associated with the Climate Change and Global Warming situation. You can get more information at www.globalwarming-101.com

Source: Global Warming news, climate change, greenhouse gas effect information at goarticles.com

Global Warming Articles : Climate Change: Climate Changes Due To Global Warming by Mike Hirn

Earth’s climate has always been in a state of constant change. It is part of a normal cycle of planetary events. Yet, most scientists agree that drastic changes are occurring which are due to unnatural global warming.

The climate of the United States has already become warmer. In some locations, the average rise in temperature is four degrees Fahrenheit. Every single state shows some degree of warming.

The first and second warmest years on record were 1998 and 2006, respectively. The years 1999 through 2005 ranked within the warmest 25 years in US history. In 2006, the annual average temperature was 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Recent warm years point to a climate change being brought on by global warming.

Global warming has increased the level of drought. This is caused by the heat that is building up around the earth’s surface. Excessive evaporation intensifies drought during the spring and fall. A major drought in the US lasted from 1999-2002. There were only two other droughts in the last forty years that were so widespread and devastating. Crops were damaged or would not grow at all, thus decreasing the food supply. There have been more and more frequent droughts in the West in recent years. The last 30 years in particular have seen numerous droughts. These droughts have spawned wildfires that set new records in 2006 for the number of fires and acres burned.

While the overall effect of global warming is heat followed by drought, there are also storms. Since global warming energizes the atmosphere, these storms have the potential to be very destructive. Ordinary thunderstorms morph into raging tempests. Hurricanes have also been rated higher in recent years. During a normal rainstorm, water gradually soaks into the earth, causing no more than a minor inconvenience to people and providing plants with a supply of needed moisture. Because of global warming, storms are becoming more intense. Droughts notwithstanding, rainfall totals have risen in the past century. The number of times it rains in a year has also increased. These surprising facts are due to the recent phenomena of increasingly rapid downpours. These downpours are often followed by long, dry periods.

Global warming is responsible for the rapid climactic change of the past half-century. In large part, people have caused the warming that has caused these changes. The earth would be a much more stable environment if we could make it a common goal to cut down on activities that promote global warming.

About the Author
Information is the key to dealing with the Global Warming and Climate Change situation. You can get more information at www.globalwarming-101.com

Source: Global Warming, Climate Change, Greenhouse Gas Effect information at goarticles.com