Global Warming Graphs

By Daniel Lanback

Over the last ten years global warming has been an item of debate although, the one thing that has been agreed upon is that the earth is warming. An agreeable definition is one that tells us that greenhouse gasses are the cause of the warming of the earth. The controversy continues as to the cause of global warming and how will it eventually affect the earth. There has even been some controversy as to whether it exists. There is no argument as to the rise in the earth’s temperature as is has risen, in the past one hundred years, from 0,45 -.06 degrees Celsius.

The controversy is caused by those that believe and those that are skeptical. Those that believe feel that greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are a shield trapping the heat inside the atmosphere. Temperature rises when carbon dioxide increases in the atmosphere See graph.

Arise in the earth’s temperature will cause the ice caps to melt and the sea levels to rise. The earth’s coastline will wash away and there is a fear of disease to human life and wildlife.

Those that don’t believe, feel that the world heating up is not a problem to the environment and that the increase in earth’s temperature is not alarming. The earth’s coastline will not disappear and neither will the ice caps.

This graph shows that there were temperature increases in the middle of the twentieth century before the spread of carbon dioxide. The graph also shows the temperature fluctuations over time.

Arguments as to whether it exists or does not exist have been many. The believers in global warming have felt they have proved its existence using computer climate models. The non believers state that these models are not based in fact and are therefore not reliable proof.

And so the arguments continue with one faction stating that global warming is something we should be alarmed about and is an issue that should not be taken lightly, and the other faction stating that global warming is a natural phenomenon and that there is no cause for alarm.

The Global Warming

By Igor Gromada

The Chacaltaya ski area in Bolivia used to be the highest in the world. Although it was less than a kilometer long, it hosted international ski competitions. Today the snow has almost gone, and so have Chacaltaya’s days as a popular ski resort.

The ski area sits upon a small mountain glacier, which was already getting smaller when the ski area opened in 1939. In the past ten years, however, the glacier has been melting at an increased rate. As the glacier melts, dark rocks beneath it are uncovered. The sun then heats the rocks, causing faster melting. Despite attempts to make snow with snow machines, this cycle seems unstoppable in the long run.

As experts debate how to solve the global warming problem, ice in mountains such as Chacaltaya and near the North and South Poles is melting faster than even the most pessimistic environmentalists may have once feared. Rising air and sea temperatures are two well-known causes, but researchers have recently discovered other unexpected processes that take place as glaciers melt. The effects are having an impact on humans even now, and they could change the face of the world in the future.

The glaciers of the Himalayas and the Andes could disappear in this century. As a result, the millions of people in India, Bolivia, and Peru who now depend on melting water from mountain glaciers could find themselves in a critical situation. The ice sheet of Greenland is also melting more quickly than scientists predicted. Greenland’s largest outlet glacier is moving toward the sea twice as fast as it was in 1995. One cause could be meltwater that runs down to the bottom of the glacier and gets between the ice and the rock below. This water makes it easier for the glacier to slide along to the ocean.

Many ice researchers believe that Greenland’s melting, if it continues, will add at least three feet to global sea levels by the year 2100. If the ice sheet of Antarctica, now largely unaffected, begins to melt, the next few centuries could see a six-foot rise in sea levels, forcing tens of millions of people out of their homes.

A white arctic fox hunts for baby seals in the ice of Norway. Scandinavia’s arctic fox population, with fewer than 200 animals remaining, now faces serious threat of extinction. How can we avoid these dire consequences of global warming? “We have to have a serious and immediate shift in attitude,” says Laurie David, producer of the prize-winning movie An Inconvenient Truth, which helped to raise awareness of the problem. Many believe that an attitude of hope and a desire to stay informed make a good beginning. An informed public is in a better position to help address this critical issue.

Youth Taking Action Against Climate Change

By Mary Bernadette Egloso

What has been happening around the world?

Glaciers are melting, the sea level is rising, rainfall patterns are changing and that there have been increases in the number of droughts, floods, mudslides, and heat waves. This is CLIMATE CHANGE, the biggest issue we are all facing right now, and the said effects are inevitable. They are affecting everyone. Now the question each of us must face is, “What can each of us do about this?”

The youth must play a special part in their communities, their country, and their region, for they are the next generation who will be seriously affected by the impacts now and into the future. All of these effects are already getting worse as each minute passes by. For this reason, many youth should know and be involved in this issue NOW.

What can the youth do to get involved?

1. Learn more about climate change in your country:

Know the current situation in your area, the vulnerabilities of the locality you are living in, the catastrophes that happened before, the initiatives and programs currently being implemented by the government and other organizations, the national laws and policies being implemented, and other vital information.

2. Raise awareness about climate change:

Invite other youths to learn about climate change. Promote current programs by the government. Blog about it. Write articles for your school, local and national newspapers. Promote climate change awareness websites and programs to your friends and relatives. Make a video and upload it in YouTube, in your blog and other websites. Interview local people about changes they have observed, and many others.

3. Volunteer to get youth voices heard:

Join national and local youth organizations focusing on climate change. Invite your friends to join as well. Talk to the government regarding your opinions, suggestions and proposed plan of actions.

4. Get together in a group to discuss climate change and create a project to address its impacts in your community:

Camps, forums and workshops at the national and local levels are highly effective ways to unite the youth. Participants can learn about the problems and the skills to deal with them, such as mapping community strengths and weaknesses to identify flood preparedness projects, and interviewing elders to understand changes in seasons.